CHAPLEAU EXPRESS
Local News Weekly
705 - 864 - 2785
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Vol. 30, Issue 17, January 8, 2026
705 - 864 - 0911
Diane's Dream Benefits Local Church by Steven Ellwood iane Daigle-Dinel had an idea that she could raise money for local good causes by returning people's empty beer and beverage cans and redeeming them for cash. Once she raises $500, she spins the wheel, live on Chapleau Community Bulletin Board on Facebook. Her first spin landed on the local Legion - and she delivered. Then she went back to work collecting empties and driving them over to Timmins to cash them out. She soon had another $500 for another worthy cause. So just before Christmas, she spun the wheel - and this time it landed on the Sacred Heart Church and so she was able to deliver the cash in time for the holidays. Knowing Diane, she's already working away on her next cash infusion for some good local cause. If you'd like to help out, contact Diane Daigle-Dinel on Facebook Messenger - and stay tuned for more cash give aways!
D
Chapleau Turns Out to Support THE LAKE by Steve Schmidt Just before Christmas on a bitterly cold winter night, Chapleau turned out in numbers to see the locally shot short film THE LAKE. The film has played Sudbury Cinefest, the Sault Film Festival and then went on to win Best Short Film and Outstanding Actor in a Short Film (Logan Taylor) at the Berlin International Film Fest. The actors - Jeanmarc Robitaille, Noah Taylor, and Logan Taylor were in attendance along with producer Gabe Taylor and myself, director Steve Schmidt. We were thrilled with the turn out. The screening was a bit of a last minute affair and the aforementioned weather was an issue. But nonetheless, the people of Chapleau braved the cold temperatures and the ankle deep snow and came out to support local Long Term talent. Forecast We did a 'Question and Answer' session Thursday after the screening which led to a lively back and High 2 forth discussion between the audience and the Low 0 cast and crew about - among other things - the Friday making of the film, the future plans of the young High 0 actors and their experience seeing themselves on Low -10 the big screen at festivals. Cont’d on P.2 Saturday High -6 Low -13
Sunday High -12 Low -17 Monday High -4 Low -5 Tuesday High -4 Low -16
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CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, January 8, 2026 - Page 2
NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING PURSUANT TO SECTION 34 (12) OF THE PLANNING ACT
Chapleau Turns Out to Support THE LAKE
TAKE NOTICE that the Committee of Adjustment of the Corporation of the Township of Chapleau will hold a public hearing in Council Chambers and via Teams Meeting on 12th day of day of January 2026, pursuant to the provisions of Section 34(12) of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.P. 13, as amended. The purpose of the meeting is to hear an application for a Zoning By-law Amendment for a proposed car wash, laundromat, and dog washing station at 5 Birch Street West. The lands are currently vacant. The purpose of the application is to permit the proposed car wash use within the lands zoned Town Centre (TC) Commercial Zone, with site specific provisions, under Zoning Bylaw 2013-11 for the property described below as follows: PROPERTY DESCRIPTION LT 4 PL 4 Chapleau, Chapleau 5 Birch Street West, Township of Chapleau. IF A PERSON OR PUBLIC BODY would otherwise have an ability to appeal the decision of the Township of Chapleau to the Ontario Land Tribunal but the person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Township of Chapleau before the by-law is passed, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision. IF A PERSON OR PUBLIC BODY does not make oral submissions at a public meeting, or make written submissions to the Township of Chapleau before the proposed By-law is passed, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to do so. Written comments may be sent to the Chief Administrative Officer at cao@chapleau.ca or by mail at the address below. The collection of personal information including names and contact information provided in written submissions is made under the authority of the Planning Act for the purpose of creating a Public Record. Personal information is collected in compliance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS MATTER, including information about your appeal rights, please contact the Chief Administrative Officer of the Township of Chapleau. The proposed amendment may be inspected at the Municipal Office of the Township of Chapleau during regular business hours. Anyone requiring further information on this matter may contact the undersigned. Dated at Chapleau this 3rd day of December 2025 Judith Meyntz, Chief Administrative Officer, Township of Chapleau 20 Pine Street West, PO Box 129 Chapleau, Ontario, P0M 1K0 (705) 864-1330 ext. 224 cao@chapleau.ca
Cont’d from P.1 We also raised funds which will allow us to improve the film's sound and offset the expense of submitting it to more festivals both in Canada and around the world. We have already received requests to do another screening for those who were away for the holidays and could not attend, so another screening may be in the cards at some point. Many thanks to Lisi Bernier and CHS for so graciously hosting us and a BIG thank you to everyone who came out, making the night a resounding success.
