Chapleau Council Approves Sidewalk & Water Treatment Plant Work

A couple municipal projects are moving forward in Chapleau.

Mayor Michael Levesque says Council has approved an increased budget for sidewalk repairs this year, awarding the contract to J. Provost Contracting.

Mayor Levesque says Council's also approved plans for work at the water treatment plant, noting costs are expected to be far over budget.

Given the importance of the job, Mayor Levesque says the Township will need to "dip into reserve funds", pointing to the breach months ago as evidence the work must be done.

Wawa & Chapleau Graduates Receive Vision Scholarships

Some local students are being honoured with special scholarships.

The Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon says two students from each of its secondary schools have been awarded "Vision Scholarships" valued at $500, for reflecting the board vision of "thriving French-language Catholic students, proud and ready to take place in their society".

Local recipients are Haley Fortin and Travis Terris from Ecole secondaire Saint-Joseph in Wawa and Sabrina Lepage and Nicholas Tremblay from Chapleau's ESC Trillium.

PHSD Reports 2166th COVID-19 Case

Another COVID-19 case has been confirmed in the region.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts is reporting its 2166th case - like most, it's in Greater Sudbury - though it is reporting two more "resolved" cases, leaving it with only 28 "active".

It notes a total of 179,876 total vaccine doses have been administered as of 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon: 123,768 people have had at least one shot, with 56,108 "fully vaccinated".

Chapleau Still Holding Canada Day Celebrations Despite Request to Cancel

The Township of Chapleau's moving ahead with Canada Day celebrations - after a call to cancel amid the recent discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves or burial sites near two former residential schools in Saskatchewan and British Columbia.

Chapleau Mayor Michael Levesque says Council was asked by "several concerned individuals" to cancel the celebrations "as a sign of respect and recognition" of that discovery.

Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sidestepped calls to "cancel" Canada Day amid these revelations, but stated Canadians should respect those who choose not to celebrate this year, and that Canada Day should serve as "a time of reflection on what we've achieved as a country but on what more we have to do" to address and improve from the country's historic wrongs.

Chapleau's Canada Day activities include a virtual angling event - which is already underway, continuing to July 4th - with more details on Facebook, at Chapleau Canada Day 2021.

Recent Acts of Vandalism to Municipal Property in Wawa

Local police have been contacted after a few incidents of vandalism at municipal property in Wawa over the last week.

Community Services and Tourism Director Alex Patterson explains the first incident involved graffiti on the Queen's Park play structure.

Patterson says the other incident left the Lion's Beach washrooms "pretty smashed up".

Patterson notes hopes are to get the washrooms reopened in the next few days.

He also encourages anyone with information about either incident to contact the OPP.

This isn't the first time the Lion's Beach washrooms have been closed due to vandalism: similar closures happened last summer, and in August 2016.

PHSD Reports No New COVID-19 Cases, 10 Resolved

Some good news on the COVID-19 front locally.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts is reporting ten more "resolved" cases, leaving it with only 29 "active": 25 in Greater Sudbury, three in the eastern part of the Sudbury District, and just one in the northern part of the Sudbury District, which includes Chapleau, Foleyet, Gogama, Cartier, and First Nation communities in the area.

It also notes more than 177,000 vaccine doses had been administered as of 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, with 123,637 people getting at least one shot, 53,772 "fully vaccinated".

Wawa Public Library Joins in Big Library Read

The Wawa Public Library's encouraging readers to join in the "world's largest book club".

Assistant Librarian Suzie Jarrell explains the local library's participating in the "Big Library Read", allowing library card holders to get a special ebook being offered in over 20,000 libraries around the world for a large online book club discussing the thriller novel.

Jarrell notes the "Big Library Read" uses "Libby" - an app available through the library, allowing readers to download books to their computer, phone, or tablet - and "OverDrive" - a digital reading platform for ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines.

More information can be found at biglibraryread.com or by calling the local library - the Big Library Read runs today to July 12th.

Chapleau Council to Confirm 2021 Budget Measures

Chapleau Town Council will consider this finalizing budget measures tonight.

Included on the agenda for tonight's regular meeting are standard by-laws for implementing the 2021 budget - Mayor Michael Levesque noted two weeks ago that Council had agreed on this year's tax levy increase.

