• Reviewing recent developments in the law regarding health and safety, including principles coming out of Greater Sudbury (City) and subsequent cases 
• Discussing when and how owners can be liable for heath and safety, and considering the implications of breaches of such responsibility and the availability of potential defences. 
• Considering the balance between an owner’s exercise of its contracted rights to direct the and “assuming control of the project.

Speakers:

• Catherine Gleason-Mercier, Partner, Singleton Reynolds
• James Little, Partner, Singleton Reynolds

Registration: free. (registration will open soon)

Workshop: Countering Hate, Social Polarization, and Extremism in Ontario Municipalities, Strong Cities Prevention Academy—Canada 

The Prevention Academy pre-AMO Conference workshop is designed to enable mayors, councillors, and municipal staff to better understand and identify on- and off-line threats, needs and vulnerabilities in their communities and understand how to apply a whole-of-society approach to prevention in their municipalities.

This special session will focus on two modules:

• Understanding the Hate Landscape—Data Collection and Threat Assessment: how governments, including smaller municipalities that may have limited staff or resources to dedicate to tracking these specific trends, can understand the threat and hate landscape locally, particularly in light of underreporting and data gaps around vulnerable communities
• Multi-Level Partnerships—National, provincial and municipal collaboration in prevention: explore how to tangibly harness existing resources, partnerships, and programming on the national, provincial, and municipal level to move towards stronger, more resilient cities

The session focuses on foundational skills and tools for municipalities to better understand the local landscape and resources available at all levels of government to support initiatives around social cohesion and hate prevention. This session is designed so that municipalities can think creatively about their approaches to health, housing, the arts, and more and how those can intersect with social cohesion efforts. These sessions will also support sharing of proven practices and models for collaboration not only in their city, but across Canada.

Participants will explore, in detail, promising practices from across the Strong Cities global network of cities and receive tailored recommendations on how to implement these approaches to prevention in their own municipalities.

Speakers:

• Charlie Clark, Former Mayor, Saskatoon 
• Amy Mack, Canada Research Chair, University of Lethbridge)
• John McCoy, Executive Director, Organization for the Prevention of Violence

Registration: $50.00. (registration will open soon)

Workshops:

Pre-registration is not required.

• Growing Wisely: Planning for Our Community’s Future

Asset management is a holistic approach to infrastructure planning that is based on proactive strategies and efficient investment. It is a tool that helps you plan for the future you want for your community. Beginning with a primer on growth and asset management, attendees will be provided with recommendations towards integrating growth and demographic shifts into asset management practices. Several case studies on how different municipalities in Ontario are planning for growth, with asset management and capital planning, will be discussed. 

This interactive session is relevant to municipalities of various types and sizes tasked with managing demographic changes, service level expectations, and financial sustainability. 

• AMO’s Civility and Anti-Harassment Strategy – MASS LBP

AMO is developing a strategy to combat the incivility and harassment experienced by elected officials and municipal staff in Ontario.  The strategy will offer proactive measures to foster safer and more respectful municipal environments as well as practical tools that municipalities can develop to respond effectively when incidents occur.

Join us for a solutions workshop concerning the mistreatment of elected officials and municipal staff.

Workshops:

Pre-registration is not required.

• Municipalities and Corporate Partnerships: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly in Increasing Revenues Without Raising Taxes - Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists

This 90-minute workshop has been designed to provide Ontario municipalities of all sizes from small villages to mega cities and everything in-between to better understand the benefits, the drawbacks, the issues and the celebrations associated with corporate partnership and naming right deals in municipalities in Ontario. 
The session will explore, explain and engage in discussion on topics such as:

• How do we know how much money we can raise in our community?
• If we are building a new facility how much money can we raise to offset capital costs? 
• What is the difference between donations and sponsorship, and does it really matter?
• How do we determine what the naming right for our arts centre or arena or Canada Day event or mom and tot swim program is really worth?
• Is it better to outsource these sales of naming rights and sponsorship or build internal capacity with staff to do it?
• Who else is doing this and what have been their successes and failures?
• What are the key setbacks to such a program
• How do stakeholders like the local high profile hockey team or swim club feel about the municipality making money off “their venue” and how do you deal with it?
• What are the risks and rewards?

