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The following is the most recent consolidated Quarterly Report that the DSB will be sending to member municipalities and posting on the public website. Expect Quarterly Reports in February, May, September, and November of each year.
The program statistics are provided separately and updated monthly. They are available on the website by clicking the following link: Monthly Program Statistics
The DSB 2026 First Quarter (Unaudited) Financial Report was presented to the Board and projects a year-end municipal surplus of $116,871. Ontario Works is projected to be $7,111 over budget. Children’s Services is projected to be on budget. Community Housing is projected to be over budget by $78,061. Paramedic Services is projected to be over budget by $94,759. Interest revenue on non-reserve accounts is estimated to be $296,802 more than budgeted.
The DSB quarterly financial reports are available on the DSB website by clicking the following link: Quarterly Financial Reports.
The posting for external recruitment of Regular Part-time Primary Care Paramedics remained in place throughout the first quarter of 2026 with the onboarding of 7 new staff. Additionally, conditional offers of employment have been provided to 8 candidates, who must successfully complete designated actions to move to employed status.
Included in this later set, is an external Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) set for Base Hospital certification in Q2. Between 6 to 9 students are being considered for final residency placement with Paramedic Services in May. This effort could increase the new staffing profile by as much as 24 in 2026.
The three Primary Care Paramedics who began their ACP education in the fall of 2025 are nearing the end of their didactic program and will begin residencies in Q2. Additional employees have been accepted to begin their ACP education in September 2026.
The final group of ambulances ordered in 2023 were received in this quarter, meaning that the 3 2026 new vehicles are now in deployment. This move has helped to reduce the overall fleet age to fall within the DSB plan.
Paramedic Services onboarded a fifth Full-Time Superintendent in Q1, ensuring that dependance on relieving personnel is reduced significantly and permitting Paramedic Services to offer more consistent 24/7 management oversight. Additionally, in Q1, the Logistics Coordinator position was deployed and the resulting Administrative Assistant position filled. The Logistics Coordinator will oversee the management of fleet and equipment programs, thereby allowing the senior staff to focus more strategically.
Staff continue to advocate for increased grant dollars for 100% provincially funded sections of Paramedic Services and are meeting with partner communities to explore opportunities for program enhancement.
The Community Paramedicine (CP) Program successfully achieved full deployed staffing in Q1 with 8 Community paramedics providing this specialized care across the districts. Additionally, the collaborative Service Navigator position operating from the Espanola office was extended through Fiscal Year 2027 and the pilot Service Navigator position operating on Manitoulin Island was extended through the end of Q2.
The CP Program delivered the pilot Equity Clinic throughout Q1, attending to the community need close to 30 times. This program received temporary pilot funding from the local Ontario Health Team (OHT). Despite the success of this program, the extension of funding was not possible, and the program was discontinued at the end of March, 2026. Staff will continue to advocate with the OHT for pilot projects to demonstrate the benefit from CP activities.
The first and second groups of Community Paramedics continued their educational journeys with Saskatchewan Polytechnic Institute. The first three are due to graduate in Q2/3 while the second group will graduate in Q4.
In Q1, the province announced that funding for the Community Paramedic Long Term Care Program would be rolled into the responsibility of the Ministry of Health’s Emergency Health Services Department at the end of Q1. The DSB and the Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association (NOSDA) continue to advocate for additional funding opportunities to address annual cost increases and to support program expansion to meet community needs.
Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB’s Patient Transportation Service (PTS) program continues to operate on a 7 day per week basis with two units operating Monday to Friday on ten-hour shifts and a single crew operating for twelve hours over the weekend.
Staffing was a significant challenge through 2025, but recruitment of Personal Support Workers (PSWs) and Patient Transportation Attendants (PTAs) in the first quarter of 2026 has helped to reduce these challenges. The PTS program has also recruited some paramedic graduates who await their provincial certification.
The deployment model of PSWs and Transfer Attendants is proving successful, reducing the need for medical escorts from sending facilities. In January and February of 2026, PTS completed 232 transfers. Staff continue to work to increase these numbers.
