The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference wraps up Wednesday in Ottawa. For the 2026-28 term, Windsor-Essex will have two representatives at the AMO table after LaSalle mayor Crystal Meloche was elected to AMO’s Small Urban Caucus and Essex County warden Hilda MacDonald was elected to the County Caucus. Meloche says her election to the board will ensure fast-growing communities have a stronger voice with the province. She says communities like LaSalle face many of the same pressures as larger cities, including growth, infrastructure demands and rising costs, but often don’t have access to the same funding opportunities. “I want to help advance fair and sustainable funding, so protect our local decision making, ensure our communities receive the support needed to manage growth responsibly,” Meloche said. “I’m just really honoured that other municipal leaders from across Ontario place their confidence in me and I look forward to making sure LaSalle and Essex County have a strong voice at AMO.” Meloche says the new role creates a direct connection to provincial decision-makers. “It really gives LaSalle a direct voice in AMOs advocacy and policy discussions with the province. It helps us just to build stronger relationships, learn from other municipalities and ensure the challenges facing fast growing communities, like ours, are understood when provincial policies and funding programs are developed, which I feel sometimes we get left out of and sometimes we’re maybe part of the forefront and the thinking,” she said. According to Meloche, this year’s conference focused on housing affordability, healthcare, and homelessness. “There was a great announcement as well about funding for recreation, which is something LaSalle has been talking about for the last few years. We did put forward a motion earlier this year to begin the detailed design work for a possible expansion at the Vollmer. Not something we’re moving forward with right now, but we absolutely need to plan for the future and if this funding stream could assist us, that would be great for our residents,” she said. Meloche’s first meeting as a member of the AMO board is scheduled for Wednesday as the organization begins planning priorities for the next two-year term. Windsor Ward 9 Coun. Kieran McKenzie sought re-election to the AMO board but was unsuccessful.
