September 2022

Your monthly news & updates

Registration Now Open for Growing Your Workforce 2022

The Western Ontario Wardens' Caucus is pleased to be hosting the 2022 Growing Your Workforce Conference, in partnership with Workforce Planning West.

Wednesday, November 23rd

9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Best Western Stoneridge Inn, 6675 Burtwistle Ln, London, ON N6L 1H5

Topics include sharing best practices from employers, rural immigrant attraction, youth retention, the skills continuum and an opportunity to discuss with peers best practices in other communities.

Hydro One and Chatham-Kent sign partnership with $10 million Community Support Agreement

Residents, businesses and visitors in the Chatham-Kent area will benefit from $10 million in new local investments as a result of the 10-year Community Support Agreement signed today between Hydro One Networks Inc. (Hydro One) and the Municipality of Chatham-Kent. The agreement provides the region with direct community support as part of Hydro One’s transmission infrastructure expansion in the region. The community will also receive an additional $300,000 to allocate towards charitable organizations that work to build safe and resilient communities.

“Hydro One is supporting economic prosperity in southwest Ontario through the significant investment in five critical transmission lines. This will ensure the region remains an attractive place to invest, live and work,” said David Lebeter, Chief Operating Officer, Hydro One. “We’re proud to partner with the Municipality of Chatham-Kent. We understand that as communities grow, additional resources are needed to energize important local initiatives.”

“We are excited to engage Council and community members to ensure the equitable funding of cultural and recreational priorities with these new resources,” said Mayor of Chatham-Kent, Darrin Canniff. “We know the transmission lines are needed to support growth in southwestern Ontario. Through this important agreement, we can share in the benefits of these critical lines by funding community-based initiatives that will directly benefit residents, businesses, and visitors of Chatham-Kent.

Earlier this year, the Minister of Energy directed the Ontario Energy Board to amend Hydro One’s transmission license to develop four transmission lines to meet growing electricity demand in southwest Ontario. This is in addition to Hydro One's previous transmission designation for the Chatham to Lakeshore line in 2020. These five transmission lines will meet the needs of new and growing industries and help attract future jobs to the region.

Read the press release

32 New Supportive Housing Units Coming to Guelph

With support from the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the City of Guelph, the Skyline Group of Companies, Kindle Communities and the United Way of Guelph-Wellington-Dufferin, the County of Wellington is pleased to announce that 32 new supportive housing units will be built in the City of Guelph.

The County of Wellington is the designated Service Manager for all social services in both the City of Guelph and Wellington County. The new 32-unit building will be located at 10 Shelldale Crescent and will be owned and operated by Kindle Communities. The building will offer 24/7 on-site wrap-around staff support and services to residents.

“The County of Wellington is committed to ending homelessness in Guelph-Wellington,” said County of Wellington Warden, Kelly Linton. “We are incredibly fortunate to be working with strong partners federally, provincially and locally to create 32 units of housing for people currently at risk of or experiencing chronic homelessness.”

The Government of Canada is investing over $2.5 million through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF). Through federal and provincial programmes such as Reaching Homes and the Social Service Relief Fund, the County of Wellington has committed over $4 million in funding grants towards the project. The County of Wellington has worked in partnership with the City of Guelph to support their grant of $1.3 million, and is an active partner in support of the United Way Guelph-Wellington-Dufferin’s investment of $2 million to the project.

View the full press release

Connecting More Homes and Businesses in Western Ontario

Bringing High-Speed Fibre-Optic Connectivity To Chippewas Of Nawash Unceded First Nation

SWIFT, in partnership with the federal and provincial governments and private sector investors, has committed a combined investment of $16.3 million to bring high-speed internet service to 5,226 underserved homes and businesses throughout Bruce County and within Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation.

Broadband Projects Making New High-Speed Connections In Oxford

SWIFT, in partnership with the federal and provincial governments and private sector investors, has committed a combined investment of $10.2 million to bring high-speed internet service to more than 1,707underserved homes and businesses within Oxford County.

Expanding High-Speed Fibre-Optic Connectivity In Middlesex County

SWIFT, in partnership with the federal and provincial governments and private sector investors, has committed a combined investment of $13.2 million to bring high-speed internet service to 1,796 underserved homes and businesses throughout Middlesex County.

