Message from the Chief Administrative Officer

From: Annual Report 2023

Reflecting on 2023, I’m proud to see the accomplishments of the TBDSSAB team summarized in this year’s Annual Report.

My thanks go to the team for your diligence, resilience, and willingness to show up for the people we serve. The year brought us new challenges, opportunities, and different perspectives that we have navigated together.

• In Housing and Homelessness programs, we used the significant increase in Homelessness Prevention Program funding toward expanding outreach and shelter services, collaborating with community partners, and adding new transitional housing spaces.
• The Social Assistance Programs team has demonstrated their resilience in navigating the ongoing province-wide modernization process, a journey that will continue into the year ahead.
• Child Care and Early Years programs continued to steer operators through the shortage of educators and the resulting impact on access to child care spaces in our system. New partnerships and a service system plan was approved in 2023 that will set our child care system up for long term success.
• Recognizing the shortage of Early Childhood Educators in our District, we announced the Fast Track ECE program with Confederation College in June.
• Our Intake and Eligibility team saw an increase to outreach activities throughout the district, including the expansion of our Transitional Outreach and Support Workers team to better support municipalities outside the city of Thunder Bay.
• And last but not least, my thanks goes to the Corporate Services, CAO Office, and Human Resources teams for supporting the organization, our programs, and our Board and keeping us operational through thick and thin.

TBDSSAB concluded our 2020-2023 strategic plan with a 93% completion rate by year-end. Thank you to my team and the Board for your role in achieving the majority of our goals amidst significant system-level change and the challenges posed by a global pandemic. Our organization will continue to build on the accomplishments from previous years with the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan.

Looking ahead to all that is in store for us in 2024 and beyond, TBDSSAB remains dedicated to working collaboratively with stakeholders to address community needs. Thank you all for your ongoing support.

Bill Bradica
Chief Administrative Officer
The District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board