December 2005 - Municipality of Wawa

M I C H I P I C OT E N
MAGPIE
B r o u gh t t o yo u b y t h e Tow n s h i p o f M i c h i p i c o t e n
Inside This Issue:
Christmas Greetings/
Township Closures
Mistakes, Mistakes /
Ont
a
r
i
o’
s$
3Bi
l
l
i
on
Municipal Fiscal Gap
NetLibrary Available at the
Public Library / Local
Steelworkers Donate
Preparing for the
Unexpected, Pt. 2 /
Hazardous Waste Collection
Day
Christmas Greetings To
All!
On behalf of Town Council and Municipal Staff, I would like to extend our collective
Best Wishes for a safe and happy Christmas season. This is the time of year when we
reflect back on the past twelve months and, I believe, Wawa and area had a very exciting
and successful 2005. The economy was strong, great weather throughout the year, and
as
ens
eofopt
i
mi
s
mf
orourt
own’
sf
ut
ur
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ev
ai
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edev
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y
wher
e.Ourt
ownhadag
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eat
year and everyone who calls Wawa home should be proud!
Christmas is a special time for families and friends and neighbours. I would like to encourage
everyone to get into the Christmas spirit and consider giving a helping hand to whoever might
need one. Wawa is a great town full of generous and caring people. I thank all of you for making
our town special.
Wishing you Warm Greetings for
the Holiday Season and Best
Wishes for the coming New Year!
Changes in the Building
Code Act, 1992 / New Water
Treatment Facilities Update
Community Centre
Information & Updates /
Tourism / Winter
Recreation
Wawa Wow Stamp / News
from the GIS Department
MUNICIPAL OFFICES
CLOSED December 26th, 2005 — RE-OPEN January 3rd, 2006
Wawa Transit / Township
Employees Donate
PUBLIC WORKS
CLOSED December 23rd, 2005 —RE-OPEN December 27th, 2005
COMMUNITY CENTRE
Visit Us On The Web!
www.wawa.cc
CLOSED @ 3:00 p.m. on December 24th & 31st
CLOSED all day December 25th, 26th & January 1st
VEHICLE LICENSING OFFICE
CLOSED December 26th & 27th
PUBLIC LIBRARY
Would you like to receive our
newsletter electronically?
If so, e-mail lmann@wawa.cc
with the message “
Addmet
o
y
oure
l
e
c
t
r
oni
cne
ws
l
e
t
t
e
rl
i
s
t
.
”
Volume 1, Issue 2
CLOSED December 22nd, 2005 —RE-OPEN January 4th, 2006
In case of an interruption of municipal services, please contact the Michipicoten
Township Police Service at 1-888-310-1122 and an Officer will be dispatched and/or
contact you.
Page 1
December 2005
M i c h i p iPcaog et e2 n M a gp i e
M I S TA K E S , M I S TA K E S
to us) were planted on purpose in order
to generate these responses. I am glad
that the newsletter was read thoroughly
enough to identify such errors.
I am glad to see that some of you
were paying attention! The first
issue of the Michipicoten Magpie
was distributed to all residents in
early October. While the Township
did receive a few positive comments
on the content, we also received
comments on the accuracy of our
spelling and grammar – like miss
pel
l
i
ng “
Mi
c
hi
pi
c
ot
en” – how
embarrassing! Or was it? Perhaps
the errors (or at least those reported
Seriously though, this newsletter is
about communication and information.
Township staff are hard-working people
who are dedicated to making our town a
better place to live –we are here for
you! We do make mistakes, after all we
are only human. Mayor and Council
have recognized that not all residents
can attend Council Meetings or spend
the time talking to the Mayor, Council or
members of staff. It is the hope of
Council that this newsletter will provide
another method of communicating just
what is occurring at your town office.
Chris Wray, AMCT
CAO / Clerk-Treasurer
COUNCIL MEETING
SCHEDULE
Regular Council Meetings
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Tuesday, February 7, 2006
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
As future issues are published,
Township staff looks forward to your
feedback and suggestions. Feel free to
call, send emails or letters.
Ont
ar
i
o’
s$3Bi
l
l
i
onMuni
c
i
pal
Fi
s
c
al
Gap
When will the Government of Ontario recognize that taking $3 billion a year
from municipal governments hurts our communities?
When will the province commit reducing its reliance on $3 billion a year of
municipal property tax revenues?
When will the province fulfill its commitment to help municipalities become
more fiscally sustainable?
When will this government commit to working with AMO on a plan to begin
unloading the costs of provincial health and social services programs?
Municipal governments in Ontario subsidize the provincial
treasury more than $3 billion a year for
provincial health and social services programs.
Volume 1, Issue 2
Lastly, on behalf of the Township Staff
and myself have a safe and enjoyable
holiday season.
Page 2
@ 7:00 p.m.
Agendas can be picked up at the
municipal office after 4:00 p.m.
on the Friday before.
Provincial
Program
Net municipal (SM)
subsidy to Province
Public Health
266.4
Ambulance
312.7
Social Assistance
1,330.9
Senior Services
242.5
Child Care
193.4
Social Housing
879.7
Total
3,225.6
Source: 2003 Provincial Financial
Information Returns. Figures net of
provincial and federal contributions, user
fees and service charges
Ont
ar
i
o’
s$3Bi
l
l
i
on
provincial —municipal
fiscal gap needs
a solution.
December 2005
M i c h i p iPcaog et e3 n M a gp i e
NOW AVAILABLE AT THE MICHIPICOTEN TOWNSHIP
PUBLIC LIBRARY
Have you ever been faced with the challenge of
finishing your project only to discover that you
