GTHA Mayors and Chairs welcome continued support from the Government of Ontario's Fall Economic Statement

HAMILTON, ON – Today, Mayors and Chairs from the 11 largest municipal governments across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area held their regular meeting to discuss the ongoing response to COVID-19 across the region.

The Mayors and Chairs welcome the province's Fall Economic Statement last week which contained good news for cities, including millions more to support operating budget deficits for vital services impacted by the pandemic, including transit.­­­

The Mayors and Chairs are continuing to advocate for additional support from the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario for municipalities' 2022 budgets as the frontline response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues; and they thank the Province for recognizing the ongoing financial impacts of COVID-19 on transit systems and municipalities and for the commitment in the Fall Economic Statement to continuing to work with municipalities and the Government of Canada to address these acute operating pressures.

Without a doubt, the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine over the last year has helped us protect our residents and make tremendous progress reopening the GTHA economy. We continue to urge all GTHA residents to get vaccinated so they can have the best protection available against the virus and we can protect the progress we have made as a region lifting public health measures. We acknowledge and support the province's recently announced framework for the administration of third doses.

We also thank the thousands of eligible residents across the GTHA who are at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 and who are stepping forward to get their third doses.

“Continued support from the Federal and Provincial Government is instrumental in helping our community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the areas of pandemic response and transit. Ensuring that every eligible person is vaccinated is a crucial part of our recovery plan as it will protect the progress made and ensure we can continue to move forward to a strong economy."

- Mayor Fred Eisenberger