Zack’s Crib Construction Under Way

“We are thrilled to announce that construction has started for Zack’s Crib,” Yves Paille, Chair of Zack’s Crib, “after starting this project in 2018, the Zack’s Crib team has been working hard with the help of our volunteers and community as a whole to make this Safe Bed Facility a reality.”

Despite challenges with cost increase, supply-chain issues, and delays, construction for Zack’s Crib is now under way with the intent to obtain occupancy and commence operations providing day support services and as a warming centre as of October 1st, 2023, in advance of the next winter season. Reaching this goal would mark the completion of Phase One of the project. Phase Two, of project completion, will be attained when Zack’s Crib can provide overnight safe beds. This will result in a non-gender-specific emergency shelter which will help address the immediate housing crisis in the area and support the efforts of individuals to progress to permanent long-term housing.

Zack’s Crib is a non-profit corporation dedicated to ending homelessness. Zack’s Crib was created by a diverse group of individuals who came together with the goal of ending homelessness in the Temiskaming Shores and area. Partners to Zack’s Crib include the District of Timiskaming Social Services Administration Board (DTSSAB) and the Ontario Provincial Police (Temiskaming detachment). Community partnerships with the Pavilion Women’s Centre (Violence Against Women shelter), the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Timiskaming Health Unit (THU) and local Indigenous groups continue to be developed to provide a network of support for individuals who enter the doors.

The Zack’s Crib project has been made possible due to funding through the provincial government and generosity of the local community. Fundraising efforts continue, including through the announcement of North on Tap Craft Beer Festival / Le Nord En Fut as choosing Zack’s Crib as a major recipient for the 2023 Festival.

Any concerns, questions, request for interview can be directed to: communications@dtssab.com

DTSSAB Holds Inaugural Meeting and Welcomes New Board

The District of Timiskaming Social Services Administration Board (DTSSAB) welcomed their new Board on January 19th, 2023. Derek Mundle, the representative of Area 2, was re-elected Chair, and Pat Kiely, from Area 1, was appointed Vice-Chair. 

The 2023 Board is comprised of five returning Board members, including Board Chair Derek Mundle from Evanturel, Vice-Chair Pat Kiely from Kirkland Lake, Clifford Fielder from Harley Township, Ian Macpherson from the Territories Without Municipal Organization (TWOMO) North, and Jesse Foley from the City of Temiskaming Shores. The DTSSAB welcomes four new Board members, Jeff Laferriere from the City of Temiskaming Shores, Lois Perry from Coleman Township, Mary Jo Lentz from TWOMO South, and Rick Owen from Kirkland Lake.  

“I am happy to be returning as Chair for DTSSAB, continuing with the work we started last term,” said Chair Derek Mundle, “I look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the DTSSAB team to support the delivery of required services in the Timiskaming district.” 

“We welcome the opportunity to connect with returning and new Board members and convey the importance of the DTSSAB’s Vision, Mission, and Values and the services we provide. The Board serves as an essential role representing and communicating on behalf of the municipalities and territories they represent,” Mark Stewart, Chief Administrative Officer.  

The next meeting of the DTSSAB Board will be held on February 1st, 2023, at the Evanturel Township Hall, where the Board will continue their onboarding and be presented with program specific orientations and budgets.  

The 2023 Board Meeting Schedule was approved at the meeting and can be found at www.dtssab.com, along with past Board Minutes, upcoming Board Agendas, and Board Governance By-Laws and Policies.  

Any further queries can be directed to: communications@dtssab.com

July 5th Unveiling of Off-Road Response Unit (ORU)

Due to generous contributions from community partners – the DTSSAB will be formally unveiling the Off-Road Response Unit (ORU) on July 5th, at the Harbourfront Pavilion, in Haileybury.

Since its debut in Spring 2021 the ORU has been deployed on numerous occasions and has been instrumental in several emergencies.

The Off-Road Response Unit, and its accompanying fully enclosed response trailer, provide access to traditionally difficult to reach locations, including, but not limited to:

• Remote work sites

• Snowmobile/ATV trails

• Areas impeded by extreme weather

• Farming areas

The modifications to the unit, including being fully enclosed and climate-controlled, allow for safe transportation of paramedics and patients in an environment comparable to a traditional ambulance. In addition, the enclosed response trailer can be utilized as a mobile command post.