forgot to bring home the required research
materials? If this has ever happened to you, you
never need to panic again. Michipicoten Township
Public Library members can now access research
materials twenty-four hours a day, seven days a
week through our NetLibrary account. Library
members need only come into the library and sign
up for a NetLibrary account. Once you have your
password and username, all you need is access to
the Internet to do your research. If you are not a
member of the library, you can still access this
collection during our regular operating hours by
using our Internet access terminals.
NetLibrary provides access to the Michipicoten
T
owns
hi
p Publ
i
cL
i
br
ar
y
’
seCont
entc
ol
l
ec
t
i
on.
eContent is the digital version of books,
journals, and database content. You can
ac
c
es
sourl
i
br
ar
y
’
seCont
ent24hour
saday
s
,
seven days a week.
The NetLibrary can be found at:
www.netlibrary.org
LOCAL STEELWORKERS DONATE TO EARTHQUAKE
RELIEF...
tremendous support, but that the earthquake in Pakistan will
need far more support to merely help the population survive
the winter, and then begin to rebuild everything.
The devastating October 8th earthquake was recorded at 7.6
on the Richter Scale. U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker said,
"The magnitude of this disaster is utterly overwhelming. We
hav
eunderwayt
hebeg
i
nni
ngofav
er
ymaj
orr
el
i
efef
f
or
t
.
”
The United Nations has said that more than 2.5 million
peopl
e wer
el
ef
thomel
es
s by Sat
ur
day
’
s 7.
6-magnitude
quake. It is estimated that the disaster has affected 3.3
million people (1 million severely) and 500,000 people have
been displaced. Among the one million people severely
affected, children and women appear to have borne the brunt
of this disaster. The World Health Organization (WHO) and
authorities estimate 78,000 people have been injured. The
official death toll in Pakistan is now 51,000 and will continue
to rise.
On November 1st, Local Steelworkers Union Branch 9246,
Township of Michipicoten, donated $1000 to the South Asian
Earthquake relief efforts.
John Spekking, local president, explained that they collect
union dues, of which a portion is forwarded to the
Steelworkers International, with the remainder staying in
Wawa. It is their "slush" fund, being used for their union's
needs, and if they have a surplus, they donate to the
community. When the Travellers were playing, they were
supported by the Steelworkers; and other organizations in the
community have received support as well.
Others who may be inspired by the Steelworkers actions may
make a financial donation by donating online, call 1-800-4181111 or contact their local Canadian Red Cross office at 8561964. The Royal Bank is also accepting donations. The 24hour toll free line accepts Visa and MasterCard. Cheques
should be made payable to the Canadian Red Cross,
ear
mar
ked“
Sout
hAs
i
aEar
t
hquake”andmai
l
edt
oCanadi
an
Red Cross National Office, 170 Metcalfe Street, Suite 300,
Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2P2. For information on how Red Cross
manages donations, please visit "How We Care For Your
Donations".
The cause of concern this time; the October 8th Earthquake "South Asian Earthquake". Darlene Trovarello, Canadian Red
Cross, Community Services Co-ordinator - Wawa
recommended this as a good choice. She justified her choice
by saying that the Hurricane Relief efforts are receiving
Volume 1, Issue 2
Story provided by wawa-news.com
Page 3
December 2005
M i c h i p iPcaog et e4 n M a gp i e
P R E PA R I N G
FOR THE
Building a Survival
Kit
any other items that your family would
need. Here are some suggestions:
Emergencies
and
disasters happen at
any time, which could
mean that utilities are
out, roads are closed
and we cannot get the
crucial supplies we need. We need
to be prepared at home and work.
Cathy Cyr
Deputy-Clerk/
Assistant Director
of Corporate
Services
Everyone should be prepared to
take care of themselves and their
families for up to three days in the
event of an emergency or disaster.
It only makes sense to prepare for
the unexpected. If you are ever in an
emergency situation –Don’
tPani
c
.
People have survived three days
without water and three weeks
without food. Your home can retain
heat for up to three hours in the
winter.
The following list is a guideline to
help you gather the items you
should have on hand. These items
should be stored in a place where
everyone in your family knows
where they are. “
J
us
tBagI
t
!
”
U N E X P E C T E D –P A R T 2
Babies/Toddlers:
Diapers, bottled milk, formula and food,
toys, crayons and paper.
Other Family Members:
Keep atl
eas
e one week’
ss
uppl
yof
medication in your emergency kit and
include extra eyeglasses, spare
batteries for medical appliances and an
extra oxygen cylinder, if required.
Include copies of prescriptions for your
medicine and glasses.
Pets:
Have a three day supply of pet food and
water.
Food and Water Kit:
Have at least a three day supply of food
and water on hand. Choose ready-to-eat
foods that your family likes and does
not require refrigeration. Canned foods:
soups, stews, baked beans, pasta,
meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, fruits,
crackers, honey, peanut butter, jam,
salt and pepper, sugar, instant coffee,
tea, etc. Remember: Replace canned
food and dry goods once a year.
Water:
At least four litres per person per day –
two for drinking and two for food
preparation, hygiene and dish-washing.
Keep a supply of water purification
tablets on hand as well.
Equipment:

