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CPCK HolidayTrainWarmstheHeart
BySteveSchmidt
It'saChapleautraditionthatwesharewithfolksrightacrossthecountry.
TheChristmasTrainrolledintotownrightontime,Mondayat4:15pm.
The town came out to enjoy the country music stylings of CCMA's MaleArtist of theYear, Jade Eagleson. With four gold and two platinum certifiedsingles,Jadeisthemostgloballystreameddebutartistinhistory, rackingup335millionstreamsand130millionYouTubeviews.
Also on the roster was Teigen Gayse who was nominated for Breakthrough Artist of the Year from the Canadian Country Music Association. TeigenwasalsoFemaleArtistoftheYearandSongwriterof theYearattheBCCountryMusicAwards. With10millionglobalstreams and 48 million TikTok views, she has established herself as an emerging artistontherise.
Afterperformingseparately,JadeandTeigenjoinedforcesandsoon hadthekidsdancingandthecrowdsingingalong-ANDraised$7000tobe allocatedtolocalcharities. ItfairlywarmsyourheartonacoldDecember day.
'TheLake'OpenstheSaultFilmFestival
BySteveSchmidt
OpeningnightattheSaultFilmFestivalattheGrand Theatre, the red carpet rolled out for The Lake - a short film with an all Chapleau cast and crew. In attendance was the film's director Steve Schmidt and producer Gabe Taylor. Asurprisingly large contingent of Chapleau folks came out to support the film's screening and see what the fuss is all about. Drinks were served prior to the screening as the filmmakers walked the red carpet. TheLakeopenedthefestinaprogram of short films from across northern Ontario. A surprisingly strong showing, the evening made clear that Cont’donP.5 there
WeatherSummaryforOntario November2025:WarmStartwithCold,SnowyFinish
Temperatures
The average mean monthly temperature for November was above normal over northwestern Ontario as well as across the Far Northandslightlycoolerthannormalinmostof the south. For the third consecutive month, the province exhibited a temperature gradient characterized by increasing values from the southeasttowardthenorthwest.
On finer time scales, temperatures generally fell throughout the first week, which wasthewarmestprovincewideandespeciallyin the north. Some of the coldest air of the month (for the south) was in place to start the second week after which temperatures gradually rose. Early in the third week, several southwestern locations saw their warmest day of the month (e.g.Windsorat18.3oConthe15th).Theninthe finalweekanddaysofthemonth,muchcolderair spreadacrosstheprovince.
Precipitation
Precipitation amounts for November werenearnormalformuchoftheprovince.Drier than normal conditions, however, returned to most of the northwest and the northeast was considerably wetter than normal. Kapuskasing received123mmor184%ofitsmonthlynorm.It was also noticeably drier in much of the south nearthelowerlakeswithToronto,Kingstonand Windsoronlyreceivingabouthalftheirmonthly norm.
Overall, the second week was the driest in the north,whilethesouthsawitsdriestconditionsin thefirstweek.Thefinalweekwas generallythe wettestacrosstheprovince.
Snowfall
Three significant snow laden systems crossedtheprovince.Thefirstofthecoldseason sweptacrossthenorthonthe7th-8th.Thenonthe 9th,thesouthreceiveditsfirstmajorsnowwhich set records for snowfall and snow depth on the ground measurements, due mainly to the snow being early in the cold season. Daily snowfall recordsincludeHamilton(11.2cm)andNapanee (16cm)bothonthe9th.Thentowardtheendof the month, a storm brought large amounts of snow over much of the province except the northwestandFarNorth.
IceConditionsontheGreatLakes
IcebeganforminginLakeSuperiorinthe secondhalfofNovember,markingthestartofthe 2025-26iceseasonfortheGreatLakes.Icebegan forming in the northern bay of Lake Superior duringtheoccasionalbelowfreezingperiodsand meltingwhenairtemperatureswarmedagain.Ice becamemoreestablishedinthefinalweekofthe
month as air temperatures dipped even further. The cold at the end of the month also saw ice forminginSaginawBayinLakeHuronandinthe St.Mary'sRiver.Thefreeze-uphasgottenofftoa nearnormalstartaswetypicallystartseeingice formingintheGreatLakesinthelastweekofthe month.
