SpinningtheWheelforaGoodCause: theLocalLegionWINS
BySteveSchmidt
Diane Daigle-Dinel is still going strong! After co-organizing a fundraising dinner and dance that raised $11,963.59 for the Chapleau FirefighterAssociation,sherealizedthatthe simpleactofcollectingpeople'semptiesand driving them to Timmins, Folyet or anywhere else large amounts of empties could be redeemed, could both keep the empties out of the landfill and raise money
forlocalgoodcauses.
She vowed to keep at it. We last reportedthateverytimeshehadraised$500, sheintendedtogoonlineandspinawheelto select from a list of local good causes. Last week, that's just what she did - live on the Chapleau Community Bulletin Board on Facebook.
The winner of her first spin was the RoyalCanadianLegion#5hereinChapleau.
Accepting $500 on behalf of the
Legion was Alex Lambruschini. The local Legioniscertainlyaworthyfirstrecipient.
Stay tuned to see which local organizationwinsnext. Ifyouwouldliketo contribute, you can contact Diane DaigleDinel through Facebook Messenger or drop off your empties at her home at 184 Martel Road. Shewillspinthewheelassoonasshe has raised another $500 from returned empties - and another local good cause will getawelldeservedboost.
Check,vaccinate,andreportyourchild’simmunizationrecords
Helpuskeepstudentssafeandhealthy.
Public Health is reminding parents and guardians to update and report their child’s vaccine records. To attend school in Ontario, studentsunder18musthavereceivedallrequired vaccines or have valid exemption from vaccination. Starting December 2025, Public Health will begin reviewing all student vaccine records for the 2025-2026 school year, as required under the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA). Families will be notified if theirchildismissingvaccinations.
“Approximately3800studentsacrossour service area have missing or overdue vaccines according to the provincial immunization database,” said Sara Noble, a manager with the Vaccine Preventable Diseases team. “Families play a pivotal role in keeping school communities safe and healthy. We’re encouragingparentsandguardianstochecktheir child’s vaccination records and receive the
requiredimmunizationsassoonaspossible.” Checking and updating your child’s immunizationrecord
CHECK: Review your child’s immunization record for any missing vaccines by visiting the Immunization Connection Ontario (ICON) website:sdhu.icon.ehealthontario.ca.
VACCINATE:Ifvaccinesaremissing,makean appointment with your health care provider. Public Health will also offer dedicated appointmentsforstudentswhoreceivedanotice. Pleasecontactustobookanappointment.
REPORT: Parents and guardians must report their child’s immunizations to Public Health. Submit updated records using one of the below options:
Online: Upload records to ICON at icon.ehealthontario.ca.
In person: Drop off a copy to a Public Health office.
By mail: Mail records to Public Health’s main office.
Email: Send a copy to ISPA@phsd.ca(*Note: Email is not fully secure and may risk data privacy).
Under the ISPA, the Medical Officer of Health will issue suspension orders to students who continue not to meet immunization requirements. These students may remain suspended for up to 20 school days, or longer if required, and not be allowed to attend school or relatedeventsuntiltheirrecordsareuptodate.To keep everyone safe, students with incomplete records may be excluded from school during disease outbreaks, even if they have a valid exemption.
Visit our website for more information about immunization requirements, reporting, or exemptions or call 705.522.9200, ext. 458 (tollfree1.866.522.9200).
OntarioExpandingFrench-LanguageGovernmentServices
Provincial agencies and partners in six expanded communities will be required to offer their services in French to better serve Francophone
The Ontario government is increasing access to provincial services for Francophones by expanding six designated areas across Ontario under the French Language Services Act.Aspartofthegovernment’splantoprotect Ontario and improve access to the public services people rely on, this expansion will require provincial agencies and partner organizations in these regions to offer their servicesinFrenchtolocalresidents.
“Theexpansionofgovernmentservices in French in six communities across Ontario will help thousands more Francophone residentsaccesstheservicestheyneed,intheir language of choice,” said Caroline Mulroney, MinisterofFrancophoneAffairs.“Markingthe anniversaryofthemodernizationoftheFrench LanguageServicesActwiththisnewmilestone reflects the progress we have achieved to strengthen our Francophone communities now andintothefuture.”
