The Municipality of Chatham-Kent has three key issues to discuss at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference next week.
Chief Administrative Officer Don Shropshire said the main local focus will be on a lack of workforce, high speed fibre internet, and affordable housing. He said of those three, a lack of workers is a major concern among employers in Chatham-Kent.
"From Chatham-Kent's perspective, the main concern we hear from employers right now is the lack of workforce," said Shropshire. "They're growing and they need a skilled workforce to be able to provide support. Virtually all parts of the economy are providing that as a message."
Affordable housing is also a related factor in attracting workers to the area.
"If you don't have affordable housing it's hard to attract a workforce to come and fill the jobs," he said. "Over the last 18 months we've been pushing really hard with incentives through our Community Improvement Program to increase housing stock where people could live. You can't attract someone to come and move to Chatham-Kent to fill a job if they don't have a place to live."
Other topics of interest for Chatham-Kent will be mental health and addictions support, something Mayor Darrin Canniff has been pushing for. Mayor Canniff is meeting with Health Minister Christine Elliott and Associate Minister Michael Tibollo regarding methods to improve mental health and addictions services. Shropshire said the mayor played a pivotal role in recommendations put forth by the Mental Health Working Group.
Nine municipal officials will be taking part at the conference to be held virtually from August 16-18, 2021. They will participate in several meetings with various cabinet ministers.