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Just hours are left for early birds to register for Wawa's annual ice fishing derby.
Chairperson Scott Popert explains today is the early bird deadline, but there are a few ways to register in time.
Popert reminds there are five early bird prizes of $1000 this year, with other prizes for the derby including the $30,000 registration prize and prizes for the top six fish caught on each of the three derby lakes.
The 29th annual Wawa Ice Fishing Derby will be held March 6th through 8th.
Chapleau Council's confirmed the appointment of a key employee.
During their meeting earlier this week Council approved the appointment of Alvin Brown as the new Building Inspector, By-Law Officer, and Property Standards Officer - a combined role he started last week.
Mayor Michael Levesque previously noted it was necessary to combine the jobs.
Like Chapleau, Wawa has combined the two roles, with an "Assistant Director of Protective Services", described as "encompass[ing] the joint responsibilities of Fire Chief, Chief Building Official, and By-Law Enforcement".
Liquefied natural gas could be on its way to Chapleau.
During the meeting Monday night, Council heard a presentation from Northeast Midstream, raising the possibility of extending LNG service to Chapleau - an idea Mayor Michael Levesque says is being considered by Council.
Mayor Levesque does not have a timeline for the process that would lead to a decision, though he notes such a project would need approval from the Ontario Energy Board, and expects residents to hear more before the project could move forward.
A similar proposal for an LNG storage facility and distribution system in Wawa - as well as Manitouwadge, Marathon, Schreiber, and Terrace Bay - is still being considered by the OEB.
The local English Catholic school board's warning it will close schools next week, during a one day strike.
Already conducting an "administrative job action" campaign, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association says it will hold a province-wide strike next Tuesday, January 21st, and the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board says that means about 45% of its permanent employees will be walking off the job, so classes and transportation are cancelled for the day.
While the schools will be closed to students, the board does expect its non-striking employees to work normal hours that day.
Chapleau Town Council's set to hold their first meeting of the year.
Included on tonight's agenda is the introduction of the Township's new Building Inspector and By-Law and Property Standards Officer, with related by-laws to appoint them to the role.
There's also a delegation from Northeast Midstream regarding Liquefied Natural Gas, and resolutions on: a proposal for electric vehicle charging stations; a request from Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command to participate in the Military Service Recognition Book; a donation request from the Chapleau Ski Club; an appointment to the Public Health Sudbury and District Board of Health; and revisions to the Winter Carnival schedule and budget.
Council will also discuss winter maintenance policy and a planning report on short-term rentals.
Open to the public, tonight's meeting starts at 6:30 pm in Civic Centre Council Chambers.
Both local English school boards are putting off plans for the annual Grade 9 Math Assessment.
Just days after Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced that boards can decide whether to conduct the test as scheduled this week or wait - due to ongoing labour strife - the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board says it has decided its students will not take the test at this time, noting the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association is starting a job action campaign today, which prevents teachers from administering and marking the assessment.
The Algoma District School Board - meanwhile - says an ongoing job action campaign by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation means prompted it to postpone the Grade 9 Math Assessment, as the teachers aren't participating in EQAO preparation or testing, making it hard to administer or mark the test, or to make needed accommodations for some students.
Lecce had indicated that students who don't take the test now will need to do so in June, though the ADSB is raising concerns that would pose "significant challenges to both school staff and Grade 9 students who are not studying math in semester two" - the HSCDSB says it will "review the matter in the future to ensure fairness" for such students.
Ontario Provincial Police are calling figures from the recent Festive RIDE campaign "disappointing" and "concerning".
North East Region OPP say 1638 Festive RIDE checks were conducted between November 23rd and January 2nd, with 61 people arrested for impaired driving-related offences and another 30 issued Automatic Drivers' Licence Suspensions after registering in the "warn" range.
That reverses the declining trend seen the previous two years, as impaired driving charges were up 38 percent from the previous holiday season, and suspensions were up 30 percent.
Traffic Inspector Scott Hlady - the region's Traffic and Marine Manager - says it's "very disappointing and concerning to see that so many drivers in our region are choosing to put their lives and the lives of everyone else on the road at risk".
A Wawa hockey team's received some support from the local credit union.
The Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon says the Northern Credit Union presented an $850 cheque to the École secondaire Saint-Joseph (Wawa) hockey team on Tuesday.
It comes after the team - lead by teacher Kevin Auger - held a pastry sale last month, with funds raised going toward the team's participation in the 2020 Franco-Ontarian Hockey Tournament.
