Nipissing First Nation voters will be casting ballots for chief and council this summer. 

A nomination meeting is taking place on May 17 (7-9 pm) at the Nipissing First Nation community center in Garden Village.  

Candidates can also be nominated by email or regular mail.  

The necessary forms can be found at nfn.ca. 

They must be received on or before the close of the May 17 meeting. 

Election Day is July 5, subject to acclamations.  

There will be e-voting, mail-in and in-person ballots.   

Currently, there are 2,749 voters, but that changes with member registration.

The post Nipissing First Nation getting ready for an election appeared first on My West Nipissing Now.

The literacy team at the Near North District School Board has won a Dyslexia Canada Educational Excellence Award.  

Officials say the award celebrates exceptional dedication within school communities in supporting students with dyslexia.  

“It is an honour to receive this acknowledgement from Dyslexia Canada,” says K-12 Student Achievement and Well-Being Principal, Stephen Krause. "I am so very proud of the members of our literacy team and the collaboration they engage in alongside educators across our system every day. However, this award is also a recognition of our district and all who work in it, especially our K-12 educators as they dive deeper into their learning and work in school teams to make continual shifts in the literacy programming and delivery of instruction to meet the needs of all students most effectively.” 

The team includes Krause, Lorianne Haslehurst, Amy Bartlett Gibson, Genive Di Bernardo, Lisa Rogers, Michael Watson and Rebekah Felsman.  

They will be presented with the award at the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Ontario Literacy and Learning Conference in Toronto on Saturday. 

The post Honours for NNDSB literacy team appeared first on My West Nipissing Now.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has issued a Flood Warning Bulletin for the Lake Nipissing shoreline.

The ministry says Friday's average lake level was measured at 196.16m which is below the maximum ‘non-damage’ level of 196.22m.

"High winds could pose a significant risk and cause damages along with upcoming rainfall events," states a release.

Officials say flooding has been reported in the Lavigne area along the shoreline of Lake Nipissing with water levels rising onto properties.

They add the Upper French River area is seeing high water and rising river levels,  with some impact to residents along the river.

However, flood levels have not been reached.

The post Flood warning for Lake Nipissing shoreline appeared first on My West Nipissing Now.

65,000 Ontario hospital workers represented by the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions - CUPE and SEIU Healthcare have a new contract.

They will see a 6% wage increase over the two-year deal along with benefits improvements. The unions say it’s the result of an intensive round of coordinated bargaining and almost identical, two-year arbitrated contracts.

“[Thursday’s] arbitration decision will lift the spirits of frontline hospital workers who are struggling with impossible workloads in a staff retention crisis,” says Michael Hurley, President, OCHU-CUPE. “Significant improvements to dental and other benefits, real wage increases, and substantial adjustments to premiums will all contribute to making these frontline hospital staff feel valued and help them to better cope with the cost-of-living crisis that all working people are facing.”

Hurley adds they regret that they were unable to advance towards nurse-to-patient ratios in the agreement.

A variety of healthcare workers are covered by the new contract, including Personal Support Workers, Registered Practical Nurses, pharmacy and X-ray technicians, and more.

The post Hospital workers awarded 6% wage increase appeared first on My West Nipissing Now.

Grade 10 students across North Bay and West Nipissing will have a chance to shape their future.

It's all part of Planet Youth Nipissing, which the Nipissing Parry Sound District Health Unit says will issue voluntary surveys that will provide data to help communities better understand the lives of young people, what's impacting their health and their well being.

The project is based on the Icelandic Prevention Model, an evidence-based, community-led approach that successfully reduced teen substance use in Iceland over a 20-year period.

Last year, the health unit says 68 community organizations, like police, school boards, HANDS, OUTLoud and more, heard from Planet Youth, and due to widespread interest, a coalition of members serving both communities was formed.

The goal is to reduce teen substance abuse in our communities by fostering a community that promotes their well-being.

“Our children are our future. We are so excited to work in partnership with the coalition members in building a community that engages and encourages the growth and development of youth in West Nipissing,” said Mayor of West Nipissing, Kathleen Thorne Rochon.

