- Integrated Human Services
- Paramedic Services
- Administration
- About us
- News
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 2025 Second Quarter (Unaudited) Financial Report was presented to the Board and projects a year-end municipal surplus of $538,799. Ontario Works and Children’s Services are forecasted to be on budget. Community Housing is forecasted to be under budget by $63,678. Paramedic Services is forecasted to be under budget by $192,989. Interest revenue on non-reserve accounts is forecasted to be $282,132 more than budgeted.
The DSB quarterly financial reports are available on the DSB website by clicking the following link: Quarterly Financial Reports
Paramedic Services
Paramedic Services staff continue to actively recruit Primary Care Paramedics (PCP) in an effort to address Health Human Resources challenges. These challenges are not unique to Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB, rather they extend across the province and in large part stem from high attrition rates/low graduation rates from the Provincial PCP college programs. In the second quarter of 2025, Paramedic Services has been able to recruit 3 PCP staff, with two of those staff able to secure full time employment. During this same period, Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB lost 3 staff who were unsuccessful in obtaining their provincial certification.
Work with CTS Career College and Cambrian College allowed for 7 students to complete their final residency with Paramedic Services Service Educators. Staff continue to work with partners at Cambrian College, College Boreal and CTS Sudbury to attract more students to Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB for their residences. One Cambrian student will begin their residency in July, while 6 students form CTS will start around the same time. Each of these students will be engaged for employment following their graduation in late summer.
Paramedic Services began efforts to recruit Advanced Care Paramedics for positions on Manitoulin Island with the posting closing in June. Short listing and further assessments are underway. Notably, the service had more applicants than posted positions.
Resiliency education for Paramedics was developed by Dr. Nicole Ethier and provided in spring of 2025 during the in-person education sessions. The feedback form staff was extremely positive. Staff believe this program will provide support to each member.
Community Paramedicine (CP)
Commander Paola Oke has proven to be extremely beneficial with her approach to program growth. She also has quickly gained the trust of staff and partner agencies.
The CP program Navigator position has extended into its second year. Sarah is working with CP staff and Integrated Human Services members to assist client access to wrap around services, and to build relationships with Primary health providers in the LaCloche area. Sarah has developed a strong relationship with Community Paramedics and the program is realizing the benefits as the system grows.
The first group of 3 Community Paramedics began their formalized education/CP Certification through Saskatchewan Polytech Institute, with an estimated graduation in spring of 2026. The remaining staff will be enrolled in 2026 and 2027. Additionally, all CP staff have their phlebotomy certification and will have their advance wound care designation by the end of 2025.
Efforts to expand the CP program with the Ontario Health Team and primary health partners was not successful as the Ministry of Health determined that no primary health care expansion dollars would be provided to increase CP programs.
Non-Urgent Patient Transportation Service (NUPTS)
The NUPTS system 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 on a twelve hour shift over the weekend.
The staffing challenges experienced in 2024 and the early part of 2025 have started to resolve with recruitment of new PTA staff and PSW staff. The team continues to work to engage potential employees and to collaborate with the education organizations providing trained recruits.
In the second quarter of 2025, NUPTS resources completed 388 transports, up 10% over the first quarter. In June, the 138 transports were 12% over the monthly average for 2025.
The Manitoulin-Sudbury District has 21 licensed child care locations, including 14 centre-based sites in schools, 1 community-based centre, and 6 licensed home child care providers. In the second quarter of 2025, 624 children were enrolled, with 518 paying full fees and 106 receiving subsidies. This represents an 8% increase from the previous quarter and an 8.5% increase compared to Q2 last year, indicating modest growth despite ongoing staffing challenges in the sector.
Special Needs Resourcing supported an average of 63 children, from infants to school-age, during the 2nd quarter—a significant 17% increase compared to the same quarter last year. This growth reflects improved early identification, increased developmental needs post-pandemic, and stronger collaboration between child care providers and support agencies. With growing awareness of inclusive practices, more children are being referred to and supported within licensed child care settings, ensuring they have the resources needed to thrive.
Waitlist data shows a decrease in demand for child care spaces, with 699 unique children on the waitlist in Q1 and 595 in Q2—a reduction of approximately 15%. This may indicate easing waitlist pressures due to increased access to spaces or families finding alternative care arrangements. Continued monitoring will be essential to understand these trends and guide ongoing planning.
EarlyON programs welcomed 3,948 visits from parents, caregivers, and children, this quarter—a 46% increase from Q2 2024. Programming continues to be offered through a mix of mobile, virtual, indoor, and outdoor options tailored to community needs. This growth may be attributed to stronger community outreach, post-pandemic recovery, expanded program offerings, and increased comfort with in-person participation.
System Development and Community Engagement
This quarter, the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB advanced several initiatives aligned with the 2025–2030 Early Years and Child Care Service System Plan, focusing on access, inclusion, workforce, quality, and system administration.
