The Paris Independent
10
January 6, 2024
COMMUNITY NEWS
MPP Will Bouma looks back at 2023 provincial funding announcements
MPP Will Bouma shared a list of accomplishments from 2023 during a December 19th Brant County Council meeting. Some of those included financial announcements such as the $28.38 million for the emergency room redevelopment at the Brantford General Hospital (top left photo includes Bouma and Mayor David Bailey) and a $3 million provincial commitment from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund for a planned expansion at Numesh in Cainsville. Photo credit Will Bouma Office
By Casandra Turnbull MPP Will Bouma was a last-minute guest at council just before the holidays where he gave an enthusiastic reflection of some of the biggest and impactful announcements over the past year. Bouma’s quick message delivered on many financial commitments the province made in Brant and Brantford in 2023; these investments boosted local businesses, healthcare and social services. Bouma started with the April 12th $202 million provincial announcement to combat
homelessness. Locally, $7 million was designated through Social Services Brantford to help keep people off the streets. On May 4th, Mastro Vinci, a food processing plant in Brantford, announces a $1.58 million manufacturing investment. Bouma was pleased to present $237,000 in provincial funding for that project which will bring about a dozen more jobs to the community, he cited. In early June, Bouma helped bring a new service to Brantford, a project that he stumbled across by chance. While hosting a couple mother and daughter duos from
Ukraine and helping them obtain health cards, Bouma realized the closest location to access this inperson service was in Simcoe. “With quick work from the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery we were able to open a satellite office in the City of Brantford, which has helped out a lot of people in the community,” said Bouma. By the end of June, Bouma was in Paris putting a shovel in the ground to signify the start of the Trillium Way Affordable Housing project. Continued on page 11
