The Cornerstone MAY 2021 Emergency Contacts: Township Of O’Connor Medical Emergencies: 911 Fire: 911 PLEASE NOTE: Police: 911 Although the office remains closed to the public, we are still able to provide Municipal Office Hours services. Please call us at 476-1451 to find out how we can meet your needs. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: The Office will be CLOSED May 24th for Victoria Day. 9:00 am to Noon & 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm Fridays: 9:00 am to Noon COUNCIL MEETINGS Office Phone: 476-1451 Fax: 473-0891 The next regular meetings of Council will be held virtually on Monday, Garage: 476-1453 May 10th and Tuesday, May 25th starting at 7:00 p.m. Please visit Community Centre: 476-1452 the Township website to access the meeting link through the Home page. Website: www.oconnortownship.ca Council welcomes your involvement. E-mail: [email protected] Mayor Jim Vezina - 577-6735 Fire Permits: Councillors: Required between April 1st & October 31st. Alex Crane - 473-9420 Jerry Loan - 633-5352 You must first register at: https://oconnor.burnpermits.com/ Wendy Handy - 344-2523 Bishop Racicot - 577-2215 Then, you must call each time before you burn. It is mandatory. National Public Works Week To burn: Call 1-833-490-0299 May 16th - 22nd For questions regarding the permits, please call the township office. For questions on The American Public Works Association has announced the theme for the 2021 burning, please call Fire Chief Henry Mattas National Public Works Week Theme as “Stronger Together.” It emphasizes that at 628-3523. by working together, the impact citizens and public works professionals can Disposal Site Hours: have on their communities is magnified and results Please have your disposal site permit with in the ability to accomplish goals once thought you when attending the Disposal Site. unattainable. Summer Hours (Apr 1 to Aug 31) The Township of O’Connor Public Works team Tuesdays 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm helps maintain our community's strength by Saturdays 9:00 am to 3:00 pm working together to provide an infrastructure of Winter Hours (Sept 1 - Mar 31) services in public buildings and spaces, grounds, Tuesdays 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm emergency management and first response, solid Saturdays 9:00 am to 3:00 pm waste, and the best roads driven in all of the Building Permits: Thunder Bay District. Public Works also provides By-law Number 2016-12, being a by-law togetherness needed for collaboration with all the respecting Construction, Demolition, stakeholders in capital projects, infrastructure Inspections, and to set out the rates for solutions, and quality of life services. permits within the Corporation of the On behalf of all of the residents and stakeholders Township of O’Connor states that building of the Township of O’Connor, Council and staff permits will be required for the construction, would like to thank our Public Works team for all erection, alteration, repair, removal, their hard work and dedication. relocation and change of use of all Buildings, decks or structures within the Township of O’Connor. If you are building Census Day is May 11, 2021 anything larger than 108 square feet or any The Census is one of the most important sources of information for Canadians, building with heating and/or plumbing, you are required to apply for a building permit. helping us understand where we came from, where we are, and where we are For more information, please call the heading. Data collected has a direct impact on shaping the future of our Township Office or the Township’s Chief communities, businesses, and country as a whole. Building Official, Ken Yanishewski, at Information from the Census is used by governments, businesses, associations, 708-9944 or email to community organizations and many others to make important decisions for our [email protected] municipality, our province, and the entire country. The data received helps Applications available on the Township determine what funding our Municipality receives. Your responses ensure that website or at the township office. our community has the information it needs to plan services that support our Oliver Paipoonge Library Hours: infrastructure. The Census of Agriculture provides information on all aspects of EMAIL LIBRARY FOR UPDATES. the Canadian agriculture industry—from the township, rural or municipal level to Email: [email protected] the national level. Both public and private agricultural organizations use the data http://oliverpaipoonge.olsn.ca/ collected from the Census of Agriculture. COVID-19 INFORMATION Completion of the Census questionnaire is mandatory under the Statistics Act. Thunder Bay District Health Unit: Statistics Canada places the highest priority on maintaining the confidentiality 625-5900 (ext.1) and security of completed