Ontario Investing $26 million to Train More Frontline Staff in Long-Term Care New funding will support nearly 3,000 new staff in long-term care and allow students to work in their local communities The Ontario government is delivering on its plan to protect the province’s long-term care system by investing more than $26 million in programs that will train nearly 3,000 new long-term care staff, support professional development and enhance the care residents receive, while giving students the opportunity to study and work in their home communities. "Our government continues to make historic investments to train more staff in long-term care," said Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care. "These new investments will help train a new generation of professionals and support those already qualified to grow their careers, ensuring long-term care residents receive the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve." The government’s investment builds on its existing $4.9 billion four-year staffing plan, which focused on recruitment, training and retention and helped add tens of thousands of personal support workers and nurses to the provincial workforce. Continuing this momentum, Ontario is investing more than $26 million to train nearly 3,000 new long-term care staff through two targeted programs: Cont’d on P.7
Plan to Travel within Canada
CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, January 8, 2026 - Page 3
Chapleau Christmas Decoration Contest sponsored Chapleau by Kevin Walker on Facebook results in a tie
Moments
From the archives of
Michael J. Morris
The first Chapleau Christmas Decoration Contest held on Facebook resulted in a tie, according to Kevin Walker, of "I'm so Chapleau" fame who organized it. Just struck me that Kevin, who is from Chapleau, now lives in Fort Erie, but was able to connect to Chapleau through Facebook, and conduct a contest, no problem. Kevin, who was born and raised in Chapleau, is the son of Billy and Betty-Lou (Simard) Walker, while his grandparents were Bill and Della Walker and Bud and Kay Simard. His brothers are Larry and Bob. Out of about 40 entries of Christmas decorations in Chapleau all posted on a page set up by Kevin, the two winners were Claire Henderson and Roxann Lynn. Each received a security cam from Kevin. He advised that Claire had the most likes on the site and Roxann the most likes with all the shared likes from posts not on the site resulting in a tie. I chatted with Kevin on Messenger and he told me that he held the contest "out of love for my hometown". "I got the idea one day from looking at all the decorations down here in the Niagara Region and thought about Chapleau and all the great
Roxann Lynn winning entry houses and all the decorations on them." He added that it brought back memories to when he was young driving around town with his parents and looking at houses, and felt it would be a good idea.. "I love Chapleau and everyone there." Kevin's "I'm so Chapleau" comments were most popular so I went back to one he contributed about Christmas and the holiday season. His comments then summed up so well the reason he sponsored the Christmas Decoration Context. He wrote: "When I think about it. we are all so Chapleau!! Who doesn't remember their childhood in our small northern town without a smile! This year why not make an effort to have an old fashioned Chapleau Christmas and with that I would like to wish everyone a safe and festive Merry Christmas! Oh and a very Happy New Year." His Facebook contest with photos of decorations from Chapleau certainly brought back fond memories to me and I extend my congratulations to Claire and Roxann, and all those who participated. A s m a n y readers know I taught at College of the
Rockies in Cranbrook, BC, where I founded a college graduate program in New (Social) Media Communications, and even though I am now retired, am most interested in applications of social media. Kevin's contest is a super example, and has great potential for the future to bring Chapleau folks together, no matter where we may live now. In looking at the photos submitted, I thought of Red Skelton and something he said at the end of his television show. It went something like this, "If by chance you should remember something I've said,(or seen) and it brings a smile to your face or a chuckle to your heart, then my purpose has been fulfilled." Thanks Kevin. Happy New Year to All.
