Northern Ontario municipalities' annual conference going virtual

Timmins is still hosting an annual meeting for Northern Ontario municipalities. It will look a little different than the past, though.

The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) announced Nov. 17 that its annual conference will be held online in 2021.

The 2020 conference was slated to be held in Timmins back in May but was cancelled because of the pandemic. According to the news release, the virtual conference is because of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the province. 

Timmins will host the virtual event.

“It’s important that we stay connected with our membership during this time. Our committee has already started to create content that will be of interest to our region in this new format,” said FONOM president Danny Whalen in the news release. 

Whalen was recently re-elected as president during the board's most recent meeting, alongside Paul Schoppmann and Lynn Watson as vice presidents.

The program for the 2021 conference includes the board's annual report and finances, engagement by senior levels of government, a presentation on broadband, and how the region is contributing to the green economy.

"In recognition of the financial pressure municipalities in the region are under, this new virtual format will provide a venue for the Board to connect with its membership at no charge," reads the news release.