SignificantEvents
November9:FirstSnowSnarlsintheSouth
The first snow of the season caused hazardous travel across much of southern Ontario. Greater Toronto OPP reported 220 collisionsandanother120vehicleseitherended upinditchesorbecamestuck.Oneseriouscrash on Highway 400 near King City closed the northboundlaneslateSundayandsendingseven people to hospital, one with life-threatening injuries. Eastern Ontario OPP reported 120 collisions.
Snowfall amounts of 7 to 12 cm were most common.Temperatureshoveredbetween-1and3oC throughout the event. Snowfall rates were generally 1 cm/h and briefly reaching 2 cm/h at times.
November 10-11: The Lake Effect Machine StartsintheSouthwest
Thefirstfortheseason,lakeeffectsnow squalls developed off Lake Huron and then Georgian Bay some with thundersnow. West of London was hardest hit with multiple serious collisions/closures(includingjackknifedtractortrailers, trucks and multiple car incidents), specifically along Highway 402. Highway 402 and 401 saw road and lane closures as well as otherslaternearerLakeHuron.Someinvolvedin these collisions were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Some school districts were closed, and most buses were cancelledin Elginand Middlesex. Multiplecars were stalling on London roads, some having troubledrivinguphillswithoutsnowtires.
Most areas, including London, saw around20cmofsnowintotal.However,theareas west of London saw much more, with total amounts ranging from 40 cm (Alvinston) to 60 cm (Glencoe). Peak snowfall rates were 5 to 10 cmperhour.
November 26-28: Intense Winter Storm FollowswithHistoricSquallsintheNortheast thenSouth.
A potent winter storm delivered heavy snowtothenortheastthenpersistentsnowsqualls over parts of south central and southwestern Ontario.Allmajorhighwaysnorthandnortheast of Lake Superior experienced prolonged road closures. In the squalls, numerous collisions occurred, some serious, and many involving multiple vehicles and highway portions including the 401 had to be closed. Motorists werestrandedforupto10hoursonHighway401 southwest of Kitchener Thursday night. In the northeast, rural schools were closed and all school buses cancelled. Snow events were declared in Kitchener and Waterloo. In Ottawa, OPP reported four-car and six-car pileups on Highway417andadvisedmotoriststowatchfor blackice.Inthecity,dozensofadditionalcrashes were reported. Winds gusting to 70 to 80 km/h caused scattered power outages across Southern Ontario as the storm pulled away. Snowfall amounts included 61 cm at Marathon, 51 cm at Kapuskasingand33cminKitchenerandover50 cm(unofficial)nearBrussels.
OutlookforDecember2025
Modelguidancefornextmonthindicates aprovince-widecoolanomaly,mostpronounced inthesouth,withtheFarNorthremainingnearneutral with no clear temperature signal. Precipitation guidance shows weak anomaly probabilities,withnostrongsignaltowardeither above-orbelow-normalconditions.
Fromthearchives of Chapleau
Moments MichaelJ. Morris
Lorne Riley shares memories of Christmas songs from home countries while JuneMarieCharlwoodremembersthecrispcoldsnow and Ken Schroeder plays Santa Claus. It is the Christmasseasonandtimeoneagaintobringyou momentsfromhereandthereandindeedeverywhere.
LorneRileywritesfromDubaiwherehe isheadofcorporate communicationsforDubai Airportsthathe livedoverseasfor10yearsnow in three different countries and, "despite this, havemanagedtomoreorlessmaintaina'Canadian Christmas'. It typically means flying home for two harried weeks jam-packed with dinners, lunchesandget-togethersaswestruggletoseeas many people as possible in a very short time frame.
However,his favouriteoverseasChristmasexperiencewasinFrankfurtwhereweused to have a staff party every year to celebrate ChristmasintheGermantradition."
