By Carl Clutchey
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal

The province says it will increase the number of transportation enforcement officers working along Northern Ontario main routes, and deploy two “mobile inspection support units” this spring to improve safety along the region’s notorious Highway 11-17 corridor. The measures, along with other pledges, including “improved” signage on the occasionally hair-raising […]

By Matt Prokopchuk
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
NWOnewswatch.com

SHABAQUA — The province says it is working to “expand” a section of the Highway 11/17 corridor and that’s welcome news to Rick Dumas. The president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association was reacting to part of a provincial announcement highlighting work it says it is doing and planning around […]

By Clint Fleury
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch.com

THUNDER BAY – The city is facing a backlog of insurance claims as rising and falling temperatures create the perfect conditions to form potholes. In a statement to Newswatch, the city confirmed it received 27 pothole damage claims from Jan. 1 to March 20, describing the number as an “unusual […]

By Carl Clutchey
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal

Finding qualified candidates to manage small Northern towns is becoming harder because an already significant administrative workload is becoming more complex, says Shuniah’s outgoing chief administrator. “A municipality with a population of 1,000 still needs to access the specialized knowledge in planning, building, roads, fire, emergency services, clerking, finance, asset […]

By Jacqueline M. St. Pierre
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Manitoulin Expositor

GATINEAU—They travelled nearly a century and half a world before returning to the lands where they were first stitched, carved and sung into being. Inside the Canadian Museum of History last week, songs rose softly as crates were opened and 62 sacred belongings—once stored deep inside the Vatican Museums—were welcomed […]

By Cory Bilyea
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Wingham Advance Times

WINGHAM – During the Wingham and Area Historical Society’s first meeting of the year, Brent Bowyer described how one Amish family turns a small farm pond into their year-long refrigeration system each winter. Bowyer has spent nearly four decades as a neighbour and customer of the St. Helens Amish—buying bread, […]

By Connor McDowell
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Brandon Sun

The Canadian Armed Forces reserve is on its way to modernizing itself in the face of global uncertainty, a senior officer based of out Winnipeg said at a Brandon University event on Thursday. The effort to build a larger army reserve force and train it to mobilize is off to […]

By Rob Csernyik
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Independent

Brad Glynn says “postvention”—the actions taken in response to suicides—is an essential type of prevention. As executive director of  the mental health nonprofit Lifewise NL, having data on risk factors  which lead to these deaths is useful to his organization’s peer support  and public education. It will soon have access […]

–Submitted photo

Kim Beaudry, left, along with team members Barb Roy, Wendy Brunetta, andKris Sinclair won the Northern Ontario 2026 Senior Provincial Championships last weekend, at Fort William Curling Club in Thunder Bay. The team will represent Northern Ontario at the Canadian Senior Curling Championships to be held at the Nutana Curling […]

By Allan Bradbury
Staff Writer
abradbury@fortfrances.com

The penultimate show in the Tour De Fort 2025-26 concert series takes to the Townshend Theatre stage next week as a trio of young women bring their siren song to Fort Frances. Jessica Pearson is the trio’s lead singer and plays guitar, and said the band’s music trends towards classic […]

By Sandi Krasowski
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal

In a recent letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) urges the federal government to recognize Highway 11, Highway 17, and the Highway 11/17 corridor as critical national infrastructure by designating the corridor as dual-use transportation infrastructure that supports both civilian mobility and national defence […]