Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day.
Teachers plan info pickets, work-to-rule for Nov. 26 as negotiations drag on
The union representing Ontario high school teachers will begin its first provincewide job action in more than 20 years on Nov. 26. Today, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) announced their members will begin information pickets and work-to-rule job action next Tuesday as negotiations with the province enter their eighth month. The union says the job action will not impact students. Pickets will be held before or after school, or during lunch periods “to educate the public about the Ford government’s destructive plans for Ontario’s publicly-funded education system, and the negative effect those plans will have on the learning environment for students all across the province,” an OSSTF news release states.
Teen accused of killing Preston Pellerin makes brief court appearance
A small group of Preston Pellerin's friends gathered outside the Sudbury Courthouse Thursday, holding signs and chanting “Justice for Preston” as his accused killer made a brief appearance via CCTV. Steffin Rees, 18, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in Pellerin's death. He also faces a drug possession charge, according to Greater Sudbury Police. He showed no emotions as he appeared in video remand. He will return Dec. 19.
Read the full story on Sudbury.com.
How a simple case of strep throat turned life upside down for this Sudbury teen's family
For one Greater Sudbury family, a simple case of strep throat back in 2012 has turned into an ongoing ordeal. What is usually simply a sore throat has become, for the Desbarais family, a years-long struggle to get their 17-year-old son the help he needs. Cole Desbarais, the youngest of two sons to Ken and his wife, Brenda, lives with Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal (PANDAS) infections. While the acronym, PANDAS, may make it sound cute, it is anything but, said Ken. PANDAS is both a neurological and psychiatric condition in which the symptoms, including psychological symptoms, are caused by or worsened (if pre-existing) by a streptococcal infection, such as strep throat. Cole's symptoms are so severe, both Ken and Brenda have had to stop working. Their lives have been turned upside down in order to parent their son. Having already exhausted any funding avenues, and going deep into debt in order to help their son get better, they are turning to the community to ask for help. They have set up a GoFundMe account, with the goal of raising $10,500.
Home decor retailer Bouclair to close one store in Sudbury
The Bouclair outlet in the South End of Greater Sudbury is expected to close as the company undergoes a major restructuring, according to court documents release this week. The Montreal-based company is undergoing bankruptcy proceedings under the plan, which will see it bought out by an investment group that includes the current CEO Peter Goldberg. The restructured company, called Alston Investments, plans to continue operating about 60 stores across the country. In a news release, Goldberg said the new company will focus heavily on online sales and international markets.
Online child exploitation is growing so fast local police are adding staff to keep up
Cybercrime is growing fast, Greater Sudbury Police say, and includes everything from those fraudulent emails to horrific child abuse. In a presentation to the police services board Wednesday, Det.-Sgt. Blair Ramsay said the number of online child abuse images known to police worldwide has grown from one million in 2008 to 45 million last year. And there are one million visits to the Darknet to child abuse forums every day. The ICE unit monitors peer-to-peer networks and monitors online postings aimed at luring children, and follows up on information from local, national and international investigations. The unit played a key role in 15 arrests involving 109 charges in 2017; 27 arrests and 149 charges in 2018; and 24 arrests and 149 charges so far this year. Each case takes up four to five months of staff time.
Sudbury firm Teranorth fined $125K over 2017 death of worker
The Ontario Ministry of Labour has fined Sudbury-based Teranorth Construction and Engineering $125,000 in connection with a workplace fatality in October 2017 near Elliot Lake. In a news release Wednesday, the MoL said the death took place Oct. 13 that year, when the driver of a water truck that was rolling downhill jumped from the vehicle and died from injuries sustained in the fall. The company pleaded guilty Nov. 18, and Justice of the Peace Joseph A. Guitard imposed the fine. Crown Counsel was Wes Wilson. The court also imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
Lancers boys competing in sixth straight OFSAA
There's been six straight OFSAA appearances for the Lasalle Lancers senior boys volleyball team, but each and every year, with a slightly different team. While the Lo-Ellen Park Knights pushed the Lancers to four sets in the city final, the long-time powerhouse went the minimum in claiming a NOSSA banner in North Bay. Despite not getting the chance to participate in as many high-end out-of-town tournaments as Lasalle sometimes does, this particular group has shown steady improvement, regardless. "Our passing has gotten a lot better by playing Lo-Ellen and Horizon, just because they have really tough serves," said 18-year-old veteran Kurtis Terris, who makes his third trek to provincials this week, travelling to Stratford for the 2019 OFSAA "AA" Boys Volleyball Championship, Nov. 21-23.
Third-period surge from Ottawa too much for Wolves
In a rare Wednesday afternoon game, a third-period surge by the Ottawa 67s was too much to handle for the Sudbury Wolves on Nov. 21, as The Pack found themselves on the losing end of a 6-3 final score. Leading for much of the game, in the third period, it seems the Wolves fell apart, with Ottawa scoring four unanswered goals. By the end of the game, the Wolves had 25 shots on goal, while Ottawa has amassed 37 shots on goal. The Wolves are back in action Friday night as they pay a visit to the Kingston Frontenacs. The puck drops at 7 p.m.
Read the full story on Sudbury.com.
