On a Tuesday evening of July 14, 2026, nearly 200 active wildfires were reported in Northern Ontario, the majority happening in Northwestern Ontario. Many First Nations communities have had to flee their communities due to the severity of the fires, with the residents of Collins First Nation having to leave by boat.

Year to date, 453 wildland fires have been reported inside Ontario’s fire region, compared to 349 in 2025. The 10-year average is 312 fires. When it comes to wildfires, the severity of fires in recent years have been blanketing large parts of the continent in smoke, meaning that destruction from the fire itself is not the only health concern.

Wildfire smoke affects the quality of our shared air, intense smoke makes using public outdoor spaces very difficult, or extremely dangerous. Sault Ste. Marie has recently had to shutter outdoor activities due to the Environment Canada Local Air Quality Health Index saying that smoke was causing the index to reach a maximum of 10+ across much of North Ontario, including the Soo.

The risk of not only fires, but the long-term public health consequences from breathing in yearly wildfire smoke means that community members need to be thinking of ways to ensure the safety of themselves and others in cases of emergencies related to not only wildfires, but smoke, and the extreme heat which preceeds them. Some things you might want to ask yourself includes:

• What are my evacuation plans?

• What do I do in event of power outages and a fire ban?

• How do I prevent smoke from entering my lungs both inside and outside?

• Where would my nearest emergency refuge station be? Is there one?

• Do I have a portable 72-hour emergency kit?

• Who will I contact in event of emergency?

• Does our household have an emergency meeting point?

• Does every member of the household (pets too!) have supplies for an emergency?
  
  If you want to begin preparations for you or your household in the event of an emergency, here are some online resources you can utilize to get the job done.
  
  [Emergency kit checklist - Government of Canada]

[Make an Emergency Plan - Canadian Red Cross]

[Wildfire smoke and your health - Government of Canada]

[How to protect your lungs from wildfire smoke - Canadian Lung Association]

On Saturday, February 7 at 6pm, the DEWCAN held a celebratory volunteer appreciation dinner for all of the people who held keep the DEWCAN going throughout the 2025, especially but not limited to the Dec 6 1st Annual Tree Lighting Social.

Our executive team worked hard to put together this wonderful event to show gratitude and support to the people who work hard to support our organization and the community at large. This was an opportunity for people to get together, be social and discuss thanks and ideas for the organization going into the 2026 year.

The dinner was attended by over 20 people who volunteered in diverse and meaningful ways to build the DEWCAN to where it is today, from it's post-COVID hiatus in August of 2022.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone and we look forward to raising the bar even higher in 2026 as we smash records and foster an even more connected sense of community. Why do we all work so hard for the community?

Because we DEW, we CAN, we are. Looking forward to 2026, great job everyone!

The Very Merry Elm West Christmas event, hosted on Saturday, December 13 from 6-8pm, was a wonderful celebration. Attended by many community members, the event offered horse drawn wagon rides, Christmas crafts, and a bon fire to warm up around, with marshmallows of course! 

Guests were encouraged to write their name on a ribbon and add it to the Christmas tree prior to the tree lighting ceremony. Event attendance was approximated between 80-100 people, a great success and is a showcase of the value that playground events provide to their nearby neighbourhoods.

The community gathered around the tree and lit small candles passing the flame to one another, creating a nostalgic feel leading up to the tree being lit for the first time. If things got too chilly outside, people could warm up inside with a nice hot chocolate and cookies, while enjoying the sound of Christmas carols. 

The evening was topped off by a visit from Santa, who warmed the hearts of the children in attendance.  A heart filled thank you to the volunteers from Elm West Playground Association for putting on a delightful event.

On Saturday December 6, the DEWCAN put on it's first ever Christmas event, a Tree Lighting Social to bring together members of the community, showcase the power of the DEWCAN, and highlight the improvements that have been made to Antwerp Playground since the organization came back from it's COVID hiatus.

Surrounded by faces of all ages and backgrounds, approximately around 175 people attended our first ever Christmas event. Families, friends and couples kept warm roasting marshmallows by the fire in our rink. They came together to make art & crafts, get their faces painted, slide down the nearby hill and enjoy some delicious homemade hot chocolate or hot apple cider made by our kitchen volunteers.

Beyond the decorations and holiday shopping, moments like these represent the beauty of a community, one that helps to bring people together during times of little light and immense cold, and cold it was, reaching up to -17c with the wind chill! (Brrrr.)

We could not have put on this event without the help of our dedicated community volunteers, the Healthy Communities Initiative grant, the staff of the City of Greater Sudbury, the nearby elementary schools of Lansdowne & St. David's, as well as people from the Elm West Playground Association.

Most of all, we could not have done it without the attendance and participation of everyone in our community who came to the event, helping to put a smile on our faces and joy in our hearts. Your participation gives motivation for us to keep going, and your smiles help our heart grow three times in size.

May the season bless you all with prosperity, generosity and festivity. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all the folks of the Donovan - Elm West.