Advocacy Updates
What’s New
Ontario launches audits of 6 municipalities to look at how housing law will affect budgets
CBC News
3rd-party audits expected to measure impact to changes in development fees….
Ontario’s largest cities renew call for better funding of municipal challenges
by Sean Meyer, Municipal World
Canada has long been seen as a haven for refugees from across the globe. Unfortunately, that safe harbour is being threatened due to a lack of funding for the very municipalities being called upon…
Ontario Big City Mayors from Oshawa to Oakville say Ottawa needs to fully fund refugee support
By Glenn Hendry
A group representing Ontario’s 29 largest cities – including all five of Durham Region’s urban lakeshore communities and another seven cities from Mississauga to St. Catharines – say Ottawa has to step u…
Ontario’s Big City Mayors Statement on Lack of Municipal Capacity to Support Newcomers to Canada
The Canadian government is failing to fully fund the municipal front line that Canada relies on to welcome and settle newcomers, including those needing urgent support such as refugees and asylum-seekers fleeing conflict in...
OBCM Sends Letter to Minister Leblanc on Infrastructure Funding
Today OBCM sent a letter to Federal Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities the Hon. Dominic Leblanc ahead of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers of Infrastructure Meeting on June 21st in...
Ontario expanding ‘strong mayor’ powers to cities across province
CBC News
The provincial government is expanding strong mayor powers to more cities in Ontario, a move that previously fuelled controversy when legislation was passed to boost mayoral powers in Toronto and Ottawa late last year….
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) Meet with Provincial Ministers at Queen’s Park to Discuss Municipal Priorities
TORONTO - Today, OBCM met with several provincial ministers including Deputy Premier Sylvia Jones, Minister Steve Clark, Minister Doug Downey, Minister Jill Dunlop, Minister Caroline Mulroney, Minister Michael Parsa, Minister...
OBCM Statement on Mayor Bonnie Crombie Temporarily Stepping Down as Chair
May 23, 2023 Today Mayor Crombie announced that she has formed an exploratory committee to look into a leadership bid for the Ontario Liberal Party. Mayor Crombie is also the current Chair of OBCM, a non-partisan organization...
Ontario’s Big City Mayors Hold AGM and Conference, Meet with Ministers on Key Municipal Priorities
April 21, 2023 Kitchener, ON - Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) held its AGM and Conference in Kitchener over the past few days to discuss key municipal priorities including, housing, mental health and addictions, homelessness,...
‘Let us figure out how it works’: Mayors of Ontario’s biggest cities aren’t willing to give up local control over housing decisions
By Brent Davis Record Reporter
KITCHENER — The mayors of Ontario’s largest cities say they know what’s best for their own communities when it comes to implementing housing goals set out by the province.
“Our key mess…
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) Meets with Deputy Premier and Minister of Health the Honourable Sylvia Jones to Discuss their Health and Homelessness Strategy
April 5, 2023 Yesterday Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) and several community partners met with the Honourable Sylvia Jones to discuss the homelessness, mental health and addictions crisis impacting Ontario’s cities. OBCM...
Ontario’s Big City Mayors Respond to the Province’s 2023 Budget
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) would like to thank Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy for the 2023 Ontario Budget: Building a Strong Ontario. Through the budget consultation process, OBCM urged the...
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) Statement on the Launch of the Federal Government’s Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF)
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) would like to thank the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada and the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion for today’s launch of the...
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) Statement on Announcement of Team Members Named to Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Team
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) Statement on Announcement of Team Members Named to Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Team March 14, 2023 Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) is pleased to see the province’s announcement of the...
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM), Minister’s of Finance and Municipal Affairs and Housing Meet on Key Municipal Priorities
February 13, 2023 – Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM), Ministers of Finance and Municipal Affairs and Housing Meet on Key Municipal Priorities…
OBCM in the news
Ontario launches audits of 6 municipalities to look at how housing law will affect budgets
3rd party audits expected to measure impact to changes in development fees
CBC News Posted: July 26, 2023
‘Let us figure out how it works’: Mayors of Ontario’s biggest cities aren’t willing to give up local control over housing decisions
Ontario's Big City Mayors are meeting in Kitchener this week.
The Kitchener Record
Posted: April 20, 2023
Ontario big city mayors to discuss concerns over province's new housing bill
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) will meet on Friday as tensions rise between the mayor of the province’s largest city and Premier Doug Ford over the financial impacts of a new housing bill.
Kitchener-Waterloo: Window to restore relationship with municipalities 'is closing', say Big City Mayors
In a public letter addressed to the chair of Ontario's Big City Mayors (OBCM) Cam Guthrie, the Ford government says it will be launching a third-party audit of select municipalities across the province.
Opiod's Harm to Ontario's Big Cities
Cam Guthrie, Mayor of Guelph and Chair of Ontario's Big City Mayors, discusses the toll of the opiod crisis across the province
Ontario's Big City Mayors
Mayor Shaun Collier
Town of Ajax
Mayor Alex Nuttall
City of Barrie
Mayor Patrick Brown
City of Brampton
Mayor Kevin Davis
City of Brantford
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward
City of Burlington
Mayor Jan Ligget
City of Cambridge
Mayor Darrin Canniff
Municipality of Chatham-Kent
Deputy Mayor Willie Woo
Municipality of Clarington
Mayor Cam Guthrie
City of Guelph
Mayor Andrea Horwath
City of Hamilton
City of Kingston
Mayor Berry Vrbanovic
City of Kitchener
Mayor Josh Morgan
City of London
Mayor Frank Scarpitti
City of Markham
Mayor Gordon Krantz
Town of Milton
Mayor Carolyn Parrish
City of Mississauga
Mayor Rob Burton
Town of Oakville
Mayor Dan Carter
City of Oshawa
Mayor Mark Sutcliffe
City of Ottawa
Mayor Kevin Ashe
City of Pickering
Mayor David West
City of Richmond Hill
Mayor Mat Siscoe
City of St. Catharines
Mayor Paul Lefebvre
City of Greater Sudbury
Mayor Ken Boshcoff
City of Thunder Bay
Mayor Olivia Chow
City of Toronto
Mayor Steven Del Duca
City of Vaughan
Mayor Dorothy McCabe
City of Waterloo
Mayor Elizabeth Roy
Town of Whitby
