Councillor Bill Vrebosch has been appointed by North Bay council to the board of The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) and his focus is clear.
He says his aim is to stop northern Ontario from being "kicked around."
FONOM is the voice of northeastern Ontario, representing and advocating on behalf of 110 cities, towns, and municipalities.
Vrebosch doesn't much like the way bureaucrats treat the north.
"They don't look at the geographics and distances in some of the boards they create for us, they just go by numbers. When you start putting Nipissing and Parry Sound together, there's 90 miles of bush in between them. They don't realize that, and the settlement patterns are totally different."
He also points to an upcoming OPP realignment.
"They're going to have a board almost 400 km across. They go by numbers instead of common sense.
"We have to convince the south that the north is here and we have a right to exist and we deserve some amenities."
Vrebosch also sits on the board of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) which is part of the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO).
"So that will give me more power at the table. I'll be able to sit at two tables representing northern Ontario. I know everybody so I'm able to put more pressure on the ministers."
Vrebosch is also a strong believer that North Bay sits at the crossroads of Ontario and has untapped potential.
"Sit at the bypass and count the trucks that go through there. We have to fight hard to keep the North Bay airport because that services the north. There are so many issues."
Vrebosch also hopes to fill a position as a director on AMO on behalf of FONOM. That's an elected position and he won't know until Monday if he is being acclaimed or will face competition. An election would take place at the virtual AMO convention in Ottawa in August.
"I have a lot to offer. I know most of the mayors and councils throughout the northeast and I've had contact with them for years so it's not a new game to me."
