March 5 2026

CHAPLEAUEXPRESS

ALegacyofLove:$50,000GiftGivesBack totheHospitalThatOnceGaveCare

ByMarie-ÈveGuitard

For more than 50 years, Dianne and René

Decosse called Chapleau home In that time,theydidmorethanlivehere—they helpedshapetheveryheartofourcommunity.

René Decosse, longtime owner of the ChapleauSentinel,wasafamiliarandrespected figure Throughlocaljournalism,hehelpedtell the stories that connected neighbours, celebrated milestones, and strengthened community spirit. His work ensured that Chapleau’s voice was heard and its history preserved

Alongside him, Dianne Decosse dedicated her career to education As a teacher in our community for many years, she guided, encouraged, and inspired generations of students. Her classroom was more than a place of learning — it was a space where young people were supported, challenged, and empoweredtogrow.

Eventually,DianneandRenéreturnedto Winnipeg to be closer to family But Chapleau remaineddeeplyrootedintheirhearts

In2003,Renésufferedastroke Dianne recalls that during those difficult weeks in hospital, the physicians and nurses provided exceptional care — compassionate, attentive, and unwavering It was a time filled with uncertainty, yet also with gratitude for the skilledprofessionalswhostoodbesidethem.

RenépassedawayonMarch30,oneyear ago. In his memory, and as a reflection of their enduringloveforthiscommunity,Diannemade anextraordinarygift:a$50,000donationtothe PathofComfortCampaignatChapleauHealth Services.

She shared simply over the phone, “ChapleauHealthServiceswasfirstonmylist.”

Thatstatementspeaksvolumes

Dianne’sgenerosityisnotonlyatribute toherbelovedhusband—itisatestamenttothe

gratitude she carries for the care they received and to the community that was their home for halfacentury Hergiftwilldirectlysupportthe purchase of new beds in the acute care wing, enhancingsafetyandcomfortforpatientswhen theyneeditmost

In small communities like ours, provincial funding does not cover every essential piece of life-saving or comfortfocusedequipment.ItisindividualslikeDianne who ensure that our hospital can continue to provideexceptionalcareclosetohome

Her contribution is more than a donation It is a legacy — one built on love, service,andappreciation

To Dianne Decosse, thank you Your kindness will touch countless lives, just as you and René have touched this community for decades.

Chapleauisbetterbecauseyoucalledit home.

Unhéritaged'amour:undonde50000$redonne àl'hôpitalquia

ParMarie-ÈveGuitard

Pendant plus de 50 ans, Dianne et René Decosse ont appelé Chapleau leur chez-eux Durant tout ce temps, ils n’y ont pas seulementvécu—ilsont contribué à façonner le cœur même de notre

autrefoisoffertsessoins

communauté.

René Decosse, propriétaire de longue date du Chapleau Sentinel, était une figure bien connue etrespectée Parsontravailenjournalismelocal,ila su raconter les histoires qui rapprochaient les voisins, célébraient les étapes importantes et renforçaientl’espritcommunautaire.Grâceàlui,la voix de Chapleau a été entendue et son histoire préservée

Àsescôtés,DianneDecosseaconsacrésa

carrière à l’éducation. Enseignante dans notre communautépendantdenombreusesannées,ellea guidé,encouragéetinspirédesgénérationsd’élèves Saclasseétaitbienplusqu’unlieud’apprentissage —c’étaitunespaceoùlesjeunesétaientsoutenus, stimulésetencouragésàs’épanouir. Éventuellement, Dianne et René sont retournés à Winnipeg pour se rapprocher de leur famille Mais Chapleau est toujours demeuré profondémentancrédansleurcœur.Cont’donP.2

SALE OF LAND BY PUBLIC TENDER THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF CHAPLEAU

Take Notice that tenders are invited for the purchase of the lands described below and will be received until 3:00 p.m. local time on March 12, 2026, at theTownship of Chapleau Municipal Office, 20 Pine Street West, Chapleau, Ontario. Description of Lands:

1. Roll No. 52 92 000 003 09600 0000; 64 QUEEN ST. S, CHAPLEAU; PIN 730950577 (LT); File No. 23-21; Minimum TenderAmount: $81,948.23

