Northern Ontario Flooding Concerns Amid Spring Melt & Rains

Flooding concerns in many Northern Ontario communities.

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources has issued flood warnings and/or watches from the Sault Ste. Marie area east through Greater Sudbury and down into southern Ontario, with watershed conditions statements in effect for other areas, including the Timmins Kirkland Lake District.

Manitoulin Island in particular has been hard hit by rain, melting snow, and high water, with several communities declaring states of emergency, Manitoulin Health Centre's closed its Mindemoya hospital site, and several roads on the island and near the north shore of Lake Huron have been closed, mainly due to flooding.

Chapleau Mayor Ryan Bignucolo says the Township's spoken with the local MNR about the situation for the community.

Chapleau Mayor Ryan Bignucolo on Chapleau Water Situation
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Mayor Bignucolo encourages residents to watch the municipal website at chapleau.ca for information or warnings.

Wawa Curling Season Wraps Up

Wawa's curling season has wrapped up.

The 76th annual Wawa Men's Curling Bonspiel capped the season last weekend, with Sault Ste. Marie's Team Glibota winning the "A" Event - after coming second last year - followed by Wawa's Team Leschishin.

The "B" Event went to Wawa teams: Team Spencer Terris came first for the second year in a row, followed by Team Fahrer.

Sault Ste. Marie's Team Porco topped the "C" Event, followed by the Sault's Team Lavoie.

The Sault & Kirkland Lake Team Culhane won the "D" Event, followed by Wawa's Team Desrochers.

The ladies Team Tremblay picked up the Brookfield Sportsman Trophy, while Team Barrette won the Early Bird, Team Desrochers claimed the Door Prize, and Team Wilderness was named "LastButNotLeast".

Organizers thank all participants, Pat Harron and her crew for "a great meal", the ladies who barbecued steaks, MHS students and other volunteers, and the staff of the MMCC for making the weekend of curling and socializing so great.

In Wawa's Ladies Curling...

The season's wrapped up with Denise Bussineau's team atop the standings with fifteen wins, followed by Wendy Bonitzke's team with fourteen, then Diane Spencer's with thirteen, Danette Mathias' with twelve, Barb Leschishin and Cheryl Tremblay's teams with eleven each, Tracy Amos and Rochelle Parsons' teams with ten each, Debbie Tavella's with nine, Annik Szekely's with eight, Glynis Smith-Morin's with seven, Anya Switzer's with six, Lorna Chiupka's with five, and Melanie Coe and Sabrina Michalcewicz's teams with one each.

In Wawa men's curling...

The season's wrapped up with regular season champions Team Tom Terris coming out on top as the playoff champions, as well, followed by Team Mark Leschishin - who was both the regular season and playoff runner-up - while Team Aaron Bumstead came in third in the playoffs.

In Wawa Mixed Curling...

The season's over, and while Chris Buckell's team came first in the first section - followed by Team Tom Terris, then Tom Fahrer's team - it was Team Terris that came first in the second section, followed by Team Fahrer, then Team Buckell.

CSC Nouvelon Announces Principal & VP Appointments

An interim principal's being made permanent for a local school while a new vice-principal's been appointed for another.

Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon says Stéphanie McGregor's been appointed principal for Dubreuilville's Ecole Saint-Joseph, a role she started on an interim basis at the beginning of February - she has nearly a quarter century of experience in education, including as a teacher at Wawa's École Saint-Joseph, where she was vice-principal from 2021 until she was moved to the Dubreuilville school.

Stepping in as vice-principal at Wawa's École Saint-Joseph is Line Bergeron, who was previously principal at Dubreuilville's Ecole Saint-Joseph.

MTO Changes Plans for Wawa-Area Rest Stop Amid Concerns

Plans have changed for a new truck rest stop north of Wawa.

Correspondence officially accepted by Wawa Municipal Council this week from Egis - the company overseeing the project for Ontario's Ministry of Transportation - acknowledged concerns raised by Council in a resolution passed in February, after Council heard concerns about the plan from the Michipicoten Rod and Gun Club, as the rest stop's proposed location is next to where the club's range has been for decades.

The letter says the MTO's committed to shift the rest centre's layout and the "pet area" as far north or west as possible - away from the gun range - while removing a future inspection station and weigh scale from the plan, adding signage throughout the site to advice users of the adjacent shooting range, adding a 4-metre tall berm along the south/east side of the rest centre, and ensuring design drawings specify the treed buffer between the rest centre and the club's property remain untouched - moves club president Rocky Alajoki confirmed to JJAM FM News seem to cover its concerns.

