From proposing an initiative to bring homelessness supports to the street level to advocating for Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) changes for paramedics, key priorities for Northumberland County were brought to light during the recent 2025 Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference, says county warden Brian Ostrander.
Ostrander and county staff were among the participants who joined more than 1,600 others from across the province at the annual conference, held in downtown Toronto from January 19 to 21.
During the conference, county staff delivered delegations to the Province of Ontario to advocate for a Northumberland Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub pilot program.
Northumberland Paramedics and county community and social services staff encouraged the government to support the HART Hub, which would work closely with the pathways to recovery and resilience programs “to address the critical needs of the county’s most vulnerable residents,” Northumberland County noted in a media release.
Ostrander spoke with kawarthaNOW about the reception the county received at ROMA for the HART Hub, a pilot project that would expand the county’s community paramedicine program to encompass mobile outreach to people who are homeless.
“There were good discussions,” the warden said. “The province was very supportive of the county recently opening up 310 Division Street (in Cobourg) as a homeless shelter. That’s where the HART Hub would function out of.”
“Currently we have outreach workers there, and we have community paramedics coming into the space to ensure folks who want some sort of medical treatment have access to it,” Ostrander explained. “So now we’re just asking for that next logical — what we think is logical — outreach, and that is for a mobile clinic.”
Through Northumberland’s community paramedicine program, paramedics are already going into clients’ homes and seeing residents at the shelter.
“We would like that same resource going out to people choosing not to be housed and living rough,” Ostrander said.
In another presentation, the county highlighted the need for WSIB delivery changes for paramedics. Supporting a resolution brought by the Eastern Ontario Paramedic Chiefs, the delegation from Northumberland Paramedics advocated for changes to the delivery of the WSIB mandate to better ensure paramedics are supported in recovery from mental health injuries.
Ostrander added the county had a positive discussion with David Piccini, who is also Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development and MPP for Northumberland-Peterborough South. The presentation highlighted the WSIB costs related to staff, particularly paramedics, who are dealing with traumatic circumstances and are away from work.
“In no way do we want people to be working if they can’t,” the warden said. “On the other hand, the significant costs being borne by the municipal taxpayer in order to keep people away from work and still (support them financially) is extraordinary.”
“So we’re simply asking the minister to review how those costs are portioned and the costs by which the municipality funds WSIB for those initiatives — or not, as the case may be.”
Presenters at the ROMA conference included Ontario Premier Doug Ford, opposition leaders, and provincial ministers.
ROMA strives to promote, support, and enhance strong and effective rural governments. About 270 of Ontario’s 444 municipalities have populations of less than 10,000, while many more are rural in character.
The rural arm of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, ROMA advocates for policies and programs with the aim of helping build thriving rural Ontario communities.
Editor’s note: On January 27, after this interview was conducted, the Ontario government announced the approval of 18 Homeless and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs across the province, including one in Peterborough. A HART Hub for Northumberland was not part of the announcement.