2. Roll No. 52 92 000 001 28600 0000; 79ACEDAR ST. E, CHAPLEAU; PIN 730950481 (LT); File No. 23-37; Minimum TenderAmount: $25,573.07

3. Roll No. 52 92 000 001 32800 0000; 84 LANSDOWNE ST. S, CHAPLEAU; PIN 73095-0506 (LT); File No. 23-40; Minimum TenderAmount: $51,343.25

4. Roll No. 52 92 000 002 05200 0000; PINE ST. W., CHAPLEAU; PIN 73095-0224 (LT); File No. 23-41; Minimum TenderAmount: $14,134.40

5. Roll No. 52 92 000 002 19700 0000; 10 BIRCH ST. W, CHAPLEAU; PIN 73095-0185 (LT); File No. 23-42; Minimum TenderAmount: $41,218.85

6. Roll No. 52 92 000 003 06700 0000; 19 QUEEN ST. S, CHAPLEAU; PIN 730950608 (LT); File No. 23-43; Minimum TenderAmount: $37,744.70

7. Roll No. 52 92 000 003 09800 0000; 56 QUEEN ST. S, CHAPLEAU; PIN 730950575 (LT); File No. 23-45; Minimum TenderAmount: $29,988.72

8. Roll No. 52 92 000 003 13000 0000; 84 ELM ST. N, CHAPLEAU; PIN 73095-0408 (LT); File No. 23-46; Minimum TenderAmount: $159,783.63

9. Roll No. 52 92 000 003 14800 0000; 96 ELGIN ST. S, CHAPLEAU; PIN 73095-0386 (LT); File No. 23-47; Minimum TenderAmount: $33,456.97

Please Note:A“Certificate of Requirement” has been registered on title to the land in File 2347, PIN 73095-0386 (LT); Copies of the Provincial Officer’s Order are available in theTender Package and at the Municipal Office

10. Roll No. 52 92 000 003 19100 0000; 184 MONK ST. S, CHAPLEAU; PART OF PIN 73095-0343 (LT); File No. 23-50; Minimum TenderAmount: $13,252.72

11. Roll No. 52 92 000 003 19200 0000; 180 MONK ST. S, CHAPLEAU; PART OF PIN 73095-0343 (LT); File No. 23-51; Minimum TenderAmount: $12,894.40

12. Roll No. 52 92 000 003 19300 0000; 176 MONK ST. S, CHAPLEAU; PART OF PIN 73095-0343 (LT); File No. 23-52; Minimum TenderAmount: $12,894.40

13. Roll No. 52 92 000 003 19400 0000; 162 MONK ST. S, CHAPLEAU; PIN 730950344 (LT); File No. 23-53; Minimum TenderAmount: $88,618.06

14. Roll No. 52 92 000 004 03400 0000; MARTEL RD., CHAPLEAU; PIN 73092-0068 (LT); File No. 23-54; Minimum TenderAmount: $127,194.59 15. Roll No. 52 92 000 004 03500 0000; 177 MARTEL RD., CHAPLEAU; PIN 730920067 (LT); File No. 23-55; Minimum TenderAmount: $16,753.73 16. Roll No. 52 92 000 004 05000 0000; 20 PLANER RD., CHAPLEAU; PIN 73092-0045 (LT); File No. 23-56; Minimum TenderAmount: $68,991.88

17. Roll No. 52 92 000 004 10700 0000; 4 OLD HIGHWAY 129, CHAPLEAU; PINs 73093-0023 (LT) & 73093-0024 (LT); File No. 23-57; Minimum TenderAmount: $54,647.93 18. Roll No. 52 92 000 001 04401 0000; 186 CHERRY ST., CHAPLEAU; PIN 730920204 (LT); File No. 23-59; Minimum TenderAmount: $60,028.53

19. Roll No. 52 92 000 002 20000 0000; 11 BIRCH ST. W, CHAPLEAU; PART OF PIN 73095-0168 (LT); File No. 23-60; Minimum TenderAmount: $18,489.94 20. Roll No. 52 92 000 002 20100 0000; 7 BIRCH ST. W, CHAPLEAU; PART OF PIN 73095-0168 (LT); File No. 23-61; Minimum TenderAmount: $145,882.70

