Orillia Mayor hosts meeting of leaders of four municipalities and Rama First Nation

by Ken Hashizume Bayshore Broadcasting 

Building relationships is just one purpose of a meeting with the leaders of four Simcoe County municipalities and Rama First Nation.

The meeting was held Thursday inside the office of Orillia Mayor Steve Clarke at City Hall.

It saw Harry Hughes of Oro-Medonte, Basil Clarke of Ramara, Mike Burkett of Severn, and Rod Noganosh of Rama First Nation join Clarke to discuss a number of common issues.

Clarke says the five are all vital partners in a number overlapping issues.

He says all feel they can work together and moving forward to meet the needs.

Clarke says the initial meeting was to get a feeling from the five parties.

He says they will later discuss things like economic development and tourism, and perhaps assisting each other on a number of things that are not specific to their own municipality.

Clarke says there could be future meetings where the Warden of Simcoe County will be taking part in.

He says he has been talking with Gerry Marshall — who is also Mayor of Penetanguishene — on an issue that affects a large section of Simcoe County.