In June, the DSB hosted a successful Deep Dive Professional Learning Day and Community Event featuring Dr. Jean Clinton. The event engaged educators, EarlyON staff, service providers, and families in discussions on brain development, responsive care, and community well-being—marking a key milestone in sector collaboration and professional belonging.
Also in June, the DSB launched the Playful Work website (www.playfulwork.ca), a workforce development tool designed to support recruitment and retention by providing valuable resources to child care providers across the district.
Data and Strategic Planning
In April, the 2022/2023 Early Development Instrument (EDI) results were presented to the Board. The report identified trends in developmental vulnerability across key domains and benchmarked local results against other Northern Ontario regions. These findings will support targeted planning and early intervention in communities experiencing higher vulnerability.
To inform infrastructure planning, the DSB launched a regional child care needs assessment to gather updated data on age-specific demand, access barriers, and geographic pressures. The results will help prioritize expansion sites within the revised space creation strategy.
2025 Funding Guidelines
The Ministry of Education updated 2025 funding guidelines and space creation targets, as outlined in the Q1 report and May Issue Report. Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB’s 2024–2026 target was reduced to 90 new spaces and funding increased by $1.5M though the new ELCC Infrastructure Fund to support non-profit, community-based projects.
In the second quarter of 2025, the Ontario Works/Temporary Care Caseload average was 479. Compared to last year at this time, the caseload has decreased by 2.64%.
Centralized Intake
137 applications were received by the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB in the second quarter of 2025. Of the 137 applications received, 84 were auto-granted by the Ontario Works Intake Unit (OWIU), formally Intake and Benefits Administration Unit (IBAU), 8 were referred by the OWIU to the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB for processing, 17 were transfers from another Ontario Works office, 23 were for Emergency Assistance which is completed online and sent to the local office for processing, and 5 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 second quarter, 61% of applications were completed by the OWIU.
Winter 2025 Social Assistance Caseload Forecast
On May 20th, a communication was received from the Ministry of Community and Social Services outlining the winter 2025 social assistance caseload forecast for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years. The report forecasts an increase of about 8.8% for the Ontario Works caseload in 2025-26 and an increase of about 6.1% for 2026-27. ODSP caseloads are expected to increase by 2.9% for 2025-26 and 3.4% for 2026-2027.
Employment Ontario
The second quarter of 2025 marks our first complete quarter under the new Integrated Employment Services Model.
The Employment Services (ES) programs continue to be advertised and delivered from the Chapleau office. In the second quarter of 2025, we had 24 Case Managed Clients.
Quality Assurance
During the second quarter of 2025, the Quality Assurance (QA) Coordinator for the Child Care and Ontario Works programs focused primarily on training a replacement during a maternity leave. The new QA Coordinator successfully transitioned to the role at the beginning of Q2 by familiarizing themselves with the programs, forging relationships with Integrated Human Services staff, and engaging with community partners.
In April, the QA Coordinator facilitated the Integrated Human Services All-Staff meeting. Over the course of three days, staff had the opportunity to showcase the incredible work they do, presenting various programs, and processes, and participating in team-building activities. The session brought much-needed laughter and camaraderie to the office.
At the end of May, the QA Coordinator proudly represented the Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board at the inaugural Outdoor Play Conference, hosted by Our Children, Our Future.
Throughout this quarter, the QA Coordinator focused on relationship-building and network engagement, including participation from the Pedagogical Leads, Child Care Supervisors Network, and Local Service Provider Networks. Through collaboration with the Supervisor and Pedagogical Networks, an onboarding guide for new childcare staff in both English and French was developed. This guide is intended to support a smooth and consistent orientation experience to new employees joining the district.
The staff survey portion of the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Access) project with Gallagher was completed, the results will be shared with management, along with recommendations and training opportunities. The next phase will involve a current-state assessment, led by the QA Coordinator, which is expected to be completed in early Q3. This phase includes gathering and assessing processes, policies, and procedures through an IDEA lens.
The QA Coordinator also continues to serve as the primary contact for the Child Care and Early Years IT Modernization Project. In this role, they provide valuable feedback on the development of a new system aimed at improving access to childcare and early years programs in Ontario.
During this quarter, the Quality Assurance (QA) Coordinator for Housing and Homelessness continued to prioritize collaboration with community organizations to help establish supports for future tenants. A vision mapping exercise was facilitated with key partners to identify existing community services and supports. This collaborative effort focused on leveraging current resources more effectively to address service gaps, strengthen partnerships, and co-create sustainable solutions aligned with the evolving needs of the supportive housing development.
The QA Coordinator also worked closely with the Integrated Human Services Manager for Housing to develop an Occupancy Agreement for future tenants of Cornerstone, the new Supportive Housing Build in Espanola. This agreement outlines tenancy expectations, including participation requirements and guidelines, ensuring tenants are well-informed and supported in maintaining their housing.