 Knives, forks, spoons

 Disposable cups and plates

 Manual can opener, bottle opener

 Fuel stove and fuel

 Do not use barbecues indoors

 Waterproof matches and plastic
garbage bags

 Pocket knife or multi-use tool
Remind your family that if telephones
are not working, they need to be patient
and try again later. People overload the
telephone lines when emergencies
occur.
…Nex
tI
s
s
ue
Part 3 - What To Do During An
Emergency Situation
Think of any special needs someone
in your family may have and include
HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION DAY
On Sunday, October 30, 2005, the municipality (in conjunction with EcoSuperior and Clean Harbors Waste
Haulers) held a Hazardous Waste Collection Day. The event was an enormous success with over 100 families
from Wawa, Michipicoten River Village, Michipicoten First Nation, and Hawk Junction participating.
An entire transport truck load of hazardous goods was diverted from the local landfill site and recycled or
disposed of safely. The hazardous waste included 20 litres of inorganic acids (cleaners, fertilizer, etc.), 160 litres
of inorganic alkalines (adhesives, ammonia, etc.), 60 kilograms inorganic oxidizing agents (bleach, photo
chemicals, etc.), 80 litres of pesticides, 100 litres of aerosols, 640 litres of petroleum distillates/thinners, 2100
litres of alkyd and latex paints, stains and coatings, 1400 litres of petroleum oil, 8 litres of propane and 20 automotive batteries.
Additionally, the collection also received such items as pharmaceuticals, mercury, tar & sil, and asphalt patch.
Bill Lamon, Director of
Infrastructure Services
The comments received from families who utilized this means of disposal were extremely positive and everyone felt
that this initiative should be undertaken annually, and as such, the municipality is going to make every effort to
ensure that this event runs annually. EcoSuperior (who arranges hazardous waste collections all across Ontario),
adv
i
s
edt
hemuni
c
i
pal
i
t
yt
hatt
hehaz
ar
douswas
t
edi
s
pos
aldayhel
di
nWawawast
hemos
ts
uc
c
es
s
f
ult
hey
’
v
eev
er
had in a community of our size. Participants of the event and all residents of Wawa should be proud!
Special thanks go to Miller Sanitation for providing a dumpster for non-hazardous materials (such as boxes that
individuals brought their hazardous goods in) and our wonderful volunteers - Karin Grundt, Bill Chapman, Nancy
Donald, Bill Lamon and Howard Whent. Successful events such as this one could not be accomplished without
volunteers like them.
Volume 1, Issue 2
Page 4
December 2005
M i c h i p iM
c o tie c
nh
Miap
g piice o t e n
M a gp i e
C H A N G E S I N T H E BU I L D I N G
C O D E A C T, 1 9 9 2 ( P A R T 2 )

