What would typically be a large, in-person conference with mayors from around Canada — the Federation of Canadian Municipalities was forced to go virtual for this year's Big City Mayors gathering.
Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens is part of this week's meetings including a call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Wednesday.
Dilkens says a number of topics like housing and transit were touched on, but the big ticket item was COVID-19 relief funding as most cities ran a deficit in 2020 due to the pandemic.
He says municipalities are going to need help in 2021 as well.
"We know, as we prepare our 2021 budget, that we still have strong headwinds. So we're projecting a $38-million deficit this year. The casino, of course, is still closed. That provides usually $12-million annually to the city. Of course things have changed at the airport and the tunnel, each of which provides a million dividend to the city," says Dilkens.
He says loss of revenue has been hurting cities across the country.
"We don't know when we can have people again renting ice and going and taking classes at our community centres. So we've got a big hole to fill, a big number that we have to get," says Dilkens. "We need that money and each of us expressed that the the Prime Minister and he didn't hesitate. He jumped in right away saying we are going to be there, the federal government will be there."
He says it's tough to predict what the future will hold.
"They are educated guesses done by experts who prepare the budget. Certainly, I would expect moving forward, in 2021, that they will have an application process much the same where municipalities have to justify the losses and demonstrate an actual loss in order to get money."
FCM hosts the Big City Mayors conference each year bringing together representatives from 22 of Canada's biggest cities.
With files from Patty Handysides