catholique Trillium in Chapleau successfully completed a bridge constructionchallengewheretheywereableto showcase their STEAM skills (Science, technology, engineering, arts and
mathematics). Through their creativity, collaborative approach and sense of innovation, two grade 9 students, Ella and Kaarina, set a new school record: their bridge was able to support the impressive weight of 285 pounds! This annual activity enables
students to demonstrate their ingenuity and their perseverance while applying their knowledge in several subjects. Trillium congratulates all participants for their continuous engagement in their studies, their resourcefulnessandinnovativespirit!
Trillium à Chapleau ont brillamment relevé le défi de construction de ponts,uneactivité mettant en valeur les compétences STIAM (science, technologie, ingénierie, arts et mathématiques). Grâce à leur créativité, leur collaboration et leur sens de l'innovation, Ella et Kaarina, deux élèves de la 9e année, ont établi un nouveau record scolaire : leur
pont a soutenu un poids impressionnant de 285 livres ! Cette activité annuelle permet aux élèves de démontrer leur ingéniosité et leur persévérance tout en appliquant leurs connaissances dansplusieursdomainesàl'étude. L'ÉSC Trillium félicite tous les participants et participantes pour leurengagement,leurdébrouillardiseetleurespritnovateur!
WeatherSummaryforOntario April 2025: Chilly Start
Temperatures
Aprilwascoolerthannormalformostof the province with the strongest departures from normal in the north. Most parts of southern Ontariowereslightlywarmerthannormalonthe monthlytimescale.
Temperatures generally declined during thefirstweekprovincewideandthecoldestairof themonthwasinplaceasthesecondweekbegan. Many records were set for low daily maximum temperature on the 8th with values at some locations remaining well below freezing (e.g. Orillia, -5.0oC). Over the remainder of the month, daily temperatures gradually increased fluctuating above and below normal values. For most of the south, significantly cooler than normal days dominated the first half of the month, whereas significantly warmer ones dominated thereafter. Summer-like days were experienced in the south toward the end of the month and daily high temperature records were brokenonthe29thatvariouslocationsincluding Torontowith27.2oCandWindsorat28.3oC.
Precipitation
The monthly precipitation anomaly variedsignificantlyaroundtheprovince.TheFar North was mostly drier than normal, while both the northeast and North of Superior were much wetter. Locations such as Chapleau and Hearst saw almost 200% of their normalApril amount. Mostofthesouthwasnearnormalincomparison tothestrongeranomaliesfarthernorth.
The first week was very wet in the southwest where some locations saw well over half of their typical monthly amount. In fact, record daily rainfall was measured in Sarnia on the2nd(73mm)aswellasmanyothersouthern locations. The last week was also very wet for parts of the north with record daily amounts on the28th(e.g.ThunderBayClimateStationwith 49.1 mm and Terrace Bay with 39.5 mm). Generally, the second week was the driest provincewide.
IceConditionsontheGreatLakes
Ice coverage on the Great Lakes saw a slowdeclinethroughAprilasthewarminglakes andspringstormschippedawayattheice.Atthe beginning of the month, little mobile ice remained in the lakes and what did remain was generally low in concentration. Consolidated thick lake ice lined the shore of Georgian Bay, filledtheNorthChannelandmanyshelteredbays innorthernLakeMichigan,andLakeSuperior.In thesouthernlakes,alargeareaoficepluggedthe eastern end of Lake Erie, while ice in Lake
with
Ontario had melted outbeforethestartof April. Near to below normal air temperatures across theregionthroughthe firsthalfofthemonth led to a slower than normal ice melt.
Some Stormy Disruptions
During this time, mostoftheremaining mobile ice melted, leaving behind the more sheltered ice. In the second half of the month,icemeltpickedupthepaceasdailymean airtemperaturescontinuedtoincreaseandabove normalairtemperaturestookoverinthesouthern half of the region. Ice finished melting in Lake Michiganbythe18thandLakeEriebythe23rd. By the end of the month, the remaining ice was restricted to two areas; a few strips in the North ChannelofLakeHuron,andThunderBay,Black BayandNipigonBayinnorthernLakeSuperior.
SignificantEvents
April 2–3: Ice Storm and Flooding Wreak HavocAcrossSouthernOntario
Freezingrain,wetsnow,gustywinds,andheavy rain swept across southern Ontario starting Wednesday. Widespread ice buildup triggered hundreds of collisions, major road closures, and poweroutagesaffectingover230,000HydroOne customers.LightningsparkedafireattheOrillia Wastewater Treatment Centre, while heavy rain caused serious flooding across the GTA and southwest, including a crash northwest of London that sent a person to hospital. Rainfall totals ranged from 50 to 80 mm, with 40 mm recordedinToronto.
