Thursday Morning News – August 22

Weather:

• Today – Sunny. Becoming a mix of sun and cloud this morning. Wind becoming southwest 20 km/h late this morning. High 21. UV index 6 or high.
• Tonight – Clear this evening and after midnight then partly cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers before morning. Low 11.

Northeast Forest Fire Region Update:

• There are 35 active wildland fires in the Northeast Region: 8 are not under control, 2 are being held, 2 are under control and 23 are being observed. Close to Wawa is:
  • Chapleau 10 (CHA010) is a 0.1 hectare wildland fire that is not yet under control. This fire is located approximately 13 kilometres west of Foleyet and 1.6 kilometres north-northwest of Wakagami Lake.
  • Wawa 13 (WAW013) is a 0.4 hectare wildland fire that is not yet under control. This fire is located approximately 13 kilometres east of Negwazu Lake and 18 kilometres north of Highway 519. This fire is receiving fire aerial support.
• The fire hazard is generally high for much of the Northeast Fire Region. There are areas of moderate fire hazard from Lake Superior Provincial Park through to Kapuskasing, around Fort Albany, the eastern half of Manitoulin Island, and from Kirkland Lake south to Gravenhurst. Areas east of North Bay and the Highway 11 corridor are under a low fire hazard. In the Far North, the area around Peawanuck is under an extreme fire hazard.

News Tidbits:

• A writ was issued today under Section 9.1 of the Election Act for a by-election in the electoral district of Bay of Quinte. Under the Election Act, elections must be called on a Wednesday and held the fifth Thursday after the date of the issue of the writ. Election day will be September 19, 2024.
• CN and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) have issued notice to the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) notifying their intention to lockout Canadian TCRC-represented employees on Aug. 22 at 00:01 ET unless an agreement or binding arbitration is achieved before that time.
• The Ontario government has announced plans to partner with the Whitefeather Forest Community Resource Management Authority and the Government of Canada to build a permanent bridge across the Berens River and an all-season road to Pikangikum First Nation. The Berens River bridge and all-season road project will increase opportunities for harvesting wood in the Whitefeather Forest, support year-round access to Pikangikum First Nation, and improve winter road connections for six additional remote First Nation communities (Poplar Hill First Nation, McDowell Lake First Nation, Deer Lake First Nation, North Spirit Lake First Nation, Sandy Lake First Nation, and Keewaywin First Nation.). It will also eliminate the dangerous and lengthy ice crossing currently required to access Pikangikum First Nation and the broader winter roads network in the region, making it easier to secure essential goods and services.