Council members spent a substantial portion of their time in Ottawa over a three-day period, with a focus on accomplishments achieved during that stretch.
The Province of Ontario has announced a significant investment in the City of Burlington's housing and infrastructure development.
In a move to meet housing production goals, the province has allocated $15 million from its $1.2 billion Building Faster Fund to Burlington. This allocation can be found in the specific funding announcement details or official provincial communications regarding the fund distribution.
The funds will be used to support Burlington and its development partners in unlocking further housing potential through electricity infrastructure. The Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) had a discussion with Burlington delegates about local energy infrastructure challenges and their impact on municipal housing starts.
In addition, the province's $1.2B Building Faster Fund (BFF) eligibility criteria will be amended to better reflect current market conditions and local municipalities' efforts to achieve housing starts.
The new Capital Funding Program (CFP) will also be implemented, aiming to build more long-term care homes faster, particularly in regions like the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and northern Ontario.
Mayor Meed Ward led discussions with several provincial ministers, including the Deputy Premier, Minister of Health, Minister of Finance, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Minister of Infrastructure, Attorney General, Solicitor General, Associate Attorney General, and Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
The Province of Ontario Government has also announced an additional $1.6 billion investment for the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program (MHIP), nearly doubling its total to $4 billion.
The City of Burlington, led by its delegation, advocated for its strategic priorities to all levels of government at the 2025 AMO Conference. Burlington leads a delegation to the AMO conference each year and arranges meetings with key ministries and Members of Cabinet, and opposition party leaders to discuss and advocate for the City's top priorities.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) is a non-profit organisation that represents most of Ontario's municipal governments, supporting and enhancing strong and effective municipal government in Ontario.
The Ministry of Finance (MOF) has assured municipalities that they will be eligible for future components of the province's $5B Building Ontario Fund. The discussions and investments outlined above are part of the province's commitment to supporting municipalities in their efforts to build stronger, more sustainable communities.
