2015 Annual Meeting: Sarnia/Lambton County, Ontario
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- Premier Kathleen Wynne gives Keynote Address (Photo: Sarnia Observer)
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- CMQ Deputy Mayor Michelle Morin-Doyle speaks (Photo: Sarnia Observer)
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- Premier Wynne greets conference attendees (Photo: Sarnia Observer)
The Cities Initiative was honored to welcome Premier Kathleen Wynne as the keynote speaker at this year's Annual Meeting and Conference. At the 2015 Annual Meeting, the Cities Initiative addressed several key issues, most notably:
- Endorsed the Western Lake Erie Collaborative Agreement, which supports a 40% reduction in phosphorus entering the Western Lake Erie Basin, and was signed by Governor Rick Snyder (Michigan), Governor John Kasich (Ohio), and Premier Kathleen Wynne (Ontario) at the Conference of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premier's leadership summit on June 13th, 2015.
- Called for accelerated action in order to be able to meet the 40% by 2025 phosphorus reduction goal
- Called for the United States and Canada to harmonize safety measures in the transportation of oil by rail
Representatives from 40 member municipalities attended the conference, as well as many representatives from NGOs and other organizations.
Media Coverage
- “Premier visits Sarnia-Lambton area” (Lambton Shield)
- “Premier promotes low-emission opportunities at cities conference” (Sarnia Observer)
- “The path to healthier Great Lakes is clear” (Detroit Free Press)
- “Water Worries” (London Free Press)
- “Twolan Named Great Lakes Chair” (Bayshore Broadcasting)
- “Sarnia convention brings together mayors from Great Lakes region, St. Lawrence River” (Sarnia Observer)
- “CN exec talks rail safety at panel discussion in Sarnia” (Sarnia Observer)
- “Collingwood Mayor Sandra Cooper attended annual meeting of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative June 17” (The Enterprise Bulletin)
- “Mayor wants one law governing ballast water” (St. Catharines Standard)
- “Sendzik calls for consistent ballast water regulations” (Niagara This Week)
- “Great Lakes mayors still opposed to burying nuclear waste near Lake Huron” (London Free Press)
Press Releases
Members Meeting Press Release (June 17, 2015)
General Conference Press Release (June 19, 2015)
Presentations
Click here to access archived presentations from the Annual Meeting. Recordings will be added soon.
Resolutions
Each year, the Cities Initiative membership passes Resolutions on topics of concern. Click here to access the 2015 Resolutions, which covered topics such as oil transportation in the Great Lakes Region, action on nutrients, and concerns about terrestrial and aquatic invasive species.