About Civic Ontario
Strengthening the leadership Ontario depends on
Civic Ontario is a trusted environment for Ontario's senior civic executives. We are a peer community, a collective voice, and a resource for the people who lead the province's communities.
We have supported CAOs since 1958, through decades of change in what Ontario's municipalities face and what the role itself demands. We recently renamed ourselves to reflect where we are headed: a leadership institution built around the profession, not just a membership association.
What we believe
Civic executives carry a particular kind of responsibility. Operating outside the electoral process but with deep institutional accountability, they provide continuity across councils, translate policy into decisions that shape how communities actually function, and lead through a period of accelerating change, in how communities grow, how services are delivered, and what the public expects of those who govern. That role deserves serious, sustained professional support. That is what Civic Ontario is here to provide.
What we offer
Peer community
Civic executives across Ontario across Ontario face similar challenges and carry hard-won knowledge that belongs to the profession. Civic Ontario creates the conditions for that knowledge to move between peers: through events, mentorship, regional networks, and a member directory built for real engagement.
Professional development
We offer programs designed for the specific demands of executive municipal leadership. Our CAO Leadership Program, developed with Schulich Executive Education at York University, addresses the skills the role actually requires: political acuity, governance under pressure, and leading through transition.
Resources
The Civic Ontario library is a working resource for practising CAOs: contract guidance, policy templates, evaluation toolkits, reports, and more. We are building a comprehensive knowledge base that reflects the depth of the profession.
Advocacy
We represent the interests of interests of our members and the communities they serve at the provincial level. When legislation changes or policy affects municipal administration, Civic Ontario is at the table.
Governance
Civic Ontario is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors elected from the membership — CAOs from municipalities of different sizes, regions, and contexts across Ontario.
Recognizing excellence
Civic Ontario is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors elected from the membership — CAOs from municipalities of different sizes, regions, and contexts across Ontario.