Oxford County Warden David Mayberry pleased with Southwestern Ontario meeting with Premier Kathleen Wynne
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When southwestern Ontario political leaders met with Premier Kathleen Wynne in London last Wednesday afternoon, there was no jostling, shouting or competing for government attention.
“There was a genuine desire by everybody to get something done and to resolve some issues. Certainly a very co-operative and collegial atmosphere,” said Oxford County Warden David Mayberry.
He joined leaders from across Southwestern Ontario, including London Mayor Matt Brown, Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley and Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson, to talk about some of those “big issues'' affecting municipalities in the region.
“All of us recognize that we’re in a similar place. It’s not like things are tragic in southwestern Ontario, but it’s a case where everybody wants to keep up their infrastructure as well as they can, so you don’t start slipping behind,” Mayberry said.
“We realize that we need to think broader than just ourselves, and that regional collaboration is certainly going to be necessary.”
In addition to infrastructure, hot topics like transportation and economic development made it onto the meeting’s agenda.
High-speed rail service is one of the biggest and broadest projects that could improve transit across southwestern Ontario.
Inclusion on the rail line would be a huge boon for Oxford County, which has often come under fire for its limited public transit.
“With any of these things, there’s the good news and then the touch points where you have to worry a little bit. That will be one, the high speed rail line – will it take a northern route from Kitchener to Stratford, and miss Woodstock,” Mayberry said.
But even if the rail line doesn’t pass through Woodstock, southwestern leaders are working towards a plan B – a regional system that could offer transit solutions for a number of municipalities.
Oxford is already leading the charge on that potential project.
Representatives from the South Central Ontario Region Economic Development Corporation, the Southwest Economic Alliance and the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus will meet at a preliminary planning meeting in Oxford on Monday.
“We’re showing some leadership as far as inviting them to the table and saying ‘how are we going to create a system that would work for all of southwestern Ontario?’” Mayberry said.
Many in Oxford County are also looking to local leaders to help quash the proposed landfill near Ingersoll.
But Mayberry said the focus on regional issues and partnerships made it tough to discuss hyper-local challenges like the dump.
“That was one of those local issues I was hoping to get to during the roundtable at the end, but the time was gone before we got that far,” he said.
As for an answer from the government, Mayberry said it’s been radio silence.
“There’s been no indication at all, so I’m not sure if that’s good news or bad news, but it means that someone is struggling with the discussion somewhere.”