Except as follows, the municipality makes no representation regarding the title to, crown interests, environmental contamination or any other matters relating to the lands to be sold. Responsibility for ascertaining these matters rests with the potential purchasers.Any interests of the Federal or Provincial Crown encumbering the land at the time of the tax sale will continue to encumber the land after the registration of the tax deed.This sale is governed by the MunicipalAct, 2001 and the MunicipalTax Sales Rules made under thatAct. Afull copy of the tax sale advertisement and further information about this matter is available online at www.OntarioTaxSales.ca or you may contact Les Jones,Treasurer,The Corporation of theTownship of Chapleau, 20 Pine Street West, PO Box 129, Chapleau ON P0M 1K0;Telephone: 705-864-1330 ext. 225; Email: jonesl@chapleau.ca

LesServicesdesantédeChapleau étaiententêtedemaliste

Cont’dfromP.1

En 2003, René a subi un AVC Dianne se souvient que, durant ces semaines difficiles à l’hôpital, les médecins et les infirmières ont prodigué des soins exceptionnels — empreints de compassion, d’attention et d’un dévouement sans faille Cefutunepérioderemplied’incertitude,mais aussidegratitudeenverslesprofessionnelsqualifiés quilesontaccompagnés.

Renéestdécédéle30mars,ilyaunan.En samémoire,etentémoignagedeleuramourdurable pour cette communauté, Dianne a fait un don extraordinaire : 50 000 $ à la campagne Path of ComfortdesServicesdesantédeChapleau.

Elle a simplement partagé au téléphone : « LesServicesdesantédeChapleauétaiententêtede maliste »

Cesmotsendisentlong

LagénérositédeDiannen’estpasseulement un hommage à son époux bien-aimé elle témoignedelareconnaissancequ’elleportepourles soins reçus et pour la communauté qui a été leur foyer pendant un demi-siècle Son don contribuera directement à l’achat de nouveaux lits pour l’unité de soins actifs, améliorant la sécurité et le confort despatientslorsqu’ilsenontleplusbesoin

Dans les petites communautés comme la nôtre,lefinancementprovincialnecouvrepastous les équipements essentiels, qu’ils soient destinés à sauverdesviesouàassurerleconfortdespatients. Ce sont des personnes comme Dianne qui permettent à notre hôpital de continuer à offrir des soinsexceptionnels,prèsdecheznous.

Sa contribution est bien plus qu’un don. C’estunhéritage—fondésurl’amour,leserviceet lareconnaissance

Àvous,DianneDecosse,merci Votrebonté touchera d’innombrables vies, tout comme vous et René avez marqué cette communauté pendant des décennies.

Chapleau est meilleure parce que vous l’avezappeléevotrechez-vous

Fromthearchives of Chapleau

Moments MichaelJ. Morris

Although Harry "Butch" Pellow won't knowituntilhereadsthiscolumn,theideacame for it as I was reading his recollections of a "unique life experience" in the "special small town" overabout20yearswhenhewasgrowing up in Chapleau. Butch was writing in Chapleau Trails,editedandpublishedbyhisolderbrother Dr.WilliamR."Bill"Pellow.

Butchtellsusthathockeywasa"bigpart" of snow season lives in Chapleau in the 1940s and50swhetheritwasonthebackriverpond,the river behind Chapleau Public School, or on George "Ice" Sanders "wonderfully manicured" rinkinthepublicschoolyard.Headdsthatitwas aweekendeventintheoldwoodenrinkonLorne Street or the new Chapleau Memorial CommunityArenathatopenedonthesamesitein 1951 (Ironically perhaps, Butch was the architect who designed for the Chapleau RecreationCentre,whichincludestheMrs.A,W, Mooreopenedin1978.)