Lorne explai-ned that typically it started in the Christmas market in Hauptwache at the centreofthecitywithcupsofmulled,sweetened gluhwein or beer (the best in the world I might add) and snacks like bratwurst or kartofelpuffer (potatopancakesandapplesauce).Itwouldend with a merry, multi-cultural group primed with Pils,gatheredaroundaheavywoodentableladen withgoose,rotkraut(redcabbage)andknoedel(a doughy dumpling the size of a baseball) in a smokeyrestaurantsingingChristmassongsfrom ourhomecountries.
He also recalled very fond memories of ChapleauChristmases..."hamandperogieswere the tradition at Christmas Eve at the Riley household, lovingly prepared by my mother (JackieRileywhoisagreatcook...hiMom!).
"Inmyteenageyearsourgangoffriends (some of us from the NOHA Midget C Champion Chapleau Huskies...John Bernier, Pat Payette, Randy Carroll, Tim Morin, Donald Swanson, Mario Lapierre, Alain Bouillon and Paul Martel to name a few) would gather at the Payettes for some Christmas cheer and a singalong."
Just to interject a bit on the champion Midget C Huskies, they won the NOHAtitle in 1979-80inBlindRiverinanailbitingseries.The
ChapleaufolkssharememoriesoftheseasonfromChristmasmarketin GermanytochurchpageantandSantaClausatSmithandChappleLtd.
coaches were Jamie Doyle and MikeTangie,andIwasthereon the bench with them. Also, Lorne's father, Lorne Sr., coached the Chapleau Midgets toanNOHAtitleintheSixties whichledtothefoundingofthe Chapleau Junior B Huskies. Lorne Sr was the first coach of that team which won championships in 1966-67, its first year. When Lorne became ill, Keith "Buddy" Swanson, the managertookoverascoach.
And most importantly Lorneshares:"Istillremember wakingupChristmasdaytothe smell of turkey roasting, opening the treats in our Christmas sock which was pinnedatthefootofthebed(acleverploybymy parents to keep us entertained in our rooms so they could catch an extra hour or two of sleep) andlookingthroughathicklyfrostedwindowto seeifslidingatSecondRockoronHospitalHill was in the cards...that is if Santa brought the KrazyKarpetIhadaskedfor....
June Marie also recalled getting a book called'FiftyFamousFairyTales'thatyearwhich shestillhasand readtomychildrenandgrandchildren.....WowMichael youhavebroughtup someveryspecialmemoriestomyheart..."
"While I haven't made it back to Chapleau for Christmasinaverylongtime,andIrarelygetto seemyverygoodfriendsfrombackintheday,I'd liketosendeveryonebackhomebestwishesfora very Merry Christmas and safe, healthy and HappyNewYear."
June-MarieCharlwood,amemberofone ofChapleau'spioneerfamilieswrotethattheone memoryshehad ofChristmasinChapleauwas theChristmasPageantbytheSt.John'sAnglican Church Sunday School and singingThe Huron Carol.
June-Marie is the daughter of the late Bessie Woodard who was born and raised in Chapleau. Bessie married Maurice Charetteand theylivedinChapleauintheearlyFifties.
"Then we went to the Zufelts (Elsie (Hunt) and B.W. "Bubs" Zufelt lived on Beech Streetatthetime)andwalkinghomeinthecrisp cold snow and watching the beautiful aurora borealislightupthesky....IbelieveIwas7which wouldmakeit1952..."
When June Marie mentioned 1952, it rangabellandIwenttomybook'SonsofThunder...ApostlesofLove'toseewhatwashappening at St. John's. I noted that at Christmas 1952 when Rev. E. Roy Haddon was the rector, the largestcongregationeverrecordedataserviceto that time in the history of the parish was on Christmas Eve with 267 people in attendance. There were chairs in the aisle on a beautiful Winterevening.
When I received an email from my lifelongfriendKenSchroederwithsomememories,IactuallydidrecallwhenhewasSantaClaus atSmithandChappleLtd.Kenwrote:"IrememberbeingaChapleau'SantaClaus'atSmithand Chappleoneyear,musicwasbig..niceandloud ....kidsenjoyed... JingleBells...etc....ArtGrout always was happy about these good times ....people smiling . Good times ...." They sure weregreatdaysKen.
