Wawa Marks National Day for Truth & Reconciliation

Communities across Canada are marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Following on one of the calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, today is a federal statutory holiday commemorating the victims and survivors and "tragic legacy of [Indian] residential schools in Canada, and the continuing harm", though it is still not a provincial statutory holiday in Ontario or certain other provinces.

In Wawa, the day included an "Honour Walk", with Deputy Mayor Mitch Hatfield telling those gathered for the walk a key message about the day.

Deputy Mayor Mitch Hatfield on Truth & Reconciliation
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Hatfield further urged everyone to reflect on how to build a better future, and to continue to listen, learn, and move forward together with respect, understanding, and compassion.

Michipicoten First Nation Culture, Language, and Education Manager Monique Pregent emphasized the event was about honouring all of those who went to residential schools, later reiterating the importance for those gathered at the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre.

Monique Pregent on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

The gathering also heard from locals about their own experiences with residential or day schools, including a harrowing story of torture, dehumanization, and sexual abuse.

Dates Set for New Trial in Fatal Ambulance/Snowplow Collision Near Hwy 17/519 Junction

A new trial's set for a paramedic charged with careless driving over a fatal ambulance/snowplow collision near the Dubreuilville turnoff in February 2022.

Provincial offences court this week confirmed the trial will be held over two days in February 2027, retrying Shani Larrett for careless driving causing death over the collision - which saw the ambulance she was driving crash into the rear of a snowplow on Highway 17, just south of the intersection with Highway 519 - with 68-year-old Connie Halverson of White River - a passenger in the ambulance - pronounced dead at the scene, while one paramedic sustained "life-threatening injuries" and another "non-life-threatening injuries" - the plow driver was not injured.

Larrett was convicted last year but it was overturned this past June, with Ontario Court Justice Romuald Kwolek finding the justice of the peace who presided over the original trial failed to address key pieces of evidence presented "on the issue of due diligence, why she drove in the manner that she did, and her belief that the snowplow was much farther away" nor did the justice analyze whether blowing snow from the plow and the whiteout conditions impacted perception of the distance between the vehicles, with evidence the snowplow driver failed to see the ambulance moments before hearing the siren "as further evidence of brief whiteout conditions" not taken into account.

Members of Halverson's family launched a $1-million civil suit against Larrett and the Algoma District Services Administration Board - which oversees Algoma's paramedic services - in 2023, though the suit has not been tested in court.

St. Augustine Wawa Thanks Community for Supporting Bottle Drive

A Wawa school's thanking the community for its support of a recent fundraiser.

St. Augustine French Immersion Catholic School says last week's bottle drive went well, thanking everyone who donated and all the volunteers.

Principal Nadine Cartledge reminds the funds raised support students.

Nadine Cartledge on St Augustine Bottle Drive Cause
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

The school is planning another bottle drive for March, the week after the Wawa Ice Fishing Derby, though it does have some bad news about another regular fundraiser: the 2026 fall campaign of Fresh From The Farm - which supplied fresh Ontario fruit or vegetables - is not running, "due to the current economic uncertainty facing families and farmers, making it difficult to provide a sustainable program".

Wawa to Mark Imagination Library Day

Wawa's being encouraged to wear pink tomorrow, in honour of Dolly Parton and her Imagination Library.

Municipal Council officially declared September 25th, 2026, as Wawa's Imagination Library Day, and Councillor Cathy Cannon - who's run the Wawa chapter of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library since she got it launched in 2019 - outlines what people are asked to do for the day.

Cathy Cannon on Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Day
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Cannon explains the early literacy program.

Cathy Cannon on Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Purpose
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Cannon notes the program's been well received locally, providing nearly 10,800 books since 2019.

Cathy Cannon on Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Local Use
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Registration forms can be found at the Superior Children's Centre and Wawa Public Library, or simply contact Cannon directly.

Wawa Students to Join in Terry Fox School Run

Wawa students will be running in honour of Terry Fox early next week.

St. Augustine French Immersion Catholic School Principal Nadine Cartledge outlines Monday's Terry Fox School Run.

Nadine Cartledge on Wawa's Terry Fox Schools Run
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Cartledge notes there is also merchandise for sale through the website, with funds raised supporting the Terry Fox Foundation and cancer research.

Local Students to Mark Franco-Ontarian Day

Local students will be marking Franco-Ontarian Day tomorrow.

Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon says schools across the board will celebrate the occasion "in meaningful ways", with students, families, and staff to take part "in numerous activities at school or in the community to honour the vitality of the Franco-Ontarian community".

In Chapleau, Kindergarten to Grade 6 students of École Sacré-Coeur and Grades 7 to 12 students of École secondaire catholique Trillium will celebrate the occasion with the Centre culturel Louis Hémon and the Alliance des francophones engagés de Chapleau, and - at 1:45 that afternoon - take part in a "noisemaking parade" from their schools to the Rotary Pavilion for a Franco-Ontarian flag-raising ceremony.

3 Arrested in Wawa Over Theft From Sault Ste. Marie Business

Three southern Ontarians were arrested in Wawa in connection to theft from a Sault Ste. Marie business.

Sault Police say they were informed early Saturday afternoon that merchandise had been taken earlier that day, with investigation revealing two suspects, who Superior East OPP located with a third person in Wawa about 2.5 hours later.

Superior East OPP searched them and found the stolen merchandise on the third individual, leading to the arrest of all three: a 74-year-old from Oakville and a 34-year-old from Pickering - both of whom were also wanted on warrants from four other police services - were charged with theft over $5000, while a 40-year-old from Pickering - also wanted on warrants from another police service - was charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5000.

St. Augustine Bottle Drive Tonight

Some Wawa students will be out in the community tonight to collect bottles.

St. Augustine French Immersion Catholic School Principal Nadine Cartledge explains tonight's bottle drive.

Nadine Cartledge on St Augustine Bottle Drive Collecting
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

Cartledge emphasizes funds raised through this support the students.

Nadine Cartledge on St Augustine Bottle Drive Cause
Daniel Walker/JJAM FM News

The bottle drive runs from 5 pm to 8 pm tonight.

Small Wildfire on Manitowik Lake Already Out

A small wildfire was seen in the Wawa district over the weekend - but it's already out.

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources says "Wawa 33" was confirmed Saturday, on an island on Manitowik Lake, though it was called out that same day, before growing beyond a tenth of a hectare in size.

The fire hazard's mostly low or moderate across the North, with a pocket of high hazard in the Wawa and Dubreuilville area.

Chapleau Council Meeting Cancelled for Lack of Quorum

Chapleau Town Council will need to wait a little longer to discuss a few items, after failing to meet quorum for this week's meeting.

The agenda had included by-laws regarding elderly assistance and setting up a "Compliance Audit Committee" for the 2026-30 Term of Council - as required by provincial law - a report on a pickleball user fee request, an integrity commissioner report, and multiple "in-camera" items relating to Human Resources or Legal Advice.

A notice from the Township explains that business from the agenda will be "carried forward to the next regularly scheduled Council meeting", set to be held on September 28th.

Wawa Council & Staff Considering Traffic Concerns in the Mission

The Municipality of Wawa's looking into options to address traffic concerns in the Mission.

Wawa Municipal Council received a delegation from Mission resident Patricia Lalonde, raising a number of concerns regarding traffic in the Michipicoten River Village, particularly about the speed of vehicles - she proposed lowering the limit from 50 kilometres an hour to 35 kilometres an hour - as well as more than one vehicle on the single-lane bridges, vehicles passing improperly, and the number of heavy trucks going through the community, citing safety concerns but also dust and noise issues.

Slightly later in the meeting, Council was given a summary of a memo on these concerns, with Treasurer/Deputy Clerk Heather Rainville noting staff has been looking into these concerns and recommending Council refer this back to staff to further investigation options such as lowering the speed limit, weight restrictions, and alternate road routes, though there had been issues with the Tote Road - with multiple near collisions on the winding road with blind spots due to other vehicle, ATV, bike, or other traffic - and with the Tremblay Flats Road - due to a steep incline - and Rainville also noted some of these concerns may come back up again in the future with other projects, so it is better to try seeking a broader solution than just a project-by-project basis, which could include another route, but any solution is likely to have a cost.

Infrastructure Services Director Dan Beach did say he spoke with the contractor whose trucks were going through the Mission and was told they'd watch to ensure their drivers were only going 30 to 35 kilometres an hour through the area - and he assured the Mission bridges are designed for highway traffic, so the trucks are not a concern for those.