DTSSAB EMS paramedics have received basic training on operations of the ORU and will continue to train and develop the program in the future. This initiative is new territory for DTSSAB EMS and to most paramedic services in Ontario.

We wish to publicly acknowledge those sponsors who made this initiative possible:

• Frog’s Breath Foundation

• Trans Canada

• TC Energy

• Earlton Green Tractors

• OPG

• Co-Op Regionale

• Dr. Tarp

• Northern Signs

• The City of Temiskaming Shores

• Alamos Gold

• Kenogami Fire

• Rowland Emergency

• On Duty Equipment

• Hydro One

• Earlton RV

• Agnico Eagle

• EACOM

Paramedic Services Week 2022

May 22-28th, 2022, marks Paramedic Services Week. This year’s theme is #FacesofParamedicine. This week allows us to reflect and appreciate the paramedics who work every day to keep us and our communities healthy.

“On behalf of the DTSSAB Board, I would like to recognize all of our paramedics, this week and every week,” says DTSSAB Board Chair, Derek Mundle, “We are truly grateful for their contribution to the health and well-being of our communities. The services you provide is one that we all hope we never have to access, but that we take comfort in knowing we can count on you, should an emergency occur.”

This past year has seen the continued resilience of DTSSAB paramedics as they pivoted through the changing mandates and protocols of the pandemic. It saw the Leadership restructuring of the service, as well as the growth of the service through the welcome addition of the Off-Road Response Unit and Community Paramedicine program.

“Our paramedics form a team that I am honoured to lead,” said EMS Chief, John McCarthy, “they are dedicated to supporting the health of our community, through their dedication on duty, continued volunteering outside of regular duties, and constant push to expand their knowledge and skill base.”

The delivery of paramedicine requires a team including dispatch, training, logistics, specialities, and much more. The DTSSAB wishes to celebrate all paramedics and support staff that make up DTSSAB EMS as we graciously serve the district.

The DTSSAB announces appointment of new CAO, Mark Stewart

On behalf of the DTSSAB Board of Directors, I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Stewart to the position of Chief Administrative Officer for the District of Timiskaming Social Services Administration Board effective March 21, 2022.

Mark’s appointment reflects the Board’s confidence in his ability to lead the organization in achieving success with current and future initiatives. Mark’s commitment to leadership, his perseverance to ensure the needs of individuals we serve are met, as well as his professionalism, open communication, and integrity are all essential qualities for this important role.

Mark is a familiar face to many, as he has been an integral part of the DTSSAB’s Senior Leadership team as Director of Client Services over the past fifteen years, supporting effective DTSSAB Board and Senior Leadership decisions. Mark has demonstrated progressive leadership skills throughout his 23-year career at DTSSAB, having worked within the human services sector for 25 years.

Our Board believes that Mark’s dedication to the organization, his experience and knowledge of our programs and services, his community partnerships, as well as his leadership qualities position him for working effectively with management and staff to deliver on plans which are in line with our Vision, Mission and Values.

As Mark prepares to begin his new responsibilities, the leadership role of Director of Client Services will be recruited promptly.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to congratulate Mark on his new role and extend our deepest gratitude to Kelly Black for her steadfast leadership as CAO since 2019.

We look forward to working with Mark in this new capacity and ask you to join me in welcoming Mark as your new Chief Administrative Officer.

Derek Mundle

Chair, DTSSAB Board of Directors

2022 DTSSAB Budget Approved

The District of Timiskaming Social Services Administration Board (DTSSAB) passed its 2022 budget at its meeting on February 16, 2022. Board Chair Derek Mundle stated “in 2022, as in every year, the DTSSAB is cognizant of the impact of our budget on our municipal partners. The Pandemic continues to impact municipalities and we worked diligently on maximizing the financial contributions from the senior levels of government to minimize the impact on the municipal budget.”