April 7: Snow and Whiteouts Shut Down TravelinSudburyRegion
Heavy snow and whiteouts shut down travelacrosstheSudburyandManitoulinregions Monday, stranding drivers for hours. Sudbury recorded18cmofsnow,whileGoreBayreported near-zerovisibility.Highway69wasclosedfrom SudburytoParrySoundforover15hours,while Highway 17 between Espanola and Sudbury, alongwithHighways6,540,542,and144,were also closed. The City of Sudbury declared a Significant Weather Event. School buses were cancelled in Sudbury, Espanola, Massey, and Manitoulin.
April 8: Snowstorm Causes Major Travel DisruptionsinOttawa
Snow and blowing snow caused
dangerous travel conditions across eastern Ontario Tuesday. By early afternoon, Ottawa Policehadrespondedto50collisions,whileOPP East Region reported 70 crashes, several with injuries. A major crash in Ottawa's west end disruptedtwelveOCTranspobusroutes.School buseswerecancelledinpartsofRenfrewCounty. Ottawaairport(CYOW)reportednear-whiteout conditionsattimesandrecordedasnowfalltotal of15cm.
April 29: Thunderstorms and Damaging WindsSweepSouthernOntario
A fast-moving line of thunderstorms swept through southern Ontario Tuesday, bringing damaging wind gusts, heavy rain, lightning, and localized power outages. Peak gustsreached103km/hatTorontoPearson,with other notable values including 100 km/h in St. Catharines,96km/hinElora,andover90km/hin Hamilton, Guelph, Ottawa, and Gore Bay. The storm downed trees and power lines across the region,leadingtomorethan100,000HydroOne customers losing power at its peak.Aperson in Torontowascriticallyinjuredbyafallentree.In London, emergency services responded to over 200storm-relatedcalls.Significantdamagewas also reported in Guelph, Belleville, and Birds Creek(northofBancroft).
OutlookforMay2025
Long range guidance indicates that warmer than normal conditions are most likely forthenextmonthwiththelowestchancesinthe FarNorth.Forprecipitation,modelssuggestnear normal conditions for May with an increasing likelihood of drier than normalconditions in the northeast and parts of the southwest.
Turnyourcraftinghobbyintoabusiness
(NC)Ifyou’resomeonewholovestocraftandcreate,youmayalsohavea successful side-hustle at your fingertips. Whether you enjoy making jewelry, knitting or crafting pottery, there is a market out there for your creations. Here are some key steps to help you transform your crafting hobbyintoasuccessfulbusiness.
Plan and organize. Before you start selling, make sure you have a clear plan. Determine what products you want to sell, where you will sell them,whoyourtargetcustomersareandhowyouwillmarketyouritems. Createabusinessplanthatoutlinesyourgoals,budgetandtimelines.
Manageyourcosts.Oneofthechallengesofturningahobbyintoa businessismanagingcosts.Trackyourexpensescarefullyandfindwaysto reducecostswithoutcompromisingonquality.Buyinginbulkordirectly from manufacturers is a great way to keep the cost of supplies and tools down.OnlinemarketplacessuchasTemuofferawiderangeofaffordable, high-qualitysuppliesthatcanhelpyoumanagecostswhilefulfillingyour
Differentiate your offerings. To stand out from the competition, think about what makes your creations unique. Offer customizations, use raremateria s or develop a signature style. Find inspiration online through places like Temu where there is a diverse selection of unique productsfromaroundtheworldtomeetvariouscustomerneeds.Themore you can differentiate your products, the more attractive they will be to potentialcustomers.
Engagewiththecommunity.Participateinlocalcraftfairs,markets andonlinecraftcommunities.Notonlywillthishelpyougainexposure,but itwillalsoallowyoutonetworkwithothercraftersandpotentialcustomers. Buildingacommunityaroundyourbrandcanleadtolong-termsuccess. With dedication and planning, you can turn your crafting hobbyintoathrivingbusiness.
Damien Kurek, Conservative MP-elect for Battle River—Crowfootreleasedthefollowingstatementonhisdecision to resign his seat to allow Conservative Party of Canada Leader, PierrePoilievre,toruninaforthcomingby-election.
“Ithasbeenatremendoushonourtoservethegoodpeople of Battle River-Crowfoot as their Member of Parliament since 2019. Their support and commitment to the Conservative movement and our mission to bring back hope and prosperity to this country has been unmatched. Which is why, after much discussionwithmywifeDanielle,andIhavedecidedtostepaside for this Parliamentary session to allow our Conservative Party Leadertorunhereinaby-election.
“Pierre Poilievre just finished a remarkable national campaign that received the highest vote share since 1988. An unstoppablemovementhasgrownunderhisleadership,andIknow we need Pierre fighting in the House of Commons to hold the Liberal minority government to account. This is what's best for Canada,andiswhat'sbestforBattleRiver-Crowfoot.
