From February 25 to 27, Halton Region was honoured to welcome a delegation from Ghana as part of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Partnerships for Municipal Innovation – Women in Local Leadership project (external link). Since 2021, Halton Region and the Town of Collingwood have proudly partnered with local governments in Ghana to support women leaders, advance gender equality, and help build stronger, more inclusive communities in Ghana.
Through this collaboration, municipal leaders in Canada and Ghana have worked together on community‑focused initiatives, including improvements to a local school, a hospital, and a medical facility. These projects reflect the program’s goal: strengthening opportunities for women in municipal government while supporting the delivery of essential, inclusive local services.
During their visit to Halton, delegates met with Regional Council and learned how we deliver services across key areas, including governance, public health, Paramedic Services, community safety and well‑being, early learning and child care, waste management, advocacy, and equity, diversity, and inclusion. They also toured Regional facilities, including Halton’s Waste Management Site, our mobile public health clinic and our Paramedic Services headquarters, gaining firsthand insight into our integrated, community‑driven approach.
This international partnership is funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs. Our role includes providing technical expertise, sharing tools and resources, offering peer‑to‑peer support—including in‑country training—and hosting this study tour, as part of our ongoing commitment to learning and collaboration.
Regional Councillors Rory Nisan, Lisa Kearns, and Sameera Ali actively support this work with FCM, and we are grateful for their leadership.
On behalf of Regional Council, I want to thank the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Town of Collingwood, and Global Affairs Canada for their partnership and support. We value the opportunity to learn from one another and to share how we deliver services that help people in our community live, grow and thrive.