FROMMYEMAILBAG
Vivian Edwards wrote about my article on John 'Mac' McClellan. "That article on Mr McClellanwassoexcellent.WhenIwanteda jobattheChapleauTelephoneCo.IgaveMac as a reference and Mrs Delaney phoned him andhesaidhireher. Itchangedmywholelife. I Joined his bugle band but he let me be in it buttoldmenottoblowthebugleasIcouldn't carryanote.ItookthebuglehomegeesIwas proud and was in the marching band but messedupasIswungmyarmsthesameway. Poor guy he was so tolerant. When my brother Tom quit school he called my mom and said this boy was to carry on in school. Over the years I am sure he helped countless students.Greatmenhappenonlysooftenand he was one of them . Good job Michael."
DR.YOUNGMEMORIAL
I have been advised that the Queen's UniversityAlumni Review will run a memorial articleonDr.G.E.YounginitsWinterissue.Dr. Young graduated from Queen's in medicine in 1942.
Lorne and Jackie Riley with theirchildren Erin, Patty, Loreen andLorneatafamilyChristmasinChapleau.
OntarioLaunchesAdvancedWoodConstructionWorkingGroup Province protecting forestry jobs and building homes and buildings faster by
promoting the use of innovative, Ontario-made wood construction
The Ontario government has launched a newworkinggrouptoguidetheimplementation oftheAdvancedWoodConstructionActionPlan: Ontario’s blueprint for education, research and investment in the fast-growing sector of prefabricatedandmodularwood-basedbuilding materials, known as advanced wood construction. The action plan was launched earlierthisyeartosupportthegovernment’splan toprotectOntariobypromotingtheuseofmore wood-based building materials that can help buildmorehomesandbuildingsfasterandcreate amoreresilientforestrysectorinresponsetoU.S. tariffs.
“Our government has assembled leaders and experts from a variety of sectors into a working group that will seize the potential of advanced wood construction and revolutionize how we build Ontario,” saidAssociate Minister Holland.“Wewillcontinuetodeliveronourplan to protect Ontario’s forest sector businesses and workers by building a strong, resilient forest sector that can stand strong in the face of U.S. tariffs.”
The new working group will harness Ontario’sadvancedwoodconstructionexpertise topromote,prioritizeandacceleratewood-based building,providestrategicadvicetounlocknew businessopportunitiesandpositiontheprovince tocompeteintheglobalmarket.Groupmembers will also champion the action plan in their individual sectors, fostering new connections and opportunities to attract investment and support economic opportunities that create and sustainlocaljobs.
“Industrializedwoodconstructionisone ofthefastestwaystodeliverthehousingOntario needs and to grow value-added manufacturing here at home,” said Steven Street, Executive Director of the Canadian Wood Council’s WoodWorksOntarioprogram.“Thisplancreates new opportunities for skilled workers and
positions Ontario to lead a rapidly evolving construction landscape with a more resilient, efficient, and future-focused building ecosystem.”
Locally made mass timber and wood construction can be used to build modular and prefabricated buildings, including mid-rise and tall multi-family homes and a wide variety of commercial and industrial buildings. Advanced woodconstructioncancompleteprojectsupto50 percentfasterandcutcostsbyupto20percent, makingitessentialtoachievingthegovernment’s goalofbuildingmorehomes.
The working group will complement Ontario’s significant investments to promote and develop wood-based building. In addition to the government’s investment of $50 million to explore modular construction and other innovative building methods, Ontario’s significantinvestmentsinclude:
• Over $16 million in grants and loans to establish and scale up production at Element5, Ontario’s first fully-automated manufacturer of cross-laminated timber, an advanced wood constructionproduct
• $10millionforthefuturePrinceEdward County Memorial Hospital, North America’s first“un-encapsulated”masstimberhospital
• Closeto$2milliontoassisttheCanadian Wood Council in promoting wood-based construction through education, training and advancing codes and standards that promote buildingwithwood
• Over$1milliontobuildLimberlostPlace at George Brown College, Ontario’s first mass timber, net-zero carbon emissions institutional building
• Over $1 million to advance wood construction research and collaboration led by FPInnovations and the Canadian Wood ConstructionResearchNetwork
• Over$500,000tobuildtheUniversityof
Toronto’s Academic Tower: one of the tallest mass timber and steel hybrid buildings in North America
Launching this working group is one more step the government is taking to protect forestryjobsandbuildastronger,moreresilient forest sector, while delivering on commitments to workers, businesses and communities set out in Sustainable Growth: Ontario’s Forest Sector StrategyandtheForestBiomassActionPlan.
The Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan complements the government’s ongoing actions to increase wood-based building, including supporting building code amendments,developingtechnicalresourcesand engaging with fire services, insurers and other key stakeholders to build acceptance of wooden construction.
Theforestsectorgenerated$21.6billion in revenue from the sale of manufactured goods and services in 2023 and supported 128,000 directandindirectjobsin2024.
ByGaryBoyle
TheBackyardAstronomer
TheannualGeminidMeteorshower will be at its finest on the night of December 13 into the morning of the 14th. According to the International Meteor Organization (IMO), the maximum peak of possibly seeing 120 meteors per hour is predicted to occur around 3 am eastern, (2 am central, 1 am mountain and midnightwestern)onthemorningofthe14.
A 23% waning crescent moon will rise lateintothemorninghourssonobiginterference this year. This is a weekend event. If cloudy SaturdaynightitisstillvisibleonSundaynight, butthenumberswillbereduced.
Theseareslowmovingcolourfulmeteors generatedbytheasteroid3200Phaethonandwill be memorable to witness as they burn up in the atmosphere appearing in different directions of thesky.Someverybrightfireballscouldalsobe seen.Startlookingaround7pmlocaltimebutas thenightmovesonandtheconstellationGemini rises higher over the next few hours, more meteorswillbeseen.ThebrilliantplanetJupiter isupinthenortheastaround7pmandoutallnight longalongwiththebrightwinterstarsofOrion–theHunter.
Besttotraveloutoftowntodarkerwideopen skies to fully enjoy the show. Do not trespassonprivateproperty.
GeminidMeteorshower
EnergytoLearn:abreakfastprogramat ÉSCTrillium
At École secondaire catholique Trillium (Chapleau),
studentsfromGrades7to12begintheirschooldayonthe right foot with a nutritious breakfast offered every morning.Thisprogramprovidesfreshandhealthyfoodstonourish both mind and body, helping students stay focused and confident throughout the day. The ÉSC Trillium school community would liketothankDiscoverySilverCorp.fortheirgeneroussupportof the breakfast program. Their valuable contribution truly makes a difference in students' lives and supports their growth and academicsuccess.
L'énergiepourapprendre:unprogramme depetitdéjeuneràl'ÉSCTrillium
L'écolesecondairecatholiqueTrillium(Chapleau),lesélèves
dela7eàla12eannéecommencentleurjournéescolairedu bonpiedgrâceàundéjeunernutritifoffertchaquematin.Ce programmeviseàfournirdesalimentsfraisetsainsafindenourrir l'espritetlecorps,favorisantainsilaconcentrationetlaconfiance tout au long de la journée. La communauté scolaire de l'ÉSC TrilliumtientàremercierchaleureusementDiscoverySilverCorp. pour leur généreux don envers le programme de petit déjeuner. Cette contribution précieuse fait une réelle différence dans la vie des élèves en plus de contribuer à leur développement et à leur réussitescolaire.
Cont’dfromP.1 theAlgomaregion.ThefilmmakerswishtothanktheSault Film Festival team for curating such an entertaining and thoughtprovokingeveningofqualitycinema.Afterwardsit waskaraoke-ofcourse-attheSSMMooseLodge535for thefilmmakersandfriends.
