Council Meeting

THAT the draft agenda presented to Council and dated the 11th day of January, 2022 be adopted as amended by adding the following item under Action Items of the agenda: North Bay/French River Algonquins - Presentation (December 14th, 2021 Council Regular Meeting)

THAT the minutes of the Regular Meeting held December 14th, 2021 and the Special Meeting held December 20th, 2021 be adopted as circulated.

THAT Council appoint Kate Ricci to fill the Municipal vacancy on the Recreation, Parks and Culture Committee up to the end of the term of Council November 2022.

THAT Council for the Municipality of East Ferris accepts the Information Report No. FD-2022-01 submitted by Frank Loeffen, Fire Chief/CEMC regarding service provision and training of the East Ferris Fire Department during the provincial restrictions and return to Stage 2 of Ontario’s Roadmap to Reopen due to COVID-19 and Omicron infection rates rising in the province of Ontario.

THAT By-law No. 2021-60 Comprehensive Zoning By-law for the Municipality of East Ferris be read a third time and passed this 11th, day of January, 2022; AND THAT said By-Law be signed by the Mayor and Clerk, and sealed with the Seal of the Corporation.

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 authorize temporary borrowing from time to time to meet current expenditures during the fiscal year ending December 31st, 2022 , BE READ a first, second and third time, passed and numbered 2022-01; AND THAT said by-law be signed by the Mayor and Clerk and sealed with the Seal of the Corporation.

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 provide for Interim Tax Rates for the Year 2022 , BE READ a first, second and third time, passed and numbered 2022-02; AND THAT said by-law be signed by the Mayor and Clerk and sealed with the Seal of the Corporation.

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 enter into an agreement with the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario as represented by the Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario for paved walkway and cycle lane along Lake Nosbonsing Road BE READ a first, second and third time, passed and numbered 2022-03; AND THAT said by-law be signed by the Mayor and Clerk and sealed with the Seal of the Corporation.

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 amend By-law No. 2019-22 under schedule "C" Public Works with respect to the establishment and requirement of the payment of fees for information, services, activities and use of the Corporation's property BE READ a first, second and third time, passed and numbered 2022-04; 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 January 11th, 2022.

WHEREAS the province of Ontario has one of the best, albeit expensive, child care system in the country to include its full-day kindergarten program for four and five-year olds; AND WHEREAS the province of Ontario is in the process of negotiating an agreement with the federal government that will ensure the protection of our unique, sophisticated and mature child care system; AND WHEREAS Municipality of East Ferris families who are preparing to emerge from the fourth wave of the pandemic view child care as a financial hardship and a barrier for women’s full economic participation; AND WHEREAS the Municipality of East Ferris Community Safety and Well Being Plan identifies a need for more childcare spaces in Astorville and in Corbeil with parents seeking the freedom to choose from an expanded regulated daycare system with for-profit, not-for-profit, and independent providers where early childhood educators are supported with adequate wages and working conditions; AND WHEREAS provincial governments in BC, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec have already reached agreements with the federal government; THEREFORE BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that Municipality of East Ferris encourages the province of Ontario to pursue its negotiations with the federal government to ensure daycare fees are lowered to an average of $10 per day, per child; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Council of the Municipality of East Ferris directs staff to ta

WHEREAS the life expectancy of Northern residents is more than two years lower than the Ontario average, and one person in eight across the North do not have access to a family doctor, and this represents the failure of health care in Northern Ontario; AND these Northern Ontario communities advocate for equitable health care, especially for underserved rural, Indigenous, and Francophone communities in Northern Ontario; AND finding ways to encourage more physicians and health care professionals to stay and work in Northern communities is contributing to the crisis for citizens in the North; AND although highly successful at providing doctors for northern Ontario the Northern School of Medicine (NOSM) has fewer health care professionals’ spots than the rest of Ontario medical schools and it would take at minimum, five NOSM graduating classes at sixty-four physicians per year to address the current shortage; THEREFORE, with the announcement of NOSM becoming a free-standing University, the Municipality of East Ferris wishes to strongly request that the Provincial Government and the Ontario Medical Association immediately expand NOSM's capacity to meet the needs of Northern Ontario, with added MD positions, Residency positions (PGY 1, 3 and 4) and clinical teaching funding to the Northern Ontario Academic Medicine Association; AND FURTHER THAT, a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Colleges and Universities Jill Dunlop, Minister of Health Christi

THAT the Municipality of East Ferris submit an application to the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry under the Northern Ontario Resource Development Support (NORDS) Fund for Road Improvement.

THAT Council approve a request for delegation at the OGRA 2022 Conference for the following: Minister Mulroney regarding Transportation Minister of Indigenous Affairs regarding the Land Claims in East Ferris.

THAT Council approve the 2022 Membership list as presented at the Regular Meeting of Council held January 11th, 2022.

THAT Council approve the general accounts for the Municipality of East Ferris as indicated in the cheque register(s) dated January 11th, 2022 in the amount of $1,498,420.31.

THAT this meeting proceeds to In-Camera session at 7:07 p.m., under Section 239(2) of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c.25 in order to address a matter pertaining to: Personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees.

THAT we do now adjourn this In-Camera meeting at 7:29 p.m. and return to our regular session of Council.

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 December 14th, 2021 to January 11th, 2022, BE READ a first, second and third time, passed and numbered 2022-05; 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 7:31 p.m. and meet again on January 25th, 2022.