At the recent Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference held in Ottawa, delegates identified tariff uncertainty and municipal housing and infrastructure as the leading issues of concern.
This year’s event marked the 15th consecutive AMO attendance for Graydon Smith, the MPP for Parry Sound-Muskoka, who previously served as AMO president and now holds the position of Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs.
Spanning four days, the conference brought together representatives from various municipalities, including those from Muskoka.
Smith noted the strong participation from communities throughout the region. “We were involved in 30 meetings in three days, along with numerous informal discussions in elevators and hallways,” he said. “You never know where the next great idea is going to come from.”
Among the pressing topics addressed, municipal infrastructure and housing topped the list, along with worries regarding tariffs and trade relations with the United States.
“Community leaders across Ontario are concerned about the future,” Smith stated. “Premier Ford isn’t taking any guff from that guy south of the border and the message I heard from municipalities was about collaboration in these times to enact meaningful change.”
Concerns surrounding affordable housing and infrastructure have persistently emerged in AMO conferences over the years, and this year remained no exception. In response to these issues, Smith emphasized the Premier’s recent announcement of a $1.6 billion investment aimed at accelerating home and infrastructure construction.
“We’re already witnessing the importance of this funding right here in Muskoka,” Smith remarked, pointing to a $50 million allocation for water and sewer projects in Huntsville that will directly support the construction of additional homes.
Overall, Smith expressed his satisfaction with the conference’s outcomes and looked forward to the next AMO gathering in 2026.
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In fact the District actually prevents affordable housing to be built as in the past.
There is no affordable housing in town due to the exorbitant cost of the District’s water and sewer.
$200+/month or $2,400+/year is typical. And rising.
$100+/month even if you are away and have zero usage.
Including the costs shown/hidden on our property taxes under District Water A and District Sewer A.
Those charges only appear if the District has pipes in the road nearby.
Sometimes those charges appear even if the District doesn’t have pipes in the road.
For 11 years!
Gravenhurst residents were livid about that one.
Check your bills for “errors.”
https://doppleronline.ca/huntsville/scammers-are-everywhere-even-apparently-in-muskoka/
The above charges are after spending $45K to hook up to the District’s old, leaky, unreliable systems.
In the past Graydon Smith said the District’s water and sewer cost is “UNSUSTAINABLE”, “ALARMING”, “UNACCEPTABLE”, “people are struggling to pay their bills”.
Capital costs are “incredible”. “Per user cost of capital I can’t imagine is even close to anybody else”.
$128,000 cost per household in Baysville for example. $22.4 million for 350 users or 175 households. Cost is no object at the District.
In fact the District actually prevents affordable water-only housing to be built as in the past.
Either hook up to both water and sewer and pay exorbitant amounts or no permit for you.
The District actually stopped more affordable housing being built in the fields near Bowyers beach. Only because there are no sewers there, just water. There are many fields available for affordable housing near Kirby’s beach as well.
The above explains why many old forested areas in Muskoka are wiped out instead of building on all the empty fields around.
The $50 million was part of another District project that is disastrously over budget.
https://doppleronline.ca/huntsville/mountview-plant-decommissioning-and-expansion-of-golden-pheasant-plant-tracking-to-budget-commissioner/