On Monday afternoon, I participated in a budget consultation with our local MPPs, Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and community leaders.
We were asked to share our thoughts on infrastructure, health care, our labour market, housing affordability and attracting investment.
As in the 2020 Budget Consultation, I raised the matter of finally unlocking the potential of Midtown Oakville.
Midtown Oakville can accommodate 20,600 people and jobs and is home to the busiest station in the GO Transit network outside of Union Station.
Unlocking Midtown will result in fewer delays on the QEW at Ford Drive and Trafalgar Road, but funding and the construction of a full interchange at Royal Windsor Drive is needed.
Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital has space for an additional 123 beds and three operating rooms and has applied for funding as a part of the Acute Hospital System Capacity Program to add those beds for a total of $124 million; the funding proposal offers beds at a quarter of the cost and a quarter of the time of the same number of beds through a conventional hospital project.
The upcoming Ontario budget must address the shortage of health care workers in Ontario. We need to beef up public health, as we do not have the capacity to test and trace COVID-19 cases.
Along with others on the call, I advocated for funding and assistance for small businesses during the pandemic.
There are still far too many local, small businesses falling through the cracks.
Resident Survey: 2022 Budget consultations
The 2022 Budget will build on the government’s plan to create the foundation for Ontario’s recovery and prosperity while protecting our progress.
We need your feedback.
- How can the Ontario government support your family or business?
- How has COVID-19 affected your priorities?
- What can we do to ensure a robust economic recovery and build for the future?
Closing date: February 11, 2022
This survey should take about 15 minutes to complete.
Click: Ontario 2022 Budget Survey