COMMUNITY NEWS

The province contributed $340,000 in funding

Days later, Bouma announced the province was supporting Numesh’s expansion plans with a $3 million commitment from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund. Numesh, the largest Canadian manufacturer of welded steel wire and wire mesh used for concrete reinforcement, is investing $39.9 million in its facility, which will create more than 50 new jobs in the community.

“Applications are open for the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund So, if you know a small business looking to expand, this fund is very critical,” said Bouma The next major funding announcement took place at Mitsui High-Tech where they announced plans for a $102.3 million project to construct a new 103,500 square foot facility in Brantford. The province invested $3.1 million into that project to help create 104 highly skilled local jobs, said Bouma. In July, Bouma announced that $28.38 million will be earmarked for the emergency room redevelopment at the Brantford General Hospital

“The hospital continues to have major infrastructure issues and we are working through those things,” said Bouma “I hope to be able to have some good news shortly on how to resolve [them]. While we are hoping for a new hospital in the next decade, I’m hoping 5-7 years, obviously we need to keep the currentfacility running.” In October, the province invested $564,000 locally to the Brantford,

Brant and Cambridge Boys and Girls Club to ensure the continued success and growth of the after school programs and to help kids remain active and healthy.

On December 8th , Bouma said a facilitator was appointed to help find a resolution between SC Johnson and developer Rosart Bucci Group, who submitted a rezoning application in March to build 156 units in townhouse blocks, on land deemed industrial, right next to the SC Johnson facility. The rezoning application prompted SC Johnson to announce they might have to leave the city after a century of business Bouma highlighted that the company has contributed more than $43 million into the local economy over the last 100 years and hopes the facilitator can help reconcile the dispute. SC Johnson employs more than a hundred fulltime employees, as well as seasonal employees. That same day, Bouma also announced the completion of a high-speed internet project in partnership with Swift that saw 1,639 farmers, families and businesses connect to high-speed internet access.

“I appreciate the county’s involvement in this project,” said Bouma who recognized the importance of access to online businesses, especially with the significant number of individuals who work from home.

On December 13th , a $2.7 million announcement came from the province to invest in next generation 9-1-1 service, a much need technological upgrade, Bouma noted.

Other mentions included the County’s Official Plan submission, which Bouma says is at the top of his mind

The Norfolk The Norfolk

On the education front, Bouma said he’s excited to see a new high school coming to the north end of Brantford, a school that will undoubtedly house Paris students in the years to come, he acknowledged.

Looking to 2024, Bouma plans to continue to work alongside the Catholic School Board to advocate for local education, and he hopes to build a positive relationship with the Grand Erie School Board. To view Bouma’s speech in full, click here. It’s at the beginning of the council meeting