Stay up to date with what’s happening in your community.
Local Scouts will be participating in an annual fundraiser this weekend.
Jason North - group administrator for 1st Wawa Scouts - explains the annual Apple Day.
North emphasizes the importance of the fundraiser.
Scouts will be out for Apple Day tomorrow - Saturday, October 17th - from 10 am to 12 noon.
Voting opens today for Wawa's municipal election - a day after voters had the chance to hear from the candidates.
A Meet the Candidates Night was hosted by The Olive Branch Floral Design and Anya Switzer Consulting last night, featuring all eleven candidates in the election, each given an opportunity to give an opening statement and to answer six questions touching on topics including the future and economic development, affordability vs. municipal spending to invest in the community, housing, access to care including for mental health, traffic safety, by-law enforcement, animal control, property standards, dumping, and general community cleanliness, and strengthening public trust.
A repeated theme among the candidates was a need to improve communication - mayoral candidate Ray Vaillant specifically calling "true transparency" a key plank of his platform - with housing and aging municipal infrastructure repeatedly highlighted as major issues that need to be addressed, while all candidates emphasized a need for greater enforcement of by-laws - and reporting of violations - to address property standards and dumping - councillor candidate Ron Ouellette also advocated for the return of free dumping week to help residents who can't afford the cost, while Colton Liddle suggested a more accessible central drop-off area for waste instead with James Stewart saying a local accessible depot in town is something he'd look into and work on - while councillor candidate Brandon Smit acknowledged the town doesn't have capacity for animal control but could work with outside agencies, while Liddle, Smit, Jason North, and Eric Paquette emphasized the need for tickets and fines, though incumbent mayor Melanie Pilon - who is seeking re-election - warned that increasing service level standards have a cost and there are legalities from the province regarding property standards.
Councillor candidate Shah Mohamed repeatedly touched upon the idea of getting a splash pad in town - asking "Chapleau has one, why not us?" - and spoke of opportunities for public-private partnership, while Pilon and incumbent councillors Cathy Cannon and Mitch Hatfield touted the accomplishments of the current council, with Hatfield vowing she's "here for the people" and has "a lot of experience and love for the people of Wawa - pointing to the Municipality's strategic and asset management plans as guides - while Cannon touted her experience and involvement in the community - saying she doesn't feel she's done as a councillor - and Pilon highlighted her experience, connections, and accomplishments as mayor, though Vaillant emphasized a "change in leadership" was needed, promising he'll speak honestly and listen, even vowing to have an open forum discussion after Council meetings.
Voting opens at 9 this morning - like in the past two elections, ballots are cast electronically, via phone or internet.
Municipal CAO/Clerk Maury O'Neill reminds residents should have received a Voter Information Letter to vote.
A list of Voter Help Desk events can be found on the municipal website, at wawa.cc
Voting will be open until 8 pm October 26th, when it will close for municipal elections across the province, including in Chapleau, where electronic voting began yesterday.
The Wawa Public Library's marking Library Worker's Day with a special event.
CEO and Head Librarian Sue Jarrell explains today's plans.
Jarrell reminds October is Canadian Library Month, with everyone encouraged to "get loud for libraries" by showing their library card - or getting a new one - this month to be entered into a draw to be made at the end of the month - and kids are encouraged to take pictures with their carved pumpkin and send those in for a draw for a "Halloween surprise".
The social runs from 1 pm to 3 pm this afternoon.
Runners will be lacing up their shoes and hitting the trails this weekend, for the Wawa Trifecta.
Organizer Brian Lachine explains the running event happening this weekend.
Lachine notes the event is split up in categories, based on which races participants are running.
Lachine encourages those who don't plan to run to come out to cheer on participants, noting they'll be serving up a staple of the event.
People can still sign up for one or more of the races through the Wawa Trifecta website or Facebook page, with the races to be held tomorrow and Sunday.
Chapleau artisans are showing off their work today and tomorrow.
Chapleau Arts and Crafts Fall Fair Committee President Melanie Mallek says the 52nd annual event has a "spooky" theme.
Mallek notes there will be many vendors.
Mallek has a final message to the community.
Held at the Chapleau Recreation Centre, the Arts and Crafts Fall Fair runs from 4 pm to 9 pm tonight, and 11 am to 3 pm tomorrow - it's $5 per person, or free for children age four or under.
Voting opens today for Chapleau's municipal election - though the process for casting a ballot may be new to a number of residents.
Though the Township opted to switch to electronic voting in 2022, ballots were not needed that year as all positions were filled by acclamation, so this will be the community's first municipal election with ballots cast electronically.
Residents should have already received their Voter Information Letters, which contain a PIN used to access the system via phone or internet - those who have not received one may not be on the Voter's List and are urged to contact the Township office, where voting assistance is also offered most weekday afternoons up to election day, October 26th.
For those without access to a computer or needing help with electronic voting, special voting assistance events will also be held next Wednesday, October 21st, at Cedar Grove from 9 am to 12 noon and at the Bignucolo Residence from 1 pm to 3 pm, and at the Municipal Office on October 26th from 10 am to 8 pm.
