Timmins city council will hold a public meeting Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at 10 a.m. on a proposed zoning bylaw amendment for 1956 Government Road North. The meeting is scheduled to take place in council chambers at 220 Algonquin Boulevard East.

The proposed change would allow a second residential dwelling unit on the property, created through an addition to the existing home. If approved, the property would have a total of two dwelling units.

The application (File No. Z-2026-05) seeks to rezone the property from Rural (RD-RU) to a site-specific Rural (RD-RU) zone listed as SP6.204.

The zoning would still allow the uses permitted in the Rural (RD-RU) zone, according to the notice.

The applicant is Jinette Levesque, with Rivard Engineering listed as the agent. The location is in Mountjoy Township at 1956 Government Road North.

The meeting is being held under Section 34 of Ontario’s Planning Act. Residents can speak at the meeting or submit comments before council votes on the amendment.

The notice says only people who make oral or written submissions before the bylaw is passed may be able to appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a food recall notice dated July 24, 2026, for Divya brand Cumin Powder (400 g) distributed in Ontario, citing the presence of sand. The agency’s notice says the affected product should not be used, sold, served or distributed.

The recall may affect local shoppers who bought Divya cumin powder in Ontario, including in Northeast Ontario communities, since the CFIA lists Ontario as the distribution area.

According to the CFIA, the recalled product is Divya Cumin Powder in a 400 g package. The UPC is 6 27810 64589 6.

The CFIA said the affected batch code is DSF / 07 / AJ. The notice lists a manufacturing date of AUG / 07 / 2024 and an expiry date of JUL / 06 / 2026.

The CFIA identified Gelda Scientific & Industrial Development Corporation as the recalling firm.

The agency classified the recall as Class 3 and assigned identification number RA-82417. The CFIA lists the alert/recall type as a notification, with an original published date of July 30, 2026, and a last updated date of July 29, 2026.

A Committee of Adjustment meeting and a regular council meeting are scheduled for Aug. 4, 2026, at 6 p.m. at Smooth Rock Falls Town Hall.

The meetings may affect local planning and municipal decisions, and residents who want to follow along can attend in person or join virtually.

Agendas will be posted on the town’s council meeting portal once published.

The town says the meetings will also be available on Zoom.

Several City of Timmins services will be closed or unavailable on Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, for the August civic holiday, including a one-day delay for some curbside garbage and recycling pickup and no Timmins Transit service.

The changes affect common day-to-day services, particularly for residents who normally have Monday waste and recycling collection and for anyone who relies on public transit that day.

Service Timmins and the Provincial Offences Centre will be closed Aug. 3.

Residential waste and recycling collection scheduled for Monday, Aug. 3 will be collected Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026.

Deloro Landfill will be closed Aug. 3.

Timmins Transit will not operate Aug. 3.

The Timmins Museum: NEC will be closed Aug. 3.

Both branches of the Timmins Public Library will be closed Aug. 3.

The Archie Dillon Sportsplex Pool will be closed Aug. 3 for regular summer maintenance.

Timmins Economic Development offices will be closed Aug. 3.

Northern College and Discovery Mining Ltd. announced a partnership on July 29 that includes a $5 million commitment for projects at the college’s Timmins campus, including $3 million for the Sports Dome—set to be renamed the Discovery Fieldhouse—and $2 million to co-develop an Environmental Technician program planned to launch in fall 2027.

For Timmins residents and students, the announcement points to changes at a well-used campus recreation facility and a new academic program tied to environmental work in the mining sector. No opening date was provided for the renamed fieldhouse, and no further timeline was given beyond the planned fall 2027 start for the Environmental Technician program.

Northern College said the $3 million portion is directed to the Sports Dome and that the facility will take the new name, Discovery Fieldhouse.

Other contributors named by the college as supporting the project through “financial and partnership contributions” include the City of Timmins, Caisse Alliance, the Northern College Student Association’s Timmins chapter, and the Province of Ontario through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation.

Northern College said the $2 million portion is for the co-development of the Environmental Technician program. The college said the funding is intended to support the program’s development, delivery and long-term sustainability.

Jamie Johnston, the college’s dean of Mining, Trades, Technology and Apprenticeship, said Discovery staff have helped shape the program, including its curriculum, delivery methods and learning priorities.

Northern College said funding from Discovery is also intended to support modernization of laboratory facilities at the Timmins campus, as well as program promotion, scholarships, student placements and experiential learning opportunities.