“ThepeopleofBattleRiver—Crowfootwillberepresented wellbyPierrefortheremainderofthisParliamentarysession,andI willkeepworkingwithourincrediblelocalteamtodoeverythingI can to remain the strong voice for you as I support him in the process,andthenrunagainhereinBattleRiver—Crowfootinthe nextgeneralelection.Weneedtobuildonthemomentumthatwe have with that strong united vision that will restore the Canadian promise.
Province introducing legislation, investing $300 million to expand teaching clinics and connect 300,000 more people to a family doctor and primary care team
Today, the Ontario government is introducing the Primary Care Act, 2025. This legislation,ifpassed,willmakeOntariothefirst Canadian jurisdiction to establish a framework for its publicly funded primary care system so thatpeopleinOntarioknowwhattheycanexpect whenaccessingprimarycareservices,nomatter where they live. This legislation is part of the government's Primary Care Action Plan, which willconnecttwomillionmorepeopletopublicly funded primary care in the next four years, achieving the government's goal of connecting everyoneinOntariotoafamilydoctororprimary careteam.
“This first-of-its kind, nation-leading legislationmarksamajorstepforwardinourplan to protect our health care system and connect everyone in Ontario to a family doctor and primary care team,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy PremierandMinisterofHealth.“Primarycareis thefoundationofourhealthcaresystem,andwe are establishing our government's vision for a primarycaresystemthatimprovesaccesstocare and empowers people with the knowledge and toolstoincreasetheirwell-being.”
As part of the upcoming 2025 Ontario Budget, the government is also investing up to $300milliontobuildupto17newandexpanded community-based primary care teaching clinics in communities with high rates of unattachment to primary care. This brings the government's totalinvestmentinOntario'sPrimaryCareAction Plan to $2.1 billion. In partnership with McMaster University, NOSM University, Queens University, Toronto Metropolitan University, University of Ottawa, University of Toronto,andWesternUniversity,theclinicswill train family doctors and other health care professionals such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants and registered nurses. The clinicscombinedirectpatientcarewithhands-on learning for primary care learners, allowing approximately 300,000 additional Ontarians to be connected to primary care. Further details about where the clinics will be located will be announcedthissummer.
“Thanks to our efforts to grow Ontario's economy while investing in people's health, we're able to continue making historic advancements to make our primary care system more accessible, innovative and connected for all,”saidPeterBethlenfalvy,MinisterofFinance.
“As a critical part of our Primary Care Action Plan, this legislation would bring us one step closertoourcommitmenttoconnectmorepeople
to publicly funded primary care and reinforce Ontario'splaceasnationalhealthcareleaders.”
The Primary CareAct, 2025 sets out six clear objectives for Ontario's publicly funded primary care system which will ensure people know what they can expect when connecting to primarycare:
· Province-wide: Every person across the province should have the opportunity to have ongoing access to a primary care clinician or team.
· Connected:Everypersonshouldhavethe opportunity to receive primary care that is coordinated with existing health and social services.
· Convenient: Every person should have accesstotimelyprimarycare.
· Inclusive: Every person should have the opportunity to receive primary care that is free frombarriersandfreefromdiscrimination.
· Empowered: Every person should have the opportunity to access their personal health informationthroughadigitallyintegratedsystem thatconnectspatientsandcliniciansinthecircle ofcare.
· Responsive: The primary care system shouldrespondtotheneedsofthecommunitiesit serves and everyone should have access to informationabouthowthesystemisperforming andadapting.
“This groundbreaking legislation and substantial investment in primary care teaching clinics marks a significant milestone for Ontario's primary care system,” said Dr. Jane Philpott,ChairofOntario'sPrimaryCareAction Team. “By expanding capacity to train family medicine learners, along with proposing to establish clear objectives in legislation, we are working toward ensuring that primary care will beaccessibleforall.”
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to grow the province's highly skilled health care workforce and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care closertohomeforgenerationstocome.
QuickFacts
· The legislation, if passed, would set out objectivesforOntario'spubliclyfundedprimary care system that are in alignment with existing health care legislation and accountability structuresincludingserviceagreements.
· The province continues to engage primary care partners to inform the broader
implementationofthePrimaryCareActionPlan.
· As part of the province's latest investment,upto$60millioninfundingthisyear will support the early capital planning for new and expanded primary care teaching clinics, as well as supporting the operation of Toronto Metropolitan University's two primary care teaching clinics at its new medical school in Brampton. Starting in July 2025, Toronto MetropolitanUniversitywilladdthefirstofits95 undergraduate education seats and its 117 postgraduateseats,with70infamilymedicine.
· Ontariocurrentlyhas39teachingclinics acrosstheprovincewheremedicalresidentstrain to become family doctors. Family medicine residentstypicallyspenduptotwoyearstraining atateachingclinicbeforegraduation.
· The government announced an investmentof$213milliontocreateandexpand upto80additionalprimarycareteamsacrossthe province to attach 300,000 more people to primarycarethisyear.
· Since 2018, the province has added nearly100,000newnursesandover15,000new physicianstothehealthcaresystem.
