Premier Ford delivered the following remarks at the 2024\u00a0Rural Ontario Municipal Association annual conference.<\/p>\n
“Well, good morning!<\/p>\n
Thank you, Jeyan, for that introduction.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m thrilled to be back here\u2026.<\/p>\n
For the 2024 ROMA Conference\u2026<\/p>\n
Alongside my caucus and cabinet colleagues.<\/p>\n
Before I begin\u2026<\/p>\n
I want to give a big thank you to the Rural Ontario Municipal Association\u2026<\/p>\n
Mayor Robin Jones\u2026The board of directors\u2026<\/p>\n
And all the members for having me here today.<\/p>\n
It’s hard to believe\u2026<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been five years since I first stood on this stage as Premier.<\/p>\n
Back then\u2026In 2019\u2026I made a promise to you.<\/p>\n
A promise\u2026That\u2026Unlike previous governments\u2026Our government would not ignore rural Ontario.<\/p>\n
We pledged\u2026That your voices would be heard at Queen\u2019s Park.<\/p>\n
That we\u2019d work with you\u2026Shoulder to shoulder\u2026To attract new investments and jobs\u2026<\/p>\n
To provide better services\u2026closer to home\u2026And to build the infrastructure you need\u2026For your communities to grow and prosper.<\/p>\n
And friends\u2026We\u2019re delivering on our promise.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m proud to say\u2026We\u2019re investing more money into rural communities than any government in the history of Ontario.<\/p>\n
This includes\u2026<\/p>\n
Historic investments to support economic development.<\/p>\n
Through programs like our government\u2019s Northern Ontario Heritage Fund \u2026<\/p>\n
The Rural Economic Development Program\u2026<\/p>\n
And the Regional Development Program\u2026<\/p>\n
We\u2019re investing hundreds of millions of dollars\u2026To support projects that diversify rural economies\u2026<\/p>\n
And help deliver better jobs with bigger paycheques.<\/p>\n
As we do\u2026We\u2019re working hard to create the conditions to attract new investments and new jobs\u2026In every part of the province.<\/p>\n
Since coming into office in 2018\u2026<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve cut red tape\u2026<\/p>\n
Saving people and businesses $1 billion\u2026<\/p>\n
And over 100,000 hours in time\u2026<\/p>\n
Each and every year.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve made energy more affordable\u2026By reducing electricity rates for small, medium, and large-sized businesses\u2026By 15 to 17 per cent.<\/p>\n
We scrapped the previous Liberal government\u2019s cap and trade carbon tax\u2026<\/p>\n
Which punished rural businesses and people\u2026<\/p>\n
For the simplest of things\u2026<\/p>\n
Like heating your homes\u2026<\/p>\n
Or driving between communities.<\/p>\n
And we\u2019re keeping taxes and fees low.<\/p>\n
In fact\u2026We\u2019ve never raised a tax on the backs of people and businesses.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve lowered taxes.<\/p>\n
Overall\u2026<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve reduced the cost of doing business in Ontario\u2026<\/p>\n
By $8 billion a year.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s money that goes back into your communities\u2026Back into businesses\u2026<\/p>\n
So, they can invest in workers\u2026<\/p>\n
Innovation\u2026<\/p>\n
And creating more good-paying jobs.<\/p>\n
And friends\u2026<\/p>\n
Our plan\u2026<\/p>\n
The steps we\u2019re taking to boost our rural economies\u2026<\/p>\n
Is working.<\/p>\n
In 2023\u2026Despite painful Bank of Canada interest rate hikes\u2026And ongoing, global supply chain disruptions\u2026<\/p>\n
We attracted billions of dollars in new investments.<\/p>\n
Last year\u2026Ontario added over 180,000 new jobs\u2026Including more manufacturing jobs than all U.S. states combined.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s just incredible!<\/p>\n
And what I\u2019m really proud of\u2026Is that these investments\u2026<\/p>\n
These jobs\u2026Are spread out \u2026All throughout the province.<\/p>\n
Huge investments like\u2026<\/p>\n
Numesh Ontario\u2019s \u2026Nearly $40 million investment to build a new facility in Brantford.<\/p>\n
TNR Industrial Doors\u2019\u2026$40 million investment in Oro-Medonte\u2026<\/p>\n
And Umicore\u2019s $2.1 billion investment in Loyalist Township\u2026<\/p>\n
To build a new manufacturing plant for electric vehicle battery components.<\/p>\n
And folks\u2026<\/p>\n
I know you\u2019ve heard me speak about this many times before\u2026<\/p>\n
But I need to talk about our booming electric vehicle industry.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because this industry\u2026<\/p>\n
Is going to benefit every community in the province\u2026For generations to come.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re building a home-grown EV supply chain\u2026Connecting critical minerals in northern Ontario\u2026<\/p>\n
And clean steelmakers in Hamilton and Sault Ste. Marie\u2026<\/p>\n
To auto makers and battery manufacturers across Ontario\u2026<\/p>\n
All powered by clean, affordable Ontario energy.<\/p>\n