questionnaires. Stringent measures and procedures Toll Free: 1-866-294-6630 (ext. 1) are followed to ensure that confidentiality is maintained at all times. No one www.tbdhu.com/coronavirus will ever ask for your social insurance number, banking information or for Telehealth Ontario: you to send money. Starting on May 3, 2021, you can complete your census 1-866-797-0000 questionnaire online as an easy, secure and convenient option.1 Call Ontario 2-1-1 to find programs and For more information, visit www.census.gc.ca. services in your area. FIRE PERMITS Fire Permits required between Apr. 1st and Oct. 31st New online fire permits!! • Fire Permits are required for ALL outdoor burning, including fireworks and incinerators, with the exception of small campfires for cooking or warmth, • Permits may be revoked at anytime at the absolute discretion of the Township’s Fire Chief, Henry Mattas, • Fire Permits are now valid for the entire fire season and can be obtained through the following steps below STEP 1: Register online at: https://oconnor.burnpermits.com/ to create an account. STEP 2: Once you are registered, you will need to apply for a permit each year. STEP 3: For every time you wish to burn, you must call 1-833-490-0299 to activate your permit. Calling this number before you burn is mandatory to ensure the Township is aware of all active burns, while providing you with the necessary risk level information. If you’re unable to register online or apply for your yearly fire permit, you may call the Township Office at 476-1451 and staff will help get you set up so that each time you burn, you need only call the number in Step 3 above. THINK BEFORE YOU BURN, PRACTICE SAFE OUTDOOR BURNING! Fire Department News O’CONNOR VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDS YOUR: Since the last newsletter, the O’Connor Fire Department received one Fire call and one First POP CANS Response call. BEER CANS A quick reminder from our Volunteer Fire Department: BEER BOTTLES LIQUOR BOTTLES Keep up that fire and safety maintenance! Please ensure that you: DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN HELP OUR LOCAL Sign up for your fire permit account and create your FIRE DEPARTMENT RAISE MONEY BY PUTTING YOUR permit. CANS AND BOTTLES IN THE SPECIALIZED BINS FOR Call the 1-833 number on your fire permit EVERY O’CONNOR?? TIME you are going to burn, The O’Connor Fire Department Auxiliary has Pop Can, Check wind conditions before burning, Beer and Liquor Bottle bins at the O’Connor Disposal Site, Watch weather alerts for storm activity, the O’Connor Fire Hall, Kakabeka Falls Public School and Green Acres Variety. Using these bins, rather than the Test your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide regular recycling bins, helps raise money for the O’Connor detectors once a month. Volunteer Fire Department equipment thus reducing the tax For questions on volunteering for the O’Connor Fire dollars needed during budget time. Department, First Response and Auxiliary, please call: FEELING EXTRA CHARITABLE?? Henry Mattas at 628-3523 Remove your pop can tabs and drop them off at the Fire Department O’Connor Township Office for charity. Leanne at 475-5828 PLEASE NOTE: These bins are ONLY for pop and beer First Response cans, beer and liquor bottles. All other recyclables should be placed in the regular recycling bins at the Cheri at 621-5768 Disposal Site. Thank you to all who have donated to date. Fire Department Auxiliary Fire Department & First Response applications can be found on the O’Connor website. Simply click on the quick Report a bear problem link on the left labelled “Be a Volunteer in O’Connor.” For emergency encounters, call 911 or local police if a bear poses an immediate threat to personal safety: SMOKE DETECTORS & CARBON • enters or tries to enter a residence MONOXIDE ALARMS SAVE LIVES • kills livestock/pets and lingers at the site • stalks people and lingers at the site The O’Connor Fire Department has for For Non-emergency encounters, Please call the Bear purchase; Wise reporting line: 1-866-514-2327 (Apr. 1 - Nov. 30). Kidde Smoke Alarms……………………….……..$25.00 Kidde Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms……….....$25.00 Kidde Combination Smoke/CO Alarms…..........$35.00 These units can be picked up at the O’Connor Township Mother’s Day is Office during regular office hours. For more information on fire safety, please check the Township website at www.oconnortownship.ca or ask the Township office Sunday, May staff for available information pamphlets. 2 9th. Disposal Site 2021 Day of Action on Litter - May 11th Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, there are actions all of us can still take to put litter in its proper place while staying at home and physically distancing. You can do this by: • Reducing waste: giving old products new life instead of throwing them away.