Lalonde suggested speed bumps on the road while Councillor Cathy Cannon dismissed the possibility of weight restrictions without a weigh scale, then asked about the possibility of posting "children at play" signs in the area - Beach said that could be done - Councillor Jim Hoffmann instead suggested the old rail bed could potentially be used for a new road, but acknowledged ownership could be an issue and Deputy Mayor Mitch Hatfield noted that would be expensive to build, as roads are quite expensive.

In the end, Council agreed to refer it back to staff to further investigate.

Progress Toward Residential Recycling in Wawa

Residential recycling pickup is on the way for Wawa.

In their Committee of the Whole meeting last night, Wawa Municipal Council received an update from Infrastructure Services Director Dan Beach.

Infrastructure Services Director Dan Beach's Recycling Update

While Beach says the tentative start date is November 16th, he emphasized agreements still need to be signed and community engagement must be done, as well, so that date could change.

Asked by Councillor Cathy Cannon what options there are for apartments or businesses like hotels, Beach explained his understanding is that Circular Materials is not collecting commercial or industrial recyclables - even hotels or motels - though suggested the businesses could try reaching out to the contractor.

Deputy Mayor Mitch Hatfield asked whether the items would be going to the local landfill, though Beach assured they would not, though he was unsure where they would be going instead outside of being taken away.

Wawa Council Holding 3 Meetings for Mid-September

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

First up is a Committee of Adjustment meeting - addressing a minor variance application for a Superior Avenue property - followed by a Committee of the Whole meeting, including a delegation regarding traffic concerns in the Michipicoten River Village, monthly reports from department heads, and memos on truck traffic concerns from Mission residents, an RFP for a plow truck, recycling in town, and the extension of a Community Improvement Plan contract for a Broadway Avenue property.

That'll be followed up with a by-law in tonight's regular Council meeting, which also includes by-laws appointing a joint Municipal Election Compliance Audit Committee - as required by provincial law - and authorizing a memorandum of understanding for DeliSole to operate the arena canteen for the 2026-27 season.

The meetings will be held back-to-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.

New Wawa Goose Seniors' Centre Executive Elected

A new executive's been chosen for the Wawa Goose Seniors' Centre.

In their annual meeting last Thursday, Cheryl Tremblay was elected as the new President, with Andy Stevens as Vice-President, Mette Hovaas as Secretary, Judy Sanchioni as Treasurer, and Norma Kauk as Chair of the Social Committee

Longtime president Carol Chalykoff will stay on as Past President.

The new executive will be sworn in during their monthly general meeting on October 1st.

Small Chapleau District Fire Quickly Out

A small wildfire was seen in the southern Chapleau district over the weekend - but it's already out.

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources says "Chapleau 28" was confirmed Saturday, southeast of Elliot Lake, though it was called out that same day, before growing beyond a tenth of a hectare in size.

The fire hazard's mostly low across the North, with some areas of moderate hazard, including a pocket in the Wawa area.

1 Injured After Transport Truck Rollover Between Chapleau & Foleyet

One person is injured after a transport truck rollover between Chapleau and Foleyet.

North East Region OPP say Highway 101 was closed in both directions before noon Monday after the rollover, which involved a transport truck carrying a load of rocks.

The driver suffered what is described as "non-life-threatening injuries".

Cleanup efforts saw 101 reopen around 6:30 that night.

Small Fires Reported in Wawa & Chapleau Districts, Both Under Control

A couple new wildfires were seen in the Wawa and Chapleau districts on Wednesday.

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources says "Chapleau 26" was confirmed that afternoon, on an island of Little Wawa Lake - in The Shoals Provincial Park - while "Wawa 31" was confirmed early in the evening, south of Highway 17 and west of Dunc Lake - both fires were quickly brought "under control" at a tenth of a hectare in size.

One other fire's still burning in the area: "Timmins 9", which was reported May 31st, remains "under control" at 3151 hectares in size, near Highway 144.

The fire hazard's mostly low across the North, but mostly moderate to high locally.

OPP Arrest Sault Ste. Marie Man After Chapleau Traffic Complaint

A Sault Ste. Marie driver's facing charges after a traffic complaint in Chapleau.

Superior East OPP say they responded to a complaint about a possible impaired driver around 10 am last Wednesday, September 2nd, finding the vehicle on Martel Road and conducting a traffic stop - subsequent investigation led police to determine the driver was prohibited from driving so he was arrested.

The 51-year-old's been charged with operation while prohibited, drive motor vehicle - not equipped with ignition interlock device, and driving a motor vehicle with open container of liquor - he's been released with a November court date.

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