Ontario local leaders call for 'new deal' as municipalities gather in Ottawa

Growing challenges across Ontario will be on the agenda Monday as local leaders descend on Ottawa for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference.

• Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

Thousands are expected to attend, representing gather 444 municipal governments with over 2,000 attendees.

Top issues will include the opioid crisis, extreme weather and growing homelessness.

"Property taxation cannot fund the infrastructure costs and the increased demand on municipal services. We need a new deal. A new funding framework is essential to ensure the future financial viability of our organizations, cities, towns and regions," said Karen Redman, regional chair for the Waterloo Region.

The municipalities are also asking for a meeting with the province to discuss how Ontario's public services can be funded and delivered more effectively.

Leaders say their budgets are strained because of rising costs associated with homelessness, mental health and addictions.

"There are about 1,400 homeless encampments in Ontario in 2023 and last year, more than 2,500 people died from opioid use," said Colin Best, AMO president and Region of Halton councillor.

"Our urban mayors and our paramedics will tell you that their emergency rooms are overwhelmed."

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has been one of the leaders making the case that not enough financial help has been provided for municipalities to fund services such as transit.

Conference attendees will also be discussing climate change and how to deal with extreme weather events like wildfires and flooding.

"Damage experienced in Canada from natural disasters has been doubling every seven or eight years for the last 40 years and unless we take some drastic action, we're still on that trend that the numbers are going to double," said Paul Kovacs of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction at Western University.

Leaders will have the chance to meet with Premier Doug Ford Federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser on Monday.

The conference will conclude on Wednesday.

With files from The Canadian Press