Wawa Rotary Online Auction Nears

The Rotary Club of Wawa is taking its largest annual fundraiser online once again.

Wawa Rotary Online Auction Committee Chair Bill Devries explains the event is a modified version of a longtime tradition supporting the club.

Devries notes the event will see a number of items put on the digital auction block.

Devries reminds you simply need to sign up at the website at auctria.com/auction/wawarotaryonlineauction - a link is available at jjamfm.live - it doesn't require payment information, as that will be addressed if you win when the auction closes.

The Rotary Online Auction starts Sunday, November 19th, continuing until 10 pm the following Saturday, November 25th.

Wawa's Fall By Hand Festival Arrives

Wawa residents are getting a chance to see the works of many local artisans and get an early start on Christmas shopping this weekend.

By Hand Festival Coordinator Maria Reid explains the event's an arts and crafts festival featuring 24 exhibitors.

The Fall By Hand will run from 10 am to 3 pm tomorrow at the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre - admission is by silver collection.

Festive RIDE Campaign Launches for 2023 Season

Ontario Provincial Police are getting into the holiday spirit, with their annual Festive RIDE campaign now underway.

Superior East OPP Community Safety Officer Constable Ashley Nickle explains the annual holiday season campaign will see officers watching for impaired drivers.

Emphasizing "even one life lost is too many", Constable Nickle notes impaired driving costs dozens of lives every year, reminding "we all have a role to play in keeping our roads safe", warning people not to drive after consuming alcohol or drugs - nor to let others do so - instead utilizing other options to safely travel, further warning penalties for impaired driving include immediate licence suspension, vehicle impoundment, and expensive fines - even worse if convicted - and there is "zero tolerance" for young, novice, or commercial drivers, meaning zero alcohol in their blood while driving.

6th Annual Lori Johnson Memorial Women's Hockey Tournament Arrives in Wawa

Residents of the Wawa area are being invited to watch some exciting hockey this weekend.

Organizer Suzanne Lacasse explains the 6th annual Lori Johnson Memorial Women's Hockey Tournament is set to hit the ice.

Lacasse encourages people to come out and watch: the first game's at 6 o'clock tonight, with games continuing through the weekend - the "Beer League" final is at noon Sunday and the "Rec League" final at 1 pm Sunday afternoon.

There's also a "Plaid Party" dance open to the public - for a fee - starting at 9 pm Saturday night.

Tim Hortons Wawa Holiday Smile Cookie Campaign Nears End

Time is running out for the chance to get an extra smile with your coffee - and help support a local cause.

CHADWIC Home Program Supervisor Bonnie Ross explains the first ever Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie campaign's underway, with proceeds raised from the cookie sales to be split between two causes.

Ross notes this coincides with the annual Shine the Light on Woman Abuse campaign, with purple ribbons up along Broadway Avenue and Mission Road, the campaign flag flying at the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre, and businesses and residents encouraged to put up purple lights and decorations for the remainder of the campaign, which continues through the 16 Days of Action on Violence Against Women, ending on Human Rights Day, which is December 10th.

HSCDSB Trustees Acclaim Returning Chair, New Vice Chair

Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board trustees have chosen some familiar faces for leadership.

Third-term Sault Ste. Marie trustee Gary Trembinski was acclaimed for a second year as chair in the board's meeting Wednesday, while former employee-turned-fellow Sault trustee John Bruno was elected vice chair - Bruno worked for the board for 37 years, including as a teacher, principal, and superintendent of education before he retired in 2018, though he was elected as a trustee last year.

PHSD Reports 225th COVID-19 Death, 4th in 2 Weeks

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

Public Health Sudbury and Districts is reporting its 225th COVID-related death - the 196th in Greater Sudbury - it's the fourth COVID death over the last two weeks, three of which have been in Greater Sudbury, the other in the Manitoulin District - the last was reported ten days ago.

The health unit's also reporting 29 new cases since Tuesday - 25 in Greater Sudbury, four in the broader Sudbury District - pushing known "active" cases up to 153, with 51 in hospital, three in ICUs.

PHSD Confirms 1st Influenza Case of Season

The Sudbury district has its first confirmed case of influenza for the season.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts says the first confirmed case in its service area has been reported, adding "similar to last year, this local activity indicates an early start to our influenza season" - while it doesn't say where the case was confirmed, the health unit had declared an influenza outbreak at Chapleau's Bignucolo Residence long-term care facility on November 6th, though it was declared "over" yesterday.