Hementionsthatourheroesofthosedays were Don Card and Garth "Tee" Chambers, addingtherewasaperiodoftime"whenwithout oursticksassupportwewouldneverhavemade it through the morning." Butch was playing Bantam hockey in 1954 and the photo of him with coach Tee Chambers and fellow player Aldée Martel brings back so many fond memories,amongthemaroadtriptoSudburyin ourownspecial"private"carontheCPRtoplay in the Sudbury Arena. My cousin Michael McMullenremindedmethatwesang,"Heartof MyHeart"overandoveragainduringthetrip.

Butitwashiscommentsonroadhockey that really brought back memories. Butch remembered nightly games of road hockey on Aberdeen Street with Bill Mcleod, Ken Schroeder, Jim Evans, Buddy Swanson, Charlie White, Timmy Goodwin, me and 'frequently somerabblerousersfromlowertown,acrossthe trackorthepoint."

"... Let's find an empty Carnation can, a roller, or a dropping from Boucher's or Creighton'shorseandlet'sdoitquicklybeforeit gets dark and Milton calls Ken for dinner, Zita callsJimintostudyorBordencallsBillybecause it'stoodarktoplay.Itwasnevertoodarktoplay." You can read more of Butch's story in Chapleau

BudSwansonplayedinandbroadcastedChapleauroadhockeygames atthesametimebutnoorganonAberdeenStreettopumpupthecrowd

Trails.

I decided to send out an email to see if others from those days had similar memories to share.

BillMcLeod,whohasnewbookcoming out this year about Chapleau shared an excerpt fromit:"...someverygoodmemoriesandsome great people come to mind. Harry Pellow, Jim Evans, Bill Cachagee, Michael Morris, Charlie White, Joe Steen, Ken Schroeder, Dawn Goldstein, myself and Bud Swanson were the regulars.AsIremember,wewereoftenjoinedby Jack Morris, Ron Morita, Gilles Morin and ManselRiley

Bill also recalled that Bud Swanson was the only person he knew who could play and broadcasttheactionatthesametime.

"He (Bud) invented imaginary scenarios wheretheTorontoMapleLeafswouldbeplaying one of the other teams in the Original Six. We wouldbethestars.Tonameafew,MaxBentley, Teeder Kennedy, Rocket Richard, Elmer Lach, Gordie Howe and Terry Sawchuk were all represented in Bud's breathless descriptions. Most of the time the Maple Leafs would win."

ThetitleofBill'slatestbookisCHAPLEAU":A Retrospective on Life in a Small Isolated NorthernCommunity".

AndBudSwansonwasintouchtoshare someofhismemories.

"Yes I recall a lot of road hockey in my youngyears. The"pond"offthebackriverwasa favourite place on the weekends because there was no artificial ice back then and the old arena wasn'topenmuchonSundays. Weoftenneeded to shovel off a second rink when the "big boys" from Lowertown would arrive. In the spring therewereshort-livednaturalfrozenpondsfrom themeltingsnowintheRailwayyards.

"I played a lot of road hockey with my friend Gilles Morin and our puck was an empty Carnation milk can. I also have fond memories ofthe"EvansshedGardens"whereJimmyEvans playedgoalandIwastheshooterandcalledthe playalaFosterHewitt. IdidthesamewithBilly McLeod. Therinkinthepriest'syardwasalways popularandIhavetwohockeyscarsasmementos of that both from the stick of "Babe" Chambers. This is one old Canadian tradition thatisstillaliveasitspopularitymayhavewaned abitbutisstillplayedalot.

Bill Pellow provided the following from his brief career as a hockey player "We had a choice in the 40s My allowance was 10 cents a week. Ihad choicetogototheRegentTheatreor Cont’donP.4

ChapleauMoments

Cont’dfromP.3 go to the rink and play hockey on Saturday mornings. Pop Depew was the coach. I tried hockey for a few Saturdays, with Eaton's cataloguesforshinpadsandmyskateslacedup as tight as any adult around the rink would or could perform the task for me. I remember my last game, The puck was in front of me and on wobblyskates Iwentforit. ReggieSonegowas on the opposite team and boarded me like I was struck by lightning, my head ached, the stars cameout, mybodyhurtandhiscomment,ifyou havethepuckyouwillgethit.Iquit.

"That didn't stop us from using horse droppings for a puck on the roads and no short supply of artificial pucks for road hockey at its best.Noboardingthere.Sometimesthepuckjust disintegrated."

