Left to right: Transfield staff member, Mayor Linda Nowicki, Minister Chiarelli, Wawa Director of Infrastructure Services Brian Sheridan and a Transfield staff member. Submitted photo
WAWA, ON – The Honourable Bob Chiarelli Minister of Transportation and newly appointed Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and Minister of Infrastructure visited Wawa November 6th with Mayor Linda Nowicki of the Municipality of Wawa, its Emergency Control Group, and Chief Joe Buckell of Michipicoten First nation as well as representatives from agencies working on the groud to repair damage from flooding in Wawa which had led to the declaration of a state of emergency in the community October 25th. In the days that followed the flooding, 67 people from Michipicoten First Nation were also evacuated to Wawa where they remain at this time, as there is currently no way out of Michipicoten First Nation by road.
Minister Chiarelli spoke with OntarioNewsNorth.com Editor Karina Hunter at the end of his very busy day in Wawa to share what he had learned; details of Wawa’s eligibility for Disaster Relief Funding, what might become of the rail bed long considered for economic development purposes by the Municipality and its First Nation neighbour and other issues related to Wawa’s recovery efforts.
