Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to kick off your work week, here on the last day of August.
Blood Services new Sudbury plasma donor centre a first of its kind in Canada
With Sudbury opening Canada's first plasma-only donor centre this week, Canadian Blood Services (CBS) is counting on the support of the thousands of Sudburians, and northerners in general, to carry on the donor tradition that has been in place over the years. The need for donations is still there, but now the agency is hoping those thousands of blood donors will become plasma donors. CBS explained plasma is a liquid blood component that carries nutrients to all parts of the body and carries waste products out of the body, acting like a cell transportation system. It is also rich in vital proteins used to treat patients undergoing extensive surgery or trauma, and patients with bleeding disorders. "This is actually the first-ever plasma-only centre in Canada. We opened our doors on [Aug. 25]. We are the only one open right now," said Teri-Mai Armstrong, the business development manager for plasma operations in Sudbury. She said two additional centres are expected to open later this year and early in 2021. One centre will be in Lethbridge, Alta., and the other in Kelowna, B.C.
Read the full story on Sudbury.com’s homepage.
Bystanders lowered baby from balcony of burning St. Joseph Street duplex
Bystanders had to lower a baby to safety from the balcony of a burning St. Joseph Street duplex this morning in a fire that left one woman with serious burns over 50 per cent of her body. The cause of the fire is not immediately apparent, Deputy Fire Chief Jesse Oshell told Sudbury.com this morning, so the Ontario Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate. In a fortuitous turn of events, a Greater Sudbury Fire Service crew was returning to the station from a “non-significant” call in the Donovan at 4:30 a.m., Oshell said, when the call came in about the St. Joseph Street fire. The truck was in the area and was able to respond very quickly. And it’s a good thing, too, as people were trapped on the balcony of the burning duplex. Oshell said bystanders were able to lower the baby to safety, but two adults remained trapped. Firefighters quickly extended the ladder of their truck so they could get the two to safety. Unfortunately, one of the adults, believed to be the grandmother of the infant, suffered burns to more than half her body, Oshell said. All three were transported to Health Sciences North. “Fortunately, this type of incident (where people have to be rescued) is rare,” Oshell said. “(But) our crews train almost daily for that, so we’re well-prepared.”
YMCA opens Sept. 8, and subsidized members get free access to Kivi Park
It was nothing but good news last week for the Sudbury branch of the YMCA of Northeastern Ontario. First, the Durham location is set to reopen to the public on Sept. 8. Second, YMCA members with subsidized memberships can now access everything Kivi Park has to offer, at no cost. The free membership to Kivi Park is being made available through the park’s accessibility fund. The two organizations announced the partnership on Aug. 27. They agree the ability to collaborate and partner for the well-being of the community helps everyone. The YMCA had 5,200 members pre-COVID-19, and 25 to 30 per cent are subsidized memberships. Kerry Lamarche, executive director, Kivi Park, said during the course of the pandemic, the need for places like Kivi became far greater. That’s why the partnership with the YMCA is important; it gives people who might not be able to purchase a pass for the park the chance to get out and enjoy its numerous trails.
Read the full story here
Workers Centre event pushes for universal sick days
A small group of Sudburians gathered in Memorial Park today to rally for universal paid sick days for all workers. Organized by the Sudbury Workers Education and Advocacy Centre (SWEAC), the event heard from speakers including Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas, TiCarra Paquet, co-organizer of Black Lives Matter Sudbury, Ray Joncas from CUPE Local 1750 and Marie Lalande with Sudbury Community Legal Clinic. SWEAC is joining workers advocacy groups and others in pushing the message that all workers don't just need but require seven paid sick days as well as 14 days of paid emergency leave to use during public health emergencies. The campaign also calls for an end to the employer requirement for sick notes and to ensure paid emergency leave covers personal sickness, family emergencies and responsibilities, injury or other emergencies.
Northern lodge operators feeling pinch of COVID-19 impact
Pine Portage Lodge has been in Betty McGie’s family for more than 70 years. The fly-in fishing and hunting retreat was started by her father, Dick Watson, on Kabinakagami Lake, south of Hearst, in 1946, and it’s remained family-owned and operated ever since. This year's challenges, presented by COVID-19, have decimated her season. Ninety-five per cent of her clients hail from the U.S. – they’ve all had to cancel because of the border restrictions in place. And McGie estimates the resort’s sister company, Wawa-based Watson’s Skyways, is operating at a 98 per cent loss. With few clients to fly into area lodges, her plane is mostly sitting idle. “It’s a lost season,” said McGie. “Our 74th year is a writeoff, and it’s nothing that we would want to ever see again.” On Aug. 27, McGie joined an online panel of Northern Ontario resort operators, presented by Destination Northern Ontario and marketing firm The New Business, to discuss how the ongoing pandemic is impacting their operations. In short: the news isn’t good. All owners NorthernOntarioBusiness.com spoke to say they’re operating at a loss, missing out on thousands of dollars in annual revenue that keeps their operations humming.
A new home, a new country, a new book: Meet author Kasham Keltuma
The first things one notices about Kasham Keltuma are her radiant smile and dancing eyes. But they mask a heavy heart. Keltuma is a refugee from Nigeria. The mother of two left her family and friends behind to come to Canada to escape what she describes as a corrupt political system. She sought refugee status in Canada and moved to Montreal in November 2019. A friend in Sudbury encouraged her to move to the Nickel City. In the process of uprooting her life, she self-published a novel, “Caucasian Ovtcharka, a story of marriage, betrayal and revenge”. Keltuma is from Jos, Plateau State, a city in the middle of Nigeria. Like Sudbury, Jos is a mining city and is known for columbite and coal. After arriving in Sudbury in February, Keltuma found employment at a call centre. Since mid-March, she has been working from home. Although her experiences are limited because of COVID-19 regulations, she says she likes living in Gatchell. “Sudbury is a good place with affordable housing. Good jobs, good schools,” she said. Canada “is a beautiful place. The people are kind; they are tolerant. The economy is very robust,” she added.
Police trying to track down missing Sudbury woman
The Greater Sudbury Police Service is seeking the public's help in locating Breana Rainville, as there is concern for her well-being. Rainville is described as standing 5-2 tall and weighing 120 lbs, with long blond hair with blue streaks. Police could not provide any clothing descriptors at this time. Anyone with information as to Breana’s whereabouts is asked to contact GSPS at 705-675-9171.
View a photo of Rainville here.
Sexual assault case against well-known hair stylist adjourned to Sept. 30
The sexual assault case against well-known hairstylist Frank Marasco has been adjourned until Sept. 30. Marasco was arrested and charged on Nov. 28, 2019. He was the longtime operator of the salon A Touch of Class on Loach's Road. Marasco has been a stylist since 1967, according to the description the salon supplied to Google.
