The District of Muskoka council is unanimously opposed to provincial legislation that would allow the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to appoint the council’s chair.
Bill 100, the Better Regional Governance Act, presented April 2, aims to change how regional governments operate in some of the province’s fastest-growing areas, including Muskoka, Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo, York, and Simcoe County, and align those regions with provincial goals.
During an April 20 council meeting, Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock presented a motion opposing the legislation, stating that Muskoka is already working toward clear provincial goals. These include contributing to the province’s target of building 1.5 million homes by 2031 and advancing major infrastructure investments such as a new demand-based transit system, among others.
Alcock also said Muskoka is a unique northern and rural municipality, “fundamentally different” from the other regions included in the legislation.
“I think that whoever sits in that chair needs to be accountable to the people around this table who have a very intimate knowledge about what’s important for our environment and our economy,” said Alcock.
She said that having a council-elected chair reflects the “constituents in Muskoka,” and added they would like the province to exempt Muskoka from the legislation.
Bracebridge Mayor Rick Maloney supported the motion and said Muskoka’s success has been built on a collaborative approach in which elected officials bring perspectives from across the region rather than outside or external perspectives.
Councillor Peter Johnston said Muskoka is a geographically large, “low-density region” with permanent and seasonal populations spread across lakes, forests, and small communities, and added that Muskoka’s service model is fundamentally different from the other regions included in the legislation.
“We need leadership that is directly accountable to this council and fully grounded in local realities, not imposed from outside,” said Councillor Peter Johnston.
After a lengthy discussion, council voted unanimously to request that the Minister exercise discretion to exempt Muskoka from the legislation and allow the District of Muskoka council to continue appointing its own chair.
The resolution is set to be forwarded to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
