City Of Welland’s Participation At AMO Conference 2025

The City of Welland had a strong presence at the 2025 Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference, where its delegation highlighted local priorities through advocacy meetings with provincial officials and took part in a range of professional development and learning opportunities. Led by Mayor Frank Campion and CAO Rob Axiak, the team held 11 meetings with Provincial Ministers and their staff. These discussions are vital in ensuring Welland’s voice is heard at Queen’s Park, helping to shape provincial decision-making, secure funding, and advance policies that benefit the community.

Key Advocacy Meetings

Infrastructure & Growth

• Meeting with Amarjot Sandhu, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure.
• Emphasized that growth is more than housing; it requires $431M in infrastructure investments (roads, water, sewer, sidewalks).
• Highlighted Welland’s track record of meeting housing targets while advocating for intergovernmental collaboration to support growth.
• Expressed the City’s interest in the submission of additional projects into the expanded Municipal Infrastructure Fund to support infrastructure needs such as Quaker Road.

Francophone Affairs & Inclusion

• Meeting with the Ministry of Francophone Affairs.
• Discussed expanding bilingual services, signage, and cultural programming.
• Reinforced that French language and culture are central to Welland’s identity, inclusion, and community-building.

Economic Development & Industry

• Meeting with Brian Saunderson, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade.
• Addressed challenges facing Welland’s industries (steel, EV parts, engines) impacted by tariffs.
• Emphasized appreciation for the current grant program (Protect Ontario Financing Program), for industries in Welland to partake in during these turbulent times.
• Stressed the need for provincial support to protect jobs and strengthen local economic resilience.

Health & Quality of Life

• Meeting with the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health.
• Raised the Welland hospital and the local share as key issues.
• Reinforced proactive advocacy to ensure the community’s health needs are addressed.
• Spoke about upstream programs and services to help prevent health issues before they arise and the need to further leverage this concept.

Sports & Recreation Investment

• Meeting with Neil Lumsden, Minister of Sport.
• Discussed the Recreation & Community Complex, with feasibility study and land already secured.
• Positioned the project as shovel-ready pending provincial partnership to deliver modern facilities for athletes and families.
• Expressed the City’s interest in reapplying to the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure fund.

Other meetings included:

• Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, Minister Nolan Quinn, in partnerships with senior staff from Niagara College in attendance.
• Ministry of Education, Parliamentary Assistant Jess Dixon
• Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Associate Minister Nina Tangri
• Ministry of Red Tape Reduction, Minister Andrea Khanjin
• Ministry of Infrastructure, Parliamentary Assistant Amarjot Sandhu
• Ministry of Long-Term Care, Minister Kusendova-Bashta

In addition to ministerial meetings, staff also met with staff from the ByWard Market District Authority to explore ideas for Welland’s downtown and market. This meeting allowed staff to understand and learn how downtown markets and spaces can revitalize core areas within a city. The learnings gained from this additional meeting, will be incorporated in the Downtown revitalization plan.

Learning Opportunities at AMO

In addition to advocacy meetings, delegates benefited from a range of workshops, keynotes, and training sessions:

Pre-Conference Workshops (Saturday, August 16):

• Health & Safety on Construction Projects: Understanding responsibilities and liabilities.
• Countering Hate and Social Polarization: Addressing extremism and fostering inclusion.

Concurrent Workshops (Sunday, August 17):

• Growing Wisely: Aligning growth and asset management planning.
• Civility & Anti-Harassment Strategy: Building respectful municipal environments.
• Corporate Partnerships: Exploring sponsorship and naming rights opportunities.
• Emergency Preparedness: Leveraging provincial supports for municipal resilience.

Conference Highlights:

• Keynote by Andrew Coyne on political and economic trends.
• More than 60 workshops and sessions covering housing, infrastructure, AI, Indigenous relations, trade, and the launch of AMO’s Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan.

Board Supports at AMO

Councillor Sharmila Setaram represented Welland at the AMO 2025 Conference not only as part of the city’s delegation, but also in her elected role on the Association of AMO Board of Directors and the Ontario Small Urban Municipalities (OSUM) Executive Committee.

These leadership positions give Welland a direct seat at the provincial table, allowing our city to influence decisions that affect our day-to-day lives. From housing and healthcare to infrastructure and municipal finances, Councillor Setaram ensures that Welland’s unique challenges and priorities are heard and considered in provincial policy-making.

Before the conference, Councillor Setaram participated in two days of AMO board meetings and an OSUM executive session. At the OSUM meeting, she participated in discussions with Minister Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to raise urgent issues such as housing affordability, homelessness, and the rising costs of infrastructure — all of which directly impact Welland’s ability to grow sustainably and support residents.

As an AMO board member, Councillor Setaram also chaired a session with Minister Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines, and the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), focusing on Ontario’s long-term Integrated Energy Plan. These conversations are critical to ensuring Welland’s future energy needs are considered in provincial planning.

Welland’s presence in these leadership roles means we’re not just reacting to provincial decisions — we’re helping shape them. It raises our city’s visibility, strengthens our advocacy, and ensures that provincial policies reflect the realities of communities like ours. This kind of representation helps secure funding, influence legislation, and build partnerships that benefit Welland directly.

Through targeted meetings, Council and staff advanced Welland’s priorities in infrastructure, inclusion, industry, health, and recreation, and more The AMO Conference also provided meaningful professional development and networking opportunities that will strengthen municipal leadership and inform future decision-making.

Through our meetings, both informal and formal, delegates from the province and other municipalities had extremely high praise for the work the City of Welland is doing.

Attribution: City of Welland media release