Over the past three years\u2026<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve attracted more than $28 billion\u2026In auto and electric vehicle investments\u2026<\/p>\n
Including Volkswagen\u2019s $7 billion investment\u2026<\/p>\n
The single largest auto investment in Canadian history\u2026<\/p>\n
To build North America\u2019s largest battery plant in St. Thomas.<\/p>\n
These investments\u2026<\/p>\n
Are creating thousands of new jobs\u2026<\/p>\n
And supporting hundreds of thousands of indirect jobs\u2026<\/p>\n
Throughout the supply chain\u2026<\/p>\n
In communities across the province.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re becoming a world leader in the electric vehicle revolution.<\/p>\n
Now\u2026<\/p>\n
Ontario is the only place in the WORLD\u2026<\/p>\n
That the six largest auto makers call home.<\/p>\n
And friends\u2026As our economy grows\u2026<\/p>\n
Our population is growing at record speed.<\/p>\n
Ontario is the fastest-growing place in North America\u2026bar none.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re on pace to grow by five million people over the next decade.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s growth the likes of which this province has never seen before.<\/p>\n
So, we need to build.<\/p>\n
And we need to build in every part of our great province.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why\u2026<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve embarked on the most ambitious capital plan in Canadian history\u2026<\/p>\n
By investing $185 billion over the next 10 years.<\/p>\n
Through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund\u2026<\/p>\n
We\u2019re providing $400 million\u2026this year\u2026<\/p>\n
To 425 small, rural and northern communities\u2026<\/p>\n
To renew and restore critical infrastructure\u2026<\/p>\n
Including roads, bridges, water and wastewater projects.<\/p>\n
In the County of Simcoe\u2026<\/p>\n
Work is underway\u2026<\/p>\n
On a bridge crossing over the future Bradford Bypass.<\/p>\n
In Essex County \u2026<\/p>\n
We\u2019re widening and expanding Highway 3.<\/p>\n
This fall, we completed the first phase of work\u2026<\/p>\n
To widen Highway 17\u2026<\/p>\n
Between the Town of Renfrew and Arnprior.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re also continuing work\u2026To widen Highway 11 – 17\u2026<\/p>\n
In Thunder Bay District.<\/p>\n
These projects are improving safety\u2026Easing congestion\u2026<\/p>\n
And making it easier for families to get where they need to go.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve purchased three new trainsets as part of our plan to bring back the Northlander\u2026<\/p>\n
Connecting Timmins and Cochrane with Toronto.<\/p>\n
And, last year\u2026We approved the terms of reference for the First Nations-led Environmental Assessment\u2026<\/p>\n
To finally build the all-season roads in the Ring of Fire region.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re also making historic investments in health care\u2026<\/p>\n
Bringing convenient care\u2026Closer to home\u2026For rural communities.<\/p>\n
Over ten years\u2026We’re providing almost $50 billion\u2026For over 50 new hospital projects\u2026<\/p>\n
Including projects outside major cities.<\/p>\n
Like in Bracebridge and Huntsville\u2026<\/p>\n
Collingwood, West Lincoln and Picton\u2026<\/p>\n
To name just a few.<\/p>\n
Minister Jones recently announced\u2026<\/p>\n
An investment of over $108 million\u2026<\/p>\n
To expand Ornge Air\u2026<\/p>\n
Better connecting patients in rural and remote areas to urgent care.<\/p>\n
And pharmacists are doing more to treat people in their communities\u2026<\/p>\n
Relieving pressures on family doctors\u2026<\/p>\n
And our entire health care system.<\/p>\n
In fact\u2026We now have the shortest surgical wait times in all of Canada.<\/p>\n
As we move forward into 2024\u2026We\u2019re going to keep investing to connect people to care…<\/p>\n
Including by connecting more people to a family doctor and primary care team.<\/p>\n
And friends\u2026We also know that reliable internet is a priority for your communities.<\/p>\n
As part\u2026Of our nearly $4 billion, multi-year investment\u2026<\/p>\n
We\u2019re on track to bring high-speed internet access\u2026To every region in Ontario by the end of 2025.<\/p>\n
Because in today\u2019s digital world\u2026<\/p>\n
Everyone needs access to reliable Internet\u2026<\/p>\n
No matter where you live.<\/p>\n
And we\u2019re working hard to make sure that they do.<\/p>\n
With this infrastructure\u2026Rural communities will have the tools to build for the future.<\/p>\n
But of course\u2026<\/p>\n
We can\u2019t talk about building without talking about building more homes.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why\u2026Last summer\u2026<\/p>\n
Our government introduced\u2026The Building Faster Fund.<\/p>\n
This new fund\u2026<\/p>\n
Is a three-year, $1.2 billion provincial program\u2026<\/p>\n
To reward municipalities\u2026<\/p>\n
That are getting homes built quickly.<\/p>\n
I know many small, rural and northern municipalities\u2026<\/p>\n
Have been waiting patiently\u2026<\/p>\n
To hear how they can access their share of the fund.<\/p>\n
And friends\u2026<\/p>\n
Let me assure you\u2026<\/p>\n