The announcement included statements from Northern College President and CEO Mitch Dumas and Discovery chairman, president and CEO Tony Makuch, as well as comments from Timmins MPP George Pirie and Ontario’s minister of colleges and universities, Nolan Quinn.

The swimming pool at the Archie Dillon Sportsplex in Timmins will be closed from Aug. 1 to Sept. 8, 2026, for annual maintenance, the City of Timmins says.

The closure affects regular access to the indoor pool for more than a month and coincides with summer, when the city says pool attendance is typically lower and residents have access to local beaches.

Work during the shutdown is expected to include mechanical and equipment servicing, painting, and facility inspections.

Contractors are also scheduled to install a new rock-climbing wall at the Sportsplex during the closure.

The city says the climbing wall is funded in part through Timmins’ 2025 recognition as ParticipACTION’s Ontario’s Most Active Community.

As an alternative swimming option during the closure, Gillies Lake Beach is open with lifeguards on duty seven days a week from noon to 8 p.m., according to the city.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a Class 3 recall notification in Ontario for Our Finest brand Shrimp Ring with Mild Cocktail Sauce (240 g) due to 3-amino-2-oxazolidinone. The recall date is July 24, 2026, and the notice was originally published July 28, 2026.

For shoppers and stores in Ontario, the CFIA says the affected product should not be used, sold, served or distributed. The agency lists the audience for the notice as retail.

The recalled product is Our Finest Shrimp Ring with Mild Cocktail Sauce in a 240 g package. The UPC is 6 27735 26412 7 and the code is 2027 JL 31.

The CFIA describes the issue as a chemical contamination.

The recalling firm is Export Packers Company Limited.

The CFIA recall identification number is RA-82411.

Cochrane, Ont., is seeking interim funding from Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation and industrial users to upgrade and help maintain the municipal truck route that connects Highway 11 and Highway 652 through town, Mayor Peter Politis said in a July 26, 2026 press release.

The request comes as the town continues its long-running effort to secure a dedicated provincial truck bypass and as it reports higher volumes of heavy trucks using local roads to travel between the two highways.

The town has pursued a truck bypass for about 40 years, according to the release. While that remains the stated long-term goal, the municipality has been working with the Ministry of Transportation since August 2025 on interim funding to upgrade and maintain the Highway 11–Highway 652 municipal connection.

Municipal data cited in the release shows heavy truck traffic on the route has increased three-fold over the last 10 years. The town said the increase is accelerating wear on local roads.

The town estimates the capital upgrade will surpass $6 million, and projected annual maintenance costs at about $250,000. For comparison, the town said a 1% tax increase in Cochrane would raise about $90,000.

In the release, Politis said, “it is simply not sustainable for the tax base of a small Canadian municipality to support provincial highway infrastructure, along with the ongoing and relentless maintenance required by highway-level industrial traffic.”

The release said the Ministry of Transportation is working with the town “on a path toward establishing” interim financial relief.

The town did not identify the industrial users it is seeking funding from. It also did not provide a timeline for interim upgrades or for a truck bypass.

Ontario is providing $125,000 through its 2026 Experience Ontario program to the Timmins Festivals and Events Committee for the 2026 Rock on the River festival in Timmins, according to a July 25 announcement from Timmins MPP George Pirie.

For Timmins residents, the funding announcement identifies provincial support tied to next year’s Rock on the River and adds details about other provincial funding amounts previously connected to the festival.

In the announcement, Pirie said the grant is intended to support the annual event.

The provincial program is expected to distribute more than $20 million across Ontario in 2026, the announcement said.

The announcement also said the provincial government has invested more than $1.4 million in the Timmins Festivals and Events Committee and Rock on the River since 2018.

For the 2026 festival season, the announcement said Rock on the River will use a new stage that previously received $485,000 in funding through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC).

As background, the announcement said Experience Ontario—formerly known as Reconnect Ontario and Celebrate Ontario—has supported more than 2,700 festivals and events across Ontario since 2018.

The announcement also noted the province supports festivals and events through the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, which it said provides eligible organizations with funding for marketing and promotional costs.

Open-air burning will be allowed again in Timmins starting at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, July 25, 2026, when the Timmins Fire Department lifts a city-wide fire ban, the city says.

The ban affects residents who use outdoor fires for activities such as campfires or yard burning. City officials say the restriction is ending because current conditions allow burning to resume, but they also warn it could return if fire risk increases.

According to the City of Timmins, the fire ban being lifted on July 25 was declared on July 17, 2026.