Less than two months before the event, organizers of Wawa's annual ice fishing derby are reminding there's still time to qualify for the derby's early bird draws.
Wawa Ice Fishing Derby Chairperson Scott Popert explains the early bird deadline is next Wednesday, but there are a few ways to register in time.
Popert reminds there are five early bird prizes of $1000 this year, with other prizes including the $30,000 registration prize and prizes for the top six fish caught on each of the three derby lakes.
The 29th annual Wawa Ice Fishing Derby will be held March 6th through 8th.
RYAM has been fined a quarter-million dollars over a fatal incident at its Chapleau mill.
Ontario's Ministry of Labour says Rayonier AM Canada Industries was fined after pleading guilty to failing as an employer to ensure that required measures and procedures were carried out in a workplace, specifically that a vehicle left unattended should be immobilized and secured against accidental movement.
That charge stems from an incident at the Chapleau softwood lumber mill on May 25th, 2018, involving a worker tasked with removing bundles of wood from the kiln and placing them in the yard - while there was no eyewitness, the Ministry says it's believed the worker had reversed the loader after placing a load in the yard, then got out to place three "crossers" - small pieces of wood - on that pile, to create space before another bundle was placed on top of it.
The Ministry believes the worker was in the process of placing a third crosser when the loader rolled forward, pinning them between the machine and the wood bundle - the worker subsequently died from their injuries.
Investigation revealed no mechanical defects in the loader's braking system, though it did find a brake actuator had been modified - making the parking brake easier to release - and the Ministry investigation further determined the loader's forks hadn't been securely lowered to the ground, while the machine was parked on uneven ground sloped toward the bundle, with no wheel chocks applied to the wheels, leading to the charge under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Rayonier - or Ryam Lumber - has also been ordered to pay a 25% victim fine surcharge, which goes to a special fund to assist victims of crime.
Some local schools are closed today, amid a one-day strike by members of a major teachers' union.
The targeted strike by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation includes both the local English public and English Catholic school boards - as well as all local French public and French Catholic schools - though only the Algoma District School Board and the Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon are closing their schools for the day.
The ADSB is also cancelling School Council and school-based meetings, activities, and sports - as well as adult and continuing education classes - though all community use of schools is allowed to continue as normal.
Meanwhile, the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board says its schools are staying open - as the union only represents about 30 noon-hour aides with the board - and the Conseil scolaire public du Grand-Nord de l'Ontario is also assuring that it's keeping its schools open, with before and after school programs offered as normal.
While the OSSTF has held multiple one-day strikes since starting work-to-rule job action in late November, this is only the second to affect local schools, after a province-wide strike in early December.
Wawa Municipal Council received an update on the ongoing limited predator control hunt in town during last night's regular meeting.
Less than a month after Council agreed to extend the hunt until March 31st this year - and from November 16th to December 31st - the liaison for the designated group of local hunters appeared before Council to discuss last winter's hunt.
Charlie Todesco first thanked Council for extending the hunt, saying a coyote was removed from the golf course on Saturday, while a 95-pound wolf was removed from within municipal boundaries - the second wolf since the report was written.
Looking back at the previous season, Todesco noted snow conditions hindered hunting efforts, though seven predator control hunts were conducted, with a lynx called out, but no coyotes or wolves - he did note five wolves were removed within municipal boundaries last year.
Emphasizing that there have been no public complaints about the hunt efforts, Todesco stated that there have been few coyote sightings in the community - though they have been heard in the area - and few coyotes seemed to go through the snow dump at the end of Tamarack last season and this season, too.
He also highlighted "numerous complaints" that coyotes may be using the creek to travel from Wawa Lake to the trailer park, suggesting the group may request it be added as a third allowed spot for shotguns only, though he has not formally requested it at this time, wanting to go over the area with municipal staff first - Mayor Ron Rody appeared open to the idea, however, suggesting it could be quickly approved, if needed.
A few major appointments have been confirmed for the Wawa Volunteer Fire Department.
In their meeting last night, Wawa Municipal Council approved the appointment of three new firefighters - Jason Crack, Kayley East, and William Moore - as well as the promotion of Paul Weaver to Captain, and the appointment of Pierre Gauthier as Deputy Fire Chief.
Fire Chief Kevin Sabourin says the appointments address some vacancies.
Chief Sabourin notes the new firefighters were chosen through a recruitment drive in the fall - which he says saw "quite a few individuals" apply - while the new captain and deputy chief were internally posted promotions.
Organizers are thanking supporters of a special fundraiser at Dubreuilville's arena last weekend.