In addition to those changes to plans, the MTO's also agreed to consider putting an electronic billboard west of the rest centre location, to advise travellers of road conditions and closures, a move Council had pushed for in their resolution.

Wawa Council Approves Emergency Glycol Purchase After Leak

Wawa Municipal Council's approved the emergency purchase of material after a major leak at the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre.

Community Services and Tourism Director Alex Patterson explains the glycol leak in the curling rink.

Alex Patterson Explains MMCC Glycol Leak Situation
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

While the system was shut down relatively quickly, Patterson says a substantial amount of glycol leaked in that time, requiring emergency efforts to replace it.

Alex Patterson on Replacement Glycol Sourcing
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Patterson says that was costly.

Alex Patterson on MMCC Glycol Leak Cost
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Patterson also outlined measures intended to prevent the problem from recurring, including a "float" that could automatically shut the pumps down if levels get too low and a change in the flooring to ensure staff can more easily access the entire "header" to inspect the lines.

Plans to cover the cost of the glycol - taking half from the MMCC's operating budget, the other half from reserves meant for the facility - did face a hiccup, as Councillor Cathy Cannon raised concerns about using reserves, calling for a recorded vote on the resolution, which passed 3-1, Mayor Melanie Pilon and Councillors Mitch Hatfield and Jim Hoffmann in favour and Cannon against.

It was one of three recorded votes in the meeting, with another on a resolution to approve the purchase of a replacement sidewalk blower - Cannon again questioned the use of reserves to cover part of the cost, and was told that the purchase of a new mower was being deferred to help offset that, but staff was not recommending further cuts to avoid using reserves - that resolution similarly passed 3-1 with Cannon the sole vote against, while a resolution to waive the Municipality's procurement policy to approve a proposal for a feasibility study on work for the fire hall and town hall buildings passed 3-1 with Mayor Pilon the vote against, having argued that waiving the policy was bad fiscal management and they could wait to go through the request for proposal process, though the other councillors agreed with the staff reasoning that the proposed companies involved - Mike Moore Construction, Tulloch Engineering, and Nor Mech Engineering - have unique knowledge of the buildings, and a good history and reputation justifying their selection.

Wawa Council Holding 3 Meetings After Easter Weekend

Right off the Easter long weekend, Wawa Municipal Council is holding three meetings tonight.

That includes a Committee of Adjustment meeting, where they'll consider an application for a "minor variance" for a Churchill Avenue property, followed by a Committee of the Whole meeting, which will include discussion following up on the Upper Mission Park supply and Wawa Transit service levels, as well as new reports on: the "lame duck" period ahead of this year's municipal election, which will be held October 26th; the election accessibility plan; replacement of the sidewalk blower; a glycol leak in the curling rink; and a proposal for a "feasibility review" of renovations proposed for the Municipal Building and the Fire Hall.

Last will be a regular Council meeting, which includes resolutions approving the purchase of a replacement sidewalk blower, additional glycol, and accessible playground equipment for Upper Mission Park, as well as a resolution approving the building feasibility study.

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

Volunteers Sought to Revive Michipicoten Hiking Club

The Voyageur Trail Association needs volunteers to revive the Michipicoten Hiking Club.

Association President Matt Borutski outlines club responsibilities.

VTA President Matt Borutski on Volunteers' Responsibilities
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Borutski explains the work volunteers do.

VTA President Matt Borutski on Volunteers' Work
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Borutski emphasizes there are consequences if volunteers can't be found locally.

VTA President Matt Borutski on Lack of Volunteers Consequence
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Wawa Seniors Goose Club Hosting April Lunch & Learn

Wawa seniors are being offered a chance to have a bite to eat and learn about an important topic this week.

The Wawa Goose Seniors Centre is hosting its monthly Lunch and Learn Thursday, April 2nd, starting at 11:30 a-m, this time featuring Ellen McKenzie as guest speaker, Michipicoten First Nation artifacts and preservation - it also offers pizza, coffee or tea, and dessert, sponsored by the Wawa Pharmacy.

Must register at the centre by Monday, March 30th.

A reminder that the centre has moved to 179 Mission Road, between Subway and Pet-Valu.