'TheLake'OpenstheSaultFilmFestival SHOP LOCALLY
Lastweekssolutions
MOMENTS IN TIME
On Dec. 18, 1961, the Tokens' version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"becamenotjustaNo.1song,butaclassic--oneof the most covered and most successful pop songs ever recorded. Sadly, a sequence of business arrangements that mademillionsofdollarsforahandfulofprominentU.S.music publishers yielded just a $1,000 personal check from folksinger Pete Seeger to Solomon Linda, a South African performerwhocomposedthetune.
Drugwarning:December2,2025
Public Health Sudbury & Districts is warningofariseindrugpoisonings(overdoses) and unexpected reactions to substances in the SudburyandManitoulindistricts.
The cause of the increase is unknown. This serves as an important reminder that street drugsmaybecutormixedwithsubstancessuch as benzos (benzodiazepines), xylazine, medetomidine, fentanyl, or carfentanil. Be cautious if using drugs, and please share this informationwidelytohelpsavelives.
Keyinformation
Staff from various community services throughout Sudbury and Manitoulin districts havereported:
! an increase in emergency medical services (EMS) calls for suspected drug poisoningsoverthelast72hours
! an increase in emergency department visitsforsuspecteddrugpoisoningsoverthelast 72hours
! heavynods(sedation)
! an increase in naloxone kits being distributedandrequiredforresuscitation
Howtopreventpoisonings
Apoisoningoccurswhenapersonusesa substance and their body cannot handle its effects.Apersoncanpassout,stopbreathing,or experience a seizure. Poisonings can be fatal or non-fatal.
! Carry a naloxone kit. It can help reverse anopioidpoisoning.Knowhowtouseit(PDF).
! Pick up a free naloxone kit atThe Point, Réseau ACCESS Network, or ask your local hospital or pharmacy. Visit ontario.ca/page/getnaloxone-kits-free.
! Avoid mixing substances. This includes alcohol,prescription,overthecounter,andstreet drugs.
! Startwithalowerdoseandgoslow.
! Avoidusingdrugswhenyouarealone.
! Have a trusted person nearby or use a virtual safe consumption service like the NationalOverdoseResponseServiceat Cont’donP.8
FONOM and NOMARespondtoAlgomaSteelLayoffAnnouncement
The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities(FONOM)andtheNorthwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) are expressing deep concern following Algoma Steel's announcement of 1,000 layoff notices—an immeasurable blow to workers, families,andthecommunityofSaultSte.Marie.
"Thisisadifficultanduncertainmoment
for workers, their loved ones, and the entire community," said FONOM President Dave Plourde."FONOMstandsfirmlywiththepeople of Sault Ste. Marie as they navigate the impacts ofthisdecision.Wewillcontinuetoadvocatefor a strong, stable steel sector and for the return of thesejobsasquicklyaspossible."
"Northern Ontario's workers and communities should never be caught in the crossfireofaglobaltradedispute,"saidNOMA President Rick Dumas. "NOMA remains committed to working with all orders of government to see this trade war resolved, industry stabilized, and good-paying jobs restoredinSaultSte.Marie."
FONOM and NOMA call on both the
provincial and federal governments to work collaborativelywithindustryandlabourpartners toaddresstheimmediateimpactsoftheselayoffs while taking concrete steps to protect and strengthen the steel sector across Northern Ontario.
ProvinceCrackingDownonDangerousDrivingtoProtectPeopleonOntarioRoadways
Proposed measures would keep high-risk drivers off the road and strengthen penalties for serious offences
As part of a package of legislative changestobeintroducedlatertoday,theOntario government will introduce tough new measures to crack down on dangerous drivers in Ontario. Many of the measures being introduced are in response to the “Andrew’s Law” petition, in memory of Andrew Cristillo, a father of three who was killed after being struck by a driver chargedwithdangerousandstuntdriving.These changes include measures that would impose a lifetime driving ban for anyone convicted of dangerous driving causing death and introduce new roadside licence suspensions for dangerous drivingbehaviour.
“No family should ever face the heartbreakoflosingalovedoneorthetraumaofa life-changinginjurybecauseofadangerousand careless driver,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “These proposed changes will deter reckless behaviour, hold offenders accountable and make our roads and highwayssafer.”