Claire Henderson winning entry
CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, January 8, 2026 - Page 4
Weather Summary for Ontario December 2025: Widespread Cold and End of the Month Storms Temperatures December was cooler than normal over the entire province. The spatial extent of negative mean monthly temperature anomalies in the map below is highly unusual in recent years; however, standardized anomalies, which take into account local variability, suggest the cool conditions are best described as uncommon. The lowest standardized anomaly values were observed near southern Manitoba, in easternmost Ontario, from London to Niagara, and northeast of Georgian Bay. Daily temperatures indicate that cold conditions generally intensified through the first half of the month, particularly in southern regions. The third week featured several days warmer than normal across the province. Widespread record daily maximum temperatures were observed on the 18th, including 13.0°C in Cornwall. Temperatures fluctuated for much of the remainder of the month, with the final days becoming colder-than-normal. Precipitation Precipitation amounts this December varied across the province with major storms providing some relief to antecedent dry conditions. A band of substantially above-normal amounts extended from north of Lake of the Woods through to Kapuskasing and into Quebec, with some locations receiving more than double the monthly norm. Higher-than-normal amounts were also found over the southwest, especially from Lake Erie up to the Greater Toronto Area. Conversely, slightly below-normal totals stretched from Georgian Bay eastward to Ottawa. In southern Ontario (except in easternmost parts), the first week was the driest and the final week the wettest as a series of storms delivered significant rain and even freezing rain amounts. Many daily precipitation records were set on the 28th, including 41.2 mm in the Greater Toronto Area and 39.2 mm in Sarnia. Snowfall The northernmost tier of northern Ontario experienced very high snowfall anomalies for the month, especially in the east. Snowfall amount estimates around Moosonee exceeded double the monthly norm. Kapuskasing recorded exceptional daily snow depths on numerous December days, surpassing 170 cm by month’s end—well over twice the previous record. Locally above-normal snowfall was found in the south due mainly to off-lake activity. Belownormal snowfall was recorded in far southwestern Ontario and much of the east away
from Lake Ontario. North central and northeastern Ontario experienced intense snow events spread throughout mainly the latter half of the month. In the final days of the month, some southern snow belt areas received intense, persistent snow with totals exceeding 50 cm for some locations. Ice Conditions on the Great Lakes The Great Lakes saw above-normal ice cover for most of the month of December except for the beginning and the ends of the month which saw periods of near-normal. Ice cover grew quickly in the first half of the month as the Great Lakes basin experienced well belownormal average air temperatures. This led to ice forming along many parts of the shoreline of the lakes and ice filling southern Green Bay, Saginaw Bay, Lake St. Clair, and the western basin of Lake Erie abnormally early. This trend continued through the third week of the month with ice coverage rising slightly from the week before. Near the end of December, a strong lowpressure system and warm above-normal temperatures temporarily erased much of the surplus ice, leaving the Great Lakes with nearnormal ice coverage. In the wake of the storm, cold air flooded the region once again, allowing ice to rebound and climb above-normal once again. Significant Events
December 9th: Ice and Snow Cause Perilous Travel Parts of southwestern Ontario were affected by freezing drizzle followed by snow and then intense snowsqualls over three days. More than a dozen roads were closed including parts of highway 401, 402 and Highways 7 and 9, some for over 7 hours. The OPP reported over 400 collisions including one involving two trucks and a SUV. Several other multi-vehicle collisions also occurred, some involving trucks. Waterloo Regional Police responded to 100 collisions on Tuesday night (December 9th), then 40 on Wednesday. Two officers were sent to hospital after being struck on highway 403. Schools were closed in Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford counties (except within the city of London). Several hours of freezing drizzle were reported at both Kitchener and London airports. London airport then recorded 11 cm of snow on Wednesday the 10th and 22 cm by Thursday morning. December 18th: Snowstorm Halts Traffic in the North and Ices Southwestern Roads A major snowstorm paralyzed travel over most of northern Ontario Thursday the 18th through Saturday the 20th. Most roads reopened late Friday afternoon but were closed again Saturday due to more snow and blowing snow. A serious collision overnight with three fatalities Cont’d on P.8
CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, January 8, 2026 - Page 5
Les écoles élémentaires du CSC Nouvelon ouvrent leurs portes pour l'inscription à la maternelle Les écoles élémentaires du Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon tiendront des portes ouvertes en janvier pour les familles qui envisagent inscrire leur enfant à la maternelle dans une école de langue française. Ces événements permettront aux parents, tutrices, tuteurs et à leurs enfants de visiter les écoles, de rencontrer le personnel, de poser leurs questions et d'en apprendre davantage sur les nombreux atouts de l'école catholique de langue française. Les familles qui le souhaitent pourront également profiter d'un accueil personnalisé sur rendezvous pendant la semaine du 19 au 23 janvier. Cette activité s'adresse à toutes les familles d'enfants nés en 2022 qui fréquenteront l'école pour la première fois en septembre 2026. Les écoles du CSC Nouvelon sont des
milieux d'apprentissage fièrement francophones, innovants et enracinés dans 22 communautés des districts de Sudbury-Manitoulin et Algoma. Grâce à un personnel engagé et chaleureux, les écoles offrent des services complets en Éducation spécialisée, un programme d'Anglais de qualité dès la 4e année, un curriculum imprégné de valeurs catholiques, des outils technologiques à la fine pointe, ainsi qu'un environnement favorable à l'épanouissement langagier et culturel des élèves. Les écoles du C S C Nouvelon se démarquent par leur excellence académique : leurs diplômés affichent un haut niveau de bilinguisme tout en maîtrisant la langue française. D'ailleurs, le CSC Nouvelon maintient l'un des meilleurs taux de diplomation dans le nord de l'Ontario.
