NOMA takes Northwestern Ontario priorities to AMO 2026 in Ottawa

THUNDER BAY, Ont. — Northwestern Ontario municipal leaders are in Ottawa as the 2026 Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference opens Sunday, Aug. 16, with highways, housing, forestry, workforce shortages and critical minerals among the region’s major advocacy priorities.

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association says its delegation will use the Aug. 16-19 conference to press provincial ministers, federal representatives and other municipal leaders for policy changes and investments tailored to the realities of Northern, rural and remote communities.

AMO confirms its 2026 annual conference is being held in Ottawa from Aug. 16-19 at the Rogers Centre Ottawa and Westin Ottawa. The organization says the gathering attracts close to 3,000 delegates from Ontario’s 444 municipalities.

Highways 11 and 17 lead Northwestern Ontario agenda

Transportation is again near the top of NOMA’s list.

The organization is seeking improvements to Highways 11 and 17, the two Trans-Canada Highway routes that form the backbone of Northwestern Ontario’s road transportation network.

NOMA says it wants governments to pursue greater highway safety and reliability through strategic expansion, more passing opportunities and longer-term modernization.

The issue reaches beyond municipal boundaries. Highways 11 and 17 carry residents, tourists, commercial freight, forest products, mining supplies and other goods across enormous distances while connecting communities from the Manitoba boundary through Thunder Bay and east toward the rest of Ontario.

NOMA and other Northern municipal and industry organizations have previously called for a phased approach that could include targeted four-laning, two-plus-one highway configurations and additional safety and enforcement measures.

For Thunder Bay, improvements to the Trans-Canada corridor have implications for everything from grocery and fuel supply chains to industrial development and the city’s role as a regional transportation and logistics hub.

Labour shortages and immigration

NOMA also plans to advocate for immigration programs and workforce policies designed to better address labour shortages in Northwestern Ontario.

For communities attempting to expand mining, forestry, construction, health care, municipal services and other industries, the ability to attract and retain workers is increasingly tied to economic growth.

The regional challenge is not simply attracting newcomers to Canada. Municipal leaders have argued that immigration policy must also provide practical pathways for newcomers to settle permanently in smaller Northern communities where employers need workers.

Housing availability, health care, transportation and community services become part of the same equation. Recruiting workers is significantly more difficult if communities cannot provide places for them and their families to live.

Forestry jobs remain a political priority

NOMA will also put the forest sector before government decision-makers, arguing for measures that maintain the competitiveness of Northwestern Ontario producers while responding to international trade pressures.

Forestry remains particularly important outside Thunder Bay, where mills and forestry operations can be among a community’s largest private-sector employers and contributors to the municipal tax base.

Changes in lumber markets, trade policy, operating costs or mill production can therefore have effects extending well beyond individual forestry companies.

For Thunder Bay, the sector also supports transportation, contracting, professional services and regional supply-chain businesses.

Housing needs infrastructure first

NOMA’s housing message will focus heavily on municipal infrastructure.

The association argues that Northern, rural and remote municipalities need access to infrastructure funding capable of supporting new residential construction and economic development.

That distinction matters in Northwestern Ontario.

Opening land for housing can require investments in water and sewer systems, roads, electricity and other municipal services before a developer can begin building. Smaller municipalities may have limited tax bases from which to finance those projects.

For Thunder Bay, new housing supply is similarly connected to servicing capacity, development costs and the infrastructure needed to accommodate population and economic growth.

NOMA seeking changes to Ontario Land Tribunal

Municipal leaders will also advocate for modernization of the Ontario Land Tribunal, including changes NOMA says could make the system more efficient, promote earlier resolution of disputes and better account for the planning capacity of Northern municipalities.

Smaller communities often operate with fewer planning, engineering and legal resources than major urban centres, meaning lengthy land-use disputes can put significant pressure on municipal staff and budgets.

Critical minerals bring opportunity — and major infrastructure questions

Northern economic development and critical minerals will be another central part of NOMA’s AMO advocacy.

Municipal governments across Northwestern Ontario are positioning themselves for potential growth connected to mining, mineral processing, transportation and supporting infrastructure.

But turning mineral deposits into operating mines requires much more than mineral potential.

Roads, transmission lines, housing, skilled workers, community infrastructure and reliable supply chains all become part of the development equation.

For Thunder Bay, expanded mineral development could increase demand for transportation, engineering, construction, aviation, supply and professional services while strengthening the city’s position as a service centre for Northwestern Ontario.

Resource development also intersects directly with First Nations, treaty rights and traditional territories across the region. Decisions involving mining and major infrastructure require meaningful Indigenous participation and, where applicable, fulfilment of the Crown’s legal consultation obligations. Municipal advocacy at AMO does not replace those government-to-government responsibilities.

Dumas: Northwestern Ontario increasingly important to economy

“AMO is one of the most important opportunities we have each year to bring the priorities of Northwestern Ontario directly to government,” NOMA president and Marathon Mayor Rick Dumas said.

“Our communities are growing, our economy is evolving, and Northwestern Ontario is increasingly important to the future prosperity of Ontario and Canada. We are coming to Ottawa with clear priorities and practical solutions, and we look forward to productive discussions with our provincial and federal partners.”

NOMA’s current board lists Dumas as president and Red Lake Mayor Fred Mota as executive vice-president.

Mota said the conference gives Northwestern Ontario municipalities an opportunity to present a common message to government.

“Progress happens when municipalities work together and when governments are willing to listen to the realities on the ground,” he said.

“AMO gives Northwestern Ontario an opportunity to speak with a strong, united voice while also connecting with municipal leaders from every part of Ontario.”

What to watch coming out of AMO

The important measure for Northwestern Ontario will be whether the conference produces more than meetings and expressions of support.

Municipal delegations will be looking for commitments, timelines or followup discussions on highway investment, housing-enabling infrastructure, labour and immigration policy, forestry and resource development.

NOMA says its AMO meetings build on advocacy conducted during the past year, including the 2026 Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference, meetings with Ontario ministers and officials and federal advocacy in Ottawa.

The association represents 37 Northwestern Ontario municipalities, advocating regional municipal interests to other levels of government.

For Thunder Bay and communities across the Northwest, the political significance of AMO is straightforward: many of the region’s biggest opportunities — mining growth, new housing, expanded forestry production and population growth — depend on infrastructure and policies that individual municipalities cannot finance or control on their own.