Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to get you started on this Saturday morning.
Dalron seeks $11M from city for building Maley on its property without OK
Dalron Construction Ltd. is seeking more than $11 million from the City of Greater Sudbury for outstanding compensation for allowing the Maley Drive extension to be built on land owned by the developer. It has already been reported by Sudbury.com that the city built portions of the Maley Drive extension on land owned by Dalron without first acquiring or expropriating the property. In a letter to the city, dated Oct. 13, 2020 and obtained by Sudbury.com, Dalron’s lawyer, Sean Foran, of WeirFoulds LLP, states “rather than taking steps to stop the city’s trespass and construction on its property, Dalron instead worked co-operatively with the city to ensure that its land requirements for the construction of the new road were met.” In the letter, Dalron states the city owes them $11,407,666 for outstanding compensation for “injurious affection” and “disturbance damages.” When asked for an explanation, the city said in an email that it and Dalron entered into an agreement under Section 30 of the Expropriations Act in November 2019, but Dalron is now seeking “additional compensation.”
Outbreak confirmed at Algonquin Daycare: Public Health
Public Health Sudbury & Districts has confirmed an outbreak at Algonquin Daycare after a second person tested positive for COVID-19. This individual is linked to a previously reported positive case in the daycare. Both cases are part of the preschool room at the daycare and all individuals in this cohort are already under self-isolation as a result of the first reported case. In accordance with provincial guidance, an outbreak in a child care setting is declared when two or more laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 are linked and occur within 14 days of each other. Parents and caregivers have been provided notice of the outbreak and have received public health guidance.
City unveils change to winter control policy for major snowstorm events
A change to the Municipal Act gives Tom Davies Square the ability to better manage severe storms, the city said Friday. The amendment allows the city to suspend the standard timelines to meet minimum winter maintenance when it declares an SWE, said Miranda Edwards, a relieving roads operations engineer, during a Dec. 3 virtual press conference. “When we have severe storms, this allows us to suspend timeline expectations (to clear roads and sidewalks,” she said. City crews will be fully deployed to clear the snow, but pushing pause on the standards, the city said, signals to the public that it will take longer than normal to open the roads and so road users should drive with extra caution.
A week away: Sudbury.com’s 12 Days of Kindness countdown is set to begin
The video series, which you can find on our YouTube channel, has more than 70 videos, and we’re set to add 12 more this year. You’ve probably seen our own Heather Green-Oliver in her distinctive blue Sudbury.com jacket and jaunty Santa hat on ads on the website already. You may even have seen Heather in one of the many 12 Days of Kindness videos we’ve done over the years. Kindness is contagious, as we like to say. And we are chomping at the bit to spread more kindness around very soon. Sudbury.com’s 12 Days of Kindness campaign begins Dec. 9.
Click here to check out a sneak-peek video.
Santa is coming to Capreol, and he wants to read your letters live on Sudbury.com
Santa will be making a special trip to the Northern Ontario Railroad Museum and Heritage Centre (NORMHC) to deliver a special message to children in Greater Sudbury. Although the COVID-19 virus is preventing families from meeting Santa in person this year, the pandemic won't stop Ol' Saint Nick from sharing the magic of the season! Sudbury.com and NORMHC have teamed up to deliver a very special message for all the boys and girls from Santa himself. Children will have a chance to hear Santa read their letters live on Sudbury.com.
Click here to learn how you can join in on the fun.
Check out this Hanmer couple’s awesome Christmas display and help the food bank at the same time
Carole and Jeff McColeman just love decorating their Hanmer home for Christmas. Their yard is crowded every year with light displays and decorations, including a full-sized Santa and sleigh pulled by reindeer. The couple also donate to the Edgar Burton Food Drive for the Sudbury Food Bank yearly. With many food drives cancelled or scaled back this year due to the pandemic, the McColemans decided to step up and do their part. They’ve put a bin on their lawn, asking people admiring their light display to make contributions of non-perishable food in support of the Edgar Burton Food Drive. This past weekend, they collected 78 pounds of food. The McColemans plan on continuing to collect food until Christmas. “I thought ‘Why couldn’t we do this? Our decorations on the lawn are really nice,’” said Carole.
Read the full story and get a peek at the display here.
Canadian med journal suggests 'COVID Zero' achievable, but only with strict lockdown
A position paper recently published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) suggests that one good way to resolve the COVID-19 crisis in Canada is to use the Melbourne model. That's the name for the success of the City of Melbourne, Australia, which was in full lockdown for 112 days until early November, and the most recent news report indicates that after 28 days, not one new case of COVID-19 or death has occurred. This followed a second wave scenario where Australia's State of Victoria was experiencing thousands of new cases and hundreds of deaths. The authorities had struggled with what was called circuit breaker approach of trying to manage the pandemic with strict but short-term lockdowns that would bring the number of COVID cases down, only to watch the number rise again as restrictions were called off. The CMAJ essay is suggesting that Canada might consider the COVID Zero approach of eliminating the virus.
Image courtesy of: https://coffeegeek.tv/blog/