After an implementation period, French-language government services will be available across an additional 6,300 square kilometres, to reflect current municipal boundariesin:
• The United Counties of Stormont, DundasandGlengarry
• TheCountyofEssex
• CityofHamilton
• MunicipalityofChatham-Kent
• TheCountyofRenfrew
• TheDistrictofThunderBay
“For more than three decades, Francophone communities have worked to strengthen the French Language Services Act, and today we are seeing the concrete results of this modernization, particularly with the expansionofdesignatedareasandthecontinued progress of its implementation,” said Fabien Hébert, President of the Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario. “The AFO welcomesthisnewmilestonewithappreciation andrecognizestheongoingcollaborationofthe Ontariogovernment.Together,wehavebuilton theprogressmadeinrecentyears,andtogether wewillcontinuetobringthespiritoftheActto life in the daily lives of Francophone Ontarians.”
Under the French Language Services Act,theOntariogovernmentisrequiredtooffer provincial services in French in designated areas, where the majority of Ontario’s Francophone population lives. Expanding the designatedareaswillensureFrancophonescan continue to receive key services in French, including accessing certain justice and social services,aswellasbusinessresources.
Today marks the fourth anniversary of the modernization of the French Language Services Act which received Royal Assent on December9,2021,markingitsfirstsignificant updateinover35years.Theseinitiativesbuild on the government’s plan to strengthen Ontario’sFrancophonecommunityandfollows thedesignationofthecityofSarniawhichcame
residents
intoforceonNovember1st,2024.
Full implementation is underway, following a transition period during which ministries, agencies, and third-party service providers are strengthening their capacity to deliver French-languageservices equivalentin qualitytothoseofferedinEnglish.
Last year, the Ministry of Francophone Affairs invited the public to provide feedback on the proposal to expand six designated areas toreflectcurrentmunicipalboundaries.
Aspartofthisexercise,thegovernment is also updating the names of four areas to reflecttheircurrentnames:
Prescott and Russell: The former Counties of Prescott and Russell have been amalgamated into the United Counties of PrescottandRussell,effectiveJanuary1,2026, toreflecttheirunifiedgovernancestructure.
City of Sarnia: The designation now distinguishes between the County of Lambton andtheCityofSarnia,ensuringclarityaboutthe scope of coverage within the area, effective January1,2026.
City of Greater Sudbury and District of Sudbury: Redundant reference eliminated as thecityisgeographicallyapartoftheDistrictof Sudbury.EffectiveJanuary1,2026.
Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry: The threecountiesmergedintotheUnitedCounties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. This changewithrespecttotheFLSAisscheduledto takeeffectinJanuary2029.
Fromthearchives of Chapleau
Chapleauexperiencing'tremendouspowershift'tooas societalchangeincommunicationstakesplaceglobally
Moments
MichaelJ. Morris
More than 20 years ago now Howard Rheingold,oneofthepioneersofvirtualcommunities, said that " a tremendous power shift is underway...thispowershiftisaboutpeopleand our ability to connect with each other in new ways..."
Speaking at the first Writers' Retreat on Interactive Technology and Equipment conference sponsored by the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and Emily CarrCollegeofArtandDesign,Rheingoldnoted in 1994 that he was struck by the "citizen-to citizenmovementnowknownasvirtualcommunity"poppingupeverywherehetravelled.
Iwasattheconferencepreparingtoteach myfirstWritingforNewMediacourseatCollege of the Rockies where I was also working on the developmentofagradprograminNew(Social) Media Communications launched a year later. Very few people at the time agreed with Rheingold and other internet pioneers who believedasIdidthatwewereembarkingonthe biggestsocietalchangeincommunicationssince thedaysofGutenbergandhisprintingpress.
I spoke on the topic of how the Internet coulddefeatpoliticians,orhelpthemwin, atan annual conference of the Canadian Association
of Journalists in 1996, and argued, that in due course, it would be a major contributing factor. Interestingly, the old guard in the room vehementlydisagreedwithme,whilecampusjournalists supported my position.The old guard, and me,hadneverheardofBarackObamain1995.
Fastforwardtonow!Youdon'thearmuch about virtual communities now, as all the talk is aboutsocialmedia.Thepowershifthasoccurred despite the naysayers then and now, because of our need to connect, one with the other, and we have choices like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Skype,andyes,evenemail.