The city said the ban was put in place due to a lack of precipitation and extremely dry conditions. With the current forecast, the city said open-air burning can resume.

The fire ban may be reinstated at any time if conditions change.

The Timmins Fire Department urged residents to use caution and said people should never leave a fire unattended.

Fire hazard status will continue to be closely monitored, according to the city.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is recalling six Izem Energy brand energy drinks sold in Ontario and Quebec because of labelling and packaging issues. The recall is identified as RA-82381 and is dated July 15, 2026.

For residents in Northeast Ontario, the UPC codes below can be used to check whether you have one of the affected drinks at home or in a retail setting.

The CFIA said consumers and retailers should not use, sell, serve or distribute the affected products.

All codes are affected for the following 25 cL products:

• Izem Energy “Boisson énergisante gazeuse” — UPC 6 130093 063720
• Izem Energy “Boisson énergisante gazeuse saveur pomme-figue” — UPC 6 130093 067261
• Izem Energy “Boisson énergisante gazeuse saveur pastèque - fraise” — UPC 6 130093 067629
• Izem Energy “With juice saveur fruits rouges” — UPC 6 130093 068855
• Izem Energy “With juice saveur mangue” — UPC 6 130093 068879
• Izem Energy “With juice saveur poire” — UPC 6 130093 068848

Compagnie Sayagro Inc. is listed as the recalling firm. The CFIA published the notification on July 24, 2026.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued a food recall warning on July 24, 2026, for Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo Candy (bar) because the products may contain pistachio that is not declared on the label.

The recall involves an undeclared tree nut allergen. CFIA warned that eating the product “may cause a serious or life-threatening reaction” for people with pistachio allergies or sensitivities, and the agency reported there have been reactions associated with consuming the recalled bars.

According to the recall notice, the affected products were distributed nationally and sold online.

The affected products are:

• Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo Candy (bar), 38 g (UPC 0 61200 01445 7)
• Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo Candy (bar), 12 x 38 g (UPC 0 61200 01444 0)

The affected product codes listed in the recall are:

• 2026 NO 27 OEC3854844
• 2026 NO 27 OEC3854845
• 2026 NO 27 OEC3854846
• 2027 JA 5 OEC3860215
• 2027 JA 5 OEC3860216

The company, Mondelez Canada Inc., triggered the recall, according to CFIA. The recall is classified as Class 1 and is identified as RA-82405.

CFIA said it is conducting a food safety investigation that may lead to the recall of other products and is verifying the recalled products are being removed from the marketplace.

CFIA advises people with pistachio allergies or sensitivities not to consume the recalled products. The agency also says the products should not be served, used, sold, or distributed, and should be returned to the place of purchase or thrown out.

Open-air burning will be allowed again in Timmins at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 25, 2026, when the Timmins Fire Department lifts the city-wide fire ban declared July 17, 2026.

The fire department said the fire ban could be reinstated at any time if conditions change, meaning residents may face new restrictions if the situation shifts.

According to the city’s notice, the ban was declared July 17 because of a lack of precipitation and extremely dry conditions.

The notice said open-air burning can resume based on the current forecast.

The Timmins Fire Department urged residents never to leave a fire unattended.

Jubilee Avenue will be closed between Theriault Boulevard and University Street in Timmins on Friday, July 24, 2026, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the Airport Road ramp to Theriault Boulevard will also be closed during that time for pavement marking work.

The temporary closures are tied to crosswalk and stop bar painting, which affects how vehicles and pedestrians move through the area during the morning and early afternoon.

According to a City of Timmins Public Works notice, the closure on Jubilee Avenue is needed to complete stop bar and crosswalk painting.

The city said the Airport Road ramp to Theriault Boulevard will be closed so crews can complete pedestrian crosswalk painting.

The city asked motorists to obey posted signage, use caution when travelling through work zones, and use alternate routes where possible while the work is underway.

The fire ban in Smooth Rock Falls is set to be lifted at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, July 25, 2026, according to a notice from the Town of Smooth Rock Falls citing confirmation from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.

The change affects when residents are allowed to have open-air fires in town, but it does not remove local and provincial rules that govern when and how burning can take place.

Once the ban lifts, residents can resume open-air burning as long as they follow the town’s Open-Air Burning By-law and applicable provincial regulations, the notice states.

The town also urged residents to use caution while burning. The notice lists several safety reminders, including not leaving fires unattended, fully extinguishing fires before leaving the area, and keeping a way to put a fire out nearby.