On Saturday, November 1, 2025, a local family in the Chenier Road area of Papineau-Cameron, Mattawa, reported finding a chip bag that appeared to have been cut open and re-sealed. Officers conducted a preliminary test, which indicated the presence of suspected morphine.

At this time, there are no additional reports of similar incidents, and the investigation remains ongoing. The OPP is working to determine the origin of the item and whether any further public safety concerns exist.

As a precaution, the OPP recommends that parents and guardians inspect all Halloween treats for signs of tampering, including:

• Tears, holes, or irregularities in candy wrappers
• Signs of re-sealing or altered packaging
• Any items that appear suspicious, even if unopened

The safety of our communities is our top priority. The OPP thanks residents for their vigilance and cooperation.

If you discover any items that appear to be tampered with or suspicious, do not consume them. Contact the OPP immediately at 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.ontariocrimestoppers.ca.

The post North Bay OPP Urges Caution After Suspicious Substance Found In Halloween Treat appeared first on Muskoka411.

In April 2024, the North Bay Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Crime Unit began an investigation after receiving information regarding human trafficking of a female victim. Through a combined effort with the OPP’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHT) and the Muskoka Community Street Crime Unit (CSCU), one person has been arrested and is facing criminal charges beyond human trafficking.

A 56-year-old of Mattawa has been charged with:

• Assault with a Weapon
• Traffick in Persons
• Material benefit resulting from Trafficking in Persons
• Withholding or destroying documents resulting from Trafficking in Persons
• Communicate with anyone for purpose of obtaining sexual services
• Material benefit from sexual services (living off the avail)
• Procuring
• Traffick in Schedule I substance – cocaine

The accused was remanded into custody and held for a bail hearing at the North Bay Ontario Court of Justice on August 26, 2024.

Due to the intimate partner nature of the incident, the name of the accused will not be released in order to protect the identity of the victim.

Any person with information regarding possible instances of human trafficking should immediately contact any OPP Detachment or their nearest police authority.

Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.

The post Mattawa Resident Arrested And Charged For Human Trafficking appeared first on Muskoka411.

Laura Kielpinski is the Director of Operations and Education at the Centre. In a non-COVID year, the Centre would be running four high school courses concurrently, with 80-90 students attending for a two-week session. Because of COVID, the Centre is running at 50 per cent of capacity, and some of the courses are blended, with some online and some in-person.

Kielpinski says the summer credit courses connect outdoor learning to academics, enriching the learning experience for students, whose classroom is primarily the outdoors, located within Samuel d Champlain Provincial Park. For example, the Grade 11 biology students came to a cold-water stream and monitored how heart rates changed in cold water. Kielpinski says the Centre “inspires intrigue and inquiry in learning.”

The students live on-site, experiencing a camp-like environment with cabins, campfires and canoes. “Students live here, learn here, eat here, play here,” she says. The teachers that are hired for each two-week course are outstanding educators who can bring creativity to their students; they aren’t confined by buildings and time.

The Centre is usually full by the end of the calendar year for the next summer’s program, says Kielpinski. Some students come because they are “reach aheaders” – they want to get a credit under their belt early, enabling more flexibility for options the next school year. Others just learn better outdoors and away from books. Many students are surprised to learn there are no textbooks for courses at the Canadian Ecology Centre.

NNDSB’s secondary summer school principal Jamey Byers says, “We are grateful that we have such a long-standing relationship with the Canadian Ecology Centre; it benefits students in so many ways and is a great facility. The educators and staff there have passion for what they teach, and the students are the beneficiaries of that passion.”

The first week of the 2021 summer program saw two classes – Grade 9 geography and Grade 11 biology.

Maya Yemm and Taryn Wozney are Grade 9 students, attending the Centre for the first time. Maya attends Ashbury College in Ottawa, and Taryn is a student at West Ferris in North Bay.

Maya liked being outside in nature and found there was a lot of cooperation among students in the course, it was not independent study. She said that helped her understand her peers better. She also thought that seeing things – such as an aquifer – made the lessons more real.

Taryn liked that the course was hands-on, and not just delivered from textbooks. She would recommend the summer course for anyone who likes being outside, and not confined to a classroom. She took the summer course to give her more flexibility to take courses she was interested in when school resumes in September.

Students Sebastian Altamirano and Liam Ferrell are both heading to Grade 11 in September. They met this summer in the biology class at the Canadian Ecology Centre.

Sebastian says he has difficulty concentrating and going to school online “didn’t work. I was distracted.” This is his first year taking the summer course and he loves going to school in the outdoor setting, where the class moves around a lot. Although there was an adjustment period, he likes the fast pace of the day, and the learning.

This is Liam’s third summer at the Canadian Ecology Centre. He loves that his classes are enriched with nature, are creative and that his two weeks is a unique blend of school and camp.

Located several hours north of his London, ON home, Sebastian likes the environment that he has not seen before. The rocks and forests are different than what he’s used to, and he saw red squirrels and a black bear during his session at the Centre.

Liam likes taking his mandatory course in the summer which allows him to take the electives he wants at his secondary school in Milton.

Sebastian says the teachers at the Centre have helped him to learn about himself. Students complete journals in which they reflect on course material and their day and their experiences. He says he has learned much about himself and

how he manages; his newfound self-awareness will serve him well as he can communicate to his teachers about how he learns best.

Liam says students will love coming to school at the Centre. He describes how lessons come to life when the learning takes place outdoors, and that the education is delivered in ways that can’t be in a typical classroom.

Students interested in pursuing summer credit courses should contact their secondary school guidance counsellors and or visit the Canadian Ecology Centre’s website for more details and upcoming courses.

The post Students From Across Ontario Join NNDSB In Summer appeared first on Muskoka411.