Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to get you started on this Tuesday morning.
City lifting fire ban in Greater Sudbury
The City of Greater Sudbury is lifting the fire ban effective at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, June 15. The fire ban was declared June 7 because of extreme temperatures, dry conditions and safety concerns related to preventable wildfires and their spread. Although weather conditions have improved, the fire hazard in Greater Sudbury and area remains high. “While campfires, chiminea fireplaces, crop residue fires, and other types of outdoor burning are permitted, please be safe and cautious around any outdoor fires, and never leave a fire unattended,” said the city in a news release. The city continues to closely monitor the fire hazard status and will inform residents should the fire ban be reinstated.
Blue Door Soup Kitchen founder Kaireen Crichton has passed away at 96\
There are some who would see a problem, one as complex as it is overwhelming, feel as though the problem is larger than they are and simply walk away. And there are others who make sandwiches. Kaireen Crichton made sandwiches, then soups. A volunteer bookkeeper at Christ the King Church shortly before she founded the Blue Door Soup Kitchen in 1982, Crichton found a steady stream of parishioners and community members knocking at the church door, asking for any food that could be spared. Layoffs at local mining companies and a stagnant economy meant that the need was great. And so, she made a sandwich. Then another, then some soup. She asked Father Brian McKee, who was in charge of the Catholic Charities about a used clothing store on Minto Street. He offered her a room at the back of the store, and a soup kitchen was born. Joined later by volunteers who simply saw how great the need was and cooked by her side, Crichton nurtured both body and soul with nutritious food and a welcoming spirit. Sadly, she died June 11, not long after her May 26 birthday. It was her 96th.
Hospital unions join forces against bill to cap their wage increases below inflation
For the first time, Ontario's two largest hospital unions are joining forces to do their collective bargaining with the Ontario Hospital Association. It will be a first for the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) hospital division, the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU/CUPE) and the other union, SEIU Healthcare. Both unions said they have been brought together to fight the Ontario government's Bill 124, which puts a one-per-cent wage cap per year on their collective bargaining agreements. The fight was outlined Monday in a joint online news conference hosted by (OCHU/CUPE) president Michael Hurley and SEIU Healthcare president Sharleen Stewart. "We're taking this unprecedented action of bargaining together," said Stewart. She said Bill 124 was an effort aimed at female-dominated nursing unions and was an attempt "to handcuff women at the bargaining table" and effectively to try to muzzle women before the next election. For its part, the government said the bill, also called the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019, will ensure wage increases for public sector employees reflects the fiscal situation of the province, among other issues related to funding.
Sudbury man faces 11 child pornography-related charges following search warrant
A 39-year-old man faces charges after police found evidence of child sexual abuse material at a home in Greater Sudbury. On June 10, Greater Sudbury Police Service Internet Child Exploitation and computer forensics units, working in collaboration with our Emergency Response and Intelligence Units executed a search warrant at a residence in Greater Sudbury. The man is charged with five counts of accessing child pornography, five counts of possessing child pornography and one count of making available child pornography. He appeared in bail court on June 11 to answer to the charges.
Public Health Sudbury reports two new COVID-19 cases, Ontario reports 447
Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD) has reported two new cases of COVID-19. PHSD also reports 18 active cases being watched locally. There is also one new COVID-19 outbreak reported at a new gold mining camp under development north of Sudbury. The outbreak is at Flying Post Logistics Camp at the IAMGOLD - Cote Lake Mine Project, near Highway 144 just North of the Watershed. It was declared on June 12. Meanwhile, Public Health Ontario has reported 447 new COVID-19 cases in its latest report (June 14). Today's update also includes 670 new recoveries and four deaths.
OPP investigating after 18-year-old dies in single vehicle crash
Manitoulin OPP are investigating a single-vehicle crash that claimed the life of a teen driver on Sunday (June 13). Police report officers were dispatched to a call for service at 1:50 a.m. Manitoulin OPP, Sudbury-Manitoulin Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the Assiginack Fire Department all responded to the crash, which occurred on Highway 6 in Assiginack Township. Preliminary investigation revealed the pickup truck the teen was driving was headed south when it left the roadway and rolled over. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The North East Region Traffic Incident Management and Enforcement Team (TIME), and the Technical Collision Investigators (TCI) are continuing the investigation. Police identified the driver as Aidan Joncas, 18, of Whitefish River.
Self-testing kits available in Sudbury for people who might have HIV and want to know for sure
I'm Ready To Know is a position more and more people are putting themselves in as the campaign continues to end HIV in Canada. In Sudbury, the Réseau ACCESS Network is a pick-up point for test kits for individuals who suspect they have HIV and want to know for certain one way or the other. The campaign is distributing 50,000 free HIV self-testing kits across Canada, said Réseau ACCESS Network. The campaign asks questions of the people who will use the kits, all through an innovative mobile app, to improve HIV testing and care, said the news release. Réseau ACCESS Network is a non-profit, community-based charitable organization in Sudbury, committed to promoting wellness, harm and risk reduction and education. Réseau ACCESS Network supports individuals — and serves the whole community — in a comprehensive / holistic approach to HIV/AIDS, Hep C and related health issues. The I’m Ready campaign also includes support for program participants through I’m Ready, Talk, a secure telehealth service designed to support self-testers with connections to resources and care. Réseau ACCESS said the campaign has the potential to be a game-changer for ending the HIV epidemic in Canada and have significant impacts here locally in the Sudbury/Manitoulin area too.
Mercury isn’t expected to climb about 19 today
Expect Tuesday to be a sunny day with clear skies, if not terribly warm. Today’s high is expected to be around 19 with winds out of the north at 20 km/h. The UV index will be eight, or very high. This evening the skies will stay clear and the wind will lighten. Tonight’s low, just eight degrees.
