Media Release:

 TBDSSAB advocating for local service systems at the 2025 AMO Conference

THUNDER BAY, 14 Aug 2025 – Representatives from The District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board (TBDSSAB) will be joining more than 2,500 participants at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s 2025 AMO Conference in Ottawa from August 17-20.

The annual conference is an opportunity for municipal officials and service system managers to work together on solutions to today’s big challenges, to learn, and to create new opportunities that benefit communities. In addition to the conference program, attendees will take part in hundreds of delegation meetings with provincial ministries.

TBDSSAB has requested delegation meetings with Ministers to discuss five advocacy position papers at the 2025 AMO Conference. Delegation meetings have been confirmed with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of the Attorney General.

TBDSSAB’s advocacy topics include:

  • Child care workforce development: RECE wage structure
  • Expanding new housing development through COCHI and OPHI investment in the District of Thunder Bay
  • Addressing challenges faced by community housing providers in LTB application processes
  • Keeping our community housing safe through a 2-year community policing pilot project
  • Developing more supportive housing stocks

TBDSSAB’s advocacy position papers can be viewed on our website: https://www.tbdssab.ca/board/reports/

To supplement advocacy done by DSSABs for their respective service areas, the Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association (NOSDA) will also advocate for issues that impact member organizations across Northern Ontario. NOSDA was formed to strengthen collaboration among Northern service managers, providing a unified political voice on policies and program delivery from a Northern perspective. NOSDA has prepared nine position papers, including six related to TBDSSAB’s programs. The NOSDA advocacy topics that TBDSSAB will be supporting include:

  • Housing Challenges: Exemption from Landlord Tenant Board (LTB) for Community Housing Providers  
  • Funding: A Northern Formula for CWELCC  
  • Escalating Homelessness Requires Urgent Action  
  • Building Social Infrastructure for Economic Growth  
  • Reforming Ontario Works to Support Employment  
  • Enabling DSSAB Access to Infrastructure Ontario Financing

NOSDA’s advocacy position papers can be viewed on their website: www.nosda.net

Quotes

“Our relationship with the province is an important one. The TBDSSAB is the delivery agent for critical provincial programs like Ontario Works, social housing and childcare.
The AMO Conference provides an opportunity to meet directly with Ministries to explain the impacts of their funding decisions and advocate for district-focused policies that strengthen systems and improve outcomes for the people we serve.”

– Brian Hamilton, Chair, TBDSSAB