PTS fleet vehicle upfitting for 2026 began in Q1 to operationalize lower mileage vehicles, thereby reducing mechanical breakdown and loss of available vehicles. Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB will continue efforts with funding partners to shift responsibility to fund this program to the Ministry of Health, Emergency Health Services Division.
In Q1 2026, the Manitoulin-Sudbury District maintained a stable network of licensed child care services while completing a provider transition. Child care operations in Little Current and Mindemoya transitioned to Our Children, Our Future (OCOF).
The system currently includes 14 school-based centres, 1 community-based site, and 3 licensed home child care providers, with additional home-based capacity expected in Q2 as OCOF assumes home child care operations.
Demand for licensed child care continues to exceed available capacity. While enrolment increased to 660 children in Q1 2026, including 563 full fee and 97 subsidized, representing a 7% increase from Q4 2025 and a 15% increase from Q1 2025. This sustained growth reflects ongoing efforts to maximize utilization of existing spaces despite persistent staffing shortages, which remain the primary constraint on system expansion, particularly in smaller rural communities.
The child care waitlist declined to 553 children this quarter, down from 611 in Q4 2025 and 616 in Q3 2025. This reduction reflects both increased enrolment and the implementation of the centralized waitlist policy, which has improved the accuracy, prioritization, and movement of families through the system. While the waitlist has decreased, demand remains high, with the greatest pressures in Sudbury East and Manitoulin Island. These trends continue to inform directed growth, workforce planning, and capital investment priorities.
Special Needs Resourcing supported an average of 74 children this quarter, a 25.4% increase from 59 children in Q4 2025 and a 32.1% increase from Q1 2025. This significant growth indicates rising demand for inclusive support and continued reliance on cross-sector partnerships to meet increasingly complex needs.
EarlyON programs recorded 2,482 visits this quarter, compared to 2,946 visits in Q4 2025 and 3,308 in Q1 2025. While participation declined seasonally, overall engagement remains stable, supported by flexible service delivery models that continue to meet the needs of families across rural communities. EarlyON services are now being delivered by OCOF on Manitoulin Island.
System Development, Reporting and Funding
Work in Q1 focused on strengthening system accountability, planning, and alignment with provincial direction. New policies related to the Child Care Waitlist Management and Child Care Infrastructure Funding Policy were developed to support transparent, consistent decision-making and future growth. Together, these policies strengthen access management and provide a clear framework for allocating infrastructure funding in alignment with provincial requirements and local growth priorities.
The Board also received an overview of Ontario’s Early Years and Child Care Annual Report 2025, which confirmed strong local performance. The DSB maintains 100% participation in Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC), exceeding the provincial average, and continues to operate below the $22 per day fee cap. Licensed centre-based capacity has grown to 919 spaces, with projected access expected to increase from 28.6% to 37.8% by the end of 2026.
The Ministry’s 2026 funding update confirmed that the District’s CWELCC space target remains at 663 spaces and includes infrastructure funding to support projects most likely to create licensed spaces by the end of 2026. This direction will continue to guide local planning and space creation efforts.
Financial Management and Accountability
Staff continued to manage implementation of the cost-based funding model under CWELCC, with a focus on affordability, operator sustainability, and system stability. Workforce shortages remain a key risk affecting utilization and long-term viability, particularly in smaller rural communities where licensed capacity does not always translate into operational capacity.
Community Engagement, Safety, and Workforce Support
A significant growth initiative was also advanced in Warren, where a new partnership will expand licensed child care at École St-Thomas. The project will create up to 30 new spaces to support both French and English service expansion. The first phase will establish 15 French-language spaces for children aged 0 to 4, with an anticipated opening at the start of the 2026–2027 school year, while a second phase is being explored for an additional 15 English-language spaces later in 2026.
In the first quarter of 2026, the Ontario Works/Temporary Care Caseload average was 520. Compared to last year at this time, the caseload has increased by 9.7%.