From Charlie Purich who was called the "catalyst" of the hockey team in the Sixties by his classmates at Chapleau High School came this contribution: "I can recall Billy Fox and I playing on Lisgar street where we used to live. Endlesshours. Wewouldgetthoselargerubber washers from Fink's Pop. They were about the sizeofapuckbutwithaholeinthemiddle. They weresofterthanapuck.andwecould"lift"them asweusedtocallraisingthepuck"lifting." We hadtomoveforcarsandicehaulingsleighs.

"Other players would be the Pilon clan, the Chrusoskie girls and others. We probably missed our historical opportunity to have lower townplayusoreventhekidsfromtheotherside of the bridge. However, with our developed skillswewouldhavecleaneduponanyopposition. Can still see that rubber washer flying throughtheairtowardthegoal(whichwasmade oftwolargepiecesofsnowabout5feetapart.) If my memory serves me, I think I ended up with over 400 goals and Billy Fox was right behind with 399. A duo to be feared on the road!!! Themskillsyoudon'tgetjustanywhere!"

Charlietellsmethathestillplayshockey threetimesaweekandusesthebreakawaypass thatBudSwansontaughthim.ButsorryCharlie, yourguyswouldneverhavebeatentheAberdeen streetstars.

KenSchroedersumsitallupforus:

"WOW!!! GREAT

So many fond memories....Pond, back river, weeds etc...... Street, yes, not many cars on Aberdeen St.,4stonesforpostsandyouare all set. Back yard, yes, sometimes with skates, but notnecessary.Nolifting,unlessAlbertandEddie had pads. No lines, just calls by Buddy, and finally"HeShootsHeScores".

"WOW there were some dandy RINKS, allverysimilarto"MapleLeafGardens",butno

organtopumpupthecrowd.

Remember Evans' , McLeods' , Bouillons',Braumbergers',Goldsteins'andours. Yes, this was lower town.......Those were the days,noTVs,etc......"

Myroadhockeycareeractuallyresumed afterIleftChapleauandhadfinisheduniversity When I was a reporter at the Kingston WhigStandardIwasrecruitedtoplayonanewspaper team. It continued when I was at the Chatham DailyNews.Iendedmycareer onBeechStreet withDavidMcAdamandhisbuddiesinfrontof the McAdam home after I returned to Chapleau and was teaching at Chapleau High School. I owe my road hockey career to all those many gamesonAberdeenStreetandoutdoorrinkswith my friends from those days that Ken Schroeder describes as "WOW!! GREAT!!!" They sure were.Thanksguys.

MAIL

EugeneBouillonsentalongthefollowingabout my column on Rev John Sanders: "Michael, wow, what a great history, great Canadiana. We have such great people in our History, I can't imagine,thestrengthofthesemen,totravelthose distances,thewaytheydid.Fromthecoldofthe WintersandtheheatandfliesoftheSummer.We should be proud, of our Heritage. Especially in these days, during the Olympics, where Canadians havefoundavoicetoshoutout,how proud they are to be Canadians." And Raoul Lemieux just back from a Mexican vacation commented about the same story, "Great history."

WeatherSummaryforOntario

Temperatures

For February, the map of monthly mean temperature anomalies shows greater variation across the province than in recent months. The south was slightly colder-than-normal, while warmer-than-normal conditions dominated elsewhere. The highest anomalies in mean monthly temperature were observed in a band from north of Lake Superior up to Hudson Bay, whilethecoldestareaswerefoundnorthoftheSt. LawrenceandnortheastofLakeErie. On finer time scales, the first week was much colder than normal in the south. In fact, many regions saw record low values for maximum daily temperatures (more than 15oC below normal)suchasOshawawith-15.0oConthe7th. Warming spread across the province in the second week ending a sustained period of cold daysformanysouthernlocations(consecutively forsome)sincelateJanuary Warmingcontinued tointensifyinthethirdweek,whichbecamethe

warmest period of the month for the entire province. Record daily maximum temperatures wereset,including7.6oCinAtikokanand8.1oC in Vaughan on the 14th and 17th, respectively During the final week, considerably colder air returned province wide. This produced some of the coldest daily anomalies in the north, highlighted by a record overnight low in Sioux Lookoutof-35.6oConthe28th.

