The Auditor General of Ontario released her 2025 Annual Report which details the results of her performance audits focused on oversight of access to primary care, oversight of medical education in family medicine, oversight of physician billing, Supply Ontario: personal protective equipment (PPE), the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority, and the operation of the Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993. A summary of some of the key takeaways:
- Government advertising spending hit a record high of $111.9 in fiscal 2024/25, of which 38 per cent
would not have passed our Office’s review under the old act. - When ministries follow requirements, the EBR can lead to transparent, accountable and informed
decision-making. However, the Province continues to disregard Ontarians’ public participation rights
by exempting major projects with potential environmentally significant impacts from, and passing
laws without, full public consultation under the EBR. -
The Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) could do more to ensure that Ontario’s recycling framework is working as intended, including to reduce its backlog of cases of potentially unregistered producers, escalate enforcement against non-compliant producers, and require the auditing of producers’ data for its programs.
- Supply Ontario lacks an integrated inventory management system, relying instead on inefficient
manual processes to track and manage the quantities and costs of PPE. - Millions of Ontarians still cannot find or access a family doctor, and efforts to fix the issue are
fragmented, and overdue.
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New Mentorship Match Up Launched | |
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The Mentorship Match-Up Program is back—and more focused than ever. This year’s mentor group is intentionally smaller, creating a more exclusive experience designed to give emerging leaders unparalleled access to some of the most respected minds in the sector.
Why join?
✔ High-impact, one-to-one sessions — Spend a full hour with a mentor on topics that matter to you.
✔ Choose your own path — Browse mentor profiles and book the leaders who align with your interests. ✔ Real career momentum — Past mentees have called this program “a rare networking opportunity,” and “the best way to learn what it takes to lead.”
✔ Simple, streamlined platform — Book sessions, manage your schedule, and access mentor contact info anytime through your personalized My Sessions page. How it works:
All eligible mentees can log into our exclusive mentorship platform and book meetings directly through mentors’ available dates. |
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As the year draws to a close, thank you for your continued support, engagement, and leadership within OMAA. Your commitment to strengthening municipal leadership across Ontario makes a real difference in the work we do together.
Membership invoices for 2026 will be issued during the first week of January. In keeping with OMAA’s annual policy of applying the July CPI adjustment, membership rates will increase by 2.5% for the coming year.
We appreciate your continued partnership and investment in OMAA. If you have any questions about membership or invoicing, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We look forward to working with you in 2026—an exciting year ahead for our association and Ontario’s municipal leaders. |
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AMO and OMAA are pleased to present the next conversation in our Mayor–CAO Relationship Series: Leadership’s Role in Fostering a Productive Workplace Culture. This free session turns the spotlight on how the Mayor–CAO partnership shapes municipal workplace culture and why strong, trust-based leadership has never mattered more.
Join us on 8 December 2pm for an engaging discussion with two experienced Mayor–CAO teams who have worked together to build healthy, high-performing municipal cultures rooted in trust and shared purpose. They’ll share insights, lessons learned, and practical strategies that other municipal leaders can apply in their own communities.
Featured Panelists: Mayor Bryan Paterson and CAO Lanie Hurdle, City of Kingston Mayor Hilda MacDonald and CAO Peter Neufeld, Municipality of Leamington Moderator: Alicia Neufeld, AMO Senior Manager, Policy |
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Mark Your calendars for these 2026 events:
April 17 Aspiring CAO Connections at the Walper Hotel in Kitchener, A full day session dedicated to those Aspiring CAOs thinking about the next steps on their journey to becoming a municipal CAO / City Manager. Only $25 members and $99 for non-members
March 25--5 May CAO Leadership Course. This five-day program offers sought-after leadership skills in areas like political acuity, digital transformation, and data analysis to thrive in your role or move up the career ladder.
May 20–22
Spring Workshop at the spectacular JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa. You can now register and reserve your room.
Oct 7-9 Fall Workshop at the Westin Trillium House Blue Mountain |
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I kept hearing the word honour being used in the last few weeks, often much too loosely. Honour is not a decorative word in a democracy but is the quiet pressure that keeps free people honest when no one is watching. The law can tell you what you must not do, but honour tells you what you could get away with and still refuse to attempt.
