MPP Will Bouma looks back at 2023 provincial funding announcements

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 WayAffordable Housing project.