file your examination information
with the Director of the Building
and Development Branch.
Paul Parisé, Assistant Director
Chief Building Official
HOW TO BECOME A QUALIFIED
DESIGNER
Designers must be qualified, unless
they are exempted under the Building
Code. To become a qualified
designer, you must:

successfully
complete the
Ministry of Municipal Affairs and
Housing examination program in
your area(s) of practice, and
Once you apply for an exam, you
receive a BCIN (Building Code
Identification Number). You will later
need this number in order to
complete the process to become
qualified, and to submit permit
applications.
Exemption from qualifications
The Building Code lists a number of
exemptions to the qualification
requirement. For example, you may
be exempt if you are designing:

A house that you own
You can only carry out design
activities in areas of practice for
which you have the required
qualifications.
Look for Part 3 –How to
Become Registered
in the next issue.
To find out more, go to
www.obc.mah.gov.on.ca

Certain farm buildings

Certain tents and signs
NEW WATER TREATMENT
F A C I L I T I E S U P DA T E
All structural concrete is now complete. Exterior block work was
completed on December 7th, 2005 and interior block work is
approximately 50% complete. The filtration units arrived on site
November 24, 2005, and the Generator came in December 13,
2005. The installation of roof trusses has begun and is expected to
be complete the week of December 19, 2005. The roof is expected
to be sheathed by mid-January 2006.
BUYER
BEWARE
The Michipicoten Police Services
have received several complaints
of the Ontario Energy Savings L.P.
having a representative going
door-to-door. Individuals are asked
to sign a paper and then realizing
thereafter that it is a contract for a
fixed energy rate.
The public is urged to read any
document that they are signing
and understand what it entails, so
as not to be surprised afterwards.
All residents and businesses
should proceed with caution and
discuss their options with Great
Lakes Power. Residents are also
reminded to ask for identification
and proof of a Municipal Business
Licence.
Volume 1, Issue 2
Page 5
December 2005
M i c h i p i c o t e n M a gp i e
COMMUNITY CENTRE
I N F O R M A T I O N A N D U P DA T E S
The Fitness Centre has a new Elliptical machine! This new addition means that 2
Elliptical trainers are now available along with three (3) Treadmills. Coming in
January will be Table Tennis! We are just assembling the table and preparing a
schedule. Stay tuned for the start of this program in January! Check out the
totem pole in the front lobby. Spike Mills has created this piece of artwork
especially for the Community Centre. Since the Centre is one of the highest traffic
publ
i
cbui
l
di
ng
si
nt
hec
ommuni
t
y
,i
t
’
sag
r
eatpl
ac
et
os
howc
as
et
hear
t
s
!
Bridget Apnar, Assistant Director
Community Services
Vehicle Licensing Office
Regular Hours of
Operation
Monday to Friday,
12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m.
Call 856-7128
for more information.
Check out the BLOW-OUT sale at the Pro-Shop. Many items up to 50% off!
Tuesday, December 27th
John Haight Memorial Hockey Tournament
January 13th, 14th & 15th
Bantam Hockey Tournament
January 15th (10am to 2pm)
Winter Sports Equipment Swap
January 21st, 22nd & 23rd
Atom Hockey Tournament
th
th
January 27 , 28 & 29
th
February 3rd, 4th & 5th
Pee Wee Hockey Tournament
Midget Hockey Tournament
th
th
th
Novice Hockey Tournament
th
th
th
Mixed Curling Bonspiel
February 10 , 11 & 12
February 10 , 11 & 12
February 24th, 25th & 26th
Sunday, February 26
th
March 3rd, 4th & 5th
Wawa Winter Carnival
Wawa Figure Skating Carnival
Wawa Ice Fishing Derby
TOURISM
T
hi
si
sWawa’
snewbr
andt
hatwi
l
l
be used to promote Wawa to
visitors, potential new business
and industry. We also want
everyone who lives here to
embrace the concept and use it in
their own local clubs, organizations
or correspondence with friends
Lori Johnson, Director
and relatives who live outside of
Community Services
Wawa.Addi
ngt
hewor
d“
Wow”t
o
Wawai
sper
f
ec
t
!I
t
’
sas
hor
t
,f
unwor
d;j
us
tl
i
keWAWA!
