Morning News – May 29th

Weather:

Sunny. High 18. UV index 8 or very high.
Tonight – Clear. Low plus 1 with patchy frost.

 

Status of COVID-19 cases in Algoma

Tested (1)	Confirmed cases (2)	Active cases	Currently hospitalized	Resolved cases (3)	Deceased	Cases Screened Positive for VOC (4)
144,153	392	18	2 (3)	374	6	99
Updated: May 28, 2021, 4:35 pm

 

Northeast Forest Fire Region

There were no new wildland fires confirmed in the Northeast region by late afternoon, with three active fires (held or under control).

The fire hazard varies predominantly from low to moderate in most areas north of Timmins in the Northeast Region, except for an area near Oba which is showing a high hazard. In the central and southern portions of the region, the fire hazard is mostly moderate to high, with the exception of a small area north of Thessalon which is showing an extreme hazard this afternoon.

 

Northwest Forest Fire Region –

One new fire, Red Lake 14 is located approximately 16 kilometres southeast of the remote community of Pikangikum. The 3.0-hectare fire is not under control. There are 12 active fires in the region, one fire (not under control), six fires (held), and five fires (under control).

The fire hazard is mostly high in the Kenora, Red Lake, Fort Frances, and Dryden sectors. Sioux Lookout, Thunder Bay, and Nipigon sectors feature moderate to high hazard conditions.

News Tidbits:

Timmins had 41 new COVID-19 cases reported Friday. The Porcupine Health Unit has turned to the province for help.​

A specially equipped Hercules arrived in Winnipeg yesterday to help airlift critical care patients to other provinces to make room in ICUs strained by COVID- 19. The aircraft has a special isolated pod inside capable of carrying 2 patients and medical staff.  Yesterday, May 28th, 2021,  the Sault Area Hospital received two patients with COVID-19 from Manitoba. At that time, 129 of Manitoba’s 140 critical care beds in the province were occupied.

There are no words. The heartache of the families that lost their children, then had no way to know where their bodies were buried is unmeasurable. The remains of 215 children were found in unmarked graves at the Roman Catholic-run (1890 to 1969) Kamloops Indian Residential School. It is believed that as many as 400 unmarked burial locations are believed to exist across Canada (of which only about 100 have been identified) states Ry Moran, National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba and a member of the Red River Métis.

Closer to home, Chapleau Cree FN installed a plaque, and put a fence around the cemetery associated with the St. John’s/St. Joseph’s Residential School in Chapleau. Twenty-eight names of those who are known to have died at the School are on that plaque, but the location of the graves of the children who died at the first school is not known. Archeologists identified 42 gravesites in the cemetery associated with the newer St. John’s Residential School building that operated from 1920 to 1948. Students were brought from New Brunswick House, Chapleau Cree First Nation, Missanabie Cree First Nation, Fort Albany First Nation, Fort Frances First Nation, and Six Nations of the Grand River, and Nipigon.

 

The tourism sector in northern Ontario is getting ready to welcome visitors once it is safe to do so. More than $473,000 in funding from Ottawa will allow three tourism-related projects in the Algoma-Manitoulin region to move forward.​

On Tuesday, June 1 to Thursday, June 3 the Ontario Court of Appeal will hear the Ontario appeal of the Stage 2 decision regarding the Robinson-Huron Treaty Annuities Case. The 21 beneficiary First Nations of the Robinson-Huron Treaty are committed to continuing to hold the Crown accountable to their Treaty responsibilities through this appeal. The Government of Ontario has appealed the Stage 2 decision, which found that the First Nation plaintiffs’ claims are not barred by Ontario’s limitations legislation and that Ontario does not benefit from the doctrine of Crown immunity. Canada has not appealed the Stage 2 decision.

Don’t forget – studded winter tires must be off vehicles before June 1, 2021. Studded tires can be used between September 1 and May 31 throughout the province of Ontario.

Did you know?

The Northern Ontario sky is changin’. All the work that was done to declare Lake Superior Provincial Park will only make it easier to see the anticipated >2,000 sunlit satellites all night long in summer. That is more satellites (Starlink, OneWeb, Kuiper, StarNet/GW) than stars!

At 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, become the first explorers to reach the summit of Mount Everest, 29,035 feet above sea level.