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The Chapleau area's seen its first forest fire of the season.
Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources says "Chapleau 1" was reported Monday, located about 2 kilometres southeast of Jones Landing and east of Highway 17, though the fire was reported out by late that afternoon, before growing beyond a tenth of a hectare in size.
Wildland fire season officially began April 1st.
Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources is warning of potential flooding in the region.
A "Flood Watch" for the Chapleau Wawa District until 5 pm Wednesday warns residents to "keep a close watch on conditions and exercise caution around rivers and streams", and to "alert or monitor any children and pets under your care to possible dangers and supervise their activities around waterbodies", as region water levels are already high and rising due to ongoing snowmelt, rainfall, and warming temperatures.
A "Flood Watch" means the potential for flooding exists within specific watercourses and municipalities, with the Lake Superior coast from Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa and Marathon specifically expected to see the worst of it, due to higher amounts of rain.
Time is running out for Wawa residents to pick up tickets for a raffle supporting the local hospital.
Lady Dunn Health Centre Foundation Chair Susan Switzer reminds it's easy to get tickets for the Wheels and Waves Raffle draw.
Switzer emphasizes donations support the local hospital.
Switzer says each bed costs $7500, with the Foundation hoping to raise enough for ten beds, to replace all of those in the acute care area.
This comes amid the Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign - which runs through the weekend - with funds raised through that campaign also supporting the Lady Dunn Health Centre Foundation's "We're NOT Taking This Lying Down" campaign for new hospital beds.
Canada's Liberals will again form another minority government - with a similar number of seats to the 2021 election.
In a drastic bounceback from projections at the start of the year, the Liberals claimed a sizeable plurality for the third straight election - the first under leader Mark Carney - but fell shy of the 172 seats needed for claim a majority, with the Conservatives again forming the official Opposition, despite a substantially higher seat count than 2021.
Carney won his riding - gaining a seat in Parliament - which would make him the first prime minister based in an Ottawa riding since Sir John A. MacDonald moved from Carleton to Kingston in 1887.
While his party improved its seat count, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, however, failed to hold onto the Carleton riding - which borders Carney's riding of Nepean - losing to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy after nearly 21 years in Parliament, though Poilievre suggested he would not be stepping down as leader, telling supporters "it will be an honour to continue to fight for you and be a champion for your cause as we go forward".
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, however, announced he will be stepping down after nearly eight years, after coming third in his British Columbia riding while the NDP had its worst showing in its nearly 65-year existence, falling far shy of the 12 seats needed to keep official party status.
Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May - who has announced plans to challenge official party status threshold for the NDP, asking the Speaker change the unofficial rule so there is more representation on committees - kept her British Columbia riding, though co-leader Jonathan Pedneault was unable to claim his Quebec riding, and the party also lost their other seat.
People's Party Leader Maxime Bernier also failed to regain his former riding, as his party was again shut out.
Locally, Liberal Terry Sheehan narrowly held onto the reformed riding of Sault Ste. Marie-Algoma - which now includes the Highway 17 corridor from Elliot Lake to White River, including Wawa, Dubreuilville, and Hawk Junction - edging out Conservative Hugh Stevenson, while the NDP's Laura Mayer trailed, about 40 points behind.
Chapleau's gone blue, however, with Conservative Gaetan Malette elected to represent the Kapuskasing-Timmins-Mushkegowuk riding - which includes Chapleau - garnering nearly half of the votes cast, ahead of Liberal Steve Black - who was about 10 points back - while the NDP's Nicole Fortier Levesque - whose party used to represent the area - only saw about 10 percent of the votes cast in the riding.
Malette thanks his "great" team and outlines some priorities for the new term.
The NDP have disappeared from Northern Ontario, with the Liberals and Conservatives splitting the region.
Nipissing-Timiskaming appears to have stayed Liberal - with Pauline Rochefort narrowly leading Conservative Garry Keller - while the newly redrawn Sudbury East-Manitoulin-Nickel Belt went to Tory Jim Belanger, who unseated Liberal Marc Serre.
The rest stuck with incumbents: Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu was re-elected in Thunder Bay-Superior North - which she's represented since 2015 - fellow Liberals Marcus Powlowski and Viviane Lapointe held onto Thunder Bay-Rainy River and Sudbury, respectively, and Conservatives Eric Melillo and Scott Aitchison kept Kenora and Parry Sound-Muskoka, respectively.
All five candidates running in the Sault Ste. Marie-Algoma riding (which includes Wawa, Dubreuilville, Hawk Junction, and White River) in the 2025 Canada election were given the opportunity to answer the same questions in a conversation of about five minutes. Four candidates agreed to do so. Below are those interviews, in alphabetical order (by surname).