Officials say the key element to Planet Youth’s success is its proactive and preventative strategy. By identifying risk factors and positive influences that impact the development of risky behaviors, it becomes possible to intervene early and make changes to the environment, where needed, for youth to thrive.

“I want to thank all the community partners who have come together to spearhead this project,” said Mayor of North Bay, Peter Chirico. “Our young people are our future, and providing support early on through this kind of initiative will help to empower them to overcome challenges and realize their full potential.”

For more information on Planet Youth Nipissing visit www.planetyouthnipissing.ca.

Member organizations include the Canadian Mental Health Association North Bay and District, Children's Aid Society Nipissing & Parry Sound, City of North Bay, Conseil scolaire catholique Franco-Nord, Conseil scolaire public du Nord-Est de l'Ontario, District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board, Hands TheFamilyHelpNetwork.ca, Municipality of West Nipissing, Near North District School Board, Nick's Place For Us, Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board, Nipissing University, North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, North Bay Police Service, North Bay Regional Health Centre, OUTLoud North Bay, West Nipissing Community Health Centre, and YMCA of Northeastern Ontario.

The post Community organizations coming together to support teen health appeared first on My West Nipissing Now.

The post Hydro One warning of windstorm damage into weekend  appeared first on My West Nipissing Now.

The Near North District School Board staff are making 'heroic efforts' to ensure the quality of care and engagement in learning is at a level students deserve, despite burnout and an increase in emerging student behaviours.

That's according to a statement from director of education Craig Myles, raising concerns about dire staffing shortages occurring across the entire education sector.

Earlier this week, board trustees approved a motion to send a letter to the Minister of Education and the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association to support staff and advocate for relief measures to alleviate critical staffing shortages.

School board officials say although staff are attempting to mitigate the impact, as occasional teachers run out of the number of days they are allowed to work, the situation will become critical.

The post NNDSB board advocating for relief measures for ‘critical’ staffing shortages appeared first on My West Nipissing Now.

A rainfall warning is in effect for our area and along with it, the MNRF is reminding residents to keep a close watch on local rivers and streams.

Environment Canada says today and well into tomorrow, 30 to 60 mm of rain is possible. They add the frozen ground has a reduced ability to absorb all the rainfall and flooding in low-lying areas is possible.

The MNRF says the rain will turn to light snow throughout the district overnight on Friday and into Saturday.. and to keep an eye on high flows. Their Water Safety Bulletin is currently in place until next Friday.

The post Rainfall warning triggers MNRF Water Safety bulletin for the district appeared first on My West Nipissing Now.

Lavigne will be without a voice in the council chambers.

Jérôme Courchesne has left his Ward 8 seat, submitting a resignation letter on Friday, April 5, saying a job at the Au Château disqualifies him under provincial legislation from holding a seat as councillor with the municipality because Au Château is considered a local board.

In his letter, Courchesne shares he's not stepping down due to the workload or for any negative reasons.

"As a result of my new employment, and in accordance with the Municipal Act, 2001 and the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, I must withdraw from my seat on Council," reads the letter.

He adds he enjoyed serving the community and working with council since the beginning of the term.

The Municipal Clerk will declare the seat vacant, officially, at next week's council meeting.

Council will then need to fill the seat through a Process of Appointment.

The post Ward 8 vacant as Jérôme Courchesne steps down due to new job appeared first on My West Nipissing Now.

A 39-year-old North Bay man is facing charges after police surrounded and evacuated a Cassells Street building on Wednesday.

The North Bay Police Service says shortly before 3:30 p.m. on April 10, officers were called to the 1100 block of Cassells Street after a report saying a man had pointed a gun at a victim and demanded information.

Officials say the victim then fled the scene and called police, and the accused entered a nearby apartment building.

Officers then surrounded the building, evacuated residents and identified the accused.

A negotiator was brought on scene, and at approximately 5:30 p.m., police say the accused surrendered.

No injuries were sustained during the incident. Police say a handgun was recovered, and it was determined that it was a pellet gun.

The 39-year-old is facing one count of robbery, pointing a firearm, two counts of failing to comply with probation and more.

He's being held pending a bail hearing.

The post 39-year-old charged after police surround and evacuate Cassells St. building appeared first on My West Nipissing Now.