Shore Report — Covering Lake Huron's North Shore
July 2025
As is increasingly the experience across Canada, the North Shore region moved from the cold of winter to the oft-oppressive heat of summer without really pausing for a breather in moderate spring. A couple of humid heat waves are early features of the season so far, along with smoke and fire warnings keeping us all watching the weather forecasts.
And, while Northwestern Ontario continues to be ravaged by out-of-control wildfires — including Red Lake 12, now the largest wildfire on record in Ontario history — Lake Huron’s North Shore status remains mostly low to moderate according to Ontario’s official firewatch site. Fingers crossed, and continued gratitude to all our firefighters.
Get outside and enjoy the warm weather while we have it. Shore Report can confirm that Lake Huron’s North Channel remains a brisk and delightful cold plunge experience for anyone feeling too hot. Stay cool, and swim with care.
First Nation Resource Rights Recognized in Queen’s Park Apology
Swift passage of Ford government’s Bill 5 prompted protest
The Ontario government’s Bill 5, the Protecting Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, was passed quickly through the legislature in early June by Premier Doug Ford’s majority. As its name suggests, Bill 5 is intended to supercharge economic development in the province, but promises to do so by making end-runs around established regulatory structures that delay development.
The new law prompted immediate protest from many quarters (environmentalists, civil liberties groups, democracy advocates, etc.) but none more loud or effective than the resistance launched by Ontario First Nations. Given that much of the development Ontario wants to unleash involves resource extraction directly on First Nation lands or traditional territories — the so-called Ring of Fire rare minerals mining region northeast of Thunder Bay is mentioned frequently in Bill 5 discussions — First Nation leaders have understandably demanded a seat at the table.
Potential Ring of Fire mining operations are aimed at extracting tens of billions of dollars of chromite, cobalt, nickel, copper, and platinum for use in clean energy technologies. Both Ontario’s Bill 5 and the recently passed federal Bill C-5 have mineral extraction from the Ring of Fire in their sights, and seem to be paving the way for much quicker development of roads and mining infrastructure in a very remote, environmentally sensitive area.
For First Nations living on or near that development, the fast-track laws ignore the requirement for free, prior, and informed consent demanded by treaty obligation. Free, prior, and informed consent is a concept enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), and is seen as integral to all active treaties in Canada.
The Anishinabek Nation (AN), representing 39 member First Nations across Ontario, including some along Lake Huron’s shore, rallied at the legislature in Toronto while Bill 5 was still being debated. The Anishinabek Nation is considered the oldest political organization in Ontario, tracing roots back to before European contact. AN Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige noted at that rally the protest was not about being obstructionist, but rather about developing proper partnerships through the treaty relationships established before Canada itself.
“The Honour of the Crown,” Chief Debassige stated, “requires that the government honour First Nations as autonomous law-making authorities who have never ceded our control over our resources.”
And the protest seems to have worked. A June 19 release from the Anishinabek Nation notes:
“…the Government of Ontario [today] engaged in dialogue with Anishinabek Nation First Nations, which are the inherent rights holders for all Anishinabek Nation territories.”
According to the release, Premier Ford apologized for earlier comments he made about treating Ontario First Nations “like gold” and handing them “opportunity on a silver platter,” remarks that show a troubling misunderstanding of treaty responsibilities.
The AN reports that talks with government seem to be heading toward an economic agreement for retroactive cooperation with the proposed economic supercharging:
“As a pre-emptive offer to the discussions beginning today, the Province of Ontario has offered $3 billion to be equity partners in projects that would help make member First Nations more prosperous and access services that are currently unavailable. The provincial government has also offered $70 million for training opportunities and an additional $10 million in scholarship opportunities for Anishinabek First Nation students.”
Talks continue, and Shore Report will follow this story.
Northern Air Ambulance Service Hangar Officially Opens
Ornge fixed- and rotor-wing craft to serve the northeast from Sudbury
Ontario’s not-for-profit provider of air ambulance service, Ornge, has officially opened its new hangar at Greater Sudbury Airport, and recently held an open house showing off its fleet of fixed-wing aircraft, rotor-wing aircraft, and critical care land ambulances. Acquired by the service last November, the Sudbury hanger is Ornge’s second provincial “superbase,” home to a first-response team dedicated to Northeastern Ontario, which should dramatically cut response times during emergencies.
