North Bay City Councillor Mark King was acclaimed and will lead the Board of Directors of the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board for another one-year term following a members' election on Wednesday afternoon.
"I'd like to extend my thanks to the Board for having me back as Chair," said King.
The complex and intertwined issues of homelessness, mental health, and addiction have weighed heavily on King, the Board members, and DNSSAB staff for years. An inordinate amount of their time is spent addressing and attempting to improve the living situations of community members affected by one or all of these social issues. The frustration is palpable even in the regimented space of a board meeting, as triumphs are often overshadowed by setbacks relating to funding, implementation, and effectiveness of well-researched and executed initiatives.
See: Will public consultation quiet 'homeless hub' hubbub?
See related on King's election as DNSSAB Board Chair in recent years:
- 2024: King acclaimed, will continue to chair DNSSAB board of directors
- 2023: King is the choice to chair DNSSAB board of directors
The DNSSAB Board election saw all of the positions acclaimed and many incumbents will reprise their roles.
North Bay City Councillor Lana Mitchell will also return to serve as vice-chair in the second of the Board's four-year term.
North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico will again head the finance and administration committee with North Bay Deputy Mayor Maggie Horsfield as vice-chair. South Algonquin Mayor Ethel LaValley will again head the community services committee with Papineau-Cameron Councillor Melanie Chenier in the vice-chair role. North Bay City Councillor Chris Mayne was acclaimed as chair of the Nipissing District Housing Corporation Board, with LaValley as vice.
Report: Northern Ontario seeing 'staggering' homelessness growth
"My intention through this next term is to lean on some of the executive because I've been finding the workload quite extreme, King said, "There are obviously what I would consider large challenges that are before us. This has been a tremendous Board, and I mean that. The people involved have really shown a lot of respect. I think when you recognize the importance of the job we're all trying to do here, the relationship we have at the board level is excellent and it shows in the work that's been done."
See also: King guarantees new homeless hub 'will not go near a school'
And: Noise-emitting devices augment $611K security fence at Chippewa
In 2024, much of the public attention received by DNSSAB surrounded Northern Pines, the push to establish a 24/7 hub to address social issues, and the rampant social disorder in and around the Fraser Street warming centre last winter. Looking to avoid another disastrous cold season, social service officials moved the warming centre into the Northern Pines complex on Chippewa Street West while mitigating issues due to its proximity to nearby schools, daycares, and seniors' centres with an increased security presence.