BRACEBRIDGE — Small towns in Ontario want a larger say in their futures, according to Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith.

In addition to his seat on the board of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the mayor also sits on its Ontario Small Urban Municipal (OSUM) caucus. The caucus focuses on small towns and some cities in Ontario, such as the ones in Ontario.

“We’re kind of a unique animal within the context of the province,” said Smith.

He said members of the caucus see and hear of funding headed to big cities with the province responding to the needs made clear by big city mayors.

“But, there are dozens of small town communities in Ontario that I don’t think have a collective voice so we are trying to do a little more work to provide that voice for them both around the AMO table and directly with the province,” he said.

This is a personal pet project for Smith, who is concerned that the province does not have a vision for small town Ontario and the role it plays.

“If everything is measured as return on investment then we’re going to lose all our institutions,” he said.

The institutions he fears will be lost include post secondary and community schools.

“We’re going to have limited economic growth, which is going to stop us from building the infrastructure we need,” he said. “There needs to be more of a plan for how we can participate.”

He said that many small towns are doing well and, when he takes a look at Bracebridge, he feels incredibly lucky for such a vibrant town. But, he said, things could be better. He has watched as small Ontario towns struggle and industry disappears. The province controls economic development funding and does not allow regions to provide incentives to attract business.