.jpg)
Q104, KenoraOnline, and DrydenNow are looking back at the biggest news stories of the year. Today’s story is an interview with Kenora District Services Board Chief Administrative Officer, Henry Wall.
Q: 2021 had its ups and downs for the KDSB, but in your mind how was the year that was?
“COVID has certainly changed things for a lot of us not just for our communities but also for organizations like KDSB, whereas a couple of years ago plans for this year were on program enhancement and expansion, building more housing, and of course with the global pandemic coming we’ve had to change gears quite a bit and put our attention and focus on other aspects.”
Q: What is next for the KDSB in 2022?
“Quite a bit of work went into the City of Kenora and the former Kenora Municipal Non-Profit Profitable Housing, which was a joint partnership with the KDSB and the city where we were funding the city with the non-profit for the program.”
“Through that restructuring what that has allowed us to do is a multi-million dollar redevelopment of some of the housing units, which is well needed and required. We want to make sure they are energy efficient and they meet the needs of our seniors.
“We’ve been hearing from families that access to more affordable childcare is necessary and we want to make sure in 2022 that we are prepared to support our childcare,”
“We have a new affordable seniors housing development and the planning is just about complete. If no more curve balls through this pandemic that we can begin construction in 2022 on a new 56-64 unit senior housing development along with affordable housing,”
Q: Explain some of the projects that broke ground this year?
“In Red Lake, there is a brand new second-stage housing program in partnership with the New Starts for Women that was developed and partnership with the municipality that was brought online.”
“In Sioux Lookout, we were in the process and partnership with Windigo First Nations Council and the community to create 20 new affordable housing units that are specially designed to support families and youth in the far north to attend high school,”
“We look over in Dryden we’re breaking ground on a 41 unit senior housing development. It’s one of the biggest affordable housing programs we have undertaken in the last generation,”
“Looking over in Kenora and the many programs that have been put in place to ensure we’re reducing poverty because we know the effect of the pandemic is really going to hurt families and we want to make sure they’re supported,”
Q: What are some areas you saw in 2021 that would want to improve within the KDSB?
“I think we all have underestimated the level of poverty in our communities and the level of which families are struggling, and the lack of safe and affordable housing, the impacts that it’s having throughout the whole housing continuum.”
“Work to end homelessness in our communities and ensure we have those supports in place. Ensuring from a poverty production standpoint that life stabilization and life skills developments that those tools and those programs, we work to get into our communities so we can support our employers with people that are already in our communities.”
Q: Is there anything you would like to say to NWO residents going into 2022?
“We’re very thankful for all of the support that we’ve been receiving from our communities and the many people that are in the communities. I think it’s important that we recognize the importance of partnerships. Much of the programs and services and new infrastructure that has been developed would’ve not been possible without a collective effort to make our communities better.”
“We do need to ensure that individual members of our communities also feel part of the process part of the progress that is being made. We’re all in this together.”
“We’re thankful for all the efforts that have gone into protecting our communities from this COVID-19 global pandemic.”