Precipitation

The province was mostly drier than normal,especiallyinthesouthwheremanyareas recorded only about half the typical monthly amount In contrast, higher-than-normal precipitationwasfoundinabandstretchingfrom nearThunderBaynorthwardtoHudsonBay uring the first half of February, very dry conditions prevailed across most regions. In the third week, which was the wettest for most regions, two rounds of substantial precipitation affected much of southern and northwestern

Ontario-amixofrainandsnowforsomeareas. Several daily records were set on the 17th, includinginCollingwood,whichmeasured22.8 mm.

Snowfall

Snow-producing systems traversed the provincefrequentlythroughouttheentiremonth, resulting in numerous events. Some of the most ones occurred on the February 10-12 north and east of Georgian Bay, February 18-23 in the northwestandpartsofthesouth,andonFebruary 24-26acrossmostoftheprovinceexcept(theFar North). Snow-on-the-ground measurements were at record high values for much of central andeasternOntariothroughoutthemonth.

IceConditionsontheGreatLakes

This past month, ice coverage on the Great Lakes has been noticeably higher than in recentyearsandoneofthehighestinthelast10 years. The weekly ice coverage on the Great Cont’donP.7

MomentsFromThePast

September 21, 2015 was a special day for the community of Chapleau.

Acrowdgatheredtothankalocal citizen for years of volunteer labor and dedication to an idea which benefitsall

This gentleman is the prime

mover and organizer of this wonderful park. He had a vision and worked tirelessly for many yearstorealizehisdream.

The township of Chapleau wishestothankMr.LouisDubefor his selfless devotion to the beautificationofthiscommunity

BUYCANADIAN MADE PRODUCTS SHOP LOCALLY

MOMENTS IN TIME

On March 17, 461A.D., Christian missionary, bishop and apostle of Ireland St Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick,Irelandafter40yearsoflivinginpoverty, teaching and traveling, during which time he converted thousands of Irish and built churches aroundthecountry. Lastweekssolutions

WeatherSummaryforOntario

Cont’dfromP.4

Lakes peaked this month at 59.8% during the week of February 12th. The peak this season occurredaweekearlierthannormalandwaswell abovethelong-termmedianpeakof34%.Under the influence of very cold temperatures, ice coveragegrewrapidlyattheendofJanuaryand thenmoregraduallyinthefirstandsecondweeks ofFebruary Justasquicklyasicecoveragerose, it fell through the second half of the month, returning to near normal values by the end of February.Lookingattheentireseasonsofar,the GreatLakeshaveaccumulatedthemosticesince the2017/18season.Acrosseachindividuallake, Lake Erie and Lake Michigan also saw their highest ice season since 2017/18, Lake Huron and Lake Ontario having their highest since 2014/15,andLakeSuperiorrecordingitshighest since2018/19.

SignificantEvents

February 6th: Potent Snowsqualls in the South

Brief but intense snowsqualls swept across southern Ontario starting on Friday the 6th. Multiple highways were closed (including the401nearCornwall)followingcollisions.The worst impacts were southeast of Lake Huron where blizzard-like conditions were observed causingtrafficproblemsfromFridaytoSaturday the 7th. Most roads between London and Sarnia were closed after collisions, one of which was fatalonHighway7nearPerth.Motoristsbecame strandedonHighway402foruptotwelvehours, which did not fully reopen until late Sunday morning. Over a hundred vehicles were simply waitingtobetowedbySaturday

On Saturday afternoon, a crash near

Clinton resulted in one death and four people with injuries Near Glencoe, a multi-vehicle pileup sent five people to hospital with minor injuries. Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) used snowmobiles in some rescues, while several communitiesinLambtonCountyopenedwarming centres. Hundreds of people called 911 for help, and OPP alone responded to nearly four hundredcalls.WindsatSarniagustedashighas 83km/hFridaynightandmanylocationsacross the south reported visibility as low as ¼ SM (statute mile) with heavy snow and blowing snow.

