Ribbon cutting officially opens Northern Pines in North Bay

A ribbon-cutting took place Thursday morning at Northern Pines to officially open the building.

The 60-unit facility will be completely finished by the winter, said officials with the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board. Currently, eight people are living in the retrofitted OPP building.

"It took a lot longer than I thought to get this point, but I know it's going to make a major difference in the city," said board chair Mark King.

"I'm certainly looking forward to seeing what it really does."

Phase 1 includes 16 units with a medium level of support built at a cost of $1.2 million. Phase 2 has 20 units requiring lower-level support, and was built at a cost of $2.5 million.

Phase 3, which is under construction and scheduled to open later this year, offers 24 units with a high level of support, at a cost of $2.8 million.

“Today’s announcement is in addition to the over $12 million Social Service Relief Funding that DNSSAB has received from the Ontario government since April 2020,” said Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli.

"It started at the mayor's table where the ideas were generated, and a request for funding was made. Our small role was making sure we delivered the funding into Nipissing. Here we are with the great work of DSAAB, they've put this plan together."