Local roads are top of mind for Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau at a provincial conference this week.
At the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference in Toronto running from Jan. 22-24, Boileau is talking about the state of local roads.
According to the City of Timmins, she met with provincial Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney yesterday (Jan. 23) and brought up bypass routes and the state of Municipal Road. Formerly known as Highway 67, Municipal Road was downloaded to the municipality in 1998 during Mike Harris' time as premier.
"Municipal Road is a growing concern for both Timmins and Iroquois Falls," said Boileau in a news release. "Maintenance of the road comes at a considerable cost to the municipality for a regional connecting route between Highway 101 East and Highway 11. The Minister and her staff heard our concerns and committed to working with the communities on this matter."
Along with Boileau, the city's group attending ROMA includes councillors Cory Robin, Andrew Marks, Rock Whissell and John Curley, as well as CAO Dave Landers.
During the conference, the city says people will also be attending workshops on topics such as asset management, support seniors in a rural community and attracting housing developments.
“Advocating on behalf of Timmins and its residents is a significant part of my role," said Boileau. “We come prepared to make the most of the time in front of provincial decision-makers. We need to be clear on why additional provincial support is needed to maintain our roads and infrastructure.”