Voting will be open until 8 pm October 26th, when it will close for municipal elections across the province.
Wawa residents are reminded the winter parking by-law is now in force for the season.
Kevin Sabourin - the Municipality's Assistant Director of Protective Services - outlines the rule.
Chapleau residents have a little longer, as that town's winter parking by-law takes effect November 1st.
Wawa voters have a chance to hear from and learn more about Council candidates tonight.
Two local businesses - the Olive Branch Floral Design and Anya Switzer Consulting - are hosting a Meet the Candidates event, with organizer Heidi McLaren explaining the reason for the move.
McLaren outlines the concept of the event.
McLaren says there will be no "questions from the floor" - they'd instead invited people to submit questions via social media up to Thanksgiving.
All eleven candidates are expected to attend: two for mayor - incumbent mayor Melanie Pilon and local businessman Ray Vaillant - and nine for four councillor seats: incumbent councillors Cathy Cannon and Mitch Hatfield, as well as Colton Liddle, Shah Mohamed, Jason North, Ron Ouellette, Eric Paquette, Brandon Smit, and James Stewart.
This comes just before electronic voting opens in Wawa's municipal election: ballots can be cast by phone or online starting at 9 am tomorrow - Friday, October 16th - until 8 pm on Monday, October 26th, the province-wide municipal election date.
The Meet the Candidates event starts at 6:30 pm tonight, at the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre - it is also set to be livestreamed for those who can't attend in person.
The Lady Dunn Health Centre Foundation's holding a major meeting tonight.
Foundation Coordinator Angelika Biedron explains the purpose of the meeting.
Biedron notes this comes amid the Foundation's 75 for 75 Campaign, which she says is coming along well.
The Foundation's also set to start selling tickets for its annual Glam for Good Gala next Tuesday, October 20th, with the event to be held November 7th.
The meeting starts at 5 pm tonight, at the Lady Dunn Health Centre.
A local mine's reaching out to the public in Wawa and area today.
Wesdome's Eagle River Mine is holding a Community Town Hall Meeting, inviting employees, families, community members, and stakeholders to hear about key site performance and priorities, safety performance, production and operations, major projects, and important milestones - there'll also be an open question and answer period.
Hosted at the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre, the event starts with a community barbecue at the rear curling rink entrance from 4 pm to 6 pm this afternoon, with the presentation and Q&A in the lounge from 6 pm to 8 pm this evening.
Wawa seniors are being offered a chance to have a bite to eat and learn about both mayoral candidates today.
A week-and-a-half after hosting an event with most of the nine candidates for Wawa Municipal Council, the Wawa Goose Seniors Centre is hosting its monthly Lunch and Learn, this time featuring both Melanie Pilon and Ray Vaillant.
Past President Carol Chalykoff explains that - like with the councillor candidates - the two have been asked to speak to the seniors.
Like with other lunch and learn events at the centre, it will also offer attendees pizza, coffee or tea, and dessert, sponsored by the Wawa Pharmacy.
The Lunch and Learn begins at 11:30 am.
Voting in Wawa's municipal election opens at 9 am next Friday, October 16th, and closes on Monday, October 26th, though Voter Information letters have already gone out - anyone who has not received theirs by tomorrow (Friday, October 9th) is advised to contact the Municipality of Wawa (at Town Hall or call 705-856-2244) to ensure they're on the voters list.
Wawa Municipal Council is taking aim at policing costs.
In their meeting last night, Council passed a motion focusing on OPP cost increases - read by CAO/Clerk Maury O'Neill, it highlighted the "significant expenditure" within the municipal budget.
While the motion acknowledged the government's cap, it also highlighted difficulties for municipalities addressing such increases.
The motion went on to warn the increases are "a significant burden for small, rural, and Northern municipalities and is not, by itself, a sustainable long-term solution", calling for the provincial government to take measures including setting a "permanent, transparent, and sustainable multi-year framework" for OPP costs including a "reasonable, predictable maximum annual increase...taking into consideration municipal revenue growth, inflation, assessment growth, population growth, fiscal capacity, and affordability", recognizing "the limited fiscal capacity of small, rural, Northern" municipalities, ensuring increases don't "disproportionately affect property tax payers or compromise municipalities' abilities to deliver other essential services and infrastructure", and recognizing municipalities have "limited ability" to control rising costs stemming from provincial legislation, regulation, staffing, compensation, collective bargaining, and operational policy decisions, urging provincial funding or cost-sharing where "significant policing cost pressures" stem from those.
Wawa Municipal Council's held what could be their final meeting of the term.
The brief meeting last night saw outgoing councillor Jim Hoffmann - who opted not to run for re-election - acknowledge it could be his last in that role.
Councillor Joe Opato - who also opted not to run for another term - declined to make a comment, though Mayor Melanie Pilon - who is running for a second term - thanked Council for their efforts over the term.
Pilon also wished good luck to those running for election, and all the best for those "hanging up their hat", adding it was "great to get to know" the other Council members.
Though Council's term officially ends in mid-November - weeks after the October 26th Election Day - the next scheduled meeting is the inaugural meeting of the new term on Monday, November 16th, when the new Council will be sworn-in, with their first proper meeting to be held Wednesday, November 18th.