At that time, Mayor Levesque had noted rising costs and lost revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other cost increases.

Council will also consider an $80,000 purchase order for J. Provost Contracting to do sidewalk replacement, and will consider supporting a Regional Powersports Strategy.

The public can listen in on the meeting by calling 1-800-974-5902, entering conference ID 5116623 - it starts at 6:30 pm.

Wawa Council Awards Contract for School Zone Project

The Municipality of Wawa's awarded the contract for a major infrastructure project.

Infrastructure Services Director Dan Beach says Wawa Municipal Council has approved an agreement for J. Provost Contracting to carry out the School Zone Resurfacing and Line Painting Project, but notes plans were revised to get the project under budget.

Beach says plans are for the work to begin "as soon as possible" - hopefully within the month of July - though it will be a two-year project.

PHSD & PHU Report New COVID-19 Cases Over Weekend

A few more COVID-19 cases are being reported in the region.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts has added five in Greater Sudbury and another in the Sudbury District - bringing it to 2165, with 39 "active" - while nine more screened positive for a variant of concern, bringing that to 975.

It has also declared an end to an outbreak declared earlier this month for Flying Post Camp Logistics at IAMGOLD's Cote Gold Mine Project in Gogama.

The Porcupine Health Unit confirmed fourteen cases over the weekend - twelve in the James and Hudson Bay region - bringing its total to 2032.

It last reported 115 "active", but that was before these cases, as it does not update those figures over the weekend.

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit has ceased issuing weekend updates, while Algoma Public Health simply had nothing new to report.

PHSD, PHU & TBDHU Report New COVID-19 Cases

It appears a COVID-19 death in the region was reported in error.

While the Porcupine Health Unit's website had shown 30 yesterday - with no details - that has since changed back to 29, with no details.

The health unit is - however - reporting fifteen more cases in the James and Hudson Bay region, one in the Timmins area, and another in the Kapuskasing, Opasatika, Val Rita-Harty, Moonbeam, and Fauquier-Strickland area - noting some stem from "data cleaning" - that brings it to 2018 total, though the number "active" has dropped to 115.

The health unit's also lifted shutdown-level restrictions as of today - while the province had moved into Step One of reopening two weeks ago, the Porcupine Health Unit kept the restrictions in place amid high case numbers, but the situation has since vastly improved - with Timmins Mayor Georgie Pirie even declaring the city's COVID-related state of emergency is now over.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts is reporting four in Greater Sudbury and two in the Sudbury District - bringing it to 2159 - leaving it with 37 "active": 31 in Greater Sudbury, two in the northern part of the Sudbury District, one in the western part of the district, and two in the eastern.

It's also reporting five more cases screened positive for a variant of concern, bringing that total to 966.

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit's added a single new case of COVID-19 in the Thunder Bay area, bringing it to 3335, with ten "active", three in hospital, two in an ICU.

Chapleau Launches Canada Day Celebration Fishing Tournament

Just in time for Canada Day, Chapleau's encouraging anglers to get out on the water for a special COVID-safe fishing tournament.

As part of its virtual Canada Day festivities, the Township of Chapleau's launched a ten-day virtual fishing tournament, on now until July 4th - participants simply need to sign up through the Angler's Atlas website and MyCatch app, like the Ontario Ice Fishing Challenge in February, then use the app to log their catch.

Mayor Michael Levesque encourages anglers to sign up.

Details about the tournament - and Chapleau's Canada Day celebrations - can be found on Facebook, at Chapleau Canada Day 2021.

Chapleau Ojibwe First Nation Getting Federal $ For High-Speed Internet

A local First Nation community's receiving some federal support to connect a few homes to high-speed internet.

The federal government's announced over $9.5-million for eleven such projects in rural Ontario, including $14,241 for the Chapleau Ojibwe First Nation to connect thirteen households in the Chapleau Ojibwe First Nation.

The Pic River Development Corporation's also getting funding for a project to connect 145 Indigenous households in the Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation.

Chapleau Pentecostal Church Holding Event Supporting Haiti Mission

Chapleau Pentecostal Church is encouraging everyone to help support children in Haiti, as the church holds a modified version of an annual event.

