Summary of Delegations for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario - Issue Report

Report To: Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board

From:             Donna Stewart, CAO

Date:               May 15, 2025

RE:                   Summary of Delegations for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario - Issue Report

Purpose

Delegation meetings with Cabinet Ministers are a key feature of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference.  These meetings are a unique opportunity for our board to engage with Ministers, Parliamentary Assistants and senior Ontario Government officials on local matters that impact the Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board.  

The Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB will submit various delegations to request meetings with the provincial government.  The deadline for submitting our delegation requests is May 30, 2025.

Summary of Delegations

1.    Ministry of Education and Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security

Issue:  Ontario Learn and Stay Grant Expansion
Issue Summary:
The shortage of Registered Early Childhood Educators in Northern Ontario has resulted in many programs operating below capacity despite growing demand.  Expanding the Ontario Learn and Stay grant to ECE students would strengthen the northern workforce and ensure the long-term viability of the CWELCC system.

2.    Ministry of Education

Issue:  Infrastructure and Start Up Grant Flexibility
Issue Summary:
Flexibility is needed to support rural service system managers in developing practical, locally appropriate solutions using existing school infrastructure.  Amend the funding guidelines to allow flexibility in using start-up and infrastructure grants for child care projects within schools, especially in rural and northern communities.

3.    Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services

Issue:  Ontario Works Intake Unit (OWIU) Grant Time 
Issue Summary:
There are significant eligibility delays, the number of days should be 4 as set out by the ministry, in 2024 the average was 7.75 days.  Specific OWIU staff should be assigned to local offices, this would allow offices to have direct contacts for granting concerns and OWIU staff would understand the municipality and geography.

4.    Ministry of Health and Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

Issue:  Supportive Housing Funding
Issue Summary: 
It has been determined that supportive housing is essential to effectively address and ultimately end homelessness. There remains a critical need for sufficient annualized funding to support effective planning and operations.  

5.     Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

Issue: Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) Funding
Issue Summary:
Planning over a 3-year period along with the creation and maintenance of our by-name list has helped us establish the right mix of HPP supports.  More families are experiencing food insecurity, utility and rental arrears.  A multi-year HPP allocation with funding for both operating and supportive housing capital would support improved planning.

6.    Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

Issue: Future COCHI-OPHI Funding
Issue Summary:
The uncertainty COCHI-OPHI funding impacts our ability to plan, increased sustainable funding is needed.  Historic funding through the COCHI-OPHI programs was not enough to address the needs of aging buildings, the non-profits and urban native providers we are in partnership with as well as support rejuvenation, affordability and new construction. 

7.  Ministry of Health

Issue One:  Recruitment of Graduate Paramedics 
Issue Summary:
A total of four Provincial colleges across northern Ontario provide Primary Care Programs. The programs are operated through Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Northern College in Timmins and both Cambrian and College Boreal in Sudbury. In 2025, the four colleges estimate the graduation of 62 students. The program attrition rate is near 60% for the Primary Care Paramedic Program.  Given the relatively low program success rates from the four Provincial Colleges across Northern Ontario, there is a likely benefit to industry recruitment that could be gained through an admission cap increase.

Issue Two:  Provincial Certification Success/College Accreditation 
Issue Summary:  
Following Primary Care Paramedic Program graduation from any of the Provincial Colleges and Career Colleges in Ontario, individuals are required to sit the Province’s AEMCA Certification exam. Despite attrition rates, the success rate for graduates of  is significant. Unfortunately, organizations have not been seeing similar results from graduates of the career college programs. Recently, 3/4 of the recruits hired by Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB Paramedic Services were unable to obtain their Provincial certification within the established timelines. This system gap has proven problematic in that organizations are investing in onboarding of these staff, only to have them terminate.    

Issue Three:  Learn and Stay Grant Program
Issue Summary:
The Ontario Learn and Stay Grant program for Primary Care Paramedic program across Northern Ontario has now been in place for a duration that has permitted the first recipients to enter the workforce. There are some significant challenges being experienced with the program maturing. Students on the Learn and Stay Grant Program are being permitted to complete their final residency outside of Northern Ontario, reducing the likelihood for them to remain in the designated high need communities. Further, the required return of time to avoid repayment of the Grant is insignificant. Students attending a career college, need only work in a designated area for six months. Further, only the Primary Care Paramedic Program is captured in the Learn and Stay Grant Program.

Conclusion

Staff are recommending that the board approve the summary of delegations issue report and instruct staff to submit the request for delegations to AMO by the deadline of May 30, 2025.