We will not leave these communities behind.<\/p>\n
As I announced last year at AMO\u2026<\/p>\n
10 per cent of the overall fund\u2026<\/p>\n
$120 million over three years\u2026<\/p>\n
Is dedicated to small, rural and northern municipalities.<\/p>\n
Today \u2026<\/p>\n
I want to tell you a bit more about how that funding will be used.<\/p>\n
After consulting closely with AMO\u2026<\/p>\n
And representatives from rural Ontario\u2026<\/p>\n
We will soon set up an application-based process\u2026<\/p>\n
That will allow municipalities which have not been assigned housing targets\u2026<\/p>\n
To access the Building Faster Fund.<\/p>\n
Successful applications will receive funding\u2026<\/p>\n
For important infrastructure projects\u2026<\/p>\n
Like roads, water or wastewater\u2026<\/p>\n
That will help get more homes built in your communities.<\/p>\n
As we finalize that process \u2026<\/p>\n
The province will continue to consult to make sure this program\u2026Is giving you the support you need.<\/p>\n
There are a number of municipalities \u2026<\/p>\n
That are on track to meet \u2026<\/p>\n
Or exceed \u2026<\/p>\n
Their housing targets \u2026<\/p>\n
Including several that are here today.<\/p>\n
That list includes places like Belleville \u2026<\/p>\n
Chatham-Kent \u2026<\/p>\n
Innisfil \u2026<\/p>\n
Kingston\u2026<\/p>\n
Pickering\u2026<\/p>\n
Sarnia\u2026<\/p>\n
Sault Ste. Marie\u2026<\/p>\n
Thunder Bay\u2026<\/p>\n
Welland\u2026<\/p>\n
And Whitchurch-Stouffville.<\/p>\n
To these communities\u2026<\/p>\n
And to all the other municipalities that are on track to hit their targets\u2026<\/p>\n
Congratulations and well done!<\/p>\n
In the coming months\u2026<\/p>\n
These municipalities will receive funding\u2026<\/p>\n
Through the Building Faster Fund\u2026<\/p>\n
That can be used to support a range of community-building projects\u2026<\/p>\n
And housing-enabling infrastructure.<\/p>\n
This funding will be critical to getting even more homes built\u2026<\/p>\n
And sends a clear message\u2026<\/p>\n
That our government is there to support you\u2026<\/p>\n
As you get more shovels in the ground.<\/p>\n
Of course, not every municipality has reached their target.<\/p>\n
I know that in many cases\u2026A lack of infrastructure is partly to blame.<\/p>\n
So\u2026moving forward\u2026<\/p>\n
Our government will take unused funds from the Building Faster Fund\u2026<\/p>\n
Potentially hundreds of millions of dollars\u2026<\/p>\n
And make them available for housing-enabling infrastructure investments\u2026<\/p>\n
That all<\/u> municipalities can apply for.<\/p>\n
This approach will continue to reward municipalities that hit their targets\u2026<\/p>\n
While supporting much-needed new infrastructure\u2026<\/p>\n
In communities across the province.<\/p>\n
And as our government continues to step up\u2026<\/p>\n
With billions of dollars of support for infrastructure\u2026<\/p>\n
I once again urge our federal partners\u2026<\/p>\n
To match our funding\u2026<\/p>\n
Dollar for dollar.<\/p>\n
Friends\u2026I\u2019m so proud of the progress we\u2019ve made together over the past five years\u2026<\/p>\n
To ensure that everyone\u2026No matter where they live in Ontario\u2026Has the same opportunity\u2026<\/p>\n
To access a good-paying job\u2026To start a business<\/p>\n
To buy a home\u2026And raise a family.<\/p>\n
And\u2026While we have made progress\u2026We know there is so much more to do.<\/p>\n
As we face challenging economic headwinds\u2026<\/p>\n
We need to continue creating the conditions for better jobs with bigger paycheques.<\/p>\n
We need to find ways to get more shovels in the ground faster\u2026To build homes, roads, highways and infrastructure.<\/p>\n
And we need to take more action to ensure people in every part of the province\u2026Are connected to the high-quality services they expect and deserve.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve shown that when all levels of government work together\u2026<\/p>\n
When people and communities work together\u2026<\/p>\n
We can achieve amazing things.<\/p>\n
I look forward to working with all of you\u2026To build a stronger province.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s keep it going.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s get it done.<\/p>\n
Thank you\u2026And may God Bless the people of Ontario.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Premier Ford delivered the following remarks at the 2024\u00a0Rural Ontario Municipal Association annual conference. “Well, good morning! Thank you, Jeyan, for that introduction. I\u2019m thrilled to be back here\u2026. For the 2024 ROMA Conference\u2026 Alongside my caucus and cabinet colleagues. Before I begin\u2026 I want to give a big thank you to the Rural Ontario …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[216],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-64894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorials"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-28 22:56:01","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64894"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64895,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64894\/revisions\/64895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}