Local Mayors Press MTO on Highway Maintenance in Region

Local mayors are pushing for improvements to highway maintenance in the region.

Chapleau Mayor Ryan Bignucolo says he's been talking with Ontario's Ministry of Transportation (the MTO) about concerns with local highways.

Mayor Ryan Bignucolo on Mayors' Press on Highway Maintenance
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Mayor Bignucolo encourages the public to raise issues they notice.

Mayor Bignucolo Encourages Public to Raise Highway Issues
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

This comes as mayors are preparing to attend the annual Ontario Good Roads Conference, which will be held this Sunday through Wednesday, April 1st, in Toronto.

Alamos Gold State of District Meetings Postponed

A pair of information sessions about a local mine are indefinitely postponed.

Citing unforeseen circumstances, Alamos Gold is postponing the "State of the District" meetings regarding its Island Gold District operations near Dubreuilville, which were to be held in Dubreuilville tonight and Wawa on Thursday night - no new dates have been set at this time.

The "Q1 2026 public mine update" was set to include MECP ERO permit corrections and exploration permit to take water presentation, background information about airstrip consideration, and follow-up on the production expansion announcement.

North Algoma Job Fair Returns to Wawa

A trio of Wawa organizations are looking to connect employers and jobseekers today, with the North Algoma Job Fair.

Regional Employment Help Centre Executive Director Cindy Szekely explains the purpose of the event.

Cindy Szekely on Purpose of North Algoma Job Fair
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Szekely notes the job fair's open to a wide variety of attendees.

Cindy Szekely on Attendees on North Algoma Job Fair
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

The North Algoma Job Fair runs from 10 am to 2 pm at the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre.

Alamos Gold Holding State of District Meetings on Island Gold District

UPDATE: MEETINGS HAVE BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, NEW DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED.

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A local mine's reaching out to the public over the next few days.

Alamos Gold is holding a pair of "State of the District" meetings regarding its Island Gold District operations near Dubreuilville, with the "Q1 2026 public mine update" including MECP ERO permit corrections and exploration permit to take water presentation, background information about airstrip consideration, and follow-up on the production expansion announcement.

The first will be held at the Dubreuilville Town Hall - downstairs - from 6 pm to 8 pm tonight, with another at the Wawa Legion Hall from 6 pm to 8 pm Thursday night.

Chapleau Council Holding 2nd March Meeting

Chapleau Town Council's set to meet tonight.

Included on the agenda for tonight's regular meeting is a memo from the fire chief about the salvage equipment fire truck, and an "administrative update" about matters pending the next Council meeting.

There are also two "in-camera" items: one about human resources, the other involving legal advice.

The meeting will be held at 6:30 pm tonight in Civic Centre Council Chambers.

Wawa Council Approves 2026 Budget & Schedule of Fees

Wawa Municipal Council's approved this year's budget.

In their meeting last night, Council approved a series of by-laws to implement the operating and capital budgets as presented earlier this month, when Council was told the proposed budget would rise 0.07% - less than $11,000 - to $15,911,272 in total, though the tax levy proposed was $5,879,623, up $220,276 from 2025.

Treasurer Heather Rainville outlines the increase in tax bills expected.

Heather Rainville on 2026-27 Wawa Budget Tax Increase
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Rainville says the separate capital levy introduced last year will also rise.

Heather Rainville on 2026-27 Wawa Budget Capital Levy Increase
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Rainville also notes water bills are set to go up.

Heather Rainville on 2026-27 Wawa Budget Water Rate Increase
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Along with the budget, Council approved an updated schedule of fees, with Rainville noting there were some changes from the past version presented in early February.

Heather Rainville on 2026-27 Wawa Schedule of Fees Changes
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Rainville adds new fees have been included for bulk water - for 10,001 to 13,000 litres and 13,001 to 16,000 litres - while non-resident fees were added, reflecting a 20% increase from the residential rate.

The capital budget approved by Council outlines about $5.4-million in projects, including redesign studies and renovations for the Town Hall and Fire Hall, improvements to the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre, a 3-phase project covering the Ganley Street Storm Sewer, a 2-year project for the Algoma Street and Beck Avenue Watermain and Sanitary Sewer, and continued infrastructure work like cemetery and landfill expansion, pavement preservation, sidewalk and hydrant rehabilitation, as well as fleet renewal.

Wawa Council Holding 4 Meetings, to Vote on 2026 Budget & Schedule of Fees

Wawa Municipal Council will look at passing its 2026 budget amid four meetings tonight.

