Bear Line closure, Juried Art Show winners, French university

Morning Coffee – By Aaron Hall

Weather forecast for Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Today – Mainly cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Risk of a thunderstorm this afternoon. High 21. UV index 5 or moderate.

Tonight – Partly cloudy. 40 percent chance of showers this evening. Risk of a thunderstorm early this evening. Low 14.

Bridge closure on Bear Line Road

Bear Line Road at Little Bear Creek South, between Robin Line and West Lewis Line, will be closed for close to three months.

Bridge Reconstruction is set to take place, which will result in the full closure of the bridge from now until Friday, November 24, 2017.

All lanes are set to be closed to vehicular traffic for the duration of the project.

Motorists are being asked to follow the posted detour route.

Dundas Bridge still closed in Wallaceburg

The Dundas Bridge in Wallaceburg will remain closed to vehicular, pedestrian and marine traffic for another week.

Municipal officials say due to required repairs, the bridge on Margaret Avenue over the north branch of the Sydenham River will be closed to marine traffic that cannot clear the structure while it is closed.

“Any vessels that do not require the bridge to be opened may continue to traverse the waterways underneath the structure,” Municipal officials stated.

Repairs are expected to be completed by September 7.

High school registration today in Wallaceburg & Dresden

High school registration is taking place today at Lambton-Kent Composite School in Dresden and Wallaceburg District Secondary School in Wallaceburg for students from Grade 9 to 12.

Here are the details:

Free community meals in Wallaceburg – correction

Free meals will start back up in September across Wallaceburg. However, the meal that we announced that was scheduled for September 4, has been cancelled. Here is the remainder of the free meal schedule for the month:

Historic milestone for French-language post-secondary education

Ontario is proposing to create a new French-language university, the first of its kind in the province, giving French-speaking students more opportunities to study in French.

In consultation with the francophone community, the French-language University Planning Board has provided recommendations to the government for the creation of a French-language university in Central and Southwestern Ontario, governed by and for Francophones.

After careful review, Ontario will be accepting key recommendations of the report and intends to introduce legislation for the creation of the proposed university in the coming months.

“This is a tremendous step forward in the creation of the first standalone French-language university in Ontario, governed by and for Francophones, which will provide access to high-quality French-language university education in the Greater Toronto Area and Central and Southwestern Ontario,” stated Deb Matthews, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development in a press release.

“My sincere thanks to the planning board panel and chair, Dr. Dyane Adam, for the work they have done.”

Marie-France Lalonde, Minister of Francophone Affairs, says the Francophone culture and the French language have always been essential to Ontario’s identity and prosperity.

“This is strongly reaffirmed today with the government’s intent to provide high-quality postsecondary education to Francophone students,” she stated.

“The creation of a new French-language university, governed by and for Francophones, is a critical milestone for Franco-Ontarians and future generations.”

More details:

– The government established the French-language University Planning Board last fall to provide recommendations for the creation of a new French-Language University in Central and Southwestern Ontario. The board is chaired by Dr. Dyane Adam.

– The French-language University Planning Board submitted its report to the government in July 2017.
Ontario is home to 611,500 Francophones — the largest population in Canada outside of Québec – with central and southwestern Ontario home to the fastest growing Francophone population.

– A total of 430,000 people in the GTA speak French, which makes it the fourth most important centre of French-language speakers in Canada.

– In 2015-16, the Ontario government invested $87.9 million to support French-language post-secondary education, including almost $14 million from the federal government — an increase of more than 71 per cent since 2003-04.

– In partnership with the federal government, the government of Ontario has invested more than $204 million in capital projects since 2008 to support French-language post-secondary education.

PM shuffles up Cabinet

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement on changes to the Ministry:

Carolyn Bennett, currently Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, becomes Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs.

Jane Philpott, currently Minister of Health, becomes Minister of Indigenous Services.

Kent Hehr, currently Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, becomes Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities.

Carla Qualtrough, currently Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, becomes Minister of Public Services and Procurement.

Ginette Petitpas Taylor, currently Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, becomes Minister of Health.

Seamus O’Regan, becomes Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence.

The Prime Minister thanked retiring Minister Judy Foote for her exemplary public service and for her enduring commitment to Canada and Canadians. He also thanked Minister of Natural Resources James Carr for serving as acting Minister of Public Services and Procurement.

Photo of the day – Juried Art Show Winners