Recently, I have been thinking about Chapleaufolksandhowtheyareconnectingwith eachothernomatterwheretheymaylivetodayas I watch a group of Facebook friends communicate with each other each morning. They share the weather report from where they live, so typically Canadian, and other news. I won't identify them as I did not request permission to use their names but I really enjoy their daily meeting.
Ihaveusedthreephotoswiththiscolumn toprovideexamplesofthreeChapleaupageson Facebook which are in my view at least very successful.
One is the Chapleau History and Genealogy group launched by Louise (Tremblay) Etter which now has over 1,500 members.Itsmembersprovideawesomephotos andcommentsrelatedtothehistoryofChapleau anditspeople.
Ienjoy"ChapleauKebsquasheshing"the golf club page because weekly it provides information on club activities, most particularly
"Adult Night" winners. Despite my almost 30 years away from Chapleau, I still can identify mostofthegolfers.
AndIselectedtheTrinityUnitedChurch pageasagreatexampleofhowtokeepmembers informedonchurchactivities.
There are many other Chapleau pages, whichIamdelightedtosee,andshouldanywish tocontactmeaboutthempleasefeelfreetodoso. Despite having taught social media, I joined Facebook some years ago now at the suggestionofformerstudents,andIextendgreat thankstothem.Ihavebeenabletoreconnectwith so many people with whom I had lost touch for manyyears,andcatchupontheirlives.Facebook is also an example of the success of new media withitsconvergenceofallmediatodigitalforms. AtanygiventimeonFacebook,"friends" areusingtext,stillphotos,videosandallkindof coolthingstocommunicatewithoneanotherand abroaderaudienceiftheywish.One-to-one,oneto-many, and many-to-many!!! While I have focused on Facebook, others like Twitter and Instagramarealsointhemix.
While teaching new media at COTR I mademanyfearlesspredictionsaboutwherewe Cont’donP.4
TrinityUnitedChurchfromFacebook Kebsquasheshing Golf Club clubhouse from Facebook
HistoricChapleauphotofromChapleauhistoryandgenealogyFacebookpage
ÉcoleSacré-CœurcelebratesAdventandpreparesforChristmas
In December, the École SacréCoeur school community comes together to fully experience the Advent season. Eachweek,studentsfromKindergartento grade6,alongwithstaffmembers,gather inthegymforamomentofreflectionand
prayer.Together,theylightacandleonthe Advent wreath, a symbol of openness to faith, friendship, and sharing throughout the holiday season. These weekly gatherings strengthen
L'écoleSacré-Cœurcélèbrel'Avent etpréparelagrandefêtedeNoël
En décembre, la communauté scolaire de l'école Sacré-Cœur de Chapleau se rassemble pour vivre pleinement la période de l'Avent. Chaque semaine, les élèves de la maternelle à la 6e année, accompagnés du personnel, se réunissent dans le gymnase pour un moment de recueillement et de prière. Ensemble, ils allumentunebougiesurlacouronnedel'Avent,symbole d'ouverture à la foi, à l'amitié et au partage tout au long des Fêtes. Ces rassemblements hebdomadaires renforcent le sentiment d'appartenance des élèves et l'espritfamilialquicaractérisebienl'école,toutencréant unebelleanticipationpourlacélébrationdeNoël.
ChapleauMoments
Cont’dfromP.3 were headed. At times I really didn't have a clue but knew somethingbigwashappening.I amstilllearning.
In the COTR library where students had access to computers, they were banned by the powers-that-be from accessingchatrooms,whichin thosedayswasthemainreason the students wanted to use the computers.To me it was a sure signthatbigchangescouldnot be far off. The kids were way ahead in social networking, while the established order wanted to ban them from the practice. Now kids are "tweeting" and "facebooking" and so on.
When I think of it though, my generation liked to pass notes around the classroom to our friends, which of course was forbidden. Now they stay in touch by texting each other on cel phones, and using Facebook, Twitter, etc. Plus ca change. Plus c`est la memechose.
I would love to hear yourcommentsonsocialmedia and its place in your life, and how you enjoy staying connected with others. Critics welcometoo!
Feel free to contact me onFacebook.
students' sense of belonging and the familyspiritthatcharacterizestheschool, while creating joyful anticipation for Christmascelebrations.