And, it expresses in one word, the reason why most of
us choose to live and work here. There are so many
WOW’
saboutWawa;L
akeSuper
i
or
,WawaL
ake,t
he
GOOSE, the Provincial Park at our doorstep, a fantastic
Communi
t
yCent
r
e,et
c
.T
hel
i
s
tg
oeson!So,t
hat
’
sour
mes
s
ag
eandwe’
r
eg
oi
ngt
os
har
ei
twi
t
hev
er
y
onewho
wi
l
ll
i
s
t
en.You’
l
ls
eet
henew br
andonal
lmuni
c
i
pal
correspondence, websites, brochures, advertisements,
etc. We want you to use it to. If you want an electronic
copy of the logo, please e-mail Linda Mann
lmann@wawa.cc
Volume 1, Issue 2
WINTER
RECREATION
Casey Lunman, our FedNor Youth Intern
for tourism, has been working with local
trails groups to assist in organizing a Trail
Alliance. To date, the Cross Country Ski
Club, Voyageur Trail Club, Mountain
Bikers, and Friends of Mr. Vallée Park
have been keenly involved. You should
have already received the new Winter
Trails Brochure! A list of guided cross
country ski trips and snowshoe excursions
is included. Cross country ski memberships are available
now at the Community Centre Pro-Shop now. Family $40.00
and Individual $20.00.
Page 6
December 2005
M i c h i p i c o t e n M a gp i e
Those wishing to promote the community through the use
oft
hi
spost
age(
t
hat
’
sr
i
ghti
tc
anbeus
edt
osendmai
l
!
)c
an
also purchase the postage in sheets of 40 stamps. The
prices of these products are as follows:
Keepsake Sheet
(20 stamps and enlarged image)
$25.00, plus PST & GST (15%)
Full Sheet Regular Postage
(40 stamps)
$30.00, plus PST & GST (15%)
Other attributes of these stamps are as follows:
The Township of Michipicoten is very pleased to announce the
first of a series of Canada Postage stamps issued under the
Canada Post, Picture Postage Program.
The first stamp, shown here, depicts the recently developed
slogan. It is the intention of the Township to issue a
series of stamps over the next several years that depict various
people, places and things that are or have been very important
to Wawa and area. It is anticipated that the next stamp will be
issued in June 2006.
Purchases of these stamps (or orders) will be available at the
Township of Michipicoten Municipal Offices and at the
Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre. Stamps for the
philatelic enthusiast (stamp collector) can be purchased as a
“
keepsakesheet
”c
ont
ai
ni
ng20s
t
ampsandanenl
ar
gedi
mage.
 All stamps are self-adhesive, meaning you simply peel
them from their backing and affix them to an envelope
giving your mail that extra personal touch.
 Each stamp is valued as one domestic stamp, meaning
that you can use it to send up to 30g of mail. If
additional postage is required, you will need to buy it
from Canada Post.
 When mailing with a Wawa stamp, you may wish to
have the Post Office hand-cancel the stamp so that the
machine made cancellation marks will not obscure the
image.
Stay tuned for future announcements regarding our stamp
program.
NEWS FROM THE GIS DEPARTMENT
Jason Morrison
IT/GIS Technician
Currently, the NITGC GIS project that
incorporates the Townships of
Michipicoten, White River, Chapleau,
Dubeuilville, and Hornpayne have
been working very hard to make this
monumental effort a success. The
project is still in its infancy and the
possibilities that the northern
communities can take advantage of
as the project grows will be
enormous.
We would like to
announce that the communities of
Blind River, Huron Shores, North
Shore, Spanish and the Algoma
Health Unit will be joining this project
Volume 1, Issue 2
and the Township of Michipicoten is
doing everything possible to make this
addition to our project a successful one.
We welcome them and hope more
relationships can be formed in the
future with other municipalities.
For any project to be a success every
aspect has to be examined to make
sure that the right protocols and security
measures are in place and with this
comes time. But, with knowledge and
determination, this project will establish
Northern Ontario as a Technology Hub.
Page 7
December 2005
M i c h i p i c o t e n M a gp i e
Dates to Mark on
Your Calendar!
October 15 to May 15
No Overnight Parking on
Municipal Streets
The Town Hall will be
closed:


Week of December 26,
2005 and will re-open
Tuesday, January 3,
2006.
January 1, 2006 —
Nomination and
Campaign Period
Commences —2006
Municipal Election
January 23, 2006 –
Federal Election
MUNICIPAL OFFICE
40 Broadway Avenue
P.O. Box 500
Wawa, ON P0S 1K0
Hours of Operation
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m.—4:30 p.m.
(open through the lunch hour)
Phone Number
(705) 856-2244
Fax Number
(705) 856-2120
E-Mail
info@wawa.cc
Website
www.wawa.cc
Volume 1, Issue 2
WAWA TRANSIT –BUILDING A
BETTER COMMUNITY
Thanks to the generosity of Brascan
Power—Wawa Power, Peter Kiewit Sons Co.,
Chant Construction Ltd. and Hatch Acres,
Wawa now has public transit for seniors,
disabled and others. On December 9th,
Mayor Morrison was formally presented
wi
t
ht
hekey
sf
orWawa’
snew“
Handi
-Van”
.
The vehicle, consisting of 12 seats and
room for two wheelchairs, received a
complimentary safety check and
maintenance from Northern Lights Ford.
Wawa will now be able to access the Gas
Tax which is expected to provide $25,000
to $30,000 annually to assist with the costs
for the operation of the vehicle.
Once all the details have been worked out,
the public will be informed on how the
service will be operated.
Bruce Clarida—GLP/Brascan, Alan Avery—Chant Construction,
JF Poulin—Peter Kiewit Sons, Jim McHardy—GLP/Brascan,
Mayor Rod Morrison, Nelson Gauthier—Peter Kiewit Sons,
Darren Protulipac—Hatch Acres, Wayne Brooks—Chant
Construction
T O W N S H I P E M P L OY E E S D O N A T E
TO CHRISTMAS HAMPER FUND
Some people who have had the opportunity to
go into the Township Offices may have noticed
the sign on the right posted in the lobby. Each
Fr
i
day
,empl
oy
eespay$1.
00 i
nt
ot
he“
Dr
es
s
Down f
orChar
i
t
yFund”
.T
he g
r
oup donat
es
funds according to situations that may arise
throughout the year.
This year employees of the Township of
Michipicoten were pleased to be able to donate
$500.00 to the Royal Canadian Legion towards
the Community Christmas Hamper Fund.
The following individuals participate in this
worthwhile fundraising:
Bridget Apnar, Cathy Cyr, Brandy Fosberg, Lori
Johnson, Doreen Lambert, Cindy Lamon, Tracy
MacNeill, Linda Mann, Jason Morrison, Melissa
Murray, Paul Parise, Stephanie Scheuermann,
Karen Wirtz, Chris Wray.
Page 8
December 2005