The Northern Ontario Service Delivery Association held its 2021 Virtual Annual General meeting yesterday where members from across northern Ontario selected a new NOSDA Executive.
Michelle Boileau, Municipal Councillor in the City of Timmins, and Board member on the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board will serve as NOSDA Chair.
North Bay councillor and Chair of the Nipissing District Social Services Administration Board Mark King, will serve as one of NOSDA two Vice-Chairs.
King told BayToday the importance of the group can't be over-emphasized.
"This is an organization that speaks for all of northern Ontario. In my estimation, having the ability to speak with the ministries involved with the delivery of essential services is absolutely huge. The list of big problems that resonate across all of northern Ontario mirrors a lot of the problems we are seeing in North Bay for example. It becomes a tremendous lobby group.'
Penny Lucas, Mayor of Ignace will serve as the other vice-chair.
The NOSDA membership also approved 11 different issues specific resolutions calling on all levels of government to work together to improve the health and economic welfare for all people in northern Ontario, says a news release from the group
"Through the resolutions, members are asking for Ontario to help address the growing rates of mental health and addictions and that the Provincial government treat municipalities as partners when it comes to addressing the growing human services challenges. As NOSDA prepares for the AMO conference, more details on the resolutions will be released in the weeks to come."
According to its website, "The Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association was formed to develop a co-operative and collaborative approach with municipalities and municipal organizations, to facilitate the consolidated municipal delivery of services in Northern Ontario. NOSDA is intended to create a political forum for reviewing and developing both policies and program delivery issues from a Northern perspective."
