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Time's almost up for early birds to register for Wawa's annual ice fishing derby.
Noting today is the early bird deadline, Derby board member Melanie Farrington reminds there are a couple early bird draws.
Farrington notes another popular prize is back.
Tickets are available at wawaicefishingderby.com or in person at Canadian Tire Wawa, Home Building Centre Wawa, and Superior Coast Outfitters.
The annual Wawa Ice Fishing Derby will be held March 6th through 8th.
Algoma Public Health's renewing a call for "Public Health Champions" - with a special focus.
The local health unit opened nominations for its annual Public Health Champion Award in November, saying it wants to celebrate people and organizations "who make a meaningful difference in the lives of young children and families across the Algoma District", specifically looking for those who are "support healthy child development in the earliest years of life (ages 0-6)", as "these early years lay the foundation for lifelong health.
There are four categories this year: Parent/Caregiver Champion, which includes parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, and those "bonus caregivers" who go above and beyond for young children; Professional Champion, for educators, healthcare workers, and service providers who make a lasting impact on young children; Youth/Student Champion, for those 24 and younger who support early years programs, volunteer with community initiatives, or mentor younger children through play, creativity, and learning; and Organization Champion, for programs, agencies, and community groups that help young children and their families thrive.
Nominations close next Wednesday, January 21st - details on nominating can be found on the APH website.
Those interested in the history of Wawa and area are invited to a well-received event at the Wawa Public Library's tonight.
Johanna Rowe will be holding a new "Coffee and Culture" event, this time talking about artist AY Jackson and his impact on the art world, as "Wawa is proud to be connected to one of Canada's most beloved painters and founding members of the Group of Seven".
Everyone's welcome to attend the event, which starts at 6 pm tonight - coffee and tea will also be offered.
Some local schools are opening their doors , to give prospective students and their families a preview of what's to come.
The Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon says Wawa's Ecole secondaire Saint-Joseph is holding a high school open house for Grade 8 students and their parents at 6:30 tonight, while Chapleau's Ecole secondaire catholique Trillium will hold a similar open house tomorrow night, at 6 pm.
Wawa's Sir James Dunn Public School's also set to hold an open house, though for kindergarten students, from 6 to 7 pm next Monday, January 19th.
Fellow Wawa school, St. Augustine French Immersion, held a similar event last week.
Wawa Municipal Council won't be hearing public comments on their strategic plan this week.
The Municipality of Wawa's issued a notice that a special meeting that was planned for tomorrow - with a review of public comments on the Wawa Strategic Plan the sole item - has been cancelled.
That means Council's next set to meet next week, on Wednesday, January 21st, a day later than usual.
Ontario Provincial Police in northeastern Ontario were kept busy over the holiday season - including locally.
North East Region OPP say the annual Festive RIDE campaign - which ran from November 20th to January 1st - saw 128 impaired driving charges laid, plus 14 "warn-range" and "zero tolerance" suspensions - both down from last year - with a total of 76 drivers charged.
It was quieter for the local Superior East detachment - covering Wawa, Chapleau, Dubreuilville, and Hornepayne - which conducted 110 RIDE events - totalling about 256 hours - with 43 roadside tests conducted, leading to one alert and one fail, while 2 charges were laid for impaired operation or refusal to give breath sample.
Provincially, 150 roadside suspensions were issued, with a total of 766 impaired drivers removed from Ontario roads through the Festive RIDE campaign.
Some local schools are opening their doors in the coming weeks, to give prospective students and their families a preview of what's to come.
Wawa's St. Augustine French Immersion is holding a Kindergarten Open House tonight, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, offering parents a chance to learn about its program.
Meanwhile, the Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon says Wawa's Ecole secondaire Saint-Joseph will be holding a high school open house for Grade 8 students and their parents next Wednesday, January 14th, at 6:30 pm, while Chapleau's Ecole secondaire catholique Trillium will a similar open house next Thursday, January 15th, at 6 pm.
Wawa's set to honour a local who's made a positive difference in the community.
The Municipality's set to host a ceremony to present the annual Civic Achievement Award to Dorothy Egan, as announced last month by Mayor Melanie Pilon.
The award presentation will be held tomorrow at 2 pm in the Municipal Office Downstairs Boardroom, followed by cake & coffee.
Wawa's Regional Employment Help Centre is set to open its doors for the public.
The centre - which serves Wawa, Dubreuilville, and White River - is holding an open house tomorrow, offering a chance to meet staff and learn about its services, along with soup, snacks, and light refreshments.
The open house runs from 11 am to 2 pm Wednesday, January 7th.
A local miner and a neighbouring First Nation are touting progress for a major energy project in the region.
Alamos Gold and Batchewana First Nation say they're advancing with the next phase of their "Mine Connector Transmission Project" to deliver "clean, reliable energy to the Algoma District and support the continued growth of Alamos' Island Gold District".
It builds on the partnership they announced last summer for the construction of a $70-million, 115-kilovolt transmission line from just east of Wawa to a new transformer station at the Island Gold District, which is expected to be in service by this year, with Batchewana First Nation operating and retaining long-term ownership of the line once it's constructed.
Two people are facing numerous charges over a series of B&Es off Highway 129.