The health unit emphasizes that the flu shot is a "simple and effective way to protect yourself, loved ones, co-workers, and the community", though it also recommends wearing a mask in crowded indoor public settings, covering coughs and sneezes, and washing hands frequently and thoroughly.

PHSD acknowledges that influenza symptoms are common for other respiratory illnesses - including COVID-19 - making it difficult to know which you may have, so it's best to stay home if sick, wearing a well-fitted mask if you must go out, and take a Ministry of Health COVID-19 self-assessment to learn about testing and treatment, if eligible.

HSCDSB Announces New Indigenous Trustee

A new trustee's joined the local English Catholic school board.

The Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board's welcomed Kerri Commanda as its new Indigenous trustee, replacing former Serpent River First Nation Chief Brent Bissaillion, who's been in the trustee role since April 2022.

Commanda's also a member of the Serpent River First Nation, currently working for the North Shore Tribal Council as special projects facilitator for Niiganiin Services.

Shine the Light on Woman Abuse Flag Raised to Begin Campaign in Wawa

Wawa is wrapped in purple today - and will be for the next few weeks - as part of a campaign in solidarity with abused women.

The annual "Shine the Light on Woman Abuse" campaign officially began locally this morning, as the campaign's flag was raised at the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre in a ceremony featuring Deputy Mayor Mitch Hatfield, Michipicoten First Nation Chief Pat Tangie, and CHADWIC Home Executive Director Paula Valois, who noted the campaign's been happening locally since 2011 but dates back even farther.

Chief Tangie says it's an important campaign and cause, emphasizing the need to reduce violence against women "in all levels of humankind".

Valois acknowledges the issue's certainly "top of mind" for some people after last month's fatal shootings in Sault Ste. Marie that killed a woman and three children - and left another woman injured - which was linked to intimate partner violence, as well as the recent discovery in Sudbury of a deceased woman in a wooded area, with a former partner - noted to have been the subject of intimate partner violence calls - discovered dead nearby, Valois emphasizes it's important not to lose sight of the fact that "this is a real issue in our communities" and "we need to do everything we can to see that violence against women ends", promising to do that work - including pushing on the implementation of 86 recommendations made by an inquest into a 2015 triple murder in Renfrew, in which all three women killed had a prior relationship with their killer.

Today is "Wear Purple Day" - encouraging people to also don the colour - with a "Mussels and Mocktails" event will be held at the Community Centre tonight.

Businesses and residents are also encouraged to put up purple lights and decorations for the remainder of the campaign, which continues through the 16 Days of Action on Violence Against Women, ending on Human Rights Day, which is December 10th.

Coinciding with the Shine the Light campaign is the Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie campaign - proceeds from sales of the cookies at Tim Hortons Wawa will be split between Tim Hortons Foundation Camps and CHADWIC Home.

Diabetes Awareness Month Continues in Wawa

Wawa residents are being encouraged to "make time" to learn about diabetes.

Noting November's Diabetes Awareness Month, North Algoma Diabetes Education Program Coordinator Renee Mellish says there are over a million people in Canada living with diabetes but don't know that, so it's important to get screened, especially if you have certain "risk factors".

Mellish notes there are a few options to screen for diabetes, including a clinic being held at the Wawa Food Bank today, with more information about diabetes available on the Diabetes Canada website or by calling Mellish at 705-856-2335, extension 3108.

APH Reports 107th COVID-19 Death, 78 New Cases

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

Algoma Public Health's reporting its 107th since the pandemic began - it doesn't say where - it last reported a death three weeks ago, in late October.

The health unit's also reporting 78 new cases over the last week - 58 in the Sault Ste. Marie area, eleven in the Elliot Lake area, eight in Central and East Algoma, and another in North Algoma (which includes Wawa, Dubreuilville, White River, and the Michipicoten and Missinabie Cree First Nations) - pushing known "high risk active" cases up to 103 - the highest since early February - with sixteen in hospital, two in ICUs.

Deadline for Wawa's Community Improvement Plan Survey

Time's almost up for Wawa residents looking to have their say on how to "bring Broadway back to beautiful".

Economic Development Assistant Jessie Labonte explains the Municipality of Wawa has launched efforts to develop a new Community Improvement Plan, a tool used to revitalize parts of a community through programs, grants, or incentives.

