Wawa Ice Fishing Derby 2018 Results

Anglers have left the ice as the 27th annual Wawa Ice Fishing Derby is now in the books.
Derby President Scott Popert is calling it a "great success", noting there were "lots" of entries, great weather, an "awesome" amount of fish reeled in - and several big winners.

Brent Snyder of Moran, Michigan reeled in the largest fish in the derby, a 16.6-pound pike, claiming the top prize on Hawk Lake.
The other top prizes went to locals, with Wawa's Maurice Lecours reeling in Wawa Lake's biggest fish - a 12.57 pound lake trout - and Dubreuilville's Marc Belanger topping the standings for Manitowik Lake with a 9.6-pound pike.
A full breakdown of results can be found on the derby's website.
Popert adds organizers are listening and talking about how to improve the derby for future years.

MVFA Annual Cash Draw Final Winners

Wawa's firefighters are thanking the community for their support, after a very successful fundraising campaign - the Michipicoten Volunteer Firefighters Association's Annual Cash Draw sold out hours before the final draws were to be made Sunday night.
Ahead of the Valentine's Day draw last month, Captain Craig Spooner explained the main purpose of the campaign.

Wawa's Rene Derasp claimed the big $10,000 grand prize, while Gerry Desrochers and Ashley Omilida each won $1000, with Jody Renaud and Crystal Morden sharing a $1000 ticket.

2 Presentations of Monies Raised for "The Lift for the Legion" Campaign

Presentation #1

Pictured standing left to right- Rob Sanderson, Mary-Anne Pearson, Albert Nicholas, Sam Rowe

Presentation #2

Pictured  standing from Left to Right- Rob Sanderson, Mary-Anne Pearson, Albert Nicholas, Sam Rowe

The first presentation of $1850.00 was made to the Legion Branch #429 of the monies raised from the Emergency Services hockey game played Jan 27 2018. The Wawa's Emergency Service teams were comprised of individuals of the local Ontario Provincial Police department, Wawa Volunteer Fire department and the Algoma District Paramedic Service. 

The second presentation of $2000.00 was made to the Legion Branch #429 from the Michipicoten Volunteer Firefighters Association.

The Legion would like to thank everyone for the donation.

For more information about the lift for the legion accessibility campaign, call Mary-Anne Pearson, president of the Wawa legion, 705-856-7203.

27th Annual Wawa Ice Fishing Derby Arrives

Anglers are gathering in Wawa today, as they look to reel in some prizes at the 27th annual Wawa Ice Fishing Derby.
Derby Chairperson Scott Popert notes the derby's following last year's prize system, which he likens to having a mini-derby on each of the derby's three lakes.

Popert reminds there is also a $30,000 registration draw for anyone with a ticket - if they're 18 or older - and there'll be ten Early Bird draws of $500 each at 8 o'clock tonight.
It's too late to get a ticket for the Early Bird (the deadline was January 15th), but some tickets are still available.
Plans are to sell any remaining tickets during registration, which will be held at the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre from 1 pm until 10 pm today and 9 am to 12 noon tomorrow.
Fishing runs from 8 am to 4 pm Saturday and 8 am to 1 pm Sunday, with the prizes to be awarded around 5 pm Sunday night.
JJAM FM's Rick Labbe will be bringing live derby updates as he's live-on-location at derby headquarters from 12 noon to 4 pm Saturday and 10 am to 2 pm Sunday.

Final Draws Approaching for MVFA Annual Cash Draw

Wawa's firefighters are reminding time and tickets are running out for their annual cash draw.
The Michipicoten Volunteer Firefighter's Association is preparing for the final four draws, and Captain Craig Spooner is encouraging everyone to get a ticket to help the draw sell out, as it supports a couple local causes.

Spooner reminds the winners of each draw will be entered into the remaining draws, meaning you could win multiple prizes for the same ticket.
Wawa's Jocelyn and Andre Bedard won the $1000 Early Bird Draw in December, while Dubreuilville's Andrew Thibodeau won the $1000 Valentine's Day Draw.
Tickets will be sold at the Wawa Ice Fishing Derby until they sell out or the final three $1000 draws and the $10,000 grand prize draw are made at 5:30 Sunday night.

Chapleau Civic Centre Getting New Ramp

Chapleau's Civic Centre will be getting a new ramp.
Mayor Michael Levesque says the current ramp's condition has prompted plans for its replacement.

Mayor Levesque notes the Township's received a government grant for the project, with tenders already sent out to choose a contractor to do the work this summer.

Wawa Seniors Luncheon Arrives

Wawa seniors will sit down for a special lunch today, learning about some services in the community at the same time.
Mayor Ron Rody explains the third annual Seniors' Luncheon is a social and educational event.
 

Mayor Rody says he will be a speaker at the event, along with Legion Branch 429 President Mary Anne Pearson, and others.
Proceeds from the luncheon will support the local Lift For The Legion campaign.

Wawa B.I.A. Holding Annual General Meeting

Wawa's Business Improvement Association is set to look back at the last year and plan for this one, as they hold their annual general meeting.
As in past years, the meeting's expected to include a review of last year's activities and finances, this year's priorities, and a draft 2018 budget to be approved.
While everyone can attend the meeting, only BIA members will be able to vote on any proposed items, such as the budget.
The BIA AGM begins at 6:30 tonight in the Wawa Motor Inn's Cornell Room.

