Good morning, Greater Sudbury. Here are a few stories to get you started on this Thursday morning.
'Greed': Southern Ont. doctor jailed for role in Sudbury drug ring
A Southern Ontario physician has been handed a 12-year jail sentence for trafficking fentanyl patches that ended up being sold on the streets of Greater Sudbury. In a decision released last month, the Superior Court of Justice said Dr. George Otto, 61, had an “unblemished” record as a medical doctor, yet was deeply involved in selling illegal drugs that cause much harm. The case dates back to 2015, when Greater Sudbury Police were investigating suspected drug trafficker Sean Holmes, who they believed was selling fentanyl along with other suspects. They noticed he travelled to Vaughan frequently, where he met up with a man named Liridon Imerovik. Police determined Imerovik was supplying Holmes with fentanyl patches. They traced the patches back to a pharmacy, which led them to the doctor writing the prescriptions for the fentanyl: Otto. It emerged the owner of the pharmacy, Shereen El-Azarak, was paying Otto and two other doctors to write the phony prescriptions. People were lined up to be fake patients, who were paid up to $500 to participate, while Otto received as much as $1,500 for each fake prescription he wrote.
CN strikers: 'It's not about pay, it's about improving our quality of life'
Better and safer working conditions are top of mind for the 94 local Canadian National (CN) Railway employees who hit the picket lines in Capreol Tuesday as part of a nation-wide strike involving 3,200 workers. "We want to ensure that every one of our brothers and sisters go home safely," said Carter McDavid, Teamsters Canada Rail Conference chairman of Division 728, which represents the local CN workers. "We also want to be able to have a life apart from working at CN Rail, and those are the types of things they're trying to take from us." CN Rail was given a 72-hour-notice of the strike Saturday, following seven months of failed negotiations with TCRC.
Laurentian has 553 international students this year, and they're being celebrated this week
It was Snolab researcher Arthur McDonald's 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics win that first introduced Barshen Sheh to Sudbury and Laurentian University. The young man, who is from the Gujarat state of India, is now one of 553 international students from 65 countries studying at the university (that's out of 10,000 Laurentian students in total). Sheh was one of the students who took part in the launch of International Education Week at Laurentian University Nov. 18. The launch included speeches from Mayor Brian Bigger and Laurentian president Robert Haché, as well as performances by several international student groups. Students from different countries will be showcasing their culture at booths set up in the Parker Building all week.
Health unit warning: Holiday season is approaching, and so is Norovirus season
Being in school, going shopping, hosting family functions, and attending events are great ways to spend our time during the season, but these are also great ways to spread germs, said a press release from Public Health Sudbury & Districts. At this time of year, there are often more reports of norovirus in our community. Norovirus is highly contagious and everyone is susceptible to it. Symptoms of a norovirus infection have a sudden onset and can include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, body aches, and sometimes fever. People typically become ill 24 to 48 hours after exposure to the virus, and symptoms usually last for one to two days. People who are infected can continue to spread the virus for up to several days after the symptoms stop.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveils new Liberal cabinet
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has unveiled a larger cabinet that aims to advance Liberal campaign promises to tackle climate change and promote middle-class prosperity, while attempting to soothe regional tensions exacerbated by last month's election outcome. The pivotal role in his new cabinet for a minority-government era goes to Chrystia Freeland, who moves from the prestigious Global Affairs portfolio to become deputy prime minister and minister in charge of intergovernmental affairs. Freeland, whom Trudeau tapped to deal with mercurial U.S. President Donald Trump during the tense renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, will now be in charge of dealing with hostile conservative premiers across the country. That will be particularly important in Canada's oil and gas heartland, Alberta and Saskatchewan, where the Liberals were shut out on Oct. 21.
Sudbury police seek nearly 5% budget hike
The increasingly complexity of modern policing is driving up costs, city councillors were told Tuesday, as Greater Sudbury Police Chief Paul Pedersen presented the force's 2020 proposed spending plans. The $62.95 million budget represents and increase of 4.95 per cent compared to 2019, and includes plans to add eight staff to help police cope in a couple of key areas. While a growing recognition of PTSD and other mental-health stresses among emergency responders is a positive thing, Pedersen said it affects the number of officers available for duty. On average, 37 officers were unable to work on any given day in 2018, and that rose to 42 in 2019.
Find the full story on the Sudbury.com homepage.
Sudbury marks Trans Remembrance Day
High school should never be a place where death threats, assault and ridicule are common place. But for Biara Gould, it was a regular occurrence. Notes with death threats were put in her locker, she was tripped down flights of stairs, even assaulted in the locker room — all because she started to transition from male to female. Gould shared her story on Nov. 20, which marked the Trans Day of Remembrance. A ceremony was held at Tom Davies Square with a proclamation and flag-raising.
Read the full story on the Sudbury.com homepage.
Nominate someone for our 12 Days of Kindness!
Christmas is just around the corner and that means it's time for the return of Sudbury.com's 12 Days of Kindness! We want to make Christmas brighter for deserving Sudburians by lending a hand, lightening a burden or making a special Christmas wish come true — but we can't do it without you, Greater Sudbury. If you know someone who could use a pat on the back, a hand up or a simple smile, we want to hear about them.
Click here to nominate someone to be a 12 Days of Kindness recipient.
