Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to get you started on this Tuesday morning.
GoFundMe campaign launched to help with funeral costs for missing woman
A social media fundraising campaign has begun in memory of the Sudbury woman whose body was discovered in a remote area north of Greater Sudbury late last week. The campaign listed on the GoFundMe.com page is to raise funds to help offset the cost of a funeral for Constance Richards, 26, who had been missing since August 4. Nipissing West detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police confirmed her body was discovered August 19 near Fox Lake Road, near Cartier. The fundraising effort is posted under the names of organizer Meaghan St. Amour and team member Sheila Ross.
French Catholic board announces staggered back-to-school dates for its students
Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon has released its schedule for a staggered start to school next month. Most students will be returning to school gradually from Tuesday, Sept. 8 to Friday, Sept. 11, said the board. This staggered entry will allow school teams to ensure the implementation of enhanced health and safety protocols and new routines. The gradual return schedule of each school will be communicated to parents through the Parents’ Portal by no later than Aug. 28. Online education will begin for all students who have opted for that method of instruction on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Essential Worker of the Day: PSW Christyna Cox
Sudbury.com is recognizing personal support worker Christyna Cox as today's Essential Worker of the Day. Cox works at Extendicare York and was nominated by Kayla Rienguette. "Christyna is a caring, hard-working and exceptional PSW who works on the 6th floor," Rienguette said.
Learn more about Christyna Cox here.
Status for all: Asylum seekers in Sudbury join national call for permanent residency
Asylum seekers in the Sudbury area say the government needs to go further than its recent announcement it will provide a pathway to permanent residency for asylum claimants working in the health-care sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. A small group gathered in Memorial Park Sunday afternoon calling for full and permanent immigration status for all asylum seekers in Canada, no matter the industry in which they work. The local rally was one of several held across the country as part of a national day of action organized by the Migrant Rights Network. The group says that for too long, those without permanent residency status have been unable to get universal services or speak back against bad bosses, and say COVID-19 has exacerbated the crisis.
Ontario confirms 105 new COVID cases today
Public Health Ontario has confirmed 105 new cases of COVID-19 in the province today. The province's public health agency has also reported one new death – an individual between 60 and 79 years old. The new cases today include 43 people between the ages of 20 and 39 years old, and another 31 people between the ages of 40 and 59 years old. According to today's summary, 75 of the 105 new cases were reported by three of the province's 34 health units. Ottawa Public Health reported 24 new cases, Peel Public Health reported 21 new cases, and Toronto Public Health reported 30 new cases. Nineteen health units reported zero new cases. There are three active cases in the North, two in Thunder Bay and one in Greater Sudbury.
Sudburian allegedly assaulted spouse and the officer who responded to call for help
A Sudbury resident is facing multiple charges after the Nipissing West OPP responded to the report of a domestic dispute at a Markstay residence Aug. 16. Police were called to the home at 2:45 a.m. While officers were attempting to make an arrest, police said the accused, a 44-year-old from the Sudbury area, allegedly resisted arrest and assaulted an officer. The accused has been charged with aggravated assault, uttering death threats, resisting a peace officer, assaulting a police officer, break and enter and sexual assault. The accused is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Sudbury Oct. 30.
Multimillion Sudbury-based Metal Earth geoscience project continues
Despite the challenge of COVID-19, the $104 million Metal Earth research project, led by the Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC) in Sudbury, is having a busy 2020 field season. It is fielding six crews with 18 geoscientists working across the Abitibi and Wabigoon subprovinces in Ontario. Metal Earth’s goal is to improve the fundamental science of exploration by helping to distinguish areas with higher metal endowment in Canada’s Superior Craton. This research project was initiated in the summer of 2017 with $104 million in commitments from the Canada FIRST Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), industry and academia.