February 10th: Snow and Blowing Snow in theNortheast

Snow significantly impacted travel across northeastern Ontario starting on Tuesday the 10th, and to a lesser extent over central and eastern Ontario Snow and blowing snow impacted travel southeast of Lake Huron, GeorgianBay,andLakeSuperioronWednesday the11th.

Highway 21 was closed from Saugeen Shores to Kincardine with vehicles in ditches, jackknifedtrucksandcollisions.BruceRoad28 and two other municipal roads were closed in Bruce County. Southeast of Lake Superior, Highway 17 was closed for an hour and a half south of Wawa Tuesday evening following a collision, then closed for three hours between Wawa and Batchewana Bay on Tuesday night afteranothercrash.Highway65wasfullyclosed westofKirklandLakefromearlyafternoonuntil wellaftermidnightfollowingacollisioninvolving injuries and logs spilling from a tractortrailer. Highway 11 was fully closed between Matheson and Kirkland Lake for 4 5 hours Tuesday afternoon due to poor visibility and weatherconditions.

resulted in a fatality in North York (Toronto). Also,inTorontoastreetcarwasderailed. OutlookforMarch2026

Temperature guidance is showing a high likelihoodofawarmer-than-normalMarchinthe south, especially the southwest.Aslight chance of a colder-than-normal month is forecast, however,intheFarNorth.Mostoftheprovinceis expected to see above normal precipitation with thehighestlikelihoodintheeast.

February 21: Icy RoadsintheGTA Freezing drizzle and falling temperatures resulted in icy roads and dozens of collisions across a portion of the GTA on the evening of the 21st. Highways 404 and 407 were both closed for hours. Highway 7 was also closed with multiple collisions and cars in ditches. A collision

OntarioLaunchesNewJob-CreatingCriticalMineralsStrategy Province’s

vision paper and consultation focused on jobs and Canadian self-reliance

As part of its plan to protect Ontario’s economy and accelerate growth, the Ontario governmentiscementingtheprovince’sroleasa secure, reliable global supplier of responsibly sourced critical minerals. Today, at the annual Prospectors&DevelopersAssociationofCanada (PDAC) convention, Minister Stephen Lecce announced the government is releasing Fortifying Ontario’s Economy: A Plan to AccelerateResponsibleResourceDevelopment, aforward-lookingvisiontoboldlyoverhauland modernize Ontario’s Critical Minerals Strategy The government is inviting feedback to ensure the next phase of the strategy can respond to a rapidly changing world, with a focus on bolstering Canadian self-reliance, jobs and supplychains,toensureOntariocontinuestobe the most attractive place in the G7 to invest and createjobs.

Ontarioisalsoannouncingtheadditionof high-purity iron and aluminum to its Critical Minerals List, the first expansion since its inception, underscoring a firm commitment to bolsteringend-to-endsupplychainsthatsupport manufacturingamidongoingU.S.tariffs.

“In the fight for Canadian jobs, we transformedoneoftheslowestminingpermitting systemstooneofthefastest,emerginginthetop two globally for attracting mining investment,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines. “Our new Critical Mineral Strategy will sendasignaltotheworld:Ontariohasaserious plan to build mines faster and create more jobs here at home. To better protect Ontario’s vital manufacturing workers – from defense, automotive and aerospace – Ontario is also adding high-purity iron and aluminum to the Critical Minerals List. Ontario’s new strategy will accelerate momentum, unlock opportunity, andattractthejob-creatinginvestmentsthatwill powergrowthacrosstheprovince.”

Ontario’s five-year Critical Minerals Strategy, launched in 2022, laid a strong foundation.Thepreviousstrategyfocusedonthe electricvehiclemarketandemphasizingtheneed forcleantechnologies,buttheworldhaschanged – fast and dramatically. Escalating geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, U.S. tariffs and rising trade protectionism demand a shaper, more agile response focused on ending foreign dominance and protecting Ontario’s vital industries and workers. Renewing the strategy will allow Ontario to stay ahead of that change ensuring the province remains competitive, resilient, and positioned to lead in a more uncertaineconomy.

