Region to host own public meeting about Ontario's regional review

People who want to have their say on the province's review of regional governments will have a chance to do so at a public meeting being hosted by the region.

Regional council approved a motion Wednesday night for the public meeting.

It will take place April 17 in council chambers at the regional headquarters, located at 150 Frederick St., Kitchener. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m.

The province is currentlyreviewing 82municipalities in Halton, York, Durham, Waterloo, Niagara, Peel, Muskoka District, Oxford County, and the County of Simcoe.

Two special advisers, former deputy minister and municipal chief administrator Michael Fenn and former Region of Waterloo chair Ken Seiling, are currently meeting with municipalities and other stakeholders.

A lot of people 'weighing in'

The announcement of the region's public meeting comes after the province launched an online survey earlier this month to collect information from people who live in the municipalities currently under review. The online consultations will be accepted until April 23.

When the online componentwas announced, Regional Chair Karen Redman said she hoped the province would also consider also hosting public meetings.

"There are a lot of people, they're writing letters to the editor, they're sending me emails, they're weighing in," she said on March 13.

"Everybody likes to recognize that they're being listened to. And I think for some people and it's not just generational they feel that going online is sort of impersonal and dropping something into a black hole."

She said people like to state their thoughts and be asked for clarification ifneeded, so a public meeting providespeople with a conversation rather than the one-way communication of an online form.

"People will be able to express their views and I think that's really important," Redman said.