A local councillor is giving a voice to Chatham-Kent on the national stage as a member of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) board of directors.
Ward 6 Councillor Alysson Storey recently returned from the FCM Annual Conference and Trade Show, which took place May 25-28 in Toronto. The event is the largest pan-Canadian gathering of elected officials and was also attended by the Prime Minister.
The FCM advocates for municipalities to ensure their citizens’ needs are reflected in federal policies and programs. The organization is comprised of members from more than 2,100 municipalities across Canada.
Storey was elected to the FCN’s Ontario Caucus in March, 2023 on an interim basis to fill out the remainder of the term. This past weekend, she was re-elected to the board for the full term.
Storey, who was the lone delegate from Chatham-Kent, said the conference gives municipalities the ability to work together to address common issues.
“I think this is a great opportunity to now get our voices heard at the federal level,” she said. “This was really one of our first times getting involved so I’m hoping this is a great first step in getting Chatham-Kent more recognized and having our voices heard on the national stage.”
She said municipalities across the country are facing many of the same problems such as the lack of affordable and attainable housing, a rise in homelessness, mental health and addictions, the impacts of extreme weather, and infrastructure needs.
“What I found so remarkable about this gathering is that the issues we’re facing in Chatham-Kent are really faced by municipalities across the country. Which on one hand is concerning because they’re serious issues, but on the other hand, it means that we’re all working on solutions that, ideally, we can share,” she said.
Based on her involvement with FCM, Storey said she’s hopeful that her other council colleagues will now consider taking part.
“I was very honoured, very excited to be there,” she said.