NewChairandViceChairfortheAlgomaDistrictSchoolBoard
Algoma District School Board (ADSB) held their Inaugural Meeting on December 9, 2025. Elaine Johnston has been elected as the Board's new Chair and Greg Bowman as the Board's new Vice Chair. Jennifer Sarlo, who has servedasChairforthepast14years,willcontinue in her role asTrustee, servingWard One of Sault Ste.Marie.
ChairElaineJohnston
Elaine is theADSB's First Nation trustee and has served on the Algoma District School Board for the last 10 years. She has served on a numberofkeycommitteesoftheBoardsuchasthe Audit and Finance committee and the Operations and Budget committee. From Serpent River First Nation,ElainehasservedonnumerousBoardsand committees at the local, regional and national level. She is the Chair of the First Nations, Inuit and Metis Trustee Council of the Ontario Public School Board Association (OPSBA). She was also the Chair of the Elliot Lake Hospital Board. Elaine is the former Chief of Serpent River First Nation, a position she held for four and a half years. She sat on Council for 10 years and was a former Chair of the Nogdawindamin Board and Vice Chair of Mamaweswen, the North Shore Tribal Council. She worked at the Assembly of First Nations and theAnishinabek Nation. Elaine has presented to the United Nations, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and to numerousstandingcommittees,tonamejustafew.
Elaine attended post-secondary education at Cambrian College and Sudbury Laurentian UniversityandreceivedtrainingasanAmbulance & Emergency Care Attendant, Paramedic along withherdiplomaanddegreeinnursing.Hercareer
inhealthprovidedheropportunitiestoworkinthe hospital, ambulance, air ambulance, community, the Canadian Coast Guard, government and First Nationorganizations.
Following her election by acclimation as ChairoftheAlgomaDistrictSchoolBoard,Elaine thanked the Board for electing her to the position of Chair. She looks forward to working with her fellow trustees. Elaine continues as Algoma District School Board's First Nation Trustee. The NorthShoreTribalCouncilEducationDepartment coordinated the selection process and Elaine was acclaimed as the successful candidate for the 2022-2026 term. This is Elaine's third term as ADSB's First Nation Trustee having been first appointedin2014.
GreghasrepresentedWardThreeinSault Ste.MarieasaTrusteesince2018.Overtheyears, he has been an active and valued member of several key committees for the Board, including the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC), the AwardsNominationCommitteeandisChairofthe Operations & Budget Committee. Since 2023, Greg has also stepped up to serve as OPSBA's DirectorandVotingDelegateforADSB,ensuring thedistrict'svoiceisheardattheprovinciallevel. He also serves as Northern Ontario's representative on OPSBA's Program Education WorkingGroup,partoftheOntarioPublicSchool Boards'Association.
Professionally, Greg serves as an Electrical Planner at Wesdome, where he sees firsthand the growing demand for skilled trades
and technical specialists. His advocacy for trades education stems from this experience, and he is passionateaboutensuringstudentsunderstandthe opportunities available in these fields. Greg's involvement on Sault College's Electrical Advisory Committee for more than 23 years reflectshiscommitmenttoaligningeducationwith workforceneeds.
Beyondhisprofessionalandtrusteeroles, Greg has volunteered extensively with youth organizations, including serving as past President of the Navy League of Canada Sault Ste. Marie Branch and as a member of the 2310 Royal CanadianArmy Cadets sponsoring committee.A lifelongresidentofSaultSte.Marieandfatherof three, Greg values education, community, and preparingstudentsforsuccess.
ADSB looksforwardtoGreg'scontinued leadership as Vice Chair and his dedication to advancing education for students and families acrossthedistrict.
ViceChairGregBowman
MOMENTS IN TIME
On Dec. 22, 2001, the world's first cloned cat, appropriately named CC, or Copy Cat, made her debut in a Texas biomedical lab. She lived for 18 years, possessed all the attributes of a normal cat, and her birth jumpstarted a pet-cloning industry aroundtheworld.
Protégez-vouscontrelafraudelorsdevosachatsenligne
(EN) Les achats en ligne sont devenus un mode d’achat populaire, grâce à leur rapidité et à leur commodité.Puisquelesfraudeursenprofitent,il est important de rester vigilant lors de la recherched’offresetdecadeauxparfaitsenligne.
