Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to get you started on this Thanksgiving Monday.
Police trying to locate woman not seen since Oct. 2
Greater Sudbury Police are trying to locate a woman who has not been seen since Oct. 2. Misty Assinewai was last seen in the area of King Street in the city’s Flour Mill neighborhood. Police would like to check on her well-being. The 34-year-old Indigenous woman is described as standing 5-9 and weighing 130 pounds with black and blond hair and brown eyes. A photo was not provided. Anyone with information is asked to contact GSPS at 705-675-9171 or Crime Stoppers at 705- 222-TIPS, or online at SudburyCrimeStoppers.com.
Still weighing options on cancelling Halloween, mayor says
In his Thanksgiving message to the community, Mayor Brian Bigger says he continues to weigh his options when it comes whether or not Halloween will be cancelled in Greater Sudbury. The mayor said he continues to consult with Police Chief Paul Pederson and Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, the medical officer of health for the region, “about the safest scenarios for our children and our community for the 31st,” while encouraging parents to consider alternatives to trick-or-treating. “Other communities have already cancelled trick or treating and we're waiting for direction and guidance from the province,” Bigger writes. “It might be best to now start considering some creative options for your kids that can still make the day fun.” The mayor also highlighted the city’s low case count of COVID-19, crediting public adoption of masks and handwashing for keeping the virus in check. At the same time, Bigger took a swipe at Washington, D.C. and President Donald Trump, referencing the COVID-19 outbreak at the White House that potentially infected thousands of people.
Read the full story on the Sudbury.com homepage.
Four full school bus routes and six partial ones cancelled next week
Four more school bus routes have been cancelled and six have been partially cancelled for next week as ongoing staffing issues with school buses continues. Leuschen Transportation continues to have challenges recruiting drivers as many of its drivers have decided not to get behind the wheel during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sudbury Student Services Consortium said this week. The full and partial cancellations have left dozens of families scrambling to find alternative means of getting their children to school. Completely cancelled are routes L011, L128, L860 and L871, while partially cancelled are routes L114, L115, L118, L125, L812 and L815.
City’s jobless rate dips slightly, down to 8.5%
Greater Sudbury’s unemployment rate for September edged downward to 8.5 per cent, dropping one-tenth of a percentage from August, Statistics Canada said in its monthly Labour Force Survey. There were 78,700 Sudburians employed in September, while 7,300 Sudburians reported they were unemployed. Canada’s unemployment rate declined for the fourth consecutive month in September, falling 1.2 percentage points to nine per cent. As a result of the COVID-19 economic shutdown, the unemployment rate more than doubled from 5.6 per cent in February to a record high 13.7 per cent in May. By way of comparison, during the 2008/2009 recession, the unemployment rate rose from 6.2 per cent in October 2008 to peak at 8.7 per cent in June 2009. It then took approximately nine years to return to its pre-recession rate. Employment in the country rose by 378,000 in September, bringing employment to within 720,000 of its pre-COVID February level.
Officers nab two stunt drivers in New Sudbury on the same day
Greater Sudbury Police are warning drivers to slow down after charging two more speedsters with stunt driving. On Oct. 7, officers simultaneously stopped two vehicles that were speeding. The first was driving 77 km/h over the speed limit on Falconbridge Road. The officer took a breath sample, and the drive blew in the warning range, said police. The second driver was travelling 58 km/h over the speed limit on Maley Drive. Both drivers had their licences seized and their vehicle impounded.
Suspicious fire drives Sudbury family from Pickle Lake home
A Sudbury family that recently moved farther north to pursue a job opportunity is looking for help after losing everything in a suspicious fire that destroyed their home, their van and most of their belongings. Jeseanne Lacasse awoke in the middle of the night on Sept. 13 to breastfeed her seven-month-old daughter. When she looked outside her new Pickle Lake home, she noticed the van parked in the driveway had caught fire. “It was really scary,” she said. “I just grabbed my daughters and ran out of the house.” The family of four made it out of the house unscathed, but the fire spread from the van to their residence, causing extensive smoke damage and leaving little of their belongings salvageable. Lacasse and her boyfriend Matthew Pilon, along with their infant and eight-year-old daughter, are now staying in a motel while they wait for news about housing options. Pilon’s sister Megan Dupuis, who lives in Sudbury, set up a GoFundMe page to help the family raise money to purchase essential items and get back on their feet. The fundraiser has so far reached about a quarter of its $10,000 goal.
Mild day with a good chance of showers this afternoon
The forecast promises a pretty decent start to the week. Monday will start out clear, with increasing cloudiness as the day progresses. Things will get a bit windy, too, this morning, blowing from the southeast at about 20 km/h. There is a 60-per-cent chance of showers this afternoon. Showers are forecasted to continue through the evening. Tonight’s low is 7.
