Casselman Mayor Geneviève Lajoie was in Toronto from Sunday, January 18, to Tuesday, January 20, attending the 2026 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Annual Conference, where she advocated for several key municipal priorities, including drinking water security, healthcare access, caregiver support, and housing.
In statements shared during the conference, Lajoie emphasized that ensuring safe and reliable drinking water has remained her top priority since being elected. She said this focus has driven sustained advocacy efforts involving technical analysis, scenario modelling, regional collaboration, and ongoing engagement with the provincial government.
As part of this work, Lajoie prepared a 14-page report outlining Casselman’s water situation, which she personally delivered to Premier Doug Ford. According to the mayor, that advocacy has resulted in continued provincial attention and follow-up on the file.
During ROMA, the municipality received what Lajoie described as encouraging news. Following a recent submission on Casselman’s water challenges, she said Thomas Staples, Chief of Staff to Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, contacted the municipality to request an in-person meeting to discuss the next steps. Lajoie said Casselman will seek direct follow-up to ensure progress continues.
Healthcare access was also a central focus of Casselman’s ROMA delegations. One issue raised was the municipality’s Rurality Index of Ontario (RIO) score, which currently falls just below the threshold required to qualify for physician recruitment incentives. Lajoie said this has contributed to the loss of physicians in the community, leaving more than 2,000 residents without a family doctor. Casselman is asking the province to consider revised criteria or a targeted pilot project to address the situation.
The second healthcare priority involved the proposed Casselman Health Hub, developed in partnership with Hawkesbury and District General Hospital. Lajoie said the project is supported and ready to move forward and would improve access to care for residents in western Prescott and Russell, particularly seniors and Francophone residents. The municipality is seeking clarity from the province regarding the planning grant and next steps.
In addition to ROMA meetings, Lajoie attended the Caregivers Forum, an issue she said she has consistently advocated for. She highlighted the challenges faced by caregivers and the need for improved support, including better access to services, respite options, and system coordination.
While in Toronto, the mayor also met with Glengarry–Prescott–Russell MPP Stéphane Sarrazin to review Casselman’s priorities and ongoing initiatives. She also held discussions with the CEO of Habitat for Humanity regarding future collaboration and housing solutions in the community.
In a later update, Lajoie said she met in Toronto with Staples to discuss Casselman’s water situation and noted that Deputy Minister Trevor Fleck also joined the meeting. Lajoie said Fleck engaged directly, asked detailed questions, and took time to better understand the municipality’s concerns regarding the long-term viability of its water source.
Lajoie said the municipality outlined concerns about the sustainability of its current water supply and the need for financial support to advance long-term water treatment solutions. She described the discussions as productive and said the municipality will continue working with the province on next steps.
In the same update, Lajoie also thanked Premier Doug Ford for what she described as the seriousness with which the province has treated Casselman’s water file, adding that she delivered the report has been important to maintaining momentum.
Lajoie further reported meeting with Ontario’s Minister of Health and the Minister’s Parliamentary Assistant to restate Casselman’s needs related to its RIO score and the proposed Health Hub. She said the municipality emphasized the impact of these issues on access to care locally and will continue to follow up to ensure progress is made.
Lajoie said she remains focused on keeping these files moving forward and will continue advocating for Casselman, adding that residents will be updated as discussions progress.