If your municipality has ever considered getting into the “sponsorship and naming right” game or if you are already doing it and want to know more about it and the pros and cons or how to fix your existing program, this is the session for you. Come with your questions, your stories (to share your success or failure with others) and an open mind to better understand The Good, The Bad and The Ugly around Corporate Partnerships / Naming Rights and municipalities. 

Speaker: Brent Barootes, President and CEO, Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists

• Activating provincial support for emergency preparedness and response - Ministry of Emergency Preparedness & Response

When disaster strikes, local governments are on the frontlines of keeping their communities safe. But effective emergency management requires strong collaboration and coordination with all levels of government. This session will share how municipalities can work with Ontario’s new Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response to prepare for and respond to emergencies using Ontario’s new one-window approach. It will also cover how to activate Ontario Corps resources to augment municipal response, access provincial grants, and how Ontario’s newly proposed legislation will provide more flexibility and reduce red tape for municipalities.

Speaker: The Hon. Jill Dunlop, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response

Plenary Program

• Welcome
• Keynote Speaker: Andrew Coyne, Political Journalist
• Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict
• Robin Jones, AMO President
• AGM

Plenary Program

• The Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario (invited)
• Women's Leadership Forum

AMO is pleased to host the sixth annual Women's Leadership Forum. Since 2020, the Women’s Leadership Forum has featured extraordinary leaders in public service at the national, provincial, and local levels. This year’s three panelists will share their insights and experiences of leadership in their lives and career pathways.

• The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario (invited)

Plenary Program

• Marit Stiles, Leader of the Official Opposition and Ontario NDP
• Bonnie Crombie, Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party
• Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario

Concurrent Sessions

1. Have Your Say: Health and Human Services

Help shape AMO’s advocacy approach on health and human services.  

This interactive session will give AMO members an opportunity to share local challenges in areas like primary care access and homelessness, highlight innovative municipal solutions, and help AMO best represent municipal interests.  

2. Arts & Culture in Local Economic Development

This concurrent will share how arts and culture can contribute to the economic development of communities and will share success stories from across Ontario. 

3. Local Approaches to Unlocking New Housing

Municipalities remain at the forefront of enabling new housing units to meet demand. Hear case studies from municipalities who have advanced strategies to streamline local approvals for housing or taken innovative approaches to unlock new housing units. 

4. Partnerships to Develop the Municipal Staff Talent Pipeline 

Recruitment and retention continue to be critical challenges facing municipalities across Ontario. This session will explore how partnerships in work-integrated learning, sector-specific training, and professional development are helping to build a resilient and future-ready workforce. Hear from leaders in education, training, and professional associations about innovative approaches that connect emerging talent with municipal careers, support upskilling, and strengthen local capacity. 

Concurrent Sessions

1. Have Your Say: Housing and Land-Use Planning

Help shape AMO’s advocacy approach on housing and land-use planning.  

This interactive session will give AMO members an opportunity to share local challenges, highlight innovative municipal solutions, and help AMO best represent municipal interests.  

2. Working with Indigenous Partners to Address Gender-Based Violence

This session will share success stories and lessons learned about how municipalities can work with Indigenous partners to respond to gender-based violence in their communities. 

3. Challenges and Opportunities of the Sharing Economy

Explore the multifaceted impacts of the sharing economy on municipalities. This session will cover rideshare and short-term rentals’ effects on housing, tourism, public safety, and economic development. Panel experts will share their approaches and experiences on how they are managing the sharing economy in their local communities. 

4. Libraries for Community Impact and Childhood Development

Libraries play a critical role for communities and for childhood development. They provide a range of relevant services beyond traditional book lending, including acting as community hubs especially when other social and education infrastructure is lacking. There is a clear value proposition can be leveraged for community impact with government support and innovative partnerships. Practical take-aways from promising practices will be featured. 

5. MPACT+| Le Café franco-dynamique
Saviez-vous que plus de 11 % de la population de l’Ontario converse en français? Rejoignez l’association française des municipalités de l’Ontario (AFMO) pour un moment d’échanges inspirants et inclusifs. Votre voix compte – participez pour bâtir les collectivités francophones de demain et optimiser le leadership de votre partenaire franco l’AFMO!

