​Vote for special meeting on credit card spending defeated in 5-5 tie​

A motion to hold a special meeting about Mayor Peter Chirico’s $16,000 in questionable city credit card expenses was defeated in a 5–5 tie at North Bay city council, effectively blocking the meeting. Councillors Sara Inch and Jamie Lowery voiced strong support for the meeting, citing concerns over accountability and transparency.

Only five councillors responded to media inquiries about their votes, while others, including Deputy Mayor Maggie Horsfield and Councillor Mark King, did not comment. Some councillors supported waiting for the results of an ongoing investigation by the city’s integrity commissioner before taking further steps. Others cited scheduling conflicts but expressed a willingness to attend a special meeting.

The controversy stems from Mayor Chirico’s city credit card spending, which included purchases like cigarettes, alcohol, and an Amazon Prime subscription.

​Late night car crash closes Mattawa’s St. Alban’s church hall​

Around 2 a.m. on Friday, a vehicle driven by a 79-year-old local man crashed through the St. Alban the Martyr Anglican Church hall in Mattawa after veering off a nearby roundabout. The driver was taken to Mattawa Hospital and later confirmed to have no serious injuries, but has been charged. The crash damaged only the church hall—located adjacent to the main brick structure—which is now closed until further notice. The hole left by the vehicle has been temporarily boarded up near the hall’s accessibility ramp.

The church expressed gratitude for the quick and professional response by emergency services, including fire departments, paramedics, mechanics, tow truck drivers, and the OPP. No injuries occurred inside the church, and the historic section of the building was untouched. The vehicle was removed by Friday evening, but no reopening date for the hall has been set as of yet at the time of this article's publishing.

​Northern Ontario leaders push for safer 2+1 highways​

The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) is urging federal and provincial governments to invest in critical upgrades to Highways 11 and 17. Their proposed solution is a two-phase expansion of the 2+1 highway model, which features alternating passing lanes and a median barrier to improve safety and traffic flow. Phase 1 would target Highways 11 (North Bay to Cochrane) and 17 (Renfrew to Sudbury), while Phase 2 would extend to northwestern Ontario, including Thunder Bay to Kenora and Sault Ste. Marie to Sudbury.

FONOM highlights the national importance of these highways as trade corridors and calls the improvements essential to both economic growth and road safety. A pilot 2+1 project is already set for the North Bay area. Advocates point to the success of similar roads in Europe and stress the model’s potential to reduce deadly collisions.

​Let the Communities in Bloom judging begin​

Clean, Green, Beautiful (CGB) North Bay is prepping the city for a visit this week from national Communities in Bloom judges Tina Liu (Ottawa) and Karen Stephenson (Acton). From July 22–24, they’ll evaluate North Bay in six categories: Community Appearance, Environmental Action, Heritage Conservation, Tree Management, Landscape, and Plant & Floral Displays.

Maggie Horsfield, committee co-chair, says any last-minute project residents want to undertake to tidy up their space would be welcome.

“Mow your lawn, weed your walkway or weed the curb if you want,” she says.

Last year North Bay earned a perfect five Blooms and won an Outstanding Achievement award.

North Bay Echo
840 McIntyre Street West, North Bay, ON P1B 3A3

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