Winnipeg, MB – Mayor Brian Bowman will be in Ottawa later today to join Mayors from across Canada for a meeting of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ (FCM) Big City Mayors’ Caucus (BCMC).
“The opportunity for BCMC to meet with and advocate to the recently elected federal government is important because cities across Canada are facing similar issues,” said Mayor Bowman. “Amidst a fourth wave of the global pandemic, housing, transit operating losses and reconciliation are topics of great focus. All of these will play a role in how cities recover from the pandemic.”
BCMC’s advocacy to the federal government will be particularly focused on the launch of the Housing Accelerator Fund that was promised during the federal election and a solution to transit operating shortfalls caused by pandemic ridership challenges.
Big city mayors attending the meeting this week will also receive updates on a number of items including the recent federal election, climate action, reconciliation, and downtown recovery.
“Most of the pandemic-related challenges we’ve faced in Winnipeg are not unique to Winnipeg,” said Mayor Bowman. “A unified voice from the Mayors of Canada’s major cities is important because the challenges we’re facing can benefit from a strong federal partner. Now and after the pandemic, for Canada to succeed, cities need to succeed.”
The BCMC is comprised of a regional group of FCM member cities. It meets two to three times a year to prioritize shared issues, reinforce FCM policy and advocate. The meeting of BCMC will conclude tomorrow evening and the Mayor will be back in Winnipeg on Thursday.