​Trauma and burnout cause Nipissing paramedics to miss 1,400 hours of work this year​

Paramedics across the region as expected to be absent from work for 1,400 hours this year. Those hours work out to be more than 116 12-hour shifts within a one-year period.

District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board heard employee burnout and declining mental health are significant and growing concerns, reflecting broader trends in emergency response, healthcare, and social services sectors.

“Employees in these fields are routinely exposed to traumatic events, high emotional demands, and ethically challenging situations, which can result in cumulative stress, compassion fatigue, and moral injury,” according to an organizational review by KPMG.

The report also states absenteeism within DNSSAB is high and has grown between 2024 and 2025.

Paramedic Services is projected to experience a significant jump in absenteeism in 2025 to approximately 1,400 hours and will become the department with the largest share of total absent hours, according to the report presented at last month’s DNSSAB meeting.

The KPMG report stated client needs have grown increasingly complex and political and community expectations remain high. Staff are being asked to do more with less, further intensifying feelings of powerlessness and emotional strain. These pressures not only affect individual well-being but also contribute to team dysfunction, higher absenteeism, and reduced service quality.

“I can certainly understand that because of the work that they do,” said DNSSAB chair Coun. Mark King.

“It’s a big issue. You just can’t close your eyes to it. From a board perspective, we have to deal with it.”

The results of an employee survey highlighted this issue explicitly within paramedic services, where staff reported experiencing particularly high levels of moral distress — underscoring the urgent need for a dedicated organizational focus on employee health and wellbeing, according to the organizational review.

​Award-winning Northern Ontario cheesemaker celebrates 10 years​

According to François Nadeau, head cheesemaker and proprietor of Kapuskasing’s Fromagerie Kapuskoise cheese factory, Northern Ontario is the key ingredient of his delectable artisanal cheeses.

Quite literally, the cheese’s distinctive flavour is garnered from the unique qualities of the region from which it hails. In cheesemaking terms, these qualities are collectively called the terroir.

The North’s particular terroir is the result of its cold climate, rich soil, and pure water, which creates high-protein grasses that enhance milk production in the sheep, goats, and cows that live here.

“We wanted to keep the identity of the area within the milk itself,” Nadeau told Northern Ontario Business, shortly before receiving the morning rush of customers at the Fromagerie’s shop.

“You can have wonderful milk from elsewhere, but it will not reflect the area. I wanted to have a sense of the area. A taste of the area.”

Each cheese is composed of dairy from a single farmstead, some of which exclusively produce milk for his Fromagerie. The cow dairy comes from a farmstead in Matheson, the sheep dairy from Val-Gagné, and the goat dairy from Iroquois Falls.

The dairy operations he purchases from are small, organic, and the animals are typically pasture-raised — conditions that would be much more difficult to secure at larger farms down south.

​Indigenous fashion designer with northern Ontario roots celebrates success​

Lesley Hampton, a member of Temagami First Nation, is seeing her work featured at Holt Renfrew in Mississauga as part of a three-week pop-up celebrating Indigenous History Month.

The Anishinaabe artist and designer, whose inclusive and mental health-focused fashion has gained international attention, reflects on her journey from a young sewing enthusiast to a celebrated name in the industry.

Despite her early passion for fashion -- sparked by runway shows on TV -- Hampton didn’t see herself reflected in the industry.

“Even at that young age, I only saw one skin type, one body type, and being a curvy Indigenous kid, I really didn’t see myself in that space,” she said.

She launched her eponymous line in 2016 at just 22 years old. Her designs quickly gained recognition, appearing at ​Fashion Art Toronto​ and ​Vancouver Fashion Week​ – with images from the latter featured in ​Vogue​ Magazine.

Her current showcase at Holt Renfrew underscores her mission to make Indigenous fashion accessible.

“It’s so important for customers and clients in the luxury space to understand that Indigenous fashion can be worn by everyone,” she said. “People need to know they can celebrate our stories through fashion by wearing our designs and helping push our narratives forward.”

Hampton’s collection will remain at Holt Renfrew until July 4.

​Pop Up Picnic helping showcase city’s ‘diverse culinary scene’​

An initiative is underway to help you enjoy the flavours of North Bay surrounded by some of the city’s scenic views.

It’s called the Pop Up Picnic and involves specially curated picnic meals from six local food partners.

They include:

• Amritsari Bites (1260 Algonquin Ave)
• Blendz Smoothie & Juice Bar (319 Algonquin Ave)
• Cecil’s Brewhouse + Kitchen (300 Wyld St)
• Green Fox Kitchen (17 Mapleridge Dr)
• Opera Bakery + Café (164 Main St W)
• Tahini’s (1720 Algonquin Ave)

“The Pop Up Picnic series is part of our new ‘Taste The Bay’ initiative, developed to showcase and grow North Bay’s diverse culinary scene,” says Tanya Bédard, Executive Director of Tourism North Bay. “These picnics perfectly blend our culinary creativity with our stunning natural landscapes, offering both locals and visitors a unique way to experience what makes our region special.”

North Bay Echo
840 McIntyre Street West, North Bay, ON P1B 3A3

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