We need to move ahead together

It was refreshing to see three local mayors having an open and candid discussion on local issues last Friday at the Chamber’s Three Mayor’s Breakfast at Lakefield College School.
 
The Chamber hosted the mayors of the townships of North Kawartha, Selwyn, and Douro-Dummer for a moderated discussion on local business and community issues. As part of the discussion our audience submitted a steady flow of great questions that pushed the conversation ahead on key topics.
 
Finding common ground
Most of us can agree on some key local business and community issues. We know our region needs more housing and at a price our local workforce can afford to rent and buy. Businesses in almost every industry are struggling to attract the skills and experience they need from the workforce and we need to get innovative with technology and how we attract and support talent. We need to cut our carbon footprint and preserve the natural environment we love about Peterborough and the Kawarthas.
 
The layers of government
One thing the township mayors made clear is that though they may punch above their weight, their size comes with limitations. It’s going to take all levels of government and their affiliated agencies working together to have the most effective and efficient growth.
 
We have a quite a few layers of government locally. We have Townships, which are part of the County, which surrounds the City – both of which are overseen by the Province. We have the federal government, multiple First Nations governments, and school boards. Together, we have close to 70 elected representatives in our region.
 
Just in terms of improving our transportation infrastructure, we have township roads, county roads, and provincial highways.
 
Local issues
We can’t have governments working in isolation on important and multifaceted issues. There are a variety of housing needs and different challenges across Peterborough and the Kawarthas, but we need our governments to work together to find efficiencies in the process, attract investment to our region, and collectively deal with some of the barriers.
 
Healthcare is largely provincial in mandate, but we have municipalities actively working to create healthcare facilities and attract medical professionals because our communities need these services to meet the needs of local residents.
 
There is growing discussion about regional bus service through Peterborough and the Kawarthas. We have a pilot project called The Link, which is an example of a successful partnership between the Province, Selwyn Township, Curve Lake First Nation, Community Care Peterborough, and the City of Peterborough. Hopefully this service can be expanded further to help more people get to work and appointments.
 
Employment lands have been an ongoing issue for a while. We are missing out on opportunities because we don’t have enough designated and serviced employment ready to go for prospective businesses to consider for large industry opportunities. It’s unrealistic that any one local municipality is going to be able to satisfy this need on their own. We need to move ahead on this together with a regional mindset.
 
Investing together
Many of these issues are themselves intertwined. When we have attainable housing, access to healthcare, and a car-free way to get to work, we can attract more people to our workforce.
 
Our communities are growing. How we grow takes leadership, intentional investment, and cooperation with all levels of government.