Wednesday Morning News – July 17

Weather – Mainly sunny. Fog patches dissipating this morning. High 23. UV index 8 or very high.
Tonight – increasing cloudiness. Showers beginning after midnight. Risk of a thunderstorm before morning. Low 16.

News Tidbits – Don Charbonneau’s new “Red Canoe Studio” is now open for viewing by chance or by appointment. He says to pm or text 705 852 1069. The Red Canoe Studio is located at 120 Government Road.

The Vulnerable Persons Registry in SSM is expanding. It includes any resident of Sault Ste. Marie, Prince Township, Dennis Township or Rankin Reserve; and now residents from Garden River to Killarney. One qualifies for the VPR if you live in an eligible area without 24-hour support and experience severe difficulty with any of the following: mobility, vision, hearing, developmental, cognitive, or mental health, or if individuals require electricity for life-sustaining equipment such as oxygen, dialysis and ventilators.

The Vulnerable Person’s Registry (VPR) has been active in Sault Ste. Marie for eight years and was inspired in memory of Lewis Whalen. The former Sault resident was involved in an accident in 2001 as a summer student clearing brush near electrical lines that left him severely burned, wheelchair bound, and reliant on air conditioning to control his body temperature.

In 2003, Ontario experienced one of the largest blackouts in North America. Lewis lived in southern Ontario and outside temperatures exceeded 32 degrees.

His portable phones were useless during the power outage as his family frantically tried to reach him. His personal support worker was not scheduled to return until the following day. Lewis was without air conditioning for over 22 hours and tragically passed away at the age of 21.