No 2023 LDHCF Nine & Dine Golf Tourney, 2024 Event Planned

Golfers won't be hitting the greens in support of Wawa's hospital this year - but are expected to do so next summer.

Acknowledging inquiries about their Nine and Dine Golf Tournament, the Lady Dunn Health Centre Foundation says it will not be holding the event this year, but have confirmed plans for the fundraiser to return on June 22, 2024, though the Foundation's also planning "smaller events throughout the early summer and fall", noting funds raised through its online 50/50 raffle "stay in Wawa and help to purchase much needed equipment as well as support health services throughout our community and surrounding area".

Last year's first annual LDHC Foundation Nine and Dine Charity Golf Tournament raised a total of $5150 for the purchase of equipment supporting the Wawa hospital's MediTech ONE Expansion Project.

Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Presses on Conservation Officer/Forest Firefighter Pay

Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha's pushing the provincial government to address staffing issues for Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

Speaking in Question Period, the independent MPP pressed Minister Graydon Smith over concerns raised by conservation officers and wildland forest firefighters about staff leaving their positions in search of better pay, with Mantha noting he previously raised those concerns with Minister Smith last fall.

Calling on Smith to immediately address the wage concerns, Mantha says government "low wage policies" are having an effect on Northern communities, noting there are only four fire crews set to operate in the Chapleau area this season - down from ten last season - emphasizing it's "vital" Ontario's Aviation, Forest Fire, and Emergency Service is "adequately staffed to respond quickly to forest fires".

Wawa Council Holding Trio of Meetings

Wawa Municipal Council's holding a trio of meetings tonight.

That includes a Committee of the Whole meeting, including reports on the Community Safety Zone, roll-off bin purchase for the Landfill expansion, funding for Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre modernization, and Sportsfield Track replacement.

That'll be followed by tonight's regular Council meeting, which includes a by-law to enter into an agreement with J. Provost Contracting for the track replacement, and by-laws for an agreement with The Loomex Group for a Community Risk Assessment and Fire Service Review and with Kresin Engineering to provide professional engineering services to the Municipality.

A Committee of Adjustment meeting will also be held, to address an application for a minor variance.

The meetings will be held back-to-back-to-back, starting at 6:30 pm tonight in Council Chambers - they'll also be livestreamed through the Municipality's YouTube channel.

PHSD Reports New COVID-19 Cases

More COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the region.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts is reporting nine since Friday - eight in Greater Sudbury, the other in the broader Sudbury District - though known "active" cases dropped to 55, with five in hospital, one in an ICU.

There have not been any "active" cases reported in the northern Sudbury District (which includes Chapleau, Cartier, Foleyet, Gogama, and neighbouring First Nations) in seven weeks, though the health unit is holding an "appointment only" COVID-19 vaccination clinic at its Chapleau office next week, on Wednesday, May 24th.

Chapleau Reminds Dog Owners to Scoop the Poop

Chapleau's reminding dog owners to clean up after their pets.

The Township reminds its by-law to control dogs prohibits owners from leaving their dog's excrement on or in a public place or private property, requiring it be removed immediately and without delay in a sanitary manner - or face a fine of $55.

It further warns evening patrols will enforce the regulation, reminding owners to have a sanitary excrement bag while walking their dog.

Ecole Saint-Joseph Franco Chess Tournament Returning After 3 Years Without

Young chess masters will be gathering in Wawa later this week.

Wawa's École Saint-Joseph is preparing for its seventh annual Franco chess tournament, and - while this is the first since 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic - teacher/organizer René-Guy Nobert says it will be a mix of past participants and new from local schools and across the northeast.

The chess players will be divided into four categories: grades three and four; five and six; seven and eight; and secondary school.

The tournament will be held Thursday, May 18th.

PHSD Reports New COVID-19 Cases, Still None for Northern Sudbury District

More COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the region.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts is reporting eleven since Wednesday - ten in Greater Sudbury, the other in the Manitoulin District - though known "active" cases dropped slightly, to 66, with nine in hospital, two in ICUs - the same as Wednesday.

There have not been any "active" cases reported in the northern Sudbury District (which includes Chapleau, Cartier, Foleyet, Gogama, and neighbouring First Nations) in seven weeks.

The health unit is holding an "appointment only" COVID-19 vaccination clinic at its Chapleau office next week, on Wednesday, May 24th.

Wawa's Legion Golf Tournament Returning Soon

A sign of the coming summer season is approaching: Wawa's annual Legion Golf Tournament.

Organizer Larry Harvey of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 429 outlines the basic details of the event.

Harvey says there will be prizes, and emphasizes the tournament supports the local Legion.

Anyone wanting to register is asked to contact Harvey by June 7th, so arrangements can be made for the tournament on June 10th.

Wawa's Goose Nest Markets Return With Event for Mother's Day

Wawa's Goose Nest Markets are returning just in time for Mother's Day.

Municipal Recreation Coordinator Stacey White explains the first market of the year will be held tomorrow.

While she notes many vendors with a variety of items, White notes they're trying something new, as well.

White emphasizes this is just the start of the season, with a Garage Sale Goose Nest Market May 27th, Youth Entrepreneurs Market June 3rd, Indigenous Day Market June 17th, and a Canada Day Market on July 1st - and she encourages vendors or those interested in running a special event as part of Canada Day celebrations to register now, by going to the Goose Nest Market Facebook page.

Tomorrow's "Mother's Day Goose Nest Market" runs from 11 am to 2 pm.