“We recognize the increasing demand for Ornge services,” remarked Ornge’s COO, Wade Durham, “and this new hangar will allow Ornge to continue to coordinate and connect patients in northern, remote, and Indigenous communities to timely access to emergency care.”
Two new fixed wing aircraft will be dedicated to Northeastern Ontario including the James Bay and Hudson Bay coasts.
North Shore Health Network CEO Tim Vine attended the open house, and shared views of the emergency response aircraft on social media. “This is great news for rural health equity,” posted Mr. Vine. “Orgne are wonderful partners and we so appreciate this investment in their services!”
Thanks to Mr. Vine for his photos.
Thessalon’s Iconic Red Bridge Gets Deck Upgrade
Service shutdown much shorter than expected
The Town of Thessalon performed a complete deck removal and replacement on the vehicle passage of its historic Government Road truss bridge (the Red Bridge). The Red Bridge can be seen in town photos dating back to the early 1900s, and is officially dated on the Town of Thessalon website to 1880, although originally of wooden construction.
While a local announcement indicated road traffic to the bridge would be shut down for up to three weeks (beginning June 10th), the renovation work took much less time, and the bridge reopened to all traffic in about a third of the predicted period.
The Red Bridge car deck is made of over 400 tightly packed 3x6 timbers stacked short-side-up atop the deck girders, with steel runners spaced for car tires. Transport trucks are not permitted to cross the Red Bridge.
Desbarats Community Centre to Get $1.3 Million Upgrade
Air conditioning and a back-up generator part of the package
The community centre in Desbarats is set for some major upgrades, as Johnson Township receives $1.3 million in funding from the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program, a federal government initiative originally launched with a $1.5 billion budget in 2020, and then topped up with another $500 million last year. The program is now expected to run until 2029.
The GICB works toward “improving the places Canadians live and gather by cutting pollution (e.g. reducing [greenhouse gas] emissions, increasing energy efficiency, building resiliency to climate change and encouraging new builds to net zero standards), making life more affordable and supporting thousands of good jobs.”
According to its June newsletter, Johnson Township plans to use its grant “for improvements to the ice-making plant, bathroom and shower facilities, and an increase in accessibility throughout the facility.” A further grant from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund will be used to bring air conditioning to the upstairs of the community centre, and to purchase a back-up generator.
Hometown Paper Turns on Rookie MPP
Algoma-Manitoulin’s Bill Rosenberg taken to task over healthcare
The June 11 edition of The North Shore Sentinel, published out of Thessalon, included a scathing assessment of rookie Algoma-Manitoulin Member of Provincial Parliament, and former Thessalon Mayor, Bill Rosenberg’s brief time at Queen’s Park. In his regular opinion column, the Rankin File, Sentinel editor Brent Rankin criticized Rosenberg for a perceived lack of action on one of the North Shore region’s most pressing priorities — access to healthcare services.
The 2-full-page editorial, titled Is There Hope of Health Care Being Top of MPP’s Agenda?, noted a lack of primary care physicians at Thessalon’s North Shore Health Network emergency site, and the increasing frequency of site closures due to staffing issues. Rankin called the MPP’s record addressing these problems directly with his own government “confounding and frankly disappointing.”
Rosenberg ran as the PC candidate in the February provincial election in what has long been thought of as a safe NDP riding. He won rather comfortably, helping Premier Doug Ford to a new majority, in part due to a split vote that saw former NDP MPP Michael Mantha (who had been ejected from the NDP caucus) drain significant support from his former party’s new candidate, North Shore paramedic David Timeriski. Local speculation attributed Rosenberg’s surge of vote share to a desire by locals (weary of being ignored by Queen’s Park) for a seat at the government table, and one that could specifically be leveraged to address the region’s pressing healthcare concerns.
When a delegation of local healthcare advocates travelled all the way down to Queen’s Park in May for a Day of Action demanding greater healthcare investment for Northern Ontario — covered in detail by Shore Report — Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas (NDP) met with them and participated in their press conference. MPP Rosenberg notably did not meet with the delegation, despite being at the legislature that day, and rising to mention a recent Firefighters Challenge hosted in Thessalon a few days before the Day of Action. The Sentinel’s Brent Rankin labeled Rosenberg’s Day of Action no-show “tone deafness on the day delegates from his hometown were there to advocate for the hospital.”
