Tillsonburg to attend ROMA 2025

The Town of Tillsonburg will attend the 2025 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Conference from January 19 to 21 in Toronto. Mayor Deb Gilvesy and Deputy Mayor Dave Beres will represent the Tillsonburg at the annual event, along with CAO Kyle Pratt.

The 2025 conference is themed Rural Routes, and provides rural municipal leaders the opportunity to address policy issues and funding concerns, as well as meet directly with Provincial Ministers on local issues.

Topics on Tillsonburg’s agenda include concerns related to workforce training, community emergency management funding and expanded access to health care through a nurse practitioner-led clinic.

“As a growing community, we’re facing a number of challenges directly related to population growth and are in need of Provincial support to address them,” says Mayor Deb Gilvesy. “ROMA provides us with an opportunity to share these concerns with the province and advocate for our citizens.”

Tillsonburg is scheduled to meet with a variety of provincial representatives during the conference including the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development; the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport; and the Ministry of Health. The group will also meet with the Associate Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response.

“ROMA provides an opportunity to learn from our peers and dialogue on important municipal issues,” adds CAO Kyle Pratt. “We’re looking forward to a busy couple of days and some very productive conversations.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, opposition leaders, and provincial ministers are scheduled to make presentations at the event. Keynote speakers include political columnist Chantal Hébert and Jordan Simmons, co-founder and CEO of Nominee, discussing democracy and Canada’s path forward after the 2024 US election.

About 270 of Ontario’s 444 municipalities have populations of less than 10,000, while scores more are rural in character. The rural arm of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, ROMA advocates for policies and programs that will help build thriving rural Ontario communities.