Renfrew County warden Peter Emon and Peterborough County warden Bonnie Clark will again be leading the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC) in 2024.
During EOWC’s inaugural meeting on January 11 and 12 hosted by Lennox and Addington County, Emon was re-elected as chair and Clark was acclaimed as vice-chair.
EOWC is an incorporated non-profit organization comprised of the head of councils of 13 municipalities in eastern Ontario, including 11 upper-tier counties and two single-tier municipalities, and supports and advocates on behalf of its 90 local municipalities and 800,000 residents across the region.
“I am honoured my colleagues in eastern Ontario have shown their faith in me once again,” Emon said in a media release. “We will work together to address the issues and champion solutions that impact residents of rural eastern Ontario. I look forward to the year ahead and being around many decision-making tables.”
“In my second year as vice-chair, I will continue to bring key issues forward on behalf of rural eastern Ontario municipalities and their residents,” Clark added. “I look forward to working together with chair Emon, our caucus colleagues and staff, and identifying new priorities for the remainder of 2024.”
Clark was first acclaimed as EOWC vice-chair in 2023. She was elected Peterborough County warden in 2022, after a 20-year career in public service that began as a councillor for the former Otonabee Township. She later served as deputy mayor of the amalgamated Otonabee-South Monaghan Township and was a member of Peterborough County council since 2018.
Until a priority-setting meeting to be held in March, EOWC will continue with its 2023 priorities which include affordable and attainable housing, the 7 in 7+ Regional Housing Plan, long-term care, and modernizing the construction approval process to support economic development. EOWC will also be sending a delegation to the 2024 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Conference being held from January 21 to 23 in Toronto.
“Members of the EOWC are looking forward to attending the upcoming ROMA 2024 Conference later this month to build strong relationships with municipal colleagues and the provincial government,” reads the media release.
