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Burlington, Ont.—Aug. 14, 2026— At next week’s Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) 2026 Annual General Meeting and Conference in Ottawa (Aug. 16-19), the City of Burlington will advocate for key priorities, including increasing housing affordability, protecting local greenspaces, providing predictable infrastructure funding to municipalities, and local economic growth and skills development.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, joined by members of Council and City staff, will lead Burlington’s delegation in meetings with government officials, including cabinet ministers, parliamentary assistants and industry stakeholders.
With the themes of purposeful growth and complete communities in mind, the City will advocate for solutions to ongoing funding challenges while seeking provincial support for the following priorities:
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Planning for Burlington’s future Transit Oriented Communities (TOCs)
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Coordinating long-term planning for Highway 403/QEW improvements
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Burlington’s eligibility for the Rural Ontario Development (ROD) Program
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Ensuring the sustainability and resilience of Burlington Fire’s Next Generation 9-1-1 service capabilities
Individual meetings are scheduled with the cabinet ministers and representatives from the Ministries of Transportation, Infrastructure, Rural Affairs and the Solicitor General.
The Burlington delegation accompanying Mayor Marianne Meed Ward includes Ward 3 Councillor Rory Nisan, Ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna, CAO Curt Benson and other City staff.
As Chair of Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM), Mayor Marianne Meed Ward will also lead OBCM’s joint meeting with the Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario (MARCO) and hold discussions with cabinet ministers and senior provincial officials as part of that role.
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“Every year, the AMO Conference provides a vital platform to ensure municipal priorities are front and centre with provincial decision-makers. Now more than ever, municipalities are eager to reinforce the need for coordinated support across all levels of government as we continue to deliver critical services to our residents during a time of economic uncertainty. We are actively advocating for the priorities that matter most to our community—from reducing traffic congestion on our highways, to ensuring the infrastructure is in place to support the future growth of Burlington’s transit-oriented communities, and to creating economic opportunities for Burlington. I look forward to championing our community priorities alongside my Council colleagues and to continuing to work directly with the provincial government to reinforce the need for ongoing collaboration.”
- Mayor Marianne Meed Ward
Background
The delegation has prepared recommendations on key priorities for Burlington at the provincial level:
Coordinated Planning for HWY 403/QEW Improvements – Burlington is eager to partner with the province on coordinating planned roadworks to expand both the QEW and HWY 403 corridor and interchange given coinciding interest in Burlington’s three Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) and surrounding communities. The City of Burlington recommends that the Ministry of Transportation pursue coordination and traffic mitigation tactics during any temporary planned lane closures on the subject roadways to minimize spillover impacts during necessary maintenance through enhanced collaboration with municipal Council and staff.
Rural Ontario Development (ROD) Eligibility – With roughly half its land mass being designated permanently rural and agricultural under the Greenbelt, the City of Burlington ought to be eligible for the Rural Ontario Development (ROD) Program to help bolster rural economic opportunities and capitalize on its strategic location in the Golden Horseshoe Agri-Food Cluster. The City recommends that the Ministry of Rural Affairs make amendments to the eligibility criteria for the ROD Program that would expand program offerings to more municipalities with uniquely mixed urban and rural areas to bolster rural economic development opportunities.
Next Generation 9-1-1 Infrastructure Sustainability and Resilience – Burlington Fire has advanced its emergency response capabilities with the successful transition to the Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) network. The new, modernized network will improve backup capabilities in the event of system failure, strengthen cybersecurity protection, and lay the groundwork for future capabilities including real-time text, and multimedia communications. This system now relies on advanced networks, data integration, and cybersecurity safeguards to maintain reliability and public trust. The Province should consider long-term, predictable funding for the City of Burlington, and Ontario’s municipal sector at large, to enhance their cyber security posture and allow for improved protection of critical public assets.
Coordinating Burlington’s Transit-Oriented Communities – Burlington is home to three Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) that will form the backdrop for the municipality’s new transit-oriented communities that are projected to accommodate over 35,000 residents by 2051. One of the ways in which the City plans to accommodate development in the future is through developing compact, mixed-use urban areas around the GO transit stations along the QEW highway. The preliminary technical work conducted by the City in 2017 illustrated that there is a potential to add over 60,000 jobs in Burlington through the development of mixed-use, transit-oriented neighbourhoods surrounding the GO stations. It is recommended that the Ministry of Infrastructure, the City of Burlington, and other relevant stakeholders, begin immediate collaboration to ensure that each MTSA is being considered as future complete communities with a mix of residential, employment and recreational uses, to ensure future service and infrastructure guarantees and to facilitate sustainable, community-informed development.
Quick Facts
Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO)
AMO is a non-profit organization representing most of Ontario’s municipal governments. AMO supports and enhances strong and effective municipal government in Ontario and promotes the value of municipal government as a vital and essential component of Ontario and Canada’s political systems. Each year, Burlington leads a delegation to the conference and arranges meetings with key ministries and Members of Cabinet, and opposition party leaders to discuss and advocate for the City’s top priorities.
Ontario’s Big City Mayors
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) is a non-partisan organization that includes mayors of 29 single and lower-tier cities with a population of 100,000 or more, who collectively represent nearly 70 percent of Ontario’s population. OBCM advocates for issues and policies important to Ontario’s largest cities.
Links and Resources
Burlington is a city where people, nature and business thrive. Sign up to learn more about Burlington at burlington.ca/subscribe and follow @CityBurlington on social media.
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Media contact:
City of Burlington Communications
communications@burlington.ca
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