PHSD & PHU Report New COVID-19 Cases

More COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the region.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts is reporting 22 since Monday - twenty in Greater Sudbury, two in the broader Sudbury District - pushing known "active" cases up to 67, with nine in hospital, two in ICUs.

The neighbouring Porcupine Health Unit's reporting sixteen cases over the last week - nearly double the previous week's count - it's reporting one currently in hospital.

3 Former Wawa Council Candidates In Trouble for Not Filing Financial Statements

Three candidates in last fall's Wawa municipal election failed to file financial statements afterward.

The Municipality's posted statements for most of the candidates, but says Leah Isosaari, Robert Reeves, and Sue Smith - all of whom unsuccesfully ran to be councillors - were not compliant with that section of Ontario's Municipal Elections Act, which requires candidates to file the statements for their campaign by the last Friday in the March following the election.

Under the Act, those who fail to file statements would need to forfeit any office to which they were elected - not required in this case - and they're ineligible to be elected or appointed to any office to which the Act applies - such as mayor or Council - until the next regular election has taken place - that means they're unable to run in the 2026 municipal elections in any Ontario municipality, or any byelection before then - nor can they be appointed to fill a Council seat in Ontario - though that ban would be lifted after the 2026 municipal elections.

APH Reports 103rd COVID-19 Death, New Cases

Another COVID-19 death's been confirmed in the region.

Algoma Public Health's reporting its 103rd since the pandemic began - it doesn't say where - it last reported a death two weeks ago.

The health unit's also reporting fourteen new cases over the last week, slightly down from the previous week - five in the Sault Ste. Marie area, four in Central and East Algoma, four in the Elliot Lake area, and another in North Algoma (which includes Wawa, Dubreuilville, White River, and the Michipicoten and Missinabie Cree First Nations) - with known "high risk active" cases up slightly, to 21 - while it shows three in hospital, it's also reporting four in ICUs.

Chapleau Council Awards Rec Centre Lighting Retrofit Contract, Talks Murals

Chapleau Town Council's approved plans for some work at the Recreation Centre.

In their meeting Monday night, Council approved a resolution to award the $77,887.28 contract for the Recreation Centre Lighting Retrofit project to Pro North Electric.

Mayor Ryan Bignucolo explains the project, which he expects to begin soon.

Bignucolo notes Council also discussed murals in the community.

Mayor Bignucolo says the appropriate businesses will be contacted, with hopes to work with community partners on this - and he hopes it'll be addressed "sooner than later".

Council also approved plans for the annual Municipal Household Hazardous Waste Day - expected next month - and for the presentation of the draft 2023 Operating Budget next Monday, May 15th.

Dubreuilville Council Considering Animal Control, Noise & Property Standard By-Laws

Dubreuilville Town Council's considering a trio of by-laws.

While it gave first and second reading late last month, Dubreuilville Council's set to give third and final reading to by-laws on animal care and control, noise regulation, and property maintenance and occupancy standards - all three can be read in full on the Township's website.

Tonight's meeting begins at 7 pm.

Toronto Man Sentenced to Life, No Parole for 10 Years Over Death Near Wawa

A Toronto man will spend at least a decade behind bars for killing a Sudbury man just south of Wawa.

Houssein Hassan was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole for ten years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the May 2019 death of 32-year-old Devin Collin, whose remains were found along Highway 17 in Rabazo Township - south of the Michipicoten River Bridge - nearly a month later.

Now-28-year-old Hassan was originally charged with first-degree murder but the Crown accepted his guilty plea for the lesser charge.

A Mississauga man charged with accessory after the fact to murder pleaded guilty to that charge in October 2021, when he was 24, and was given a conditional sentence of two years less a day, which was to be served in the community

HSCDSB Warns Some Student Info Compromised by December Cyberattack

The local English Catholic school board's warning more information - including about students - was likely compromised by a cyberattack just ahead of Christmas.

The Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board had announced in January that the December 15th "cyber-incident" which caused an early start to the holidays saw the attackers steal "a significant number of files from a Board file server", warning at the time that employees employed in the last four tax years - 2019 to 2022 - were likely affected - with information such as social insurance numbers, date of birth information, compensation information, banking information, and garnishment information exposed - and it warned "some students and parents will likely be affected", but it would take time to go through the data to determine who was affected and "to what extent".

It now says further analysis of the data has led the board to inform certain students and more employees that their information was compromised - it is offering credit monitoring services to those individuals "as warranted and based on the type of information exposed".

HSCDSB says "delivering the notices was a major milestone in putting this difficult matter behind us", adding "we have learned from it and are continuing to strengthen our defences" and - while "security concerns themselves limit our ability to say more" - the board assures "our community...our efforts are multi-faceted, improve our defences against phishing attacks, and enhance our ability to detect intrusions should they occur", so they're "confident that we are better protected from the significant cyber security risks which face school boards across the province today".

Municipality of Wawa Reminds Anglers to Get Ice Huts, Residents Turn Off Water Bypasses

The Municipality of Wawa's reminding anglers to get their ice huts.

A notice from the municipality warns ice huts - and their contents - found along William Teddy Park and the Wawa Lake shoreline areas or municipal boulevards will be impounded by Monday, May 15th.

Owners would need to pay $75 to get the hut and its contents back, and - if not claimed by the following Friday, May 19th - the huts and contents will be put up for public sale.

The Municipality's also reminding residents with water by-passes to turn off the valves by Monday, May 15th.

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