JJAM FM News was unable to make arrangements for an interview with Conservative candidate Dr. Hugh Stevenson.
This Monday, April 28th, is Election Day - polls will be open from 9:30 am to 9:30 pm.
Information on casting ballots can be found on voter information cards sent in the mail, or on elections.ca
The Wawa Public Library's hosting another session of a well-received recurring event tonight.
Johanna Rowe will be holding a new "Coffee and Culture" event, this time focusing on "Tourism and Culture", specifically "the history of tourism activity, lodges, and provincial parks in the Wawa and North Algoma country".
Everyone's welcome to attend the event, which starts at 6 pm tonight - coffee and tea will also be offered.
Wawa seniors are being offered a chance to have a bite to eat and learn about an important topic next week.
The Wawa Goose Seniors Centre is hosting its monthly Lunch and Learn Thursday, May 1st, starting at 11:30 am, this time featuring Irene Armstrong of Maamwesying as guest speaker - it also offers pizza, coffee or tea, and dessert, sponsored by the Wawa Pharmacy.
Must register at the centre by Monday, April 28th.
All four candidates running in the Kapuskasing-Timmins-Mushkegowuk riding (which includes Chapleau) in the 2025 Canada election were given the opportunity to answer the same questions in a conversation of about five minutes. All four candidates agreed to do so. Below are those interviews, in alphabetical order (by surname).
This Monday, April 28th, is Election Day - polls will be open from 9:30 am to 9:30 pm.
Information on casting ballots can be found on voter information cards sent in the mail, or on elections.ca
With just over ten days left before the federal election date, advance polls are readying to open.
Noting advance polls will be open from 9 am to 9 pm all Easter weekend - starting tomorrow and running through Monday - Elections Canada Media Relations Officer Richard Theoret reminds ID is required.
Theoret says there's a few ways to find out where to go.
Theoret notes there are other options to vote early, such as casting your ballot at an Elections Canada office - there's one in Wawa, though the closest for Chapleau is in Timmins - or voting by mail, though you must apply online for that.
Election Day is April 28th.
Local police will be watching for proper seatbelt use over the Easter weekend.
Superior East OPP Constable Rob Sanchioni explains their target for the coming long weekend.
Aside from seatbelts, Sanchioni says officers will be watching out for other problems.
Emphasizing "your seatbelt can only show up for you if you wear it", the OPP warns failure to wear a seatbelt was a contributing factor in 60 deaths on OPP-patrolled roads last year.
A tragic end to the search for a missing person near Sault Ste. Marie.
Sault OPP say the Garden River Detachment of the Anishinabek Police Service was notified last Friday of a missing person last seen in the Garden River First Nation area, with OPP called in to help with the investigation.
The search ended late Saturday morning, as the missing person was located deceased in Lake George, just east of Garden River First Nation.
The Office of the Chief Coroner and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service are now heading the investigation, assisted by the OPP's North East Region Emergency Response Team, Sault OPP Crime Unit, Forensic Identification Services, Garden River Detachment of the Anishinabek Police Service, Batchewana First Nation Police Service, and Sault Fire Services.
Time's running out for entries into the Municipality of Wawa's Easter Egg Hunt.
Municipal Recreation Coordinator Melanie Coe explains the Easter Bunny came early to Wawa.
Coe reminds you have until midnight tonight to email the pictures.
Meanwhile, time is also running out for the Wawa Public Library's Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt, which CEO and Head Librarian Sue Jarrell says is a fun way to get kids into the library.
Entries for the Library's hunt must be in before the draw is held at 3:30 pm tomorrow.
The Wawa Public Library's hosting a special presentation to inform tenants of their rights.
CEO and Head Librarian Sue Jarrell explains the library was approached about it.
The presentation will be held at 3 o'clock this afternoon, at the downstairs boardroom in the Municipal Building.
Local NHL hockey pro Chris Simon was suffering from a degenerative brain disease when he died last year.
In an effort to "raise awareness of the urgent need for medical and mental health resources available to former hockey players struggling with the long-term effects of repetitive head impacts", Simon's family and the Concussion Legacy Foundation have announced the results of post-mortem brain tissue analysis led to a diagnosis of stage 3 of 4 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, with "severe CTE pathology in areas of the brain involved with congition and mood regulation", with Dr. Ann McKee - chief of neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System, and director of the Boston University CTE Center and UNITE Brain Bank, where Simon's brain was donated - further noting that CTE "likely...contributed to his memory problems, depression, and apathy".
52-year-old Simon died by suicide in March 2024, though the CLF says "suicide is complex and multifactorial, and a post-mortem CTE diagnosis should not be considered to confirm CTE as a cause of a suicide".
