Ford announces new regional office in Ottawa. Here’s what that means

Ontario is opening a new regional office in the nation’s capital to provide Ottawa residents with better services, Premier Doug Ford announced in a press conference this morning. 

“I’m thrilled to be back here today and to announce that our government is opening a new regional office in Ottawa to improve service delivery for people and businesses in the city and throughout the region,” said Ford.

“This office, which opens today, will provide Ottawa’s municipal government with a central link to the premier cabinet and government. It will support greater engagement with both municipal and federal governments,” he continued. 

The regional office will help ensure that Ottawa’s needs are better understood and addressed by the federal government, explained Ford in today’s press conference. 

“Most importantly, this is about providing people with better customer service, ensuring that Ottawa’s workers, families and small business owners are better connected to government services,” he said. 

The office will be led by Sean Webster, who most recently served as Vice President, Government & Stakeholder Relations for Canopy Growth Corporation.

According to a press release, Ontario said the office will help implement the province’s funding deal with Ottawa.

Announced earlier this year, Ontario is investing up to $543 million in operating and capital funding — going towards Ottawa’s economy and helping to address other priorities, like improving infrastructure.

Ontario set aside $181 million for roads, highways and other transportation needs, said Premier Ford in today’s press conference.

This includes a phased plan to guide the upload of Ottawa Road 174 to the province, a new interchange at Highway 416 and Barnsdale Road, and the repair and upgrade of Ottawa’s major connecting routes and rural roads.

Additionally, the province said it is investing in revitalizing the city’s downtown core, improving public safety by adding more police officers and a police neighbourhood operations centre in the ByWard Market, and providing Ottawa with the tools it needs to build more homes.  

Ontario’s new office in Ottawa will support greater engagement with municipal and federal governments, and provide Ottawa’s municipal government with a central link to the premier, cabinet and government, said the province in a press release.