The "1st annual Memorial Eddy's Hockey Day" was held Saturday, raising over $1700 for ALS Canada as three adult mixed teams and two kids teams - with players from Dubreuilville, Wawa, White River, Marathon, and Timmins - hit the ice for a day of fun, honouring late Dubreuilville ALS activist Eddy Lefrancois, who passed away a year ago.
A statement from organizer Eric Levesque thanks the organizing committee, the players, and fans who showed up, adding that "Eddy will never be forgotten by his community and the surrounding".
Wawa Municipal Council's marking the first Tuesday of the year with a pair of meetings.
Council's night is set to start with a Corporate Planning Committee meeting, which only has three items on the agenda: an update on the ongoing limited predator control hunt; a request from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine for the Municipality to support a student so they can attend the school's CampMed summer camp; and a request from Ecole Saint Joseph's Parent and Catholic School Council for sidewalk snow removal on Churchill Avenue.
Following that, Council will hold a regular meeting, with items including a confirmation of planned Council meeting dates - with the rescheduling of the January 21st meeting - as well as resolutions approving Council travel for the year and appointing a new captain and three new firefighters to the Wawa Volunteer Fire Department, with a later by-law including the appointment of a Deputy Fire Chief.
There are also three "in-camera" items on the agenda: a legal issue regarding a Freedom of Information request; a legal issue regarding the LNG shareholder agreement; and a personnel issue about staffing.
Aside from the "in-camera" portion, tonight's back-to-back meetings are open to the public, starting at 6:30 pm in Council Chambers.
Organizers of Wawa's Christmas Decoration Contest are thanking the community for their support, as they've unveiled the winners.
Isabeau Allard of the Wawa EDC says the contest was well received - and is particularly happy with the number of ballots cast online - and says organizers will likely continue to use categories like they did this time.
Allard also commends participants for lighting up the community to spread festive spirit, and highlights the winners.
The first place in each category has won the choice between a family season pass for skating or a two-month gym membership at the Community Centre, while second place gets to choose between a youth or adult skating season pass or one-month gym membership.
A northwestern Ontario resident is facing an impaired driving charge after a reported traffic hazard near Wawa.
Superior East OPP say officers received the report around 3:10 am this morning, with officers finding a vehicle stuck in a snowbank along Highway 17, north of town.
According to police, officers detected an odour of alcohol on the driver's breath - the driver was arrested and taken back to the Wawa detachment for further testing, leading to charges of operation while impaired - alcohol and drugs, and operation while prohibited.
The 32-year-old Longbow, Ontario resident's been released from custody, but was issued a 90-day Administrative Driver's Licence Suspension with a court date in February.
The vehicle's also been impounded.
Superior East OPP emphasize no amount of alcohol or drug is safe to consume and then drive, and urge everyone who observes a suspected impaired driver to call 9-1-1 or the OPP.
With the New Year now here, the Lady Dunn Health Centre Foundation is preparing to wrap up its annual holiday fundraising campaign.
The foundation's annual "Wish Upon A Star" campaign concludes today, and Foundation Chair Lina Rody reminds it aims to raise as much as it can to support an important equipment purchase.
Rody notes donations were particularly strong on "Giving Tuesday", with more than $4000 received, far exceeding the foundation's $1000 goal for the day.
The current campaign is part of efforts to raise $125,000 for a "Medical Device Reprocessing Device" - important for ensuring equipment at the hospital is safe to use - and Rody notes $40,000 had already been raised before the Wish campaign began.
Donations can be made at the hospital or online.
A special fundraiser is hitting the ice of Dubreuilville's arena this weekend.
The "1st annual Memorial Eddy's Hockey Day" will see teams of various categories - including kids in Grades 4 to 8 - play in a fun event raising funds for ALS Canada, in honour of Dubreuilville ALS activist Eddy Lefrancois, who passed away a year ago.
Dubreuilville renamed its arena - where the event's being held - in Eddy's honour in October.
A Wawa resident's facing sexual assault and other charges over an incident on Monday.
Superior East Ontario Provincial Police say they responded to a reported of a sexual assault on December 30th, with investigation leading to the arrest of a 52-year-old from Wawa on charges of sexual assault, sexual exploitation, and criminal harassment.
The accused has been remanded into custody, pending a bail hearing.
OPP are not releasing the accused's name, as a measure to protect the victim's identity.
Police emphasize victims in abusive relationships are not alone and there are local resources to help, such as Wawa and Area Victim Services and CHADWIC Home.