Labonte notes the residents are encouraged to complete an online survey to help.

The survey must be filled out today - a link can be found on the Municipal website, with paper copies available at the Municipal Office, the Community Centre, the library, or the Wawa Goose Senior Centre.

Shine the Light on Woman Abuse Campaign Begins in Wawa

Wawa is wrapped in purple today - and will be for the next few weeks - as part of a campaign in solidarity with abused women.

CHADWIC Home Program Supervisor Bonnie Ross explains the purple shows support for the "Shine the Light on Woman Abuse" campaign.

Ross notes today is "Wear Purple Day" - encouraging people to also don the colour - and the Municipality of Wawa will mark the start of the campaign by raising its flag at the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre at 11 o'clock this morning.

The campaign continues through the 16 Days of Action on Violence Against Women, ending on Human Rights Day, which is December 10th.

Coinciding with the Shine the Light campaign is the Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie campaign - proceeds from sales of the cookies at Tim Hortons Wawa will be split between Tim Hortons Foundation Camps and CHADWIC Home.

PHSD Reports New COVID-19 Cases, Fewer Active

More COVID-19 cases are being reported in the region - but there are fewer active.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts is reporting 41 new cases since Friday - 35 in Greater Sudbury, four in the broader Sudbury District, one in the Manitoulin District - though known "active" cases plunged to 142.

That no longer includes any cases in the northern Sudbury District (which includes Chapleau, Cartier, Foleyet, Gogama, and neighbouring First Nations), and the health unit's also declared an end to COVID and influenza outbreaks at the Bignucolo Residence long-term care facility in Chapleau.

The health unit only updates hospitalization figures late Wednesday, but last showed 56 in hospital, two in ICUs.

Wawa Encouraged to "Make Time" to Learn About Diabetes

Wawa residents are being encouraged to "make time" to learn about diabetes.

North Algoma Diabetes Education Program Coordinator Renee Mellish explains November is Diabetes Awareness Month, with a theme of "Let's Make Time", encouraging people to learn about the realities of living with diabetes.

Mellish notes there are a few options to screen for diabetes, including clinics being held at the Wawa Goose Seniors Centre today and at the Wawa Food Bank tomorrow.

Tim Hortons Wawa Holiday Smile Cookie Campaign Supporting CHADWIC Home As Shine the Light on Woman Abuse Campaign Begins

As you pick up your morning coffee or a meal this week, you could get an extra smile to help support a local cause.

CHADWIC Home Program Supervisor Bonnie Ross explains the first ever Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie campaign's underway until Sunday, with proceeds raised from the cookie sales to be split between two causes.

Ross notes this coincides with the annual Shine the Light on Woman Abuse campaign.

Purple ribbons have already gone up along Broadway Avenue and Mission Road, with the campaign's flag to be raised at the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre at 11 o'clock tomorrow morning - Wednesday is also "Wear Purple Day", to launch the campaign, with events continuing through December 10th.

PHSD Lifts Gogama Water Advisory

Gogama's no longer under a drinking water advisory.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts says the advisory issued Thursday morning - after a power failure interrupted the town's water supply - has now been lifted, as tests have confirmed the water's safe for consumption.

The health unit notes residents may notice chlorine odours or discoloured water, and suggests running cold water faucets or drinking fountains for five minutes or until the water runs clear, running water softeners through a regeneration cycle, draining and refilling hot water heaters, and removing and rinsing faucet screens to get rid of sediment.

Superior East OPP Offer Advice on Winter Driving

Ontario Provincial Police are reminding drivers to adjust for winter driving conditions when heading out on the roads.

Recommending drivers get a maintenance check-up, putting winter tires on, and packing a winter survival kit, Superior East OPP Constable Ashley Nickle has some advice to stay safe amid the cold and snow.

Constable Nickle also reminds drivers that highway closures - while they can be frustrating - are for your safety, warning against driving around roadblocks.

Constable Nickle emphasizes roads are closed for a reason.

SJD Grade 7/8 Students to Host Spaghetti Supper Fundraiser

Some Wawa students will be serving up supper to raise funds for a big trip.

Sir James Dunn Public School Special Education Resource Teacher Heather Watson explains plans for an upcoming fundraiser.

Watson notes tickets need to be purchased in advance - just contact the school - and there is an option for takeaway, if preferred.

The Spaghetti Supper will be held December 6th.