
Fraud and scam awareness session by OPP at Barry’s Bay Legion May 14
The Upper Ottawa Valley (UOV) Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), in partnership with the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 406 in Barry's Bay, is hosting a presentation plus a ...

Proposal for Killaloe Rave festival withdrawn after public outcry
The controversial proposal for an annual Rave Festival off Mountain View Road seven km west of Killaloe in Renfrew County has been withdrawn. Above: grounds of the Killaloe Craft and ...

Tribute to Mark Willmer
Editor's note: Below is the text of our latest e-newsletter to all subscribers in which we express The Current’s tribute to the late Mark Willmer. To provide context and avoid ...

Several acres of grassland consumed by flames opposite propane facility
While the lower Ottawa River Basin is reaching its peak recently with a risk of low level flooding in Ottawa and Gatineau, the fire risk in the Madawaska Valley was ...

Emergency Room redevelopment underway at St. Francis Memorial Hospital
The redevelopment project for the St. Francis Memorial Hospital Emergency Department and Ambulatory Care has begun. Above: Ground-breaking ceremony for SFMH Emergency redevelopment project. “Our government is protecting Ontario’s health ...

Madawaska Valley Council appoints David Shulist as Mayor
At today's Council in Committee meeting, members of Council for Madawaska Valley filled the vacancy left by the death of Mayor Mark Willmer last month by voting to appoint Councillor ...

Will Council use the precedent set by Peplinski’s recent appointment to appoint Roger Prince as Mayor?
The untimely death of Mayor Mark Willmer on April 18th left a gap on Council – a gap which the remaining four members of Council will decide how to fill ...

Madawaska Valley Council vacancies
At a Special Council meeting of Madawaska Valley on April 28th, Ernie Peplinski was officially appointed as a Councillor to fill the vacant seat left by former Councillor Joseph Olsheski ...

Get a smile, give a smile for local healthcare
Smile Cookie Week is back and better than ever! From now until Sunday, May 4, 2025, you can purchase a Smile Cookie at the Barry’s Bay Tim Hortons. 100 percent ...

Women’s Ordination Worldwide urge next pontiff to continue reforms begun by Pope Francis
Editor's Note: We thank occasional contributor John Madigan for forwarding this media release to The Current, after having noted how few women were involved in Pope Francis' funeral. Women’s Ordination ...

Local measles case confirmed by RCDHU
One measles case has been confirmed in Renfrew County and District (RCD). The individual with measles is an unvaccinated adult who traveled within the province. They are currently in isolation ...

MVACL brings Jays Challenger Baseball to the Valley
May is Community Living Month for Madawaska Valley Association for Community Living, and it usually wraps up with an exciting Baseball Day – in 2025 this will be held on ...

Algonquin-Renfrew-Pembroke confirmed list of candidates
At the close of the nomination period on April 9th, Elections Canada published the official list of candidates running in Algonquin-Renfrew-Pembroke in this month's federal election. The following seven candidates ...

Mayor Mark Willmer has passed away
The Township of Madawaska Valley announced today that Mayor Mark Willmer has died. The official notice from the municipality reads as follows: It is with profound sadness that the Township ...

Randy Briand stands as United Party candidate in Algonquin-Renfrew-Pembroke
Randy Briand has entered the federal election race as a candidate for the United Party of Canada in the riding of Algonquin-Renfrew-Pembroke. This is the first time the retired teacher ...

Catch the Ace returns to the Valley
Do you want to have a chance to win big while helping local healthcare organizations? St. Francis Valley Healthcare (SFVH) Foundation’s Catch the Ace is back! The popular lottery will ...

Police warn seniors of fake gold buying scam
The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are warning the public about a new scam where criminals are tricking elderly people into buying and shipping large amounts ...

Ford appoints MPP Denault as Parliamentary Assistant to Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming
"I am humbled and honoured to have been appointed as the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. I look forward to assisting Minister Stan Cho in ...

Cyndi Mills to attend A-R-P All Candidates meetings
Liberal candidate Cyndi Mills will be participating in three All-Candidates meetings. An important part of democracy, voters of Algonquin-Renfrew-Pembroke will have an opportunity to directly hear from the candidates that ...

Stone Fence Theatre spring tour for Miss Pringle’s Mini-Skirt
Contrasting the Swingin’ Sixties with the last days of one-room schoolhouses In April, Stone Fence Theatre hits the road with a five-community tour of its 2024 hit, Miss Pringle’s Mini-Skirt, ...

National Catholic Reporter criticizes John-Henry Westen and others for attending Mar-a-Lago prayer fest
OPINION Barry’s Bay resident and Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ultra-right conservative media blog LifeSite News, John Henry Westen, recently made a black tie pilgrimage to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate for ...

OPP Bulletins at April 9 2025
Police investigate mischief in Killaloe The Upper Ottawa Valley (UOV) Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is investigating a criminal act of mischief in the Town of Killaloe. On ...

The Last Week
A book review by John Madigan In The Last Week, Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, two leading scholars of the historical Jesus, present a daring and enlightening reinterpretation of ...

MV Council draws next Councillor’s name out of hat
OPINION At the April 1st MV Council meeting, to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Councillor Joseph Olsheski, a name was drawn from a hat – former Councillor ...

Hospital Auxiliary raises $25k for SFMH Emergency Department Redevelopment
Submitted by St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation The St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation would like to recognize the incredible efforts of the St. Francis Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, who contributed $25,000 ...