A delegation from Chatham-Kent is in Toronto this week to advocate for solutions related to local housing, environmental protection for Dresden, and health care for the municipality.
Councillors Jamie McGrail, Carmen McGregor, Amy Finn, and Alysson Storey, along with members of senior staff, are currently attending the 2026 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Conference to attend meetings with several provincial officials.
The delegation will be speaking with Todd McCarthy, the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, to seek clarity on the proposed York1 landfill and waste facility near Dresden. Following the province’s decision to exempt the site from a full environmental assessment, the municipality is seeking clear direction on how project details will be shared, how community input will be gathered, and how provincial decisions about the site will be made.
“Chatham-Kent Council and the Dresden community have consistently opposed the project due to concerns related to safety, environmental impacts, infrastructure capacity and proximity to the community,” the municipality said in a news release. “Residents need transparency and a meaningful opportunity to participate in decisions that could significantly affect their community.”
Members of the CK delegation will also be meeting with Graydon Smith, Ontario’s Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to advocate for provincial funding to support brownfield redevelopment in rural communities.
“Within Chatham-Kent alone, there are many potentially contaminated brownfield sites located within existing urban areas,” the municipality said. “Redeveloping these properties could unlock significant housing opportunities while maximizing existing infrastructure and limiting development pressure on prime agricultural land.”
As well, the delegation has a meeting with representatives from the Ontario Medical Association to discuss physician recruitment and retention challenges, and the positive impacts that social service investments can have on the health sector.
The three-day ROMA conference began on Sunday and will wrap up on Tuesday.
