Advocacy Updates

August 13, 2021 – Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) are urging the province to establish a COVID-19 proof of vaccination system. Around the world, certified vaccination records are helping businesses and event spaces to safely open while encouraging more people to get vaccinated. This

Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) are encouraged by today’s announcement from the provincial government. The additional $500 million in COVID-19 relief funding for municipalities is vital to ensuring our cities can continue providing essential services to residents.

December 11, 2021 – Today, Ontario’s Financial Accountability Officer, Peter Weltman identified a $2.4 billion shortfall in funding needed to maintain current municipal service levels and tax rates.

October 15, 2020 – Mayors of Ontario’s 29 largest cities met with provincial and federal ministers via video conference today to press the need for investment in infrastructure and municipal operating funding for 2021, as communities continue to respond and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

August 12, 2020 – The path to economic and social recovery from COVID-19 was the focus of the annual joint meeting of Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario (MARCO) and Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM), formerly known as the Large Urban Mayors Caucus of Ontario.

July 16, 2020 – Ontario’s Big City Mayors are encouraged by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s pledge of $19 billion for the provinces and territories to support a safe restart of the Canadian economy, which includes the provision of funds for municipalities to assist in mitigating the unprecedented financial impacts brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

July 6, 2020 – Today, Mayors and Chairs from across Ontario, represented by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario, and the Large Urban Mayors Caucus of Ontario, met to discuss the COVID-19 financial emergency.

June 5, 2020 – The Large Urban Mayors Caucus of Ontario (LUMCO) met this morning for further discussion about the growing financial and service delivery challenges municipalities face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

May 14, 2020 – Ontario’s big city mayors are calling on the federal and provincial governments to provide immediate financial support to municipalities as they face unprecedented economic challenges due to COVID-19.

May 8, 2020 – Ontario’s big city mayors are urging the governments of Ontario and Canada to continue to work in partnership with municipalities to address the economic impacts of COVID-19, and to plan for post-pandemic recovery and reform.