The North Shore region’s doctor shortage and healthcare access issues are not going away on their own anytime soon. Already this summer there have been closures and threatened closures due to staffing shortages across the North Shore Health Network. The Ontario legislature is on an extended summer break until late October, which presumably means MPP Rosenberg will be spending his time in the riding. Sentinel (and Shore Report) readers will no doubt be watching for any more flare-ups on healthcare, and how the MPP responds.
The North Shore Sentinel celebrates an impressive 60 years in business this year. Pick up a copy at your local, and subscribe!
Espanola Moving Forward with Water Treatment Upgrade
Treatment plant baffle system to be installed
At its June 10th meeting, Espanola Town Council approved a recommendation to proceed with a water treatment “baffle” project aimed at improving the quality of the town water supply.
According to the written recommendation, a baffle system installed in the clear wells and reservoir of the water treatment plant creates a maze pattern the water must follow from the moment it enters the system until it exits:
“A Baffle System… ensures that no water particle follows a straight-line path from entry to exit, thereby promoting uniform exposure to treatment processes and preventing any particles from bypassing treatment while others stagnate. This method optimizes contact time with disinfection agents, enhancing overall treatment efficacy and ensuring consistent water quality.”
The complete project is approved in principle at a total cost expected of approximately $1 million, though the amount the municipality itself will have to shoulder is unclear at this time.
An application to Ontario’s Health and Safety Water Stream Grant Program has been submitted, and the town awaits news on that funding. In the meantime, Council approves starting the project with a $102,000 outlay for design work, to be paid from town reserves. Given success with the Water Stream grant, the project is expected to be completed in 2026 and cost Espanola $298,000 in total, including the design costs.
Local Author Completes Trilogy
Third and final book in Wings of Valenia series to hit the market in 2026
Wharncliffe author, Elizabeth Creith, has announced completion of her three-book “swan shifting” fantasy series, Wings of Valenia. The first two books in the series, The Swan Harp, and The Lost King were both published in 2024 by California’s Type Eighteen Books. The title of the third book is under wraps for now, but all the words are in place.
Creith is the author of two previous books related to rural living, and received funding support from the Ontario Arts Council through an adjudicated grant for The Swan Harp. She was, in fact, one of the first recipients of the Council’s Northern Writers Grant when it was initiated in 2010.
Fans of Creith’s fantasy series can expect the final Wings of Valenia book in Spring 2026, and rumours abound about an entirely new series in the works.
Special Editions
Shore Report published a number of special issues in June. Find them at the links below.
Deadly Infrastructure
Will Queen’s Park save us from our northern highways? If so, when?
In the early morning of Friday, June 13th, two transports collided exactly where northern Highways 17 and 69 meet in Sudbury. One of the drivers died on the scene. The other was delivered to hospital with serious injuries. Hwy 17 was closed at the 69 overpass in both directions until approximately 7:30 that evening while police investigated and reconstructed the accident, and the scene was cleared and cleaned.
Firewatch — June 17, 2025
New wildfire near Chapleau being held, but it's enough to raise surrounding rating
The North Shore region was in a mixed wildfire picture mid-June, with a new 1 hectare fire near Chapleau raising the surrounding danger rating as far down as Manitoulin Island to “high", while much of the rest of the region was rated “moderate.” There were a couple of patches of “extreme” fire rating at Temiskaming Shores and close to North Bay.
Sophisticated Drug Conduit to North Shore Closed
Project Saturate captures weapons and drugs in Sudbury, as gangs target the north
Greater Sudbury Police and the Ontario Provincial Police have announced the seizure of dangerously large quantities of street drugs, along with weapons, in a major cooperative operation involving police services across the south and northeast of the province. A total of 197 criminal charges have been brought against 25 individuals.
Canada Honours Two North Shore Heroes
Rainbow Camp’s Harry Stewart and Christopher Southin Receive Service Medals in Ottawa
With the opening of 2025’s Rainbow Camp just around the corner, co-founders Chris Southin and Harry Stewart are as busy as they can possibly be. But not so busy they couldn’t squeeze in a quick flight to Ottawa in order to receive the Governor General's Meritorious Service Medal for over a decade of dedicated work providing vital summer camp experience for LGBTQ+ youth at Rainbow Camp®.