Following Mr. Cristillo’s death, his family launched the “Andrew’s Law” petition calling for tougher penalties for dangerous driving and increased driver education. In response,thegovernmentisproposingmeasures thatwill:
• Impose a lifetime licence suspension for anyone convicted of dangerous driving causing death.
• Allow police to immediately suspend a driver’s licence for 90 days and impound a vehicleiftheyhavereasontobelieveapersonis drivingdangerously.
! Increase fines and vehicle impoundment periodsfordrivingwithasuspendedlicence:
! First offence: 14-day vehicle impoundmentand$2,000–$10,000fine
! Second offence: 30-day vehicle impoundmentand$5,000–$15,000fine
! Third and subsequent offence: 45-day vehicleimpoundmentand$10,000–$20,000fine
! Introduce a new seven-day roadside licencesuspensionforcarelessdrivinganda30day suspension for careless driving causing bodily harm or death. Fines would also increase to $1,000–$5,000 (up from $400–$2,000) upon convictionforcarelessdriving.
! Enhanceroadsafetyeducationforyoung andnovicedrivers.
! Increase fines to double the current amount and impose longer licence suspensions upon conviction for distracted driving while operatingacommercialvehicle:
! First offence: seven-day suspension and $1,000–$2,000fine
! Second offence: 14-day suspension and $1,000–$4,000fine
! Third and subsequent offence: 60-day suspensionand$1,000–$6,000fine
• Increaseminimumfinesforspeedlimiter offences on commercial vehicles from $250 to $1,000, including operating a commercial vehiclewithoutafunctioningspeedlimiter.
The government is also exploring measures to crack down on dangerous driving and support family members of those killed by impaired
driving. This includes consulting on measures thatwouldmakeimpaireddriverswhocausethe death of a parent or guardian responsible for financialsupportofthevictims’children. Ontario’sroadshaverankedamongthesafestin North America for 25 years, with one of the lowest fatality rates per 10,000 licensed drivers. Last year, the province announced stricter measures against impaired driving, including a lifetime driver’s licence suspension for anyone convictedofimpaireddrivingcausingdeath,and the mandatory installation of ignition interlock foranyoneconvictedofimpaireddriving.
Adriver convicted of dangerous driving withinthepastfiveyearsisaboutthreeandahalf timesmorelikelytocauseaseriouscollisionthan adriverwithacleanrecord.
Large trucks are involved in one in five Ontarioroadwayfatalitieseachyear.
Distracted driving is one of the leading causesofcollisionsinOntario,resultinginonein sevenfatalitiesannually.
TheFightingDelays,BuildingFasterAct aimstoimproveroadsafetybycrackingdownon fraud in Ontario’s licensing system by strengthening eligibility requirements to get an Ontariodriver’slicence.
Drugwarning:December2,2025
Cont’dfromP.7
1.888.688.6677 or the Brave App. These services provide 24/7 confidential and nonjudgmental support,wheneverandwhereveryouusedrugs. Howtorespondtopoisonings
! Call911.Staywiththeperson.Monitortheir breathinguntilhelparrives.
! GIVENALOXONE.Itwon’tcauseharmif opioidsaren’tinvolved.Thepersonmaynotwakeup right away due to sedation. More doses may be needed.
! Ifthepersonisunconscious,placetheminthe recoveryposition. Howtorecognizepoisonings
Differentsubstancesaffectthebodyindifferentways.
Depending on the type of substance consumed, symptomsofapoisoningmaylookdifferent. Opioidpoisoningsymptoms
! bluish, purple, or greyish skin, lips, or nails (dependingonskintone)
! dizziness, confusion, or inability to stay awake
! choking,gurgling,orsnoringsounds
! slow,weak,ornobreathing
Benzodiazepines (benzos) toxicity poisoning symptoms
Apoisoningduetobenzodiazepines(benzos)toxicity maylastforhoursandlooklike:
! extremesleepinessorpassingout
! poorbalanceormovementcontrol
! slurredspeech
! blackoutsandmemoryloss
Share this warning to help raise awareness andreducetheriskofdrugpoisonings.