East Algoma OPP say the Sault detachment was conducting proactive patrols on December 27th when they located an encampment with "a large amount of stolen property" in a bush area near the intersection of Highways 129 and 556, with two people - a 40-year-old and a 22-year-old, both from Reilly Township, north of the Sault - arrested with the help of the North East Region Emergency Response Team and Sault Police Canine Unit.
Over 130 charges have been laid, including theft, and possession of property obtained by crime over and under $5000, break and enter a place to commit indictable offence and to steal a firearm, mischief, and several weapon-related charges.
The charges relate to multiple break-ins in the Peshu Lake, Aubrey Falls, and Ranger Lake areas in September, October, and December, which saw many items stolen, including vehicles, ATVs, trailers, snowmobiles, power tools, power equipment, and electronics.
Investigators believe there may be more victims than reported, urging them to call the East Algoma OPP.
Crime Stoppers is asking for public help solving a mischief case in Goulais River.
Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District Crime Stoppers says that unknown individuals damaged multiple hydro poles and insulators at the end of Old Goulais Bay Road on three separate occasions between the middle of October and the end of November - the equipment was shot at with a firearm, leading investigators to believe they were used for target practice.
The total cost to repair or replace the damaged equipment is over $220,000.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the OPP or Crime Stoppers.
Staff from Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources office in Chapleau are thanking the community for helping those in need.
The Chapleau MNR held its annual food drive yesterday, and organizers say they met their goal of filling up the box of a truck with donations, and raised $825 worth of Valu-Mart gift cards.
Conservation Officer Melissa Fairbairn reminds the drive is their way of giving back.
The donations go toward the Chapleau Pentecostal Church Food Bank.
The recipient has been announced for Wawa's annual Civic Achievement Award.
Mayor Melanie Pilon formally announced during last night's Council meeting that Dorothy Egan will receive the honour, touting her efforts as a volunteer.
Mayor Pilon thanked Councillors Jim Hoffmann and Cathy Cannon for reviewing the nominations and selecting Egan as the recipient - the mayor also invited everyone to an award presentation ceremony, to be held Thursday, January 8th, at 2 pm.
The Wawa Christmas Hampers are set to go out.
Hamper Fund President Richard Watson highlights some of what's included.
The hampers are set to be delivered starting at 9 am tomorrow.
The Wawa Public Library's wrapping up a week-long silent auction.
CEO and Head Librarian Sue Jarrell outlines a few ways to bid before it closes.
Jarrell notes bids will be accepted via Facebook, email, or at the library until 5 pm tonight.
Wawa Municipal Council's approved the ongoing limited predator control hunt in town for another year.
Council approved the continuation in last night's regular meeting, after Charlie Todesco outlined some details of the effort during the Committee of the Whole meeting, explaining that 2 coyotes were observed last year - one at the golf course, the other at the snow dump, the latter getting away as cold weather hampered efforts - while no wolves were observed at the designated locations, though two were killed in the area surrounding the municipality in other hunting activities.
Todesco noted there has been a "marked increase" in wolf sightings over the summer and fall - including with a pack of four observed in town - and he noted they'd received complaints in the Mission area, leading to discussion about adding a spot in that area where they could conduct the predator control hunt to address the concerns.
Mayor Melanie Pilon did ask whether the Municipality has an animal feeding by-law, with Assistant Director of Protective Services Kevin Sabourin noting there is one in place.
The by-law was passed by Council in March 2023, with Sabourin explaining at the time that it was meant to address a number of complaints and curb the presence of predators.
In place since the start of 2017, the limited predator control hunt is restricted to a select group of hunters approved by Council in their by-law and to select locations within the community, from half an hour before sunrise to no later than 9:30 in the morning within a specified season, essentially mid-November to the end of March.
A Wawa school's thanking the community for its support of a recent fundraiser.
St. Augustine French Immersion Catholic School Principal Nadine Cartledge says the bottle drive held earlier this month was "a huge success".
Cartledge thanks Wawa and surrounding area for the generosity.
Cartledge highlights some other supporters.
Wawa Municipal Council's holding its final pair of 2025 meetings tonight.
First up is a Committee of the Whole meeting, which will include a presentation about the results of the 2024-25 predator control hunt, plus discussion about monthly reports from department heads, the annual accessibility report, a report on Wawa Transit operations, the proposed budget process and schedule, and public comments on the Strategic Plan.
That'll be followed by a regular meeting of Council, including resolutions to again authorize the discharge of firearms for predator control - the Municipality's allowed a limited predator control hunt since the start of 2017 - as well as adopt the annual accessibility report, back FONOM's call for "nation-building improvements" to Highways 11 and 17, approve the choice of recipient for the Civic Achievement Award, accept a resignation from the Cemetery Committee, and push a January meeting date a day - Council will also go "in-camera" for a closed session to discuss a legal issue about an offer to purchase property.
The meetings are set to be held back-to-back, starting at 6:30 pm in Council Chambers - they'll also be livestreamed through the Municipality's YouTube channel.
Chapleau staff of Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry are giving back to the community today with a food drive.
Conservation Officer Melissa Fairbairn says explains they're accepting donations to support families in need during the holiday season.
Fairbairn notes a modest goal.
The food drive runs from 10 this morning until 3 o'clock this afternoon, at the Chapleau Valu-Mart.