Le CSC Nouvelon accueille les enfants de citoyens canadiens ou d'immigrants dont la première langue apprise et encore comprise est le français ainsi que les enfants de citoyens canadiens dont les grands-parents avaient le français comme langue maternelle. Les enfants issus de l'immigration dont les parents ne parlent ni français ni anglais sont aussi admissibles. Pour plus de renseignements sur les dates de soirées portes ouvertes et l'inscription à la maternelle, les familles sont invitées à communiquer directement avec l'école élémentaire catholique près de chez elles ou de consulter : www.nouvelon.ca/inscription.
CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, January 8, 2026 - Page 6
Last weeks solutions MOMENTS IN TIME
On Dec. 31, 1879, inventor Thomas Edison delighted onlookers with the first public demonstration of his incandescent lightbulb in Menlo Park, New Jersey. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company even ran special trains to the city for the event.
CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, January 8, 2026 - Page 7
Parents charged after two kids abused, forcibly confined near Chapleau: OPP Nishnawbe Aski Police Service says the two victims, 9 and 11, suffered 'numerous injuries' over many years at the hands of a man and woman from Brunswick House First Nation Parents have been charged for allegedly abusing their two children over nearly a decade. A man and woman from Brunswick House First Nation near Chapleau are each facing serious criminal charges after a Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS) historic child abuse investigation that started in May. "Through their investigation, police learned the children's parents subjected them to physical abuse, threats, and forcibly confined them in their rooms for days at a time. The children sustained numerous injuries as a result of these incidents," said NAPS in a news release. The alleged incidents happened between November 2024 and March 2025 in Brunswick House First Nation, and May 2015 and October 2024 in Timmins.
The two victims — a nine-year-old and an 11-year-old — were in the care of child and family services during the six-month-long criminal investigation, said NAPS. A 33-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman from Brunswick House First Nations were arrested on Dec. 17. The man is charged with: 2 counts of forcible confinement 2 counts of failing to provide the necessities of life 2 counts of assault causing bodily harm Assault 2 counts of assault with a weapon Abandoning a child The woman is charged with: 5 counts of assault
4 counts of assault with a weapon 2 counts of forcible confinement 2 counts of failing to provide necessities of life 4 counts of aggravated assault 2 counts of abandoning child 4 counts of assault causing bodily harm Counselling suicide 5 counts of uttering threats - death or bodily harm After a bail hearing on Dec. 18, the man was released from police custody, and the woman was remanded into custody. The names of the accused are not being released to protect the identities of the victims. The charges haven't been tested in court, and the accused is considered innocent unless proven guilty.
Ontario Investing $26 million to Train More Frontline Staff in Long-Term Care Cont’d from P.2 • Supporting Professional Growth Fund – Ontario is providing an additional $5.5 million, for a total of $15.5 million in 2025-26, to train and upskill staff currently working in long-term care homes. Since 2022, this fund has helped more than 92,000 eligible staff advance their careers and provide better resident care. • Living Classrooms – Ontario will invest $21 million to integrate education into long-term care homes and expand the existing program to introduce practical nurse (PN) Living Classrooms, allowing students to stay in their home communities as they study and apply what they learn as they work with residents. Ontario’s funding will train nearly 3,000 long-term care personal support workers (PSWs) and registered practical nurses (RPNs) by 2029. Unlike traditional PSW and RPN training programs, where students start with classroom education and then move on to clinical placements, Living Classrooms integrate education into a longterm care home. Students alternate between in-class learning — delivered in the home or nearby — and applying what they learn as they work with residents within the home. “Every day, long-term care workers deliver compassionate and high-quality care for our loved ones throughout the province,” said Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. “Through this investment, our government is protecting Ontario by ensuring that future long-term care providers get both the world-class education and hands-on skills they need to thrive in their careers and meaningfully contribute to our health care workforce.” Building the long-term care workforce is one more way the government is ensuring Ontario residents get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve. The plan to improve longterm care is built on four pillars: staffing and care; quality and enforcement; building modern, safe and
