Media Advisory:

TBDSSAB advocates for local service system at the 2026 AMO Conference

August 21, 2026 –

Representatives from The District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board (TBDSSAB) joined thousands of participants at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s (AMO) 2026 Conference in Ottawa from August 16-19.

This annual conference amplifies municipal voices so that perspectives of cities, towns and rural communities inform provincial and federal decision-making on the issues that matter most to them. In addition to the conference program, attendees will take part in hundreds of delegation meetings with provincial ministries.

TBDSSAB requested delegation meetings with Ministers to discuss four advocacy position papers at the 2026 AMO Conference. Delegation meetings were accepted with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

TBDSSAB’s advocacy topics for AMO 2026 include:

  1. Increasing Housing Stock to Support Indigenous Peoples Experiencing Homelessness in the District of Thunder Bay
  2. Growing Supportive Housing with Increased Mental Health & Addictions Supports
  3. COCHI-OPHI Investments for the Future of Housing in the District of Thunder Bay
  4. Amending Ontario Works’ Income and Exemptions Directive

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

To supplement advocacy done by DSSABs for their respective service areas, the Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association (NOSDA) also advocates 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 prepared advocacy requests on eight topics, including six related to TBDSSAB’s programs.

The NOSDA advocacy topics brought forward at AMO 2026 include:

  1. Ministry of Education: To discuss how Ontario’s child care and early years system can better support Northern Ontario’s economic growth, workforce development, and community sustainability objectives.
  2. MCCSS: To discuss how Ontario Works can continue evolving as a modern pathway to stability, workforce participation and financial independence while supporting Ontario’s poverty reduction, homelessness prevention and economic growth objectives.
  3. MLITSD: To discuss how Ontario can better support Northern Ontario’s workforce needs by creating a dedicated Northern Ontario stream within the Skills Development Fund.
  4. MMAH: To secure provincial partnership in advancing a Northern Ontario housing strategy that reduces homelessness, protects existing affordable housing assets, and enables the development of new affordable housing.
  5. Ministry of Health: To discuss how Ontario can advance health system priorities in Northern Ontario through a coordinated approach.
  6. Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility: To request that the Ministry support a coordinated cross-government approach that aligns housing, accessibility, health, transportation and community supports.

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

Quotes:

“We appreciate having opportunities like the AMO conference to speak to Ministry officials on their turf while advocating for our local needs. It’s a great opportunity to bring forward issues and opportunities that are important to us in the District of Thunder Bay.”
– Jim Vezina Chair, TBDSSAB