Mayor David Bailey, members of County of Brant Council, and staff attended the 2026 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference in Toronto from January 18 to 20, 2026.
The conference provided an opportunity to connect with other rural municipalities from across the province, share insights from a variety of keynote speakers, and meet with several Cabinet ministries to discuss topics important to Brant.
“The annual ROMA conference provides an important opportunity to meet with elected officials and staff from rural municipalities across the province,” said Mayor David Bailey. “These connections allow us to learn from our shared challenges, provide support to our neighbours through our experiences, and advocate with provincial ministers and representatives on key issues impacting our community.”
In attendance alongside Mayor Bailey were Councillor Jennifer Kyle, Councillor Lukas Oakley, Councillor Brian Coleman, Councillor John Bell, Councillor David Miller, and Councillor Robert Chambers. General Manager of Strategic Initiatives Adam Crozier and Government Relations Specialist Delia Reiche were also present.
A highlight for municipalities at the ROMA conference is the opportunity to meet with Provincial Ministries at structured delegation meetings. These meetings allow Council and staff the opportunity to engage directly with provincial leaders on local issues that are important to the County of Brant.
2026 Delegation meetings included:
- Delegation with the Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity Charmaine Williams and Parliamentary Assistant Natalie Pierre, from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, focused on the escalating impacts of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in the County of Brant. The purpose of the meeting was to highlight the County’s direct engagement with front-line service providers and Brant County Ontario Provincial Police, and to convey that the emergency funding the County has been providing to local agencies for victim service programming has been effective in virtually eliminating the wait list for services. The County further requested provincial leadership through formal recognition of GBV as an epidemic, as well as the implementation of a sustainable, volume-driven funding model after demonstrating the ability for victim services funding to proactively serve the community
- Delegation with Parliamentary Assistant Amarjot Sandhu, Ministry of Infrastructure to discuss the Paris Water Treatment Plant project, including associated funding challenges, and the impacts that many small and mid-sized communities across Ontario, including the County of Brant, are facing while trying to meet provincial housing goals and maintain affordability for existing residents. The County delegation was joined by Brian Riddell, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement, and MPP for Cambridge (representing Cambridge, North Dumfries, and North Brant).
“Advocating for our residents’ needs is a key purpose for Council and staff when attending the ROMA conference,” said Mayor David Bailey. “The opportunity to directly connect with provincial leaders and have meaningful discussions about our community’s needs is incredibly important. While the County is committed to supporting programs and services that directly impact our residents, we look to the Ontario government when these issues are shaped and managed at the provincial level.”
