Northern municipal conference in Sudbury focused on homelessness, housing
Homelessness and housing are two of the big topics being discussed at the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities conference in Sudbury this week.
The 63rd annual event takes place at the Holiday Inn, where northern Ontario mayors, councillors and senior staff will take in workshops and information sessions on such topics as power generation and transmission and safety on northern highways.
“Regardless of how big or small a municipality (is), homelessness is not a big-city problem – it’s everybody’s problem,” said FONOM president Danny Whalen.
“We’re all facing homelessness, mental health and addictions infrastructure, funding shortfalls. So the opportunity here is to sit at a roundtable with people who are in the same situation as you and share ideas.”
Participants spent Monday afternoon hearing from six provincial cabinet ministers, including a presentation from the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Michael Tibollo.
“It’s great to be here to listen to what’s happening (and) also to share some of the information,” Tibollo said.
“We need to do more, especially in my area of mental (health) and addictions.”
He said more than half of funding recently announced for addiction recovery went to northern Ontario “because we recognize that more needs to be done in the north.”
Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre said he was proud to host FONOM this year.
“The conference theme – Unlocking the North’s Potential – is one that resonates deeply with the goals and aspirations of our municipality,” Lefebvre said.
“This conference plays a pivotal role in addressing challenges and seizing opportunities in our region, and is an excellent opportunity to learn from each other, exchange ideas and explore innovative solutions.”
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Tuesday’s agenda includes a presentation on Greater Sudbury’s approach to addressing homelessness, an update from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and a fireside chat featuring Gimma Craig Nootchtai of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, Chief Larry Roque from Wahnapitae First Nation and Lefebvre.
For more information on the 2024 FONOM conference, click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
'Repetitive partisan conduct': Conservatives to force vote on ousting Speaker Greg Fergus
The federal Conservatives have advanced a motion that will force MPs to vote on whether to oust Greg Fergus as House of Commons Speaker, after MPs' deputy adjudicator ruled Monday that the Liberal member's allegedly errant partisan event invite required urgent attention.
Trial for B.C. man accused of killing, dismembering wife begins
The trial for a Langley man accused of killing his wife began Monday, with the prosecutor laying out a disturbing series of facts agreed upon by both Crown and defence.
Stars roar back to win Game 3 over Oilers
Jason Robertson's hat-trick goal midway through the third period broke a deadlock and proved to be the eventual winner as the Dallas Stars beat the host Edmonton Oilers 5-3 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final to take a 2-1 series lead.
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.
WATCH Alta. man rescues wild foal trapped on steep cliffside
A man's daring rescue of a newborn wild foal that was trapped after falling down a steep embankment was caught on video over the weekend.
Severe thunderstorms, tornado watch in some areas of Canada. Here's where
Depending on where you live, you can expect to get a mixed bag of weather this week, as local forecasts predict heavy rain, strong wind, severe thunderstorms and even snowfall across some areas of Canada.
B.C. senior prepares to move due to devastating effects of fraud
A Courtenay, B.C., senior is downsizing and packing to move as she comes to accept she can no longer afford to stay in her home, after falling victim to a scam that robbed her of her life savings worth more than $100,000.
Israel close to approving Gaza reunification program before Rafah invasion: Miller
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Israel seemed to be on the verge of approving a program to get Palestinian relatives of Canadians out of the Gaza Strip before the country's invasion of the town of Rafah.