Centralized Intake
167 applications were received by the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB in the first quarter of 2026. Of the 167 applications received, 119 were auto-granted by the Ontario Works Intake Unit (OWIU), formally Intake and Benefits Administration Unit (IBAU), 1 was referred by the OWIU to the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB for processing, 25 were transfers from another Ontario Works office, 11 were for Emergency Assistance which is completed online and sent to the local office for processing, and 11 applications were processed at the local office rather than being referred to the OWIU as certain applications are not being processed through the Intake Unit.
The initial goal of Centralized Intake was to have 70% of applications completed by the OWIU. During the first quarter, 71% of applications were completed by the OWIU.
Employment Ontario
The first quarter of 2026 marks the end of our first year of Integrated Employment Services. Effective April 1, 2026, we will begin our second full year of Integrated Employment Services. Our client volume targets remain unchanged for the 2026-2027 year. The Employment Services (ES) programs continue to be advertised and delivered from the Chapleau office. From January to March 2026 there were 14 new intakes for Employment Services.
Navigating to Employment/Naviguer vers l’emploi
The first quarter of 2026 also marks the end of our first year of Navigating to Employment/Naviguer vers l’emploi. Effective April 1, 2026, we will begin our second year of programming. Navigating to Employment/Naviguer vers l’emploi is delivered from the Chapleau office in collaboration with Employment Ontario. From January to March 2026, there were 9 new intakes for Navigating to Employment/Naviguer vers l’emploi.
Employment Services in Chapleau continue to advance overall service quality across the region. This work has focused on strengthening service delivery practices, enhancing coordination across programs, and supporting the ongoing transitions within Integrated Employment Services to ensure that services remain responsive, consistent and client focused.
A workshop series was designed to build employment readiness skills and included workshops on job interview skills, time and task management, and networking. Planning is currently underway for the next employment workshop series and Soft Skills training, with a continued focus on addressing local needs and supporting successful employment outcomes.
Outreach efforts remain a priority, outreach continued in Gogama and was expanded to Foleyet to increase awareness of Integrated Employment Services and expand access to in person supports for individuals in surrounding communities.
A strong focus was placed on strengthening quality across the early years service system through planning, collaboration, and engagement. Key activities included initiating the Children’s Services System Review, continuing sector-focused professional learning, supporting 2025 year-end financial reviews, advancing inclusion, diversity and equity work through the IDEA project, and maintaining regular contact with providers and partners across the district.
Preparatory work was completed for the Children’s Services System Review, including planning for engagement activities to occur in Q2. Multiple focus groups have been scheduled across the district to support broad participation and gather input from service providers and partners. This work will inform the development of a Quality Framework and a Special Needs Resourcing Review, with the objective of identifying strengths, gaps, and opportunities for system improvement.
The Growing Our Capacity of Leaders professional learning series continued monthly during Q1. This initiative supports the development of reflective practice and strengthens leadership capacity among 33 supervisors, directors, and pedagogical leads within child care and EarlyON programs. The series provides an opportunity for shared learning and dialogue, while supporting sector leadership in promoting quality service delivery.
During Q1, a series of listening sessions were scheduled for senior management, managers, and frontline staff to enhance Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity in partnership with Gallagher. The team at Gallagher will assess the information gathered through these sessions and develop a roadmap to guide the DSB in continuing and strengthening this work across the organization.
Staff continue to support sector networks and strengthen relationships with early years providers and community partners across the district. Site visits continue and remain an important component of quality assurance work, providing direct insight into service delivery and helping to inform responsive supports and future planning.
The Housing and Homelessness team continued to work collaboratively with community partners to strengthen the range of supports and programming available to tenants of Cornerstone Homes. These efforts remained focused on delivering coordinated, person-centred services that promote tenant well-being, skill development, and long-term housing stability.
Cornerstone Homes continues to successfully house 11 individuals. Through partnerships with community providers, tenants are actively developing life skills, employment knowledge, and personal resilience. During this quarter, an art therapy drop-in program was introduced at the building, further enhancing on-site support and engagement opportunities for tenants. In addition, a dietitian from the Espanola Family Health Team attended Cornerstone Homes to facilitate a cooking workshop focused on nutrition, meal preparation, and cooking on a budget. The session also provided practical budgeting tools to help tenants build confidence and skills related to food planning and financial management.
