Advocacy Updates
What’s New
Ontarios Big City Mayors (OBCM) Statement on Ontarios 2024 Fall Economic Statement
October 30, 2024 Burlington, ON - Today the province released their 2024 Fall Economic Statement. Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) are pleased to see that the province has acknowledged some of the priorities for Ontario’s...
Ontarios Big City Mayors Statement on Upcoming Provincial Fall Economic Statement
October 29, 2024 Ontario’s Big City Mayors are looking forward to the release of the province’s 2024 Fall Economic Statement tomorrow. As municipalities head into their 2025 budget cycles, we are hoping to hear updates on...
Ontario’s Big City Mayors are Calling on the Provincial and Federal Governments to Take Action on Homelessness, Mental Health, Safety and Addictions
October 21, 2024 MARKHAM, ON - Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) strengthened their call to the Ontario and federal governments to step up and take action now when it comes to the homelessness, mental health, safety and...
Ontario’s Big City Mayors Elect New Executive Committee Members
October 21,2024 MARKHAM, ON - At their meeting in Markham on Friday, Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) elected new members to their executive committee. Mayor Alex Nuttall of Barrie was elected Vice-Chair, Mayor Elizabeth Roy of...
Ontario’s Big City Mayors Attend AMO Conference 2024 to Advocate for Ontario’s Biggest Cities
August 20th, 2024 OTTAWA - Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) were pleased to take part in this year’s Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s (AMO) Conference in Ottawa along with municipal, regional, provincial and federal...
Ontarios Big City Mayors Launch Solve the Crisis Campaign
August 8, 2024 Visit www.solvethecrisis.ca for more information TORONTO - There is a humanitarian crisis happening on our streets. An unprecedented number of Ontarians are homeless, living in encampments and other unsafe spaces,...
Housing starts up in Ontario but towns say they’ve missed out on millions of dollars
Isaac Callan & Colin D’Mello
Global News…
Ontarios Big City Mayors Meet to Discuss Key Priorities Including Mental Health, Addictions and Homelessness Crisis
June 17, 2024 CHATHAM-KENT, ON - Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) are calling on all levels of government to take immediate action on homelessness, mental health and addictions. At their meeting in Chatham-Kent, OBCM’s member...
Homelessness a ‘humanitarian crisis,’ big-city mayors say
Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Chatham Voice…
Ontario’s Big City Mayors Host AGM/Conference in Burlington
April 22, 2024 BURLINGTON, ON - On Thursday April 18th and Friday April 19th, Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) gathered in Burlington for their Annual General Meeting and Conference. We kicked off the two day event with an...
Ontarios Big City Mayors Respond to the 2024 Government of Canada Budget
April 16, 2024 Today the Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, released the Government of Canada’s Budget 2024: Fairness for Every Generation. Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) welcomes the Government of Canada’s investments in...
Ontario’s Big City Mayors Statement on Solving the Housing Crisis: Canada’s Housing Plan
April 12, 2024 Today the federal government announced Canada’s Housing Plan, outlining a number of new programs and initiatives to address the housing crisis happening across the country. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Deputy...
Ontarios Big City Mayors Statement on the Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, 2024
April 10, 2024 The province’s announcement today of the Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, 2024, includes several initiatives that will cut red tape and speed up government processes that will, in turn, speed up the build...
Ontario’s Big City Statement on the Provincial Government’s New Deal for Ottawa
March 28, 2024 Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) welcomes today’s announcement from the province of a new deal for our caucus member the City of Ottawa. This funding will make a significant impact as it supports the city on not...
Ontario’s Big City Mayors Respond to the 2024 Provincial Budget
March 27, 2024 Yesterday Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy released the 2024 Ontario Budget: Building a Better Ontario. OBCM has been advocating to the provincial government on our key priorities for this year’s Budget:...
OBCM in the news
Ontario launches audits of 6 municipalities to look at how housing law will affect budgets
3rd party audits expected to measure impact to changes in development fees
CBC News Posted: July 26, 2023
‘Let us figure out how it works’: Mayors of Ontario’s biggest cities aren’t willing to give up local control over housing decisions
Ontario's Big City Mayors are meeting in Kitchener this week.
The Kitchener Record
Posted: April 20, 2023
Ontario big city mayors to discuss concerns over province's new housing bill
Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) will meet on Friday as tensions rise between the mayor of the province’s largest city and Premier Doug Ford over the financial impacts of a new housing bill.
Kitchener-Waterloo: Window to restore relationship with municipalities 'is closing', say Big City Mayors
In a public letter addressed to the chair of Ontario's Big City Mayors (OBCM) Cam Guthrie, the Ford government says it will be launching a third-party audit of select municipalities across the province.
Opiod's Harm to Ontario's Big Cities
Cam Guthrie, Mayor of Guelph and Chair of Ontario's Big City Mayors, discusses the toll of the opiod crisis across the province