Time Running Out For Wawa Recycling Survey

Residents of Wawa are being reminded to give their opinion about recycling in town.
Green Project Coordinator Jessie Labonte says the Economic Development Corporation of Wawa launched a survey on the municipality's behalf, asking for input on a few factors regarding recycling.

Labonte encourages any Wawa resident with an opinion on recycling to fill out the survey, noting those who do will be entered into a draw to win a $50 John's Valu-Mart gift card.
The survey can be found through the municipal and EDC websites, or by calling or stopping in the EDC office - they must be completed by 4 o'clock this afternoon.

Chapleau Council Considering Lowering Highway 101 Speed Limit

Chapleau Town Council is considering changing the speed limit for Highway 101 arriving in town.
Mayor Michael Levesque explains there have been concerns raised about the current limit.

Mayor Levesque says Ontario's Ministry of Transportation has told the Township it will collect data this summer, which it considers the best time to do so.
That means - though Council's thinking about the issue - a decision won't be coming until the fall.

Wawa Outdoor Rink Closed

The nice weather's having a negative side effect: Wawa's outdoor ice rink is closed due to weather.
A notice from the Municipality says the warm weather and sunshine have caused slush to develop at the rink outside the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre, making it unsuitable for skating.
Skaters are reminded to watch the flag outside the rink to see if it's open: a red flag means it's closed, while green means it's considered safe for use.

SJD Students Support Wawa Food Bank

Several students from Wawa's Sir James Dunn Public School trudged through the snow to brighten up Monday for the Wawa Food Bank.
Jennifer Chandor-Hall explains her class brought donations for the food bank.

Food Bank co-ordinator Cindy Szekely praises the efforts.

Superior East OPP Family Day Long Weekend Statistics

Superior East OPP were kept busy over the Family Day long weekend.
The local OPP say they responded to 112 calls for service over the weekend, with 9 motor vehicle collisions and 2 drug-related occurrences.
They also laid 1 Criminal Code charge and issued 51 provincial offence notices.
There is a silver lining: there were no impaired driving charges or fatal collisions in the region.

Wawa Council Decides How It Will Fill Vacancies

Wawa Municipal Council has confirmed their procedure for choosing two new councillors.
Council's approved a process similar to the one used in August 2015, though Mayor Ron Rody notes there's a slight change in what happens after Council hears from the candidates.

While the recommendation of which two candidates to appoint will come from a closed session, Mayor Rody assures that the final decision - including the vote itself - will be done in open session.
Deputy Clerk Cathy Cyr's confirmed to JJAM FM News that five expressions of interest were submitted, though one failed to meet the deadline of 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon, leaving four potential candidates.
They have yet to be certified as meeting the legislated requirements for a councillor, though that is expected in the coming days, with the remaining candidates to be revealed after that is done.
Exactly when Council will hear from the candidates and choose the two new councillors hasn't been confirmed, though the next regular meeting of Council is scheduled for March 13th.

Wawa Council To Decide How To Fill Vacancies

Wawa Municipal Council's set to decide their vacancy procedure - just hours after ending a call for potential councillors.
A resolution on vacancy procedure's included on the agenda for tonight's Corporate Planning and Policy Manual Committee meeting, as well as a special meeting expected to be held after the committee meeting.
While Council had been accepting expressions of interest for potential councillors to fill two vacant seats, they have yet to confirm how appointees would be chosen if there are more than two applicants.
The deadline has now passed - it was 2 o'clock this afternoon.
Also on the agenda for tonight's committee meeting is a C-A-O report on the 2018 capital budget, fundraising for cemetery beautification, and a resignation from the Community Development Committee.
There is a second item on the agenda for tonight's special meeting: a by-law regarding a funding agreement.
The meetings are scheduled to be held back-to-back, starting at 6 o'clock in Council chambers.

FEB 14TH WAWA MICHIPICOTEN VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER ANNUAL CASH DRAW

Feb 14th Wawa Michipicoten volunteer Firefighter Valentine's cash draw $1000 winner is Andre Thibodeau from Dubreuilville, ON, ticket # 3961

Congratulations Andre!!

Local MP Tables Passenger Rail Petition

Local M-P Carol Hughes is again calling for support for the halted Algoma Passenger Train.
Speaking in the House of Commons this week, the Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing New Democrat delivered a petition calling for a return for the passenger train between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst.
Noting this is in no way the first petition for the cause that she's tabled, Hughes says this latest petition shows the level of public support for the service "is strong and not wavering" nearly three years after the train was shut down.
Hughes adds the loss of the train service has "resulted in substantial hardships for the area's residents, businesses, and communities", adding "the economy in the Algoma district cannot afford the loss of train-related employment, its economic impact, and the safe, reliable access to the Algoma wilderness".

Chapleau Reeling In 21st Pike Ice Fishing Derby

Chapleau's reeling in anglers this weekend, as the annual Pike Ice Fishing Derby returns for an 21st year.
Once again hosted by the Rotary Club of Chapleau, the annual event's been sold out for a month, bringing in anglers with over $80,000 in prizes, including the entry prize of a 2018 Dodge Ram.
Mayor Michael Levesque says the derby is quite important to Chapleau.

Registration runs from noon to 10 today at the A.W. Moore Arena, with fishing from 7 to 4 tomorrow on the Chapleau River and at Mulligan's Bay and Chartrand Lake.
JJAM FM's Rick Labbe will be live on location from the derby from 11 to 4 Saturday.