Wesdome's been fined over the injury of a worker at a local mine over two years ago.
The fine stems from a September 2024 incident, in which a worker at the Eagle River Mine was injured when loose rock fell from a hanging wall while the worker was scaling it from a work platform in an open raise being developed in the underground mine.
Ontario's Ministry of Labour found the raise had inadequate ground support - with about five straps, fourteen rock bolts, and eighteen pieces of rebar missing - while the raise was excavated too narrow - making it difficult to install the needed rock bolts - leading to an Occupational Health and Safety Act charge of failure to ensure measures and procedures required by Ontario regulations were carried out.
The Toronto-based mining company pleaded guilty and was fined $100,000 plus a 25 percent victim fine surcharge - as required by provincial law - which will go to a provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
Chapleau businesses and job seekers will be brought together tomorrow.
Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board Communications Officer Chad Minten explains the Chapleau Career, Health, and Education Fair.
Minten says people can come and go, checking out what there is at the event.
While Minten says everyone is welcome to attend with no cost to do so, he does encourage bringing your phone to scan a QR code to fill out a survey and be entered into the draw for the door prize.
The Chapleau Career, Health, and Education Fair will be held at the Chapleau Recreation Centre Wednesday, October 7th, from 11 am to 3 pm.
Wawa Municipal Council's set to hold what could be their final meeting of the term tonight.
While Council's normally held at least a Committee of the Whole meeting and a regular meeting each meeting night, tonight there is only a regular Council meeting planned, with the agenda including resolutions proclaiming October 18th to 24th "Local Government Week" and supporting a motion regarding 2027 OPP policing costs.
The meeting starts at 6:30 pm tonight in Council Chambers - the main level boardroom of Town Hall - and will be livestreamed through the Municipality's YouTube channel.
Wawa's library is marking First Nations Public Library Week.
Head Librarian and CEO Sue Jarrell says the library started events to mark the occasion last weekend.
Jarrell notes there's also a couple special things happening this afternoon.
Jarrell reminds the Library's also marking Canadian Library Month, promoting having a library card by entering people into a draw if they bring in and show - or get a new - library card this month, while book and DVD sales are supporting the Alzheimer Society, and the library's promoting "Mark It Read" for Dyslexia with its collection of decodable books - a full list of special events and initiatives can be found through the library's website or Facebook page.
Speaking with JJAM FM News, Council candidates in Wawa and Chapleau were each given up to 5 minutes to answer 3 basic questions: why they’re running for Council; what they view as the main issue(s) for the coming Council term; and why they believe voters should elect them.
Interviews are airing on JJAM FM after the 12 noon newscast weekdays from Monday, October 5th through Friday, October 16th (no interview is airing on Thanksgiving Monday, October 12th), and will be uploaded to this page after they air.
Wawa Mayoral Candidates: Melanie Pilon (incumbent) and Ray Vaillant.
Chapleau Mayoral Candidates: Ryan Bignucolo (incumbent), Alex Lambruschini (current councillor), and Dave McDonald.
An interview could not be arranged with Alex Lambruschini
Wawa Council Candidates (4 positions available): Cathy Cannon (current councillor); Mitch Hatfield (current councillor); Colton Liddle; Shah Mohamed; Jason North; Ron Ouellette; Eric Paquette; Brandon Smit; and James Stewart.
Chapleau Council Candidates (4 positions available): Catherine Ansara (current councillor); Lisi Bernier (current councillor); Paul Bernier (current councillor); Michael Houle; Gretchen Larabee; Monique O’Hearn; and Pamela O’Hearn Morin.
Voting runs from 9:30 am Thursday, October 15th to 8 pm Monday, October 26th in Chapleau and from 9 am Friday, October 16th to 8 pm Monday, October 26th in Wawa. For more information on voting in the elections, contact your respective municipality or check their website.
A Wawa car dealership is encouraging everyone to help "scare hunger" this month.
Today marks the start of Northern Lights Ford's annual "Let's Scare Hunger Together" campaign, and organizer Danette Mathias says they're accepting non-perishable items to support the Wawa Community Food Bank, hoping to fill up 2 F-150 trucks.
Mathias notes a couple ways to support the campaign.
Mathias also highlights an additional incentive to donate.
The "Let's Scare Hunger Together" campaign runs through Halloween, October 31st.
Communities across Canada are marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Following on one of the calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, today was established by federal legislation in 2021 as a statutory holiday commemorating the victims and survivors and "tragic legacy of [Indian] residential schools in Canada, and the continuing harm", though it is still not a provincial statutory holiday in Ontario or certain other provinces.
In Wawa, the day is being marked with an "Honour Walk" from the Town Hall to the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre, led by Michipicoten First Nation Youth Drumming Group at 9:30 am this morning - after the walk will be "sharing by elders" followed by "an activity for everyone".
Since 2013, today has also been known as "Orange Shirt Day", named for a shiny orange shirt taken away from a residential school student on her first day at the school, with people encouraged to likewise wear an orange shirt in recognition and support of "Every Child Matters".