As of March 31, 2026, there were 79 households (96 individuals) active on the By-Name List, representing an increase of more than 25% over the previous quarter. Of these households, 44 identified as Indigenous. 32 households were in the LaCloche area, 28 on Manitoulin Island, 11 in Sudbury North, and 8 in Sudbury East. The increase in actively homeless individuals reflects improved program capacity and staffing to complete consents and intakes, along with continued coordination with community partners through case conferencing to identify and reconnect with individuals who had previously fallen into inactivity.
Data collected during the winter months showed 20% of households experiencing homelessness identified as unsheltered, highlighting the significant impact of limited emergency shelter capacity across the district and the ongoing need for coordinated community responses and service development.
Staff collaborated with the Espanola and Area Community of Care Planning Network Mental Health and Substance Use Sub-Committee to support a pilot initiative in Espanola that offered Wellness Pop-up Clinics in partnership with the Community Paramedicine program and other local service providers. These clinics created a neutral, low-barrier space where community members could ask questions, access resources, and connect with primary care and other supports.
Work also continued in support of food insecurity programs across the district, with an ongoing focus on collaboration and service improvement. Staff attended the Leadership Academy on Ending Homelessness conference, which brought together leaders from across North America and supported learning related to identifying system strengths and gaps, influencing human services systems, driving meaningful change, and building networks with sector leaders working toward similar goals.
There were 883 active applications at the end of the 1st quarter. The applicant breakdown is as follows:
1 Bedroom 649 2 Bedroom 104
3 Bedroom 78 4 bedroom 52
Staff continue to identify and complete the application process with eligible applicants for the Direct Shelter Subsidy (DSS) program. All applicants receiving the benefit are deemed housed. As of the end of this quarter there were 182 active DSS recipients, which is a 9% decrease from last quarter and a 14% decrease from last year.
Per DSB Policy, every effort is being made where the waitlist allows to mix the Community Housing buildings with Rent-Geared-To-Income (RGI), Affordable, and Market Rent tenants. As of March 31, 2026, we have successfully housed 23 market rent tenants and 153 affordable rent tenants. This represents 7.5% and 50% of our portfolio respectively and shows a decrease of 2 Market rent and a decrease of 2 affordable rent from the last quarter. Comparably, at this time last year, we reported 27 market rent tenants (9%) and 134 affordable (45%)
As of the end of the 1st quarter of 2026, 234/305 of the portfolio’s units are designated as Smoke-free. This represents 76% of the full portfolio currently. Units are designated as turnover occurs or should the current resident choose.
In February, staff provided the Board with an overview of the Municipalities Under Pressure One Year Later: An Update on the Human and Financial Cost of Ontario’s Homelessness Crisis report prepared by HelpSeeker that builds directly on the Municipalities Under Pressure: The Human and Financial Cost of Ontario’s Homelessness Crisis report published in January 2025.
The updated findings show that homelessness continues to rise faster than housing supply, prevention, and support systems can respond, with Northern Ontario experiencing the most severe impacts. Rural homelessness has increased by more than 30% provincially. In Northern Ontario, it grew by more than 37%. Northern Ontario represents 5% of Ontario’s population but now accounts for nearly 10% of all known homelessness in the province.
There has been an approximate 50% increase of households on community housing waitlists in Northern Ontario in the last four years. These pressures are contributing to longer shelter stays, increased chronic homelessness, and rising system costs across health, emergency, and social services. It is predicted that without significant intervention, homelessness in Northern Ontario will continue to rise and by 2035 reach nearly 16,900 individuals under steady economic conditions and more than 27,500 people in an economic downturn.
Addressing homelessness at scale requires a housing-led, prevention-focused, and coordinated approach, with sustained investment in deeply affordable and supportive housing, stronger prevention and stability supports, and alignment across all orders of government.
