Perth County Advocates for Rural Priorities at ROMA 2026

Related Photos

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  Photo (Left to Right): Councillor Todd Kasenberg (Mayor of North Perth), Laura Smith (Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing), Perth County Warden Dean Trentowsky (Deputy Mayor of West Perth), Andrea Hächler (Director of Planning, Perth County), Councillor Walter McKenzie (Mayor of West Perth), Deputy Warden Sue Orr (Mayor of Perth South).
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  Photo (Left to Right): Meredith Forget (Director of Economic Development and Tourism), Councillor Walter McKenzie (Mayor of West Perth), Warden Dean Trentowsky (Deputy Mayor of West Perth), Hon. Trevor Jones (Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness), Deputy Warden Sue Orr (Mayor of Perth South), Lori Wolfe (Chief Administrative Officer, Perth County).

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO, ON – Warden Dean Trentowsky, members of County Council, and Staff joined more than 1,900 participants from across the province at the 2026 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Conference this week.  In addition to participating in conference sessions, representatives from Perth County attended two delegation meetings during the conference:

• Streamlining Planning Applications and Reducing Costs with Laura Smith, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
• Agribusiness Growth, Investment Successes, and Regional Opportunities with Minister Trevor Jones, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness

Delegation meetings provide an opportunity for municipal leaders to discuss key issues that are top-of-mind for municipal governments directly with provincial ministries. Perth County’s meetings were focused on advocacy for efficiencies in the municipal planning process as well as support for the continued growth and expansion of the local agricultural sector.

“The ROMA Conference is an excellent opportunity for representatives from Perth County to advocate for our rural region and to promote the many excellent advantages that Perth County has to offer” said Dean Trentowsky, Warden of Perth County. “We work hard to represent the needs of our communities and we appreciate the time granted to us to engage in productive conversations with provincial ministries. This conference also provides the opportunity to attend informative sessions where we can gain insight, learn, and bring new, exciting and practical ideas back to our communities.”

The 2026 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Conference ran from Sunday, January 18 to Tuesday, January 20 in downtown Toronto. This year’s conference theme is ROMA 2026: Ontario’s Rural Leaders Conference. The three-day event served as a key moment for municipal and provincial officials to connect on the unique challenges faced by rural municipalities.

Sessions focused on topics covering the breadth of rural municipal matters, including rural access to health care, Indigenous relations, codes of conduct, Community Safety and Wellbeing plans, infrastructure, waste management, housing, and road safety in rural communities. More details about the ROMA Conference including the full program can be found online at www.roma.on.ca

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About Perth County: Perth County is a vibrant upper-tier municipality located in Southwestern, Ontario and is home to a regional population of 81,565 residents. This rural region is comprised of 4 lower-tier member municipalities. To find out more information about our services, visit: www.perthcounty.ca or follow us on Facebook and X.

About ROMA: ROMA takes pride in promoting, supporting and enhancing strong and effective rural governments. 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.

Media Contact
Sarah Franklin, Communications Officer
sfranklin@perthcounty.ca
519-271-0531 ext 151

Attachments

2026-01-20 - NEWS RELEASE - Perth County Attends ROMA 2026