Theforward-lookingvisionpaperinvites feedback on key priorities to unlock our critical

mineral wealth to protect economic security, strengthen sovereignty and lead as a trusted G7 partner,including:

• Planning for growth to reduce exposure to global shocks, ensuring Ontario is never left vulnerabletounstableoruntrustedsupply

• Building a future-ready workforce to ensurewehavetheskilledworkerstodeliver

• Continue delivering regulatory certainty andfasterpermittingdelivery,creatingoneofthe most advantageous regulatory environments in theworld.

• Support exploration to find the mines of tomorrow,today

• Build, early, meaningful and mutually beneficial partnerships that support reconciliation, equity participation, and shared prosperitywithIndigenouscommunities.

• Scale up innovation, attract global capital,andanchorcriticalmineralsupplychains hereathome.

Thenewstrategywillbeshapedbydirect input from industry, Indigenous partners, communities, and the public – focused on strengthening domestic supply chains, ensuring economic and national security, accelerating responsible development, and building an economy that withstand today’s pressures and capturetomorrow’sopportunities.Thefeedback received will be instrumental in calibrating the nextphaseofthestrategytorespondtoarapidly changingworldandensureOntariocontinuesto be the most attractive place in the G7 to invest andcreatejobs.

“Our updated Critical Minerals Strategy will strengthen Ontario’s reputation as a leader in responsibly sourced minerals that power modern economies,” said George Pirie, MinisterofEconomicDevelopmentandGrowth.

“By modernizing the strategy, our government will attract new investment, create thousands of good-paying jobs, strengthen communities, and position the North as a global leader in developingtheresourcestheworldneeds.”

Ontario is also updating the criteria for theCriticalMineralsListtobetteralignwiththe strategic needs of the province, Canada and its allies. Including high-purity iron and aluminum expands the number of critical minerals in Ontarioto35.High-purityironisessentialforthe transition to "green steel" manufacturing using electricarcfurnacetechnologyinOntario’ssteel mills, while aluminum is a cornerstone material for the province’s world-class automotive, aerospace,anddefencesectors.Byaddingthese minerals,Ontarioissignalingtotheworldthatit is a premier jurisdiction for investment in the exploration and processing of materials vital to

modernadvancedmanufacturing.

“Ontario’sCriticalMineralsStrategyhas played an important role in advancing our government’s economic priorities and attracting job-creating investments in the advanced manufacturing, life sciences, tech, and defence sectors,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “By modernizing the Strategy to include new metals andadaptingthescopetomeetthedemandsofa changing geopolitical landscape, we’re positioningtheprovinceforlong-termresilience and ensuring Ontario workers stand to benefit fromanewwaveofindustryopportunity”.

SincelaunchingitsfirstCriticalMinerals strategy,Ontariohasmadesignificantprogressin becoming a global mining powerhouse, including:

• Implementing the transformative ‘One Project, One Process’framework to cut red tape andtargeta50percentreductioningovernment reviewtimelines,with3nation-buildingprojects alreadydesignated,representingmorethan5,000 new jobs and $75 billion added to Canada’s economy.

• Launching the $500 million Critical Minerals Processing Fund to build domestic processingcapacity.

• Investing$25millionthroughtheCritical Minerals Innovation Fund to support Ontariobased companies commercializing groundbreaking solutions for the entire supply chain.

• Supportingover213projectsthroughthe OntarioJuniorExplorationProgramwitha$29.8 investment,drivingthediscoveryoftheminesof thefuture.

• Strengthening Indigenous partnerships by investing $70 million into the Indigenous Participation Fund and sharing nearly $360 million through resource revenue sharing agreementssince2018.

• Investinginnewelectricitytransmission and generation, including refurbishing and expanding northern hydroelectric stations, and new transmission lines into the gateway of the Ring of Fire, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, and TimminsandDryden.

Ontario is recognized as the mining financecapitaloftheworldwith40percentofall publicly listed mining companies worldwide listed on the TSX and TSX-V and having a combined market value of over $1.1 trillion in 2025.

Ontario’s mining sector supports 28,000 direct jobs and 46,000 indirect jobs through associated mineral processing and supply services.