Staff also provided an overview of the Protecting Northern Ontario for 1.3 cents on the dollar: Housing and health integration to support a $34.6 billion economy report which confirms that housing instability and unmet health needs are intensifying across Northern Ontario. Nearly half of all homelessness in the region is now chronic, reflecting long durations without housing and limited exit options.
Indigenous people and residents of small and remote communities are disproportionately affected, while long wait times for community housing further constrain system capacity.
Communities are experiencing continued escalation in mental health and substance use needs. This is proved by rising demand for crisis response, hospital care, and emergency services, causing sustained pressure on systems that are costly, reactive, and poorly suited to supporting long-term stability.
The report models 3 financial investment scenarios designed to end homelessness. The modelling shows that outcomes depend not only on the number of housing spaces created, but on the availability of sufficient operating funding to support prevention, housing retention, and ongoing health related supports. The investment scenarios, considered to be economic protection spending, are expected to reduce pressure on emergency departments, shelters and corrections, protect workforce participation and productivity and improve durability of public and private investment.
In November of 2025, the DSB contracted the Housing Services Corporation to conduct a Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) for the entire district. The final assessment was completed and presented to the Board in March 2026.
The purpose is to provide a clear, evidence-based picture of current, future, and emerging housing needs across the service area and serve as a tool to support local housing planning and infrastructure/development decisions, strengthen funding applications, and inform how investments are targeted.
The HNA combines quantitative analysis plus local input from a Community Housing Needs survey and a Municipal Insights survey with our municipal partners.
Community housing is a core part of the local housing system, totaling 423 community housing units across the service area between DSB owned and non-profit providers. Turnover within these locations is low: only about 1 in 10 units become available each year. The assessment identifies that market housing alone will not deliver the housing types most urgently needed. Non-market, mixed-income approaches, and targeted public investment are needed.
Housing pressures are interconnected. Gaps in rentals increase reliance on homelessness prevention programs, rent support, and community housing. A lack of seniors-appropriate housing limits downsizing and reduces turnover elsewhere. The HNA [SD1.1]will be used to inform the 2025-2035 Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board Housing and Homelessness Plan.
The Manitoulin–Sudbury DSB continues to prioritize infrastructure renewal as part of its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan. During this quarter, progress was made on several key projects, including the awarding of contracts for electrical upgrades in Mindemoya and Gore Bay, as well as the new Paramedic Services station in Hagar.
The tender has been issued for the replacement of make-up air units at the community housing buildings in Warren, Noelville, and St. Charles. Capital improvements have been completed at the community housing building in Manitowaning and at 66 Robinson in Little Current, where new baseboard heaters have been installed throughout.
During the first quarter of 2026, a total of 519 work orders were generated across departments: 392 for Community Housing; 12 for Administration Offices, and 115 for Paramedic Services. Of these, 292 Work Orders were closed or resolved. (A work order is considered closed once the work is completed in-house or upon payment of the invoice if completed by an external contractor). An additional 10 work orders were issued for unit turnovers. Staff transitioned to a new work order system in March which will provide improved access to work order history.
During this quarter, there were two significant incidents resulting in temporary tenant displacement.
A fire occurred at our community housing building in Webbwood. The incident was contained to the originating unit; however, significant smoke damage affected the hallway and surrounding areas. As a precaution, all second-floor tenants were temporarily evacuated while remediation was completed in the hallway to improve air quality and ensure tenant safety. Tenants have since returned to their units, the situation continues to be monitored, with further remediation and restoration ongoing.
In a separate incident, a sewer backup occurred at Fielding Place, located at 5 Park Street in Little Current, affecting all 12 units. Plumbers were immediately called to assess and address the blockage, however due to the severity of the issue, tenants were temporarily relocated for two nights while repairs were completed. All units were subsequently sanitized, and tenants have returned to their homes.
Donna Stewart
Chief Administrative Officer
Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board
Phone: 705-222-0499
E mail: donna.stewart@msdsb.net
website: www.msdsb.net
