BRACEBRIDGE MAYOR SMITH NEW ONTARIO VOICE OUTSIDE TORONTO
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
BRACEBRIDGE — In Toronto and Ottawa we may be known as Parry Sound-Muskoka, but in the rest of the province we will hence be known now as Muskoka-Parry Sound.
That’s after Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith was elevated to president of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario — the municipal voice outside Toronto.
Delegates elected Smith to a two-year term during a virtual conference Tuesday.
He addressed delegates Wednesday morning and he hopes to champion rural broadband.
In congratulating him, Muskoka District chair John Klinck said: “This is another great opportunity to share Muskoka’s perspective at a provincial level.”
AMO represents almost all of Ontario’s 444 municipal governments.
Premier Doug Ford, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and Liberal Leader Stephen Del Duca all spoke to delegates.
Smith, AMO deputy president, takes over from Jamie McGarvey, the mayor Parry Sound, who said “Smith will be a great president.”
“AMO’s president is the voice of AMO’s board, which includes 41 municipal leaders from right across Ontario. We work together,” said Mayor Smith.
“I am pleased to know that the other candidate for President, Karen Redman, Chair of the Region of Waterloo, will serve on our Board as Chair of the Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario (MARCO).”
More than 1,300 government leaders are participating this year
The AMO is also signing a Declaration of Mutual Commitment and Friendship with the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC).
Featuring more than 40 speakers and sessions, the three-day conference has more than 480 delegation meetings between municipal governments and cabinet ministers and parliamentary assistants.
“We are so very proud to have one of our colleagues elected to lead AMO thorough these unprecedented and challenging times,” said District Chair John Klinck, in a release after the election.
“Graydon’s leadership experience at the local, District and provincial level is significant and obviously valued by his peers. We know he will represent all municipal interests and AMO’s goals and priorities as recovery efforts across the province more forward,” said Klinck.
AMO is a non-profit organization representing almost all of Ontario’s 444 municipal governments. AMO supports and enhances strong and effective municipal government in Ontario and promotes the value of municipal government as a vital and essential component of Ontario and Canada’s political system. Visit https://www.amo.on.ca/Home for more information.
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