That includes a Committee of Adjustment to consider an application for a minor variance and an application for consent to sever land along Scenic High Falls Road to create an area for a long-term lease agreement for a tourism project.

There will also be a public meeting under the Planning Act, to consider amending the Zoning By-Law to add a residential unit as a permitted use at 50 Montreal Avenue, which is currently zoned as General Industrial.

Those will be followed by a Committee of the Whole meeting, to include monthly reports from department heads, a memo on results from a request for quotations for accessible playground equipment for the Upper Mission Park, and a report on an updated garbage by-law.

Last will be a regular Council meeting, which includes a resolution to appoint a new member of the Economic Development and Tourism Committee, and multiple by-laws to implement the operating budget presented to Council two weeks ago, which Treasurer Heather Rainville notes includes a tax increase.

Heather Rainville on Wawa 2026-27 Budget Tax Increase
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Rainville says the separate capital levy introduced last year will also rise.

Heather Rainville on Wawa 2026-27 Budget Capital Levy Increase
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Rainville also notes water bills are set to go up.

Heather Rainville on 2026-27 Budget Water Rate Increase
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Council will also consider by-laws authorizing the use of internet and telephone voting in this year's school board and municipal election, and adopting a new schedule of fees and a new policy on bullying and harassment at municipal facilities.

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

Hawk Junction's Annual Family Ice Fishing Derby Results

Hawk Junction's annual Family Ice Fishing Derby is now in the books.

While organizers say the derby saw "great turnout, great weather, lots of laughs", with Bryce Bernath claiming 1st in the youth division - followed by Hazel Beland in 2nd, then Seth Farrington in 3rd - while Willie Desrochers claimed first for the adult division, followed by John Nelson in 2nd, while "Shaker" came in 3rd.

The Local Services Board thanks all 101 participants for their support, as well as the volunteers who made the event possible.

Deadline for Input on Wawa's Proposed 2026-27 Budget

Time is running out to provide input on the Municipality of Wawa's draft/proposed 2026-27 operating and capital budgets.

The operating budget was presented to Council on March 3rd - after the initial capital budget was presented February 3rd - and Treasurer Heather Rainville highlights some challenges to the process.

Wawa Treasurer Heather Rainville on 2026-27 Budget Challenges
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Rainville assures efforts were made to deliver a fair budget.

Treasurer Heather Rainville's Overall Message on 2026-27 Budget
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Rainville outlines the proposed tax increase.

Treasurer Heather Rainville on 2026-27 Budget Tax Increase
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Rainville says the separate capital levy introduced last year will also continue, and is set to go up.

Treasurer Heather Rainville on 2026-27 Capital Levy Increase
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Rainville notes water bills are set to go up.

Treasurer Heather Rainville on 2026-27 Water Rate Increase
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

The full budget presentation can be viewed on the Municipality's YouTube channel, while budget documents are available on the municipal website or at town hall - or contact Rainville by calling 705-856-2244 extension 226 or email hrainville@wawa.cc for information or to give input by 4 pm Friday, March 13th.

Plans are for the budget to come up for a vote in the next Council meeting on Tuesday, March 17th.

Chapleau Council Considering Commitment to Chapleau District Heating Project

Chapleau Town Council's considering affirming involvement in a local energy project.

Mayor Ryan Bignucolo explains Council's received a presentation updating the "Chapleau District Heating Project".

Mayor Bignucolo on Chapleau District Heating Project Proposal
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Mayor Bignucolo says Council has not yet decided to agree to that commitment.

Mayor Bignucolo on Chapleau District Heating Project Decision
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Bignucolo notes the feasibility study for the project is available through the Township of Chapleau, by contacting the town hall.

Michipicoten Golf Club Returns 4 Board Members, Adds 1

A number of members have been returned - and one added - to the board of a local golf club.

Wawa's Michipicoten Golf Club held its annual general meeting last week, with four positions up for election for a three-year term while another position was added, leading to the return of Scott Carruthers, Joe Provost, Anders Dereski, and Shane Bukowski, along with the addition of Mike Hogan.

Carruthers is president of the club - Vice-President Suzanne Lacasse's term ends next year - same for fellow board members James Morden, Michel Lemoyne, and Monte White - while the other three members - Kory Charbonneau, Roger Gamache, and Sue Lord - were only elected last year, so their term continues to 2028.

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