North Bay City Councillor Tanya Vrebosch will be advocating for small urban communities as a new member of the Executive Committee of the Ontario Small Urban Municipalities (OSUM).
Vrebosch was acclaimed to the position during the 2023 OSUM Conference and Trade Show which is underway this week in Brant County, according to a news release from the City of North Bay.
“After the recent election, I took some time to think about what I wanted to accomplish this term," she says. "As municipal councillors, we can fix roads and bridges and build playgrounds, but our municipal voice tends to get lost when we act alone.”
OSUM is the small urban municipal voice of the province and is an integral part of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario with a number of its board members serving on the AMO Board of Directors.
“Associations like OSUM have highly respected members that I will be honoured to work alongside to advocate for small urban municipalities on provincial issues such as the mental health and addiction crisis, catch and release justice, growing transit ridership, funding assistance, connectivity and more," Vrebosch adds. "OSUM takes united action on all matters where the rights and interests of municipalities may be affected. I will now be a voice for all small urban communities within Ontario, including North Bay.”
As a member of the Executive Committee, Coun. Vrebosch will help to ensure matters affecting small urban municipalities are brought to the attention of the provincial and federal governments. Having Coun. Vrebosch at the OSUM table also extends the membership of the Executive Committee north
beyond Parry Sound. She will remain in the position until 2026.