Advocacy Updates
What’s New
Ontario’s Big City Mayors Condemn Quebec’s Bill 21, Reaffirm commitment to tri-partite efforts to address housing with Provincial and Federal partners, Address the spread of the Omicron variant
December 17, 2021- At their recent meeting, Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) voted unanimously in opposition to Quebec’s Bill 21, the law that bans public sector workers from wearing religious symbols. In a motion brou…
Ontario’s Big City Mayors urge for continuation of the Safe Restart Agreement
December 6, 2021 – Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) met last week to discuss the pressing issues facing municipalities, including building more affordable housing, COVID-19 recovery, child care and climate change. The …
Ontario’s Big City Mayors Continue Progress with New Executive Director, First In-Person Meeting
November 3, 2021 – In late October, Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) held its first in-person meeting since the start of the pandemic. The event was hosted by the Mayor of Burlington, Marianne Meed Ward. The OBCM was d…
Ontario’s Big City Mayors Call for Proof of Vaccination and Childcare Plan
August 13, 2021 – Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) are urging the province to establish a COVID-19 proof of vaccination system. Around the world, certified vaccination records are helping businesses and event spaces to…
Chair’s 2021 Caucus Address
Members of OBCM –After more than a year, we are in the last days of an extraordinary time. Every resident in each one of our cities has been affected by a global pandemic which has changed our social, economic, and per…
Ontario’s Big City Mayors call for action on ambitious mental health and addictions plan
June 18, 2021 Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) are joining mental health leaders and Chiefs of Police in calling for the decriminalization of controlled substances and the continued creation and funding of Mental Health Crisis Res…
Ontario’s Big City Mayors focus on improving mental health and addictions services
May 28, 2021 – Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) Mental Health Working Committee presented draft recommendations to support and complement the Province’s Road to Wellness plan which seeks to improve mental health and addictions ser…
Ontario’s Big City Mayors welcome investment priorities in the federal 2021 budget
April 19, 2021 – Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) caucus is pleased to see today’s federal budget focused on addressing large-scale policy priorities like housing affordability and childcare while also investing in municipal infra…
Ontario’s Big City Mayors encourage Ontarians to get vaccinated
April 16, 2021 – With the number of COVID cases rising at an alarming rate, Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) caucus is encouraging all Ontarians who are eligible to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible. …
Ontario’s Big City Mayors applaud Province for 2021 budget
March 24, 2021 – The Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) caucus is pleased to see today’s provincial budget invest in Ontarians, Ontario businesses and Ontario municipalities. Provincial and federal support has been essential to ensu…
Ontario Government Supports Ontario Cities
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) are encouraged by today’s announcement from the provincial government. The additional $500 million in COVID-19 relief funding for municipalities is vital to ensuring our cities can continue pro…
Ontario’s Big City Mayors address Ontario budget priorities, support vaccination roll-out
February 19, 2021 – Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) met to discuss updates on the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Taskforce and continued municipal advocacy efforts through the provincial budgeting process….
Ontario’s Big City Mayors start 2021 focusing on pandemic, worker protection and recovery efforts
January 15, 2021 – At its first meeting of the year this morning, Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) discussed municipal efforts to assist the provincially-led vaccination roll-out, to support the province-wide lockdown, and reduce …
Ontario’s Financial Accountability Officer identifies $2.4 billion gap in municipal budgets for 2021
December 11, 2021 – Today, Ontario’s Financial Accountability Officer, Peter Weltman identified a $2.4 billion shortfall in funding needed to maintain current municipal service levels and tax rates….
Jeff Lehman and Bonnie Crombie named Chair and Vice Chair of Ontario’s Big City Mayors for 2021-22
November 27, 2020 – At its final meeting of the term this morning, Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) confirmed Mayor of Barrie Jeff Lehman as its Chair for the next two years. Mayor of Mississauga Bonnie Crombie was named Vice Chai…
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
Mayor Bryan Paterson
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
