Premier Doug Ford brought a clear message to Ontario’s municipal leaders on Monday: it’s time to get public servants back to the office and speed up housing construction.
Addressing hundreds of councillors, mayors, and officials at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference in Ottawa, Ford received one of his biggest rounds of applause when he touted his government’s recent decision to mandate a full return to the office for Ontario’s public service starting in January next year.
“This decision reflects what we are seeing in business across the province,” Ford said, encouraging municipalities to follow his lead. He gave a special shoutout to Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, who announced last week that his city’s staff would also return to in-person work full-time in the new year.