Pastor Dot Guertin explains the church is hosting an indoor yard sale, a car wash, and a takeout barbecue tomorrow, emphasizing it supports the Haiti Mission, which she reminds does quite a bit in that area.

The event - which will follow COVID-19 protocols - runs from 8 am to 2 pm Saturday, at Chapleau Pentecostal Church.

PHSD Warns COVID-19 2nd Dose Appointment May Need to be Rebooked

A local health unit's warning you may need to rebook your second vaccine appointment.

Following the provincial government's decision to accelerate doses of the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, Public Health Sudbury and Districts is warning that all second dose appointments that had been scheduled for a clinic on or after July 12th in the Sudbury and Manitoulin Districts will be cancelled and need to be rebooked, with limited exceptions.

Those who had their appointment booked for after July 12th based on the 112-day interval will need to rebook, though anyone who's already eligible for an accelerated second dose and has already rebooked their appointment isn't affected by this, nor are appointments booked through primary care or pharmacies.

PHSD Confirms 31st COVID-19 Death

Another COVID-19 death has been confirmed in the region.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts is giving no details about its 31st death, except that it is in Greater Sudbury, like all of its previous COVID-related deaths - this comes just shy of a month after its 30th.

The health unit's also reporting five new cases in Greater Sudbury and another in the Sudbury District - bringing it to 2153, with 35 "active" - while two more cases screened positive for a variant of concern, bringing that total to 961.

Algoma Public Health's figures have also changed: a note on the health unit's website says a "further review of data" has led its case count to increase by one - to an even 400 - though the variant of concern case count decreased by one - to 109 - with the "adjustment" involving "resolved cases which have been reassigned to align with provincial case counts across public health units".

The Algoma health unit currently has two "active" cases, one in hospital.

Wawa Council to Hold Special Meeting

Wawa Municipal Council's also planning a special meeting - tomorrow.

There are only three items on the agenda: the write-off of taxes and declaration of surplus land; a by-law authorizing the purchase of land located at 84 Broadway Ave.; and a by-law approving an agreement with J. Provost Contracting for the School Zone Resurfacing and Line Painting Project.

The meeting will be broadcast on the Municipality's YouTube channel starting at 12:30 tomorrow afternoon.

LDHC Board Holding AGM Via Videoconference

A major meeting's coming up for Wawa's hospital.

The Lady Dunn Health Centre board of directors is holding its annual general meeting tonight, at 7 pm - like most meetings amid the pandemic, it is via videoconference.

For more information, call Hannah Garland at 705-856-2335, extension 3210.

The Lady Dunn Health Centre Foundation's also preparing for its annual general meeting, to be held June 29th at 4:30 pm - anyone who wishes to attend that meeting is asked to email foundation@ldhc.com today.

PHSD & PHU Confirm New COVID-19 Cases

A few more COVID-19 cases are being reported in the region.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts is reporting two new cases in Greater Sudbury - bringing the health unit to 2147, with 30 "active" - while three more screened positive for variants of concern, bringing that to 959.

The Porcupine Health Unit - on the other hand - is reporting two new cases in the James and Hudson Bay region and another in the Timmins area, bringing the health unit to 1972 - it last reported 143 "active", but that was before those cases were reported.

It's also reporting another case of the "Delta" variant first detected in India - it's the 30th case of the variant seen by the Porcupine Health Unit.

Harte Gold Reports Workplace COVID-19 Transmission at Sugar Zone Mine

Harte Gold has confirmed workplace transmission of COVID-19 at its Sugar Zone Mine in White River.

The company says it is currently managing three cases of COVID-19 among employees of the mine - two of which are asymptomatic - with the transmission occurring in the mill facilities - mill operations were temporarily suspended as impacted crews self-isolate, though Harte says "business continuity plans are in place and an incoming crew will start its rotation by the middle of this week" and the mill's expected to resume operations today, so all stockpiled ore will be processed by the end of the month.

Mining operations have not been impacted.

According to the company, contact tracing was completed in partnership with Algoma Public Health, to determine the potential for additional exposures - those potentially affected are self-isolating while protocols will remain in place for fourteen days, per Algoma Public Health recommendations, with regular monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms.

Algoma Public Health only reported one new case Tuesday - the fourth it has reported for North Algoma - leaving the health unit with four "active", one in hospital.