comfortable homes; and connecting seniors with new and upgraded long-term care beds across the faster, more convenient access to the services they province. need. • The government recently announced $180 million for programs to attract and retain close to 8,000 highly skilled nurses. • In August, Ontario invested nearly $60 million to expand enrolment in nursing programs at publicly assisted colleges and universities across the MIKE C. ALLEMANO - RETIRED PETER J. BERLINGIERI province. CHRISTOPHER P. COCCIMIGLIO • Compared to 2021, daily direct care from W: www.algomalawyers.ca nurses and PSWs has increased by over an hour per E: info@algomalawyers.ca day. This represents a 36 per cent increase, equivalent Sault Ste. Marie Office to 15 days of additional care per resident per year. Wawa Office T: (705) 253-3800 T: (705) 856-4970 • As part of its plan to fix long-term care and T: (705) 942-0142 address waitlists, the government is building 58,000
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CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, January 8, 2026 - Page 8
Weather Summary for Ontario Cont’d from P.4 kept Highway 11 closed for most of Sunday. Northwestern Ontario saw briefer closures due to 15 to 25 cm of snow with blowing snow. The City of Kenora declared a significant weather event. Kapuskasing Airport received 36 cm of snow on Thursday and 18 cm on Saturday, with heavy blowing and drifting. There was 134 cm of snow on the ground in Kapuskasing Sunday morning. A freeze followed by snowsqualls impacted travel southeast of Lake Huron on Friday the 19th. OPP West reported multiple road closures due to severe weather. December 26th: Major Storm with Widespread Hazards A major system, containing heavy mix of precipitation, impacted travel and caused power outages in southern Ontario on Friday the 26th. In southwestern Ontario, six to eight hours of freezing rain resulted in a path of numerous power outages and damage to the power grid. In Sarnia, one transformer exploded from the weight of the ice. Highway 24 in Norfolk County was closed for several hours late Friday due to a large branch on hydro lines. London Fire Department received numerous calls for trees down on electrical wires and homes, crushing roofs in some cases. Travel was impacted, with OPP reporting numerous crashes throughout the
region. Heavy snow mixed with ice pellets caused poor travel conditions over south-central Ontario as well, including the Greater Toronto Area where the OPP reported over 100 collisions. In Toronto, winds to 78 km/h damaged trees and homes. Pearson Airport reported a dense 12 cm of snow and ice pellets. December 28th: Massive Storm Closes Roads and Damages Power Grids A major snowstorm again paralyzed travel over a large portion of northern Ontario from the night of Sunday the 28th to Tuesday the 30th. The mayor of Timmins declared the storm a “once-in-a-few-decades” event with the city essentially shut down Monday the 29th. Highway 11 was closed from Nipigon to North Bay (over 980 km) from Sunday evening until late Monday. For Kapuskasing, this marked the third major storm of the month, producing record snow depths on the ground of nearly 173 cm by Tuesday. An ice storm to the south caused extensive power outages in portions of central and mid-western Ontario Sunday, lasting into Monday. Hydro One restored power to 88,000 customers as of Monday afternoon. Highway 400 northbound was closed due to multiple collisions and icy conditions. Downed hydro lines forced the closure of Highway 10. A dozen flights were
delayed at Ottawa Airport and at least two VIA trains were cancelled on the Quebec CityWindsor corridor. Additionally, in the wake of the storm system intense snowsqualls with severe blowing snow precluded travel in many areas southeast of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay Monday into Wednesday. Massive snow drifts blocked roads in Springwater, just north of Barrie and the town advised the public that emergency services would be unable to assist anyone. Strong southwest winds (up to 110 km/h) toppled trees, downed power lines, blew sheds across yards and scattered debris disrupting traffic over southern Niagara Monday. Multiple roads were closed near Lake Erie. Over 100 flights were cancelled at Pearson Airport. Outlook for January 2026 Model guidance for temperatures next month indicates cooler-than-normal temperatures in a band stretching across northwestern Ontario, then eastward north of Lake Superior and through eastern Ontario, with the highest likelihood in the northwest and east of Georgian Bay. Precipitation guidance is mostly near normal with above average amounts more likely for the Far North, east of the Great Lakes and near the Quebec border.
TADHF 50/50 - December's Winner Is... Congratulations to our December winners, a group of 6, with Rhonda Doonan from Kirkland Lake being the ticket purchaser they won a cool $253,212! We s p o k e w i t h Rhonda on Wednesday morning at 11am when she was filling up her windshield washer fluid on her way to Chapleau to see her mom, who was actually in on the ticket! Rhonda was thrilled and can’t wait to divvy up that money ($42,202 each) to the deserving members. She said her mom, who is 94 years old, would be ecstatic with this lucky win! When asked about
what she would do with her part of the money, she mentioned possibly putting it towards retirement. Rhonda worked at a hospital and understands the need to replace medical equipment and keep hospital renovations current. She knew that is what our Foundation does with our side of the $253,212! Congratulations again to Rhonda and group for your quarter million dollar+ win! In the picture from left to right – Marcia Jones, Mary Jones, Rodney Conroy, Rhonda Doonan, Dorian Jones, Les Jones. We appreciate your support!