Bruce County connects and collaborates at the 2026 AMO Conference

The annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference is a great opportunity to advance key priorities for the County.

From August 16 to 18, 2026, members of the Bruce County team attended the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference in Ottawa.

The annual conference provides the opportunity for connection, collaboration, learning and advocacy for the issues that matter most to communities. Warden Luke Charbonneau and Deputy Warden Don Murray participated in delegation meetings to discuss potential solutions through provincial and municipal partnership including:

  • Investment in Energy for the Province – A Host-Community Framework for Ontario’s Energy Future, with MPP Rudy Cuzzetto, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy and Mines.
  • Community Paramedicine Inflationary Funding – Sustaining a Proven Rural Health Care Model, with MPP John Jordan, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health.
  • Rural and Upper-Tier Impacts of Conservation Authority Modernization, with the Honourable Todd J. McCarty, MPP and Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks as well as MPP Andrew Dowie, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks.
  • Court Security and Prisoner Transportation Funding - Fair Funding for Rural Access to Justice, with the Honourable Zee Hamid, MPP and Associate Solicitor General for Auto Theft and Bail Reform.
  • Child Care as Essential Economic Infrastructure, with MPP Jess Dixon, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education.

Other members of County Council including Kenneth Craig, Steve Hammell, Milt McIver and Chris Peabody attended to support County advocacy efforts as well as their own local municipal delegations as mayors. A team of senior staff were also in attendance collaboratively working with Council and local municipalities.

 “The AMO Conference is our chance to build relationships with provincial representatives and discuss the alignment of priorities for solving issues across the levels of government together. Every moment of the delegations and across the three-day conference are for advancing our agenda, networking and learning,” said Bruce County Warden, Luke Charbonneau.

The three-day conference features speakers, sessions, and workshops reflecting on the broad scope of municipal responsibilities. The conference also provides opportunity for municipalities to seek delegations with provincial ministries. This gave Bruce County a great opportunity to advance priorities outlined in the advocacy platform approved by Council twice yearly.  

“We apply for meetings that will help us best move forward on collaborative solutions for key priorities in Bruce County. We were fortunate that our applications made possible five meetings for advocacy this year, drawing attention to what makes our community unique and exploring innovative solutions together,” commented Charbonneau.

Deputy Warden Murray also represented Bruce County alongside Warden Charbonneau Murray (acting in his role as mayor of the Town of Saugeen Shores), and Councillor Kenneth Craig, (acting in his role as mayor of the Municipality of Kincardine), on an AMO Learning Lunch panel on Tuesday. Sponsored by Bruce Power, Beyond Consultation: Municipal Readiness and Engagement in Large-Scale Energy Development highlighted how Bruce Power is working with municipalities across the Clean Energy Frontier of Bruce, Grey and Huron Counties. The panel gave insight to supporting readiness planning, information sharing, and the creation of opportunities for meaningful participation in the Bruce C Impact Assessment process.

For more details about the 2026 AMO conference, visit the AMO website.