In This Issue:
- Meet AMO’s 2026 Youth Fellows.
- Last chance to submit your municipal Impact Stories!
- Municipal Information & Data Analysis System (MIDAS) - Important Notice.
- AMO Regional and Single-Tier Caucus Virtual Meet-Up: 2026.
- Missed ROMA Conference registration? Register on-site starting January 18.
- New year, new skills: Crisis Communications and Navigating Conflict Relationships.
- Lead Where You Live - A Guide to Running for Municipal Council.
- More Dates! Free workshop series for those seeking re-election & first-time candidates.
- Free Workshop: Everything You Need to Know as an Underrepresented Candidate.
- Review your Group Health Benefits with the New Year.
- It’s 2026! Time to post your Notice of Participation.
- Applications are open: AMCTO-Mitacs MIIP.
- OPPI Employer Readiness Workshop.
- Municipal Student Survey.
- IESO Webinar on Long Lead Time (LLT) Procurement.
- Upcoming Webinar: Low-Carbon Energy Framework.
- Careers.
AMO Matters
Join AMO in welcoming our 2026 AMO Youth Fellows Rebecca Bekele, Akbar Imran, and Allan Buri. AMO’s Youth Fellowship Program provides three young people from across the province the opportunity to learn how AMO supports Ontario’s 444 municipalities.
AMO is developing a public affairs campaign to showcase the people and impact behind municipal work across Ontario – and we want to feature your career profile. From frontline roles to leadership, we want to show what it takes, and who it is, that keeps municipalities running. If you are interested in participating, this is the last call to complete the Impact Story Submission Guide and email your submission to workforce@amo.on.ca.
The MMAH FIR system and all associated applications - reporting etc. including the MIDAS data feeds, will be down for a necessary system upgrade beginning on January 30, 2026. The maximum outage period is January 30, to March 1, 2026, inclusive. MIDAS will be operational, however no new FIR data will be uploaded during this time.
AMO’s Regional and Single Tier Caucus Chair, City of Ottawa Councillor Riley Brockington, is pleased to invite you to this year's Single-Tier Caucus Virtual Meet-Up meet. Scheduled for Monday, February 23 from 10am-12noon, this year’s event features insights into AMO government relations and advocacy priorities and conversation with Caucus Chair Riley Brockington and AMO Executive Director, Lindsay Jones. This is an important event to gain insight and share your thoughts. Register here.
Education Opportunities
You can still join rural municipal colleagues and provincial leaders at the ROMA 2026 conference. On-site registration opens Sunday, January 18 at 8:00am. Get there early to access a full day of Sunday programming starting at 8:30am.
To be more confident in times of crisis and feel comfortable managing local, national, digital and social media to get your message heard, this one's for you. Join this 2 half-day course to learn how to manage all aspects of crisis communications during an emergency. Register here to save your spot.
Gain skills in building collaborative relationships and negotiating difficult ones. This 2 part, interactive workshop will explore the constructs, traps and pitfalls of conflict relationships, and how to approach, plan and execute relationships successfully. Register here to save your spot.
The Lead Where You Live Resource provides key information for anyone running in the 2026 municipal election. This guide will introduce you to some of the key steps in that process. It will also give you a sense of what life is like as an elected member of a municipal council.
If you missed AMO’s Healthy Democracy Leadership Series: Stronger Leaders, Stronger Communities workshop registration, we are offering more dates to register. It's designed to equip you with the tools, resilience, and confidence to meet the challenges of the political landscape head-on. It's offered at no charge in two streams: first time candidates, and those considering re-election in 2026. Full details and registration information here.
AMO’s Running for Municipal Office - Everything You Need to Know as an Underrepresented Candidate 90 minute free workshop provides useful insights and strategies to support you in getting your name on the ballot. While this workshop focuses on individuals from underrepresented communities, all are welcome to participate.
LAS
The LAS Group Benefits program offered by Mosey & Mosey helps reduce your employee group benefit costs. The plan offerings are customizable to your municipality’s needs. For more information, you can visit their booth at the ROMA Conference this Sunday and Monday.
It’s that time of year again – ensure you comply with the Canadian Free Trade Agreement. If your municipality plans on using one or more LAS programs and services this year, be sure to post your Notice of Participation on your procurement website.
Municipal Wire*
Applications are now open for the next intake of the AMCTO-Mitacs Municipal Innovation Internship Program. This program offers municipalities a cost-effective way to identify, advance, and address innovation or research challenges by partnering with a post-secondary student interested in a career in local government. To learn more or to submit an application, Click Here.
OPPI is opening registration for a free in-person workshop that gives employers and managers practical tools to support newly hired planners. The course includes an Employer Handbook (supported by AMO) on management practices that promote inclusion, retention, and long-term success. Register Here!
AMO is partnering with the University of Waterloo’s Work-Learn Institute to better understand how municipalities can more effectively attract and retain the next generation. If you’ve supervised a student – or know someone who has – please forward them this short, anonymous survey to share their experiences. If you have any questions, please contact WGardiner@amo.on.ca.
The IESO is hosting a webinar on January 29 to discuss the design of the upcoming LLT procurement including community engagement requirements, and timelines for municipal support confirmations. You can also register for a municipal breakout session following the main session.
Pollution Probe and QUEST Canada are hosting a webinar on January 27 at 11:00 to explore a new framework for benefiting from low-carbon energy innovation in Ontario rural, remote and Indigenous communities. Register here.
Careers
Manager, Regional and Community Engagement - IESO. Closing Date: January 27, 2026.
Chief Administrative Officer - Municipality of Shuniah. Closing Date: January 23, 2026.
Manager By-law Enforcement - Town of Parry Sound. Closing Date: February 2, 2026.
Director of Finance and Administration - Manitoulin Sudbury District Services Board. Closing Date: January 21, 2026.
Executive Assistant, Public Works and Environmental Services - City of Quinte West. Closing Date: February 3, 2026.