The overall 2022 DTSSAB budget is $39,087,424 which is a 10.69% increase over 2021. The budget funds the following four programs in the district: Ontario Works ($11,803,507), Children Services ($10,312,427), Housing Services ($7,279,902) and Emergency Medical Services ($9,651,488). The increase in the overall budget is due to one-time Provincial funding provided to our Emergency Medical Services and Children’s Services Programs, an increase in our Homeless Prevention funding and a projected increase to our Ontario Works Caseload resulting in approximately $3,400,000 increase to the overall budget. Increases in our Housing Services and Emergency Medical Services programs have resulted in an increase to the municipal apportionment of 2.97% ($199,149). This year the Board chose to remove funds from our working fund reserve in the amount of $200,000 to reduce the billing impact to municipalities and the unincorporated townships.

“The 2022 budget is a good budget for our municipal partners. The DTSSAB delivers these services on behalf of the district municipalities, and we strive to ensure that our operational costs do not exceed the expectations of the municipalities. This year we were able to deliver a 2.62% increase despite much higher increases to costs to operate our programs and especially with increased costs due to the pandemic.” commented Chair Derek Mundle

The municipal share of the overall budget is $6,902,043 (17.7%), the Territories Without Municipal Representation (TWOMO) contributes $1,830,911 (4.7%), federal/provincial share is $30,075,170 (76.9%) and contributions from reserves of $279,300 (0.7%) comprise our revenue sources.

“Over the years the Board has kept the municipal apportionment as close to 0% as possible despite increases in salary and benefits and operating costs such as hydro and fuel, by using contributions of our reserves. Since 2008 we have used $2,324,100 from our working fund reserves.” noted Mr. Mundle. The Board, which consists of seven appointed municipal representatives and two elected representatives from the territories without municipal representation, bring the viewpoint of the local taxpayer and their municipality to the table and ensures that the budget is fair and responsible in delivering the services that the DTSSAB has been mandated to deliver. Our focus is always maintaining or increasing our services without having a negative impact on our municipalities.

For further information on the budget, please contact Kelly Black at 705-567-9366 ext. 3253 or 705-568-7791.

Public Access to the DTSSAB Offices continues

Please be advised that in accordance with the announcement made January 3rd, 2022, by Premier Doug Ford, the District of Timiskaming Social Services Administration Board (DTSSAB) is taking further measures to protect our residents, employees and community.

These measures include keeping our offices in Kirkland Lake and Temiskaming Shores open with compliance to health and safety protocols.

All individuals seeking services of the DTSSAB are advised to call the office at one of the numbers listed below. There is a phone located outside the door of each office that will allow people to call our reception desk directly. In addition there are drop boxes at each office location and each of the community housing buildings that can be used (by our tenants).

Kirkland Lake 705-567-9366 OR 888-544-5555

Temiskaming Shores 705-647-7447 OR 800-627-2944

In-office visits are restricted to emergencies only, and people will be required to pass the COVID-19 screening and wear a mask when accessing the premises.

People receiving social assistance payments are strongly urged to set up Direct Bank Deposit if they haven’t already done so to avoid any complications with receiving their benefits. Anyone can call the number listed above if they need assistance with this.

All client emergency assistance needs, including health and safety issues, will continue to be addressed. Tenants will be advised of alternative ways to pay their rent where necessary.

Community Paramedicine supports continue to be provided to eligible patients with strict adherence to health and safety protocols. Our 911 service is operating to respond to medical emergencies.

Reopening of the DTSSAB Offices

The DTSSAB is committed to supporting individuals in need throughout the community. In reflection of Ontario’s present position in the Roadmap to Reopening, our offices are open for in-person appointments.

 The DTSSAB is open during regular business hours for in-person services; weekdays 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and closed between 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm. Read more about our service locations and office hours here: https://www.dtssab.com/office-location-hours

 We are committed to keeping the public and staff safe through strict adherence to safety protocols as set out by Public Health, including but not limited to:

• Social distancing

• Wearing of masks or face coverings

• Screening of all visitors at reception

• Enhanced cleaning protocols

• Plexiglass barriers

• Availability of secure drop boxes

 If possible, please call our office to schedule an appointment in advance. Walk-in services are available.

 Please note, our open status is dependent upon Public Health’s recommendations, any changes will be communicated through public channels including social media and press releases.

 We look forward to reconnecting with you in person!