Community participation and meaningful engagement remains a priority within the catchment area. As of June 30, 2025, a total of 49 households (54 individuals) were listed on the By-Name List. Of these, 17 households identified as Indigenous. The geographical distribution is as follows:
• 16 households in the Lacloche area
• 28 on Manitoulin Island
• 0 in Sudbury North
• 5 in Sudbury East
The increase in identified individuals on Manitoulin Island and those identifying as Indigenous reflects stronger participation from First Nation community partners in utilizing the By-Name List to identify, refer, and monitor individuals experiencing homelessness in their communities.
It is important to note that this data was collected during the spring season. Of the 49 households experiencing homelessness, 10 were identified as unsheltered, representing more than a 50% increase of unsheltered households from the previous quarter.
In addition, the QA Coordinator participated in a two-day Traumatic Event Systems training with Kevin Cameron, followed by a tabletop simulation exercise in conjunction with the Paramedics’ Mass Traumatic Event simulation. Later in the quarter, the QA Coordinator completed a two-day Level 1 certification in Violent Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) alongside multiple community partner agencies.
The QA Coordinator also continued to review and analyze internal policies and procedures, with the goal of implementing updates that better support both service users and staff. A significant focus has been placed on workplace culture, emphasizing relationship-building and the creation of a resilient, positive environment that staff look forward to being a part of.
There were 788 applications at the end of the 2nd quarter. The applicant breakdown is as follows:
1 Bedroom 595
2 Bedroom 92
3 Bedroom 58
4 bedroom 43
Staff continue to identify and complete the application process with eligible applicants for the DSS program. All applicants receiving the benefit are deemed housed. As of the end of this quarter there were 210 active DSS recipients. At the end of Q1 there were 211 recipients and at this time last year there were 226.
Per DSB Policy, every effort is being made where the waitlist allows us to mix the Community Housing Buildings with RGI, Affordable and Market Rent Tenants. As of June 30, 2025, we have successfully housed 26 market rent tenants and 138 affordable rent tenants. This represents 9% and 47% of our portfolio respectively and shows a decrease of 1 Market rent and an increase of 3 affordable rent from the last quarter. Comparably, at this time last year, we reported 23 market rent tenants (7%) and 136 affordable (45%)
As of the end of the 2nd quarter of 2025, 226/295 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.
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Annual Report
The CMHA annual report demonstrated that 2024 -2025 was a successful year for the program with no evictions reported in the LaCloche and Manitoulin areas. Providing support services, early intervention, and solutions that met people where they were helped ensure there were no evictions for those receiving support.
Like in previous years, the rising cost of food continued to make food insecurity a significant concern. Several supported individuals are already facing financial hardship, and accessing food remains a daily challenge. Food Rescue remains a priority and is an important way Housing Case Managers can support tenants.
The Housing Case Manager (HCS) in LaCloche has continued the partnership with Tanners Independent Grocers and now also with Lavish’s Independent Grocers in Little Current to supply food to all buildings across Manitoulin Island and LaCloche area.
With this surplus of food many food-themed groups were hosted. ‘Cooking for One’ was particularly popular among the tenants, as it introduced new meal ideas in smaller portions, helping to reduce food waste.
Through the Second Harvest Program, the equivalent of 7,836 meals or 8,436 pounds of food, with an approximate value of $37,880, was rescued and distributed to tenants.
The top five areas that Housing Case Managers provided case management support include: cleaning / organizing, physical health, mental health, eviction and hoarding tendencies.
Key Highlights of Services provided include:
• 25 individuals were supported with case management services.
• 100% of the “at risk” tenancies, who accepted services, were preserved, or are working towards a resolution.
• 100% of the “at risk” tenancies from the previous year (2023-2024) who continued to work with a HCM this year, were able to resolve their tenancy issues.
• 438 brief services were offered.
As we move forward, the team will focus on enhancing service delivery and community engagement. Changes have been made to the Community Paramedicine and Housing Support programs, including Monthly Wellness clinics and Education Sessions hosted by Paramedic Personnel which will be open to the public.
Capital Projects with Housing Services Corporation
Window replacement projects in Mindemoya and Little Current are progressing on schedule. In addition, feasibility studies are underway for Make-Up Air unit replacements in Noelville and St. Charles, as well as electrical assessments in Gore Bay and Mindemoya for main switchgear replacement.
Work Orders
During the second quarter of 2025, a total of 284 work orders were generated across departments: 210 for Community Housing; 18 for Administration Offices, and 56 for Paramedic Services. Of these, 174 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). There were also 9 work orders issued for unit turnovers, mostly apartment units.
Enbridge
Following the completion of energy audits, we implemented significant efficiency improvements across our housing portfolio. We replaced a total of 95 refrigerators and 19 thermostats in apartment buildings, and spray foam insulation was installed in 31 family units. These upgrades will contribute to reduced energy consumption, lower utility costs, and improved comfort for tenants.
Donna Stewart
Chief Administrative Officer
Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board
Phone: 705-222-0499
E mail: donna.stewart@msdsb.net
website: www.msdsb.net