Voiciquelquespointsàretenir:
N’utilisez que des sites Web sécurisés lorsque vous fournissez des renseignements personnelsoufinanciersoulorsquevousachetez quelque chose en ligne. Cherchez les sites dont l’adresse commence par « https » ou ceux qui comportent une image de cadenas dans la barre d’adresse.
Maintenez à jour le pare-feu de votre ordinateurainsiquelessystèmesantivirusetantilogicielsespions.
Ne communiquez pas les informations relativesàvotrecartedecréditparcourriel.
Déconnectez-vousdevotresitedebanque enlignedèsquevousavezfinidel’utiliser.
Ne laissez pas votre ordinateur ou votre appareilmobilegarderenmémoirevotremotde passe ou vos informations bancaires, comme votrenumérodecompte.
N’utilisez pas de réseau Wi-Fi ou d’ordinateurs publics pour effectuer vos
opérations bancaires ou vos achats en ligne. Sivousdevez utiliser un ordinateur public, effacez l’historique et la mémoire cache lorsquevousavezfini del’utiliser.
N’oubliez pas que vous avez un rôle à jouer pour assurer votre sécurité en ligne. En étant prudent,vouspouvez mieux protéger votre argent, votre identité et votre tranquillité d’esprit. Si vous disposez d’information sur une fraude liée à l’achat en ligne, transmettez-la au Centre antifraudeduCanada.Contactezégalementvotre banque dès que possible si vous constatez une
transaction non autorisée ou suspecte sur votre cartedecréditouvotrecomptebancaire.
Vous trouverez d’autres conseils pour vous protéger contre la fraude sur le site canada.ca/argent.
(705) 942-0142
MIKE C.ALLEMANO - RETIRED
Solidarityinaction: ÉSCTrilliumstudentsgetinvolvedforChristmas
DuringthefirstweekofDecember,students from École secondaire catholique Trillium lent a helpinghandtotheChapleauPentecostalChurch.As
part of their Religion class, the students assisted the church in preparing Christmas hampers for local families in need. Thanks to their generosity and
dedication, many households in the community will enjoyawarmerChristmas.
Solidarité en action : les élèves de l'ÉSCTrilliums'engagentpourNoël
Pendantlapremièresemainedumoisde décembre, les élèves de l'école secondaire catholiqueTrilliumontprêtémain-forteàl'église Pentecôte de Chapleau. Dans le cadre de leur cours d'Enseignement religieux, les élèves ont appuyél'égliseaveclapréparationdespaniersde Noëldestinésauxfamillesdanslebesoin.Grâce à leur générosité et leur engagement, plusieurs foyers de la communauté vivront un Noël plus chaleureux.
HowhassnowremovalinCanada
evolved?
(NC)SnowremovalhasalwaysbeenpartofCanadianlife, shaping how neighbours, families and communities face thecoldtogether.Everywinterasdrivewaysfillandsidewalksdisappear,Canadiansonceagainturntotheirshovels and blowers—timeless tools of resilience and routine. Over decades, innovation has made snow clearing faster, easierandsaferthaneverbefore.
For much of the country’s history, snow removal was mostly manual—think shovels, horse-drawn plows andearlyrotarydesigns,patentedasfarbackas1869.
Then, in 1925, Québec innovator Arthur Sicard revolutionizedsnowremovalwiththefirstpracticalsnow blower,capableofbeingmountedtovehiclesandmoving snowupto27metresaway.
Over the years, Canadian manufacturers have evolved alongside the country’s changing winter needs. Long-standingcompanies,suchasGaranthaveintroduced newmaterialsandergonomicdesignsthatreflectongoing innovationinsnow-clearingtools
The arrival of gas-powered snow blowers changed snow removal in many neighbourhoods, offering relief from long hours of shovelling. Today, snow removal has enteredanewerawithadvancesindesignthataremaking winter work quieter and more efficient. Cordless electric snowblowers are easier to use and kinder to both people andtheplanet.
Yet for all this progress, the essence of snow removal in Canada hasn’t changed. Whether it’s a parent helping a child dig out the car or neighbours shovelling sidebysideafterastorm,itremainsasharedritual—one thatbringsCanadianstogethereverywinter.