CJRO Radio News - September 14th, 2026

Hello! This is Manuela Dascal and you are listening to the CJRO Radio local news.

The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are warning residents about an ongoing fraud scheme in which suspects are impersonating law enforcement and judicial officials to defraud seniors of significant sums of money.

Members of the public are reminded that police officers and judges do not solicit payments or business services from members of the public. Residents should be cautious of unsolicited offers for home repairs, roofing work, or other contracting services.

Anyone who believes they may have been approached by individuals involved in this scheme, or who has information that could assist investigators, is encouraged to contact police. Victims of fraud are also encouraged to report incidents to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

On September 20th the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum will be celebrating its 50th anniversary with an open house, free admission for the entire day. The museum offers visitors an opportunity to step back in time to experience rural life in a recreated 1920s and 30s village and explore true-to-era homes and workshops, a General Store, a Firehall, meet farm animals and watch skilled interpreters demonstrate their trade, handicraft or even a historic recipe. 

On September 20th  visitors will have the opportunity to see the new Memory Wall featuring photographs of the museum from the last five decades, including images from the museum’s archive and submissions from community members.

The Township of Russell is conducting a Future Use Study to explore potential future uses of the Russell and Embrun Arena, the Camille Piché Community Centre, and the Russell Centennial Pool. These community properties may no longer be needed after the new Recreation Complex opens later this year.

Residents are encouraged to participate in the decision process through a survey and/or by attending an open house. The survey is open to all residents until September 30th. Residents can also learn more about the project and provide feedback in person on Saturday, September 19th, 2026  from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Russell Arena or on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2026 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Camille Piché Community Centre.

Community input will help identify the priorities and needs that residents feel are most important as future options for these facilities are considered.

Russell Township announced that the construction on the east end of the Notre-Dame Street Reconstruction Project is nearing completion, with work currently approaching the Blais Street intersection.

The next phase of construction is scheduled to begin on September 21st. At that time, the east side of Notre-Dame Street will reopen, and work will shift to the west side of the project area (St-Pierre Road to Domaine Street).

Due to the extensive underground infrastructure work required, a full closure of Notre-Dame Street between St-Pierre Street and Domaine Street is planned. This closure is necessary to allow for the replacement of underground services, utility relocations, excavation work, and to maintain a safe environment for workers, residents, businesses, and motorists. During this phase the Domaine Street, Promenade Street, and Olympic Street will be open to local traffic only, any other traffic will be detoured via Route 400 and Route 300 and if needed, Olympic Street may be closed with barricades to prevent drivers from using the subdivision as a shortcut.

Businesses in the area remain open and accessible. The Township encourages residents to continue supporting local businesses during construction. 

The best way to stay informed is to follow Russell Township on social media and view the project page at www.russell.ca/NotreDameSt.

Last week, Councillor Isabelle Skalski announced that her motion to improve accountability for seasonal maintenance across rural Ottawa received unanimous support during the 

Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meeting. 

If approved by Council, under this motion, by April 1 every year, rural councillors will receive a clear plan for the upcoming maintenance seasons, including: the standard for delivering priority work, what equipment and fleet are required - and whether they are available, when is work expected to start and finish, what risks could cause delay and how does the City plan to mitigate those risks.

Councillor Skalski mentioned that if adopted the motion also states that rural ward councillors will receive regular updates and at the end of the season an update on whether the City met its maintenance standards and what needs to change before the next season.

Moreover, Councillor Skalski made an inquiry to the City of Ottawa about the readiness for the doubling of the City’s ditch maintenance budget and in particular how Forestry is preparing to tackle the full-sized trees in the ditch network.

With the start of the school year, team sport clubs are also starting a new season. The Prescott Russell Basketball Club is one of these clubs that is looking forward to a new basketball season. Since 1998, the club has offered basketball programming to girls and boys aged 5-19 in the Prescott Russell area including Embrun, Limoges, Russell, Casselman, St. Albert, Metcalfe, Winchester, Chesterville, Morewood, and Marionville.

The Club is still looking for players for their house and competitive teams. Moreover the club is also running an adult mini league. For anyone interested to sign up, the club is inviting you to check out their website: prbcrockets.ca. You can also listen to an interview with Etienne Thauvette, President of the PRBC Rockets on our segment ”Local First”. 

From September 18th to 20th everyone is invited to take part and discover Autumn in the Country Arts Festival which will showcase more than 25 artists, live painting, open studios, music, workshops, and public art across Russell Township.

Autumn In The Country is organized by volunteers who are passionate about art and is supported by the Russell Agricultural Society, Gout Art Community Altruism, Prescott Russell Arts Council, Russell Township and the Russell Historical Society.

On Saturday, October 3rd, 2026 Festival Mosaïque is coming to Casselman, and it will take place at the Soccer and Baseball Fields. 

The Promotion of Leadership for Community Development invites everyone to a full day of culture, celebration and family fun. You will get to experience a mix of cultures through flavours from around the world, live music, a DJ, multicultural dancing and performances, bouncy castles for the kids, a soccer game, traditional clothing and so much more.

That wraps up our local news. If you have any questions, stories or news to share, contact us at the following email address localnewscjro@gmail.com . I also invite you to visit our website at cjroradio.com  for the latest news.