Premier Doug Ford’s Speech at the 2024 AMO Annual Conference

Premier Ford delivered the following remarks at the 2024 Association of Municipalities of Ontario annual general meeting and conference.

“Well, good morning, everyone.

Thank you, Martin, for that kind introduction.

And before I get started…

I want to congratulate you Colin…

And the outgoing AMO Board of Directors…

For all the work you’ve done over the last two years.

Thank you for your partnership…

And for your service to the communities you serve.

Friends,

I’m thrilled to be back at the AMO conference…

And to celebrate AMO’s 125th anniversary.

It’s an amazing milestone.

A milestone built on a long legacy of bringing people together…

In service of finding common ground…

And delivering real solutions…

To building stronger communities…

Where people and families can live, thrive, and prosper.

And folks…

I don’t hesitate to say…

That AMO’s vision…

Its mandate…

Has never been more important.

That’s because Ontario is growing faster than it ever has before…

Some reports suggest that our population growth could be as high as eight hundred thousand.

That’s like adding a city the size of Mississauga

In a single year.

In a word…

This kind of growth is explosive.

People from across Canada…

From around the world…

Are moving to Ontario…

Eager to be part of the thriving communities we’re building…

Excited about the Ontario dream.

These newcomers…

They also want to participate in our growing economy.

An economy that’s added more than 800,000 new jobs since we came into office in 2018…

With 160,000 new jobs added since the beginning of this year.

In fact…

In recent years…

Ontario’s economy has attracted tens of billions of dollars in the tech sector…

$4 billion in life sciences…

And more than $44 billion in electric vehicle and battery plants.

What I’m most proud of…

Is that these new investments…

These new jobs…

Are being created in communities across the province.

Take for example our auto sector.

We can’t forget the dire shape it was in six years ago.

Sky-high energy prices…

And an uncompetitive business environment…

Forced plants to close…

And take jobs 300,000 jobs south of the border.

What a difference a few years and a pro-worker, pro-business government makes.

Over the past four years…

We’ve welcomed new battery plants in Alliston and St. Thomas…

With major investments across the electric vehicle supply chain in Brampton…

Brantford…

Port Colborne…

Windsor…

And Napanee…

To name just a few.

It’s so important to our government…

To ensure that the economic growth we’re experiencing…

Benefits the entire province.

That no matter where you live in Ontario…

You have the same opportunity to access a better job with a bigger paycheque.

So, today…

I’m excited to announce a new online tool…

Developed by Invest Ontario…

That will help local and international investors better connect with municipalities.

Through our new Partner Portal…

Municipalities will be able to upload information about commercial and industrial properties in their communities…

And provide companies with information about the property…

Including demographic trends, market analysis and First Nations treaty areas.

It’s going to be a powerful resource…

To help local governments and communities attract investments and jobs.

But friends…

As I’ve said before…

As we rebuild Ontario’s economy…

As our population grows…

We have to build the infrastructure needed to support this growth…

And ensure that it’s sustainable for generations to come.

We can’t make the same mistakes that previous governments made.

We have to plan for the future…

And build the roads…

Highways…

Public transit…

Hospitals…

Homes…

Schools…

And energy infrastructure we need.

That’s exactly what we’re doing…

With the most ambitious plan to build in Ontario history.

We’re investing nearly $100 billion to expand and improve transit, roads and highways.

In the north…

We’re widening Highway 17 from Kenora to the Manitoba border…

And making upgrades to Highways 584 and 11.

In Windsor, we’re building the Banwell Interchange…

And a new interchange connecting Highway 401 to Lauzon Parkway.

Here in Ottawa…

We’re providing funding for the design and planning for the Barnsdale Interchange.

In the GTA…

We’re building Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass.

Shovels are in the ground…

To widen Highway 3 between Essex and Leamington.

We’re building a new Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph.

Folks…

I could be here all day.

This list of projects goes on and on and on.

We’re building more…

We’re building faster.

In health care…

We’re investing $50 billion over the next ten years on more than 50 hospital projects.

In education…

We’re investing $16 billion to build, repair and expand schools.

And we’re making record investments to ensure people and businesses have access to reliable, clean and affordable electricity…

For generations to come.

I know…

Over the next couple of days…

You’ll hear more about these infrastructure investments from my Cabinet and caucus colleagues.

But I want to take a couple of minutes here…

To talk about housing.

Since we came into office in 2018…

I’ve heard time and time again…

A lack of housing-enabling infrastructure…

Is the biggest barrier to getting more homes built.

Mayors…

I want to say…

We hear you…

We’ve heard you loud and clear.

That’s why…

At this conference last year…

I announced the Building Faster Fund…

A $1.2 billion program…

That rewards municipalities for reaching annual housing targets.

The Building Faster Fund has a been a huge success.

Over the past several months…

I had the privilege of visiting so many of you…

Too many to name…

To deliver big cheques…

With big dollar figures…

That municipalities can use for infrastructure projects…

To lay the groundwork for more housing.

In our most recent budget…

We also announced record investments in our Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund…

And the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program.

This new money…

Totaling nearly $2 billion…

Is going to be a gamechanger…

For so many of your communities.

Earlier this month,

We announced the first round of investments from the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund…

A total of $970 million…

That will be distributed to 54 projects…

Across 60 municipalities…

Helping to build more than 500,000 homes.

But we’re not stopping there.

We can’t stop there.

We’re going to keep working with you…

To build the housing-enabling infrastructure you need…

To meet and exceed your housing targets…

And to bring the dream of home ownership into reach for more people.

As we build more homes…

As you welcome more people to your communities…

We also recognize the need to invest in the public spaces that foster a strong sense of community and belonging.

That’s why…

As part of our 2024 budget…

We announced a $200 million investment to help municipalities build and renew sport and recreational facilities.

I’m pleased to announce…

That applications for this new fund…

The Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund…

Are now open.

Municipalities…

Local services boards…

And not-for-profit organizations…

Can apply for up to 50 per cent of funding for projects…

And Indigenous communities and organizations can apply for up to 90 per cent.

I can’t wait to visit your communities…

To stand with you…

As we invest in the sports and recreation facilities…

Where so many new memories will be made.

Friends…

Ontario is growing…

Like never before.

This kind of growth isn’t without its challenges.

But it also opens the door to incredible opportunities.

In order to seize these opportunities…

And ensure every region…

Every municipality prospers…

We need to work together to build the roads, highways, transit, homes, hospitals and schools our growing communities need.

We need to continue to create conditions to attract new investments…

To create better jobs…

And yes…bigger paycheques.

And we need to keep costs down for hardworking families.

Ontario is the envy of the world.

And we have every single thing we need to succeed.

We have the talent…

We have the resources…

We have the determination.

All we need is to keep working together…

Always in service of the great people of this province.

Let’s build a better Ontario…together.

Let’s get it done.

Thank you again for inviting me to speak today.

And may God bless the people of Ontario.”