Simon was drafted by the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers in 1990, playing for a number of NHL clubs from 1992 until 2008, when he joined Russia's KHL, ending his professional career in 2013 - his greatest career moment was winning the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996, bringing the famed trophy back to Wawa.
Wawa Municipal Council's holding a trio of meetings tonight.
First up is a meeting under the Planning Act about Zoning By-Law amendments, specifically a request to rezone the former Northern Store property at 75 Broadway Avenue from General Commercial to Residential Apartment.
That'll be followed by a Committee of the Whole meeting including presentations from Gordon Draper on Community Living Awareness Month and from Brittany Clarke on the Wawa FoodCycler Program, as well as monthly reports from department heads, a quarterly report from the EDO, who will also discuss Downtown Community Improvement Plan financial incentives - there will also be discussion about non-resident use of the landfill.
The third and final meeting will be a regular Council meeting, in which Council will consider a staff recommendation on allocation of marina divestiture funds, and by-laws which would confirm the rezoning of the Broadway Avenue property, as discussed in the first meeting.
These 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.
The "Fellow in Yellow" is passing through the area as he runs across Canada.
Trevor Redmond explains the reason for his "Run for Courage: A Movement for Movement" across Canada is "because he can".
Redmond says he needs to keep that mindset.
Redmond further explains that he's been inspired by heroes including Terry Fox, Steve Fonyo, Rick Hansen , and even his old gymnastics coach.
Arriving in Wawa marked 6269 kilometres for the Fellow in Yellow's journey, though he's already returned to the road, heading northwest.
Algoma Public Health's warning school suspensions are "looming" for children without up-to-date immunizations and records.
Following on notices sent in January, the health unit's reminding families across its region that Ontario law requires youth under age 18 to have received certain vaccines or have a valid exemption on file or be suspended up to 20 days, with those suspensions to start later this spring, so parents are reminded to update records or book vaccine appointments soon.
Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. John Tuinema emphasizes immunization "is essential to keeping our schools safe" by preventing infectious diseases, as "high vaccination rates are vital for achieving community protection and preventing the spread of serious illnesses like measles and whooping cough among school-aged children".
The Ontario government's providing over half-a-million dollars to improve snowmobile trails in the North.
Northern Economic Development and Growth Minister George Pirie's announced more than $553,000 from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation for the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs to improve trail connectivity, extend the useful lifespan of trails, and increase safety for riders.
It'll support twelve projects across the North, including the White River trail rehabilitation on Top D trail, the Foleyet trail reroute on trail C101D, and the Montreal River bridge refurbishment on TOP A trail.
A couple rookie Northern MPPs have new roles in the Ontario Legislature.
As part of a broader update to parliamentary assistant roles, Algoma-Manitoulin's Bill Rosenberg's been made parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Agribusiness, Trevor Jones, as well as to the President of the Treasury Board, Caroline Mulroney.
Meanwhile, new Sault Ste. Marie MPP Chris Scott has been made parliamentary assistant the Minister of Energy and Mines, Stephen Lecce, whose duties also include broadband expansion and connectivity.
A number of Northerners are in Premier Doug Ford's cabinet: Timmins MPP Georgie Pirie's Northern Development and Growth Minister; Thunder Bay-Atikokan's Kevin Holland's Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products; Kenora-Rainy River's Greg Rickford is Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation Minister and the Minister Responsible for Ring of Fire Economic and Community Partnerships; and Nipissing's Vic Fedeli is Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade Minister.
Another big deal in local mining.
Wesdome Gold Mines has announced a definitive arrangment agreement to acquire all issued and outstanding common shared of Angus Gold for 62 cents cash plus 0.0096 of a Wesdome share - an aggregate value of 77 cents per Angus common share, a 59% premium from Angus' 20-day volume-weighted average price ending Friday.
Wesdome already owns 6.3-million common shares and 3.15-million common share purchase warrants - approximately 10.4% of Angus' basic common shares outstanding, or 14.9% on a partially diluted basis.
President and CEO Anthea Bath calls it "a highly logical and strategic tuck-in transation", which would quadruple Wesdome's Eagle River land package into roughly 400 square kilometres - Angus' land package is located north of the Eagle River Mine, surrounding Wesdome's Mishi Mine - with the expanded footprint hosting multiple targets and mineralization styles, and Wesdome says this underscores its long-term commitment to Eagle River.
While both company's boards have already approved the agreement, it still needs approval from Angus Gold's shareholders - the board is unanimously recommending it.
This comes just over a year after nearby Alamos Gold announced a deal to buyout Alamos Gold - folding its Magino Mine project into the Island Gold Mine, redubbed the Island Gold District - a deal completed last July.