Plenary Program

• Innovative Approaches to Supporting Mental Health, Addictions and Supportive Housing

Municipalities across Ontario have been grappling with mental health and addictions challenges in their communities and workforces. This session will share innovative approaches to tackling this growing crisis.  

• AMO-COU Keynote: Building resilient municipalities through innovative technology infrastructure 

How can municipalities embrace and utilize emerging technologies like AI to deliver faster services for their citizens? How can communities balance investing in technological infrastructure with other infrastructure priorities that municipalities are facing? This year’s Council of Ontario Universities keynote speaker Dr. Adegboyega Ojo, Canada Research Chair in Governance and Artificial Intelligence and Professor at Carleton University, will speak to these questions and more. Dr. Ojo will share best practices from levels of government and other jurisdictions who are already in the process of advancing their technological infrastructure.

Speaker: Dr. Adegboyega Ojo, Canada Research Chair in Governance and Artificial Intelligence and Professor at Carleton University

Concurrent Sessions

1. Have Your Say: Municipal Finance & Economic Development

Help shape AMO’s advocacy approach on municipal finance and economic development 

This interactive session will give AMO members an opportunity to share local challenges in balancing municipal budgets and attracting new investment, highlight innovative municipal solutions, and help AMO best represent municipal interests. 

2. Investments in Architecture to Improve Public Spaces and Accessibility

This session will explore how architecture and public spaces can create beautiful and prosperous communities in Ontario. It will offer considerations for how new projects can invest in the well-being of communities through these strategies. 

3. MPAC’s Vision for Data-Driven Municipal Success

Join MPAC for a session exploring how Ontario’s property data can unlock new opportunities to drive innovation and improve operational efficiency, creating lasting value for municipalities. As a customer-centred strategic partner, MPAC continues to look for ways to support municipalities through enhanced service delivery and innovative tools that help enable data-driven decision-making. This session will provide municipal leaders with practical insights into leveraging MPAC services and tools to align with local priorities and reduce administrative burdens.  

4. Integrating Housing and Health Supports

Integrated housing and health services offer numerous benefits by addressing the social determinants of health, particularly for those experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. This session will share new approaches for integration and opportunities to leverage and scale up best practices across the province.

5. First Nations Land Use Planning 

Ontario's development goals demand responsible land use planning that respects First Nations rights and cultural heritage. This session will clarify the critical role of municipalities in protecting First Nations sacred and burial sites, especially in light of recent legislative shifts like Bill 5's Special Economic Zones and Heritage Act amendments. Gain practical strategies to navigate complex land development projects, build strong relationships with First Nations, and ensure municipalities continue to lead in safeguarding this vital cultural heritage.

Plenary Program

• PJ Marshall Awards
• Championing Indigenous-led Post-secondary Education and Training

Since 1985, Indigenous Institutes have successfully delivered post-secondary and life-long learning programs built on the foundation of Indigenous ways of knowing and being, helping students to reach their full potential. Indigenous Institutes contribute to local economies with graduates that fill critical labour gaps in trades, healthcare, community services and education. The Indigenous Institutes Consortium (IIC) represents seven Indigenous-owned and operated member institutes across Ontario, championing the critical link between Indigenous led post-secondary education and training, a skilled workforce, and economic reconciliation.

Speaker: Rebecca Jamieson, IIC Chair and President & CEO of Six Nations Polytechnic

• The Honourable Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
• Ministers' Forum

Plenary Program

• New Approaches to Housing

Increasing Ontario’s housing supply requires new ways of thinking about perennial funding and financing challenges, and different ways of working with partners.  This panel brings together representatives from the municipal, development and financing sectors to discuss recent successful collaborations and unpack potential future innovations that support a broad range of housing in Ontario communities. 

• Trade and Tariffs: Short-term Risks and Long-term Opportunities

International trade and tariff uncertainty presents real economic threats for Ontario’s municipalities, businesses, and residents. However, it may also be catalyst for new long-term partnerships to diversify and strengthen our economy. This session will discuss how municipalities can help lead and build Ontario into a new and more resilient economic future.