Broadband Projects Bring Fibre Connectivity To 1,300 Homes In Lambton County

SWIFT, in partnership with the federal and provincial governments and private sector investors, has committed a combined investment of $18.8 million to bring high-speed internet service to approximately 5,045 underserved homes and businesses throughout Lambton County.

View the press release

County of Brant Hosting 2022 Agri-Food Forum

The County of Brant is thrilled to co-host the 14th annual Agri-Food Forum on November 2 and 3, 2022.

The forum will share best practices with municipal economic development and planning staff, elected officials and anyone interested in agricultural economic development in Ontario.

Event details include:

November 2, 2022 - A bus tour of County of Brant farms and other agriculture operations including on-farm diversified uses
November 3, 2022 – At the Agri-Food Forum, speakers from different levels of government, business and community organizations will speak on a variety of subjects including workforce development, planning for agri-systems and regenerative agriculture programs. The Forum will feature a keynote address from the highly regarded, Brock Dickinson, Adjunct Professor and Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Waterloo.

The forum will be hosted at TownPlace Suites Brantford and Conference Centre.

Hybrid registration options are available to registrants.

Each year, the Municipal Agriculture Economic Development and Planning Forum with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs chooses a rural municipality to co-host the event. This year, Brant was chosen for its rich agricultural roots and innovative farming practices.

To register and learn more, please visit www.brant.ca/agriforum.

Rural Talks to Rural 2022 Conference

The Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity (CCRC) is pleased to present this year’s R2R in-person conference (with virtual options) with the theme: Rural Today/Rural Tomorrow!

We will be exploring where we are now and where we could be going in the areas of Wellbeing, Housing, Climate and Community. It all happens over three and half days in the Four Winds Barn in Brussels, Ontario, from October 17th – 20th.

Details and to register

Ontario Investing an Additional $90 Million into Skills Development Fund

The Ontario Government is investing an additional $90 million in the Skills Development Fund (SDF) to support innovative training projects that upskill workers and jobseekers, preparing them for meaningful careers in their communities.

Funding is open to anyone who is unemployed or underemployed, and will prioritize programs helping people with prior involvement in the criminal justice system, at-risk youth, people with disabilities, Indigenous people, Ukrainian newcomers, and others facing barriers to employment.

Learn more

National Tourism Indicators Second Quarter 2022

Tourism spending in Canada grew 19.8% in the second quarter, a fifth consecutive quarterly increase. Tourism gross domestic product (GDP) (+20.4%) and jobs attributable to tourism (+11.2%) also rose in the second quarter.

Travel restrictions impacting tourism activities during the first quarter of 2022 were eased effective February 28, allowing the tourism sector to continue its recovery in the second quarter.

View the full report

Community Futures Western Ontario (CFWO) elects new Chair

As the newly elected Chair of the Board for Community Futures Western Ontario, Meghan Marshall has hit the ground running, already identifying top priorities including a modernization framework to help member offices better deliver financing and services to local businesses.

“As Chair, part of my role is to advocate for CFDC offices to ensure our Association can provide them with everything they need to help the businesses in those communities not just survive but thrive,” Marshall explains. Discussions are ongoing with CFDC funder

FedDev Ontario to update the CFDC program framework, which will ultimately strengthen member offices to better serve local businesses in southwestern Ontario, Marshall adds.

Marshall, also General Manager of Perth Community Futures Development Corporation, one of southwestern Ontario region’s 21 member offices, is a proud lifelong resident of Stratford and brings a wealth of experience in retail, commercial and private banking to her new role. She has already served two years on the Executive as Vice-Chair and has been Chair of one of the CFWO’s major fund committees for several years.

In a post-pandemic world, businesses face many challenges, she notes, adding that CFDC offices are acutely aware of supply chain and materials shortages and delays as well as an array of other issues. “We want to be there to help clients any way we can, so they can do what they do best – drive our rural economies,” Marshall says.

One of the biggest challenges will be the repayment of COVID-19 government relief loans, Marshall says. “Our CFDC offices need to ensure businesses have a comfortable experience,” she adds.

Joining Marshall on the Executive are Wendy Timpano, Vice-Chair and General Manager of the Orillia Area CDC, Todd Copeland Secretary of the Board and General Manager of

Community Futures Middlesex, Rick Whittaker, Treasurer of the Board and General Manager of Wellington-Waterloo Community Futures. Barb Fisher, General Manager of Bruce Community Futures Development Corporation is Past Chair.

View the full press release