Western Ontario Wardens Caucus

214 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 These counties are located on the outer perimeter of Toronto and are referred to as the ‘donut’ surrounding the metropolis. WOWC represents one and a half million residents, and the purpose of the caucus is to enhance the prosperity and overall well-being of the small, urban and rural communities. The belief is that by working together as 15 counties representing 1.5 million people, the WOWC can do impactful work, compared to individual counties working alone in isolation. Working collectively, the WOWC can drive forward community issues, concerns, and challenges for the region at the Federal and Provincial levels. The WOWC really got the ball moving in 2017. Kate Burns Gallagher, WOWC Executive Director, elaborates, “I would say that the organization really started moving forward with strong momentum back in 2017 with the development of their Economic Development Strategy. Since then, the WOWC has added other priorities.” The caucus has thought carefully about the agenda as we enter a new fiscal calendar year. Coming up with a strategic plan that covers key components including affordable housing, workforce development, broadband rollout, the topic of mental health and the related topic of addiction are chief among them. WOWC has pursued these issues, as well as being involved in advocacy efforts and building strategies around workforce development at a regional level. Addressing broadband connectivity has also been high on the agenda. Like many in North America, the region has numerous shared issues, including a growing need for a workforce to build homes. This was already a highlighted concern of the WOWC before the pandemic. But post-COVID, this need has grown immensely, and it’s down to the region’s demographic. “We are seeing a significant number of retirements WOWC - WESTERN ONTARIO WARDENS CAUCUS with fewer people available to move into the vacant positions. In rural regions of Western Ontario, by 2030, an estimated 214,000 jobs will need to be filled. Attraction of newcomers to the region and engaging our existing workforce will be key moving forward,” says Burns Gallagher. This is a huge task and is made more daunting with the southern area of Ontario opening Canada’s first electric vehicle manufacturing plant. With this influx of new workers to the area, a lack of housing becomes a problem. WOWC reached out to the provincial government and received funding from the Ontario Labor Market Partnership to complete a workforce strategy. The strategy also includes looking at attainable housing.