August 22, 2026
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Members of the Bruce County team attended the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference in Ottawa, Aug. 16-18.
The event provides the opportunity for connection, collaboration, learning and advocacy for the issues that matter most to communities.
Warden Luke Charbonneau and deputy warden Don Murray participated in delegation meetings to discuss potential solutions through provincial and municipal partnership including:
Investment in energy for the province – A Host-Community Framework for Ontario’s Energy Future, with MPP Rudy Cuzzetto, parliamentary assistant to the energy minister
Community Paramedicine Inflationary Funding – Sustaining a Proven Rural Health Care Model, with MPP John Jordan, parliamentary assistant to the health minister
Rural and Upper-Tier Impacts of Conservation Authority Modernization, with the environment minister MPP Todd J. McCarty, as well as MPP Andrew Dowie, parliamentary assistant to the environment minister
Court Security and Prisoner Transportation Funding - Fair Funding for Rural Access to Justice, with MPP Zee Hamid, MPP, associate solicitor general for auto theft and bail reform
Child Care as Essential Economic Infrastructure, with MPP Jess Dixon, parliamentary assistant to the education minister of Education
Other members of county council, including Kincardine mayor Kenneth Craig, Arran-Elderslie mayor Steve Hammell, Northern Bruce Peninsula mayor Milt McIver and Brockton mayor Chris Peabody, attended to support county advocacy efforts as well as their own local municipal delegations as mayors. A team of senior staff was also in attendance collaboratively working with council and local municipalities.
“The AMO Conference is our chance to build relationships with provincial representatives and discuss the alignment of priorities for solving issues across the levels of government together," said Charbonneau. "Every moment of the delegations and across the three-day conference are for advancing our agenda, networking and learning.”
The conference features speakers, sessions, and workshops reflecting on the broad scope of municipal responsibilities. It also provides opportunity for municipalities to seek delegations with provincial ministries. This gave Bruce County a great opportunity to advance priorities outlined in the advocacy platform approved by council twice yearly.
“We apply for meetings that will help us best move forward on collaborative solutions for key priorities in Bruce County," said Carbonaceous. "We were fortunate that our applications made possible five meetings for advocacy this year, drawing attention to what makes our community unique and exploring innovative solutions together."
Murray, as mayor of Huron-Kinloss, also represented Bruce County, alongside Charbonneau as mayor of Saugeen Shores, and Craig, on an AMO Learning Lunch panel, Tuesday. Sponsored by Bruce Power, Beyond Consultation: Municipal Readiness and Engagement in Large-Scale Energy Development highlighted how Bruce Power is working with municipalities across the Clean Energy Frontier of Bruce, Grey and Huron Counties. The panel gave insight to supporting readiness planning, information sharing, and the creation of opportunities for meaningful participation in the Bruce "C" project Impact Assessment process.
For more details about the 2026 AMO conference, visit www.amo.on.ca.
Paul Vickers (left), Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP, poses for a photo at the AMO Conference, with Bruce County warden Luke Charbonneau, mayor of Saugeen Shores; MPP Rudy Cuzzetto, parliamentary assistant for the energy minister; deputy warden Don Murray, mayor of Huron-Kinloss; and Bruce County councillor Kenneth Craig, mayor of Kincardine
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