Council Meeting

THAT the draft agenda presented to Council and dated the 11th day of October, 2022 be adopted as prepared.

That the Minutes of the Regular Council Meeting held September 27th, 2022 be adopted as circulated.

THAT By-law No. 2022-46 being a By-law to establish the remuneration for Members of Council be read a third time and passed this 11th day of October, 2022; AND THAT said By-Law be signed by the Mayor and Clerk, and sealed with the Seal of the Corporation.

THAT Council approve the Correspondence and Information as circulated with the agenda of October 11th, 2022.

THAT Council for the Municipality of East Ferris approve Les Compagnons des Francs Loisirs and the Municipality of East Ferris to work in partnership for a Grant Application to the Federal Government’s Program Canada en Fête to offer bilingual activities for Canada Day 2023 Celebrations.

WHEREAS the province of Ontario is currently experiencing an early years and child care workforce shortage; AND WHEREAS access to quality licensed child care is an essential component of Ontario’s social and economic well-being and enables children to grow up with a sense of community; AND WHEREAS lack of licensed child care is a barrier for parents to return or enter into the workforce, thus putting a strain on families, hindering economic participation, and forcing parents to remain at home to care for their children; AND WHEREAS in the District of Nipissing, there is a higher demand for child care spaces than the number of spaces available creating waitlists that have parents waiting for several years prior to getting a space, if they receive a space at all; AND WHEREAS in recent years the recruitment and retention of qualified Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) and child care staff has been a challenge that has been exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic; AND WHEREAS the workforce crisis in the early years and child care sector has been further exasperated by the significant wage disparity between the compensation paid to RECEs employed by school boards and those employed in licensed child care centers due to lack of funding which has created an inequity for workers with equal qualifications; AND WHEREAS Ontario has signed the Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement putting Ontario on the path to reducing child care fees to an average of $10/day which

THAT Mayor Rochefort be approve to attend the Northern Ontario Policy Institute-Northern Directions Conference to be held in North Bay November 16th to November 18th, 2022.

THAT Council approve the general accounts for the Municipality of East Ferris as indicated in the cheque register(s) dated October 11th, 2022 in the amount of $ 191,164.80.

THAT Council for the Municipality of East Ferris donate to the East Ferris Volunteer Firefighter’s Association an amount of $250.00 for their Halloween Trick or Treat Night.

WHEREAS Council for the Municipality of East Ferris deems it expedient to pass three readings of the following by-law at this session; BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED THAT a By-law to confirm the proceedings of Council from September 27th, 2022 to October 11th, 2022, BE READ a first, second and third time, passed and numbered 2022-49; AND THAT said by-law be signed by the Mayor and Clerk and sealed with the Seal of the Corporation.

THAT we do now adjourn at 6:46 p.m. and meet again on November 8th, 2022.