Aristotle wrote that citizens “share in ruling and being ruled in turn,” and democratic honour is the character that makes people take both sides of that exchange seriously. Machiavelli observed that a republic survives only when its citizens and leaders cultivate virtù: a blend of courage, practical wisdom, and a willingness to risk oneself for the common life of the city. In a democracy, that virtue takes the shape of honour for oneself and for our institutions. The rules of procedure may be written in cold ink, but honour is the heat that makes them more than tactics.
Democratic collapse rarely begins with a single coup but more often with small lies that everyone tells or a law bent just this once. Hannah Arendt warned that the "result of a consistent and total substitution of lies for factual truth is not that the lie will now be accepted as truth, and truth be defamed as a lie, but that the sense by which we take our bearings in the real world—and the category of truth versus falsehood is among the mental means to this end—is being destroyed."
Honour is the moral soil from which democratic institutions draw their nutrients. Only a culture of honour keeps a democracy from becoming a stage set of procedures with nobody trustworthy behind the curtain. |
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The Municipality of Sioux Lookout is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Public Works Manager to lead the delivery of essential community services. From roads and water to waste management and transit, this role plays a key part in keeping Sioux Lookout running safely, smoothly, and sustainably. As a hands-on leader, you’ll guide a dedicated team, manage critical infrastructure, and help shape the long-term success of our Public Works operations. If you’re a motivated professional with strong technical expertise and a passion for public service, we want to hear from you.
What You’ll Do
Oversee the daily operations of roads, water distribution, wastewater collection, waste management, and transit services. Lead and mentor a skilled team, fostering a culture of safety, accountability, and collaboration. Manage operating and capital budgets and ensure responsible use of municipal resources. Ensure compliance with health, safety, and environmental legislation and standards. Coordinate maintenance programs, inspections, and effective use of equipment and materials. Collaborate with the Fleet Management Specialist on heavy equipment utilization. Lead emergency response activities related to municipal infrastructure. Identify opportunities for innovation, efficiency, and service improvement. Prepare reports and provide updates to the CAO and Council. Build strong working relationships with residents, contractors, and external agencies.
Closes: 11 December 2025 |
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Canada has a marine coastline twice as long as any other country and shares four Great Lakes with the United States. A new report warns that without coordinated planning; coastal communities face increasing flooding and erosion as climate change accelerates. In recent weeks, the vulnerability of Canada’s shorelines became evident when the remnants of Hurricane Melissa forced evacuations in Newfoundland and Labrador as wind-driven waters surged over seawalls. As storms and hurricanes intensify due to irreversible climate change, strengthening Canada’s marine and Great Lakes shorelines is essential to protect communities and secure Canada’s capacity to conduct commerce through coastal ports.
The Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, in collaboration with the Standards Council of Canada, developed new national guidance to help governments and communities strengthen shoreline resilience. The report, Managing Rising Risks: Climate-Resilient Shorelines for Canada, provides a practical framework for developing Regional Shoreline Management Plans (RSMPs) that integrate science, policy, and local priorities.
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The proliferation of homeless encampments in cities across Canada represents both a housing and a governance crisis. Municipal governments are being called upon to respond to a deeply complex issue within a legal, political, and fiscal environment that often constrains their options. Public discourse frequently frames homeless encampments as threats to public safety rather than the result of systemic failings, and this restrictive context often leads to municipal responses that are punitive and costly.
In a new paper for IMFG titled The Governance of Homeless Encampments in Canada, Alexandra Flynn and Estair Van Wagner describe the legislative context of municipal encampment governance in Canada and examine various court decisions related to encampments. The authors discuss how municipalities have traditionally used public space regulations to respond to the crisis, identify barriers to improving encampment strategies, and highlight how rights-based approaches can produce outcomes that are more dignified and efficient than the status quo.
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Food bank use in Ontario reached yet another record high last year, with more than 1 million people turning to emergency food support over 8.7 million times. This marks the ninth consecutive year that food bank use has increased and reflects a deeply concerning trend across the province: every year, more and more Ontarians cannot afford the cost of living each month. 2025 Hunger Report – Access the full report here.
Hunger in My Riding – Explore how hunger impacts your community.
Find a Food Bank Near Me – Locate Feed Ontario member food banks closest to you. |
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OMAA: Connecting CAOs, Strengthening Municipalities
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