Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to get you started on this Tuesday morning.
Nickel City drops from No. 8 to No. 19 on list of province’s rattiest cities
Greater Sudbury’s rat problem seemed to ease up enough to drop the city from eighth spot down to 19th on Orkin Canada’s list of Ontario’s top 25 rattiest cities. The Nickel City is ranked No. 19 on the list, ranked by the number of rodent (rat and mice) treatments Orkin performed from Aug. 1, 2020 through July 31, 2021 and includes both residential and commercial treatments. Sudbury’s change in ranking is one of several notable changes over the past year, said Orkin Canada in a news release. Ottawa moved to No. 4 number four (from 12), while Kitchener, which didn’t make it on last year’s list, ranked last. “Multiple lockdowns this past year have meant more people are cooking and eating at home,” said Orkin in the release. A recent survey found that Canadians produced 13.5-per-cent more food waste during the lockdown than non-lockdown times. Food abundance means potential increases in rodent populations, which is why people may be seeing more rats and mice in residential neighbourhoods. Toronto topped the list of rattiest cities in Ontario.
145 inmates transferred out of Sudbury Jail after outbreak declared
The Ministry of the Solicitor General said it is working closely with the Public Health Sudbury and Districts to respond to the outbreak of inmate COVID-19 cases at Sudbury Jail. Each provincial correctional facility has its own pandemic plan in place prepared in consultation with local public health partners. “In consultation with the Public Health Sudbury and Districts, and to ensure the safety and well-being of both correctional services staff and those in provincial custody, the ministry has decided to temporarily close the Sudbury Jail for a minimum of 14 days,” said ministry spokesperson Andrew Morrison. Some 145 inmates from Sudbury Jail will be transferred to other facilities that have capacity and ability to isolate these inmates under droplet precautions separately from the general population. Staff assigned to transfer inmates are following appropriate infection control protocols to prevent the risk of any further spread of infection. “This temporary closure will allow facility staff to self-isolate and reduce the risk of transmission within the community,” said the ministry.
Wolves’ record drops to 2-4 after loss to 67s
The Sudbury Wolves dropped another on the road on Sunday, losing 7-4 to the Ottawa 67s. The team described the game as an intense and back-and-forth affair. Despite hanging tough, the loss moves the Wolves to 2-4-0 on the season. Chase Stillman notched two goals in the game, while rookie Payton Robinson picked up his first OHL goal. Between the pipes, Mitchell Weeks stopped 45 of 51 Ottawa shots, and even picked up an assist. The Pack conclude their early season six-game road swing in the Sault on Oct. 20, taking on the Greyhounds for their second meeting this season.
Wealth of demands complicate City of Greater Sudbury budget preparations
Maintaining a tax levy increase as low as Greater Sudbury city council wants for 2022 will take some doing, according to a report by City Budgets Co-ordinator Liisa Lenz. In June, the city’s finance and administration committee requested that city staff prepare a draft budget that includes a tax levy increase no greater than three per cent. The draft budget currently sits at 3.4 per cent, Lenz notes in a report included in the agenda for the Oct. 19 finance and administration committee meeting. “Staff will reduce the net budget by approximately $1.1 million to meet the guideline prior to its publication in November,” she wrote. “There are significant budget pressures such as increased salary and benefits, energy costs, insurance and contractual obligations as well as approved changes in social services.”
All vaccinated Ontarians can now download enhanced, scannable certificates
All Ontarians vaccinated against COVID-19 can now download their enhanced certificates, which include a QR code. The provincial government has said the scannable documents will allow for faster entry into settings that require proof of vaccination. The enhanced system officially takes effect on Friday, but Ontarians can get their new vaccine certificates before then, and businesses can start using a new app to verify those codes. Residents whose birthdays fall between January and April were able to download the enhanced vaccination certificate through the province's COVID-19 website on Friday, and further cohorts got access over the weekend. Under Ontario's vaccine certificate program, only those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 — or have a valid medical exemption from a doctor — can access certain settings. They include theatres, gyms, nightclubs and restaurant dining rooms.
Sudbury health unit data shows the region has the highest number of active cases in Northern Ontario
For more than a month now, Public Health Sudbury and Districts has been leading all the other Northern Ontario health jurisdictions with the highest daily number of active COVID-19 cases. The most recent case counts, confirmed on Friday October 15, shows that PHSD was monitoring 65 active cases within its jurisdiction, highest in the North. The data also shows that to date since the pandemic began, PHSD has had a cumulative total of 2,542 cases. The active number was 75 last Wednesday. The highest number of cumulative COVID-19 cases across the North is in the Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU), which has had 3,397 confirmed cases since March 2020. But since Friday, THDHU has had only two active cases. The next highest number of cumulative cases is the Porcupine Health Unit (PHU), which includes such communities at Timmins, Kapuskasing and Cochrane. Since the pandemic began, PHU has reported 2,215 COVID-19 cases. Of that number, as of Friday, only four cases are active.
There’s a lovely, sunny fall day in store
Well it looks like a gorgeous fall day in store for the region. Expect a high of 19 today under bright, sunny skies. The wind will be from the southwest in the morning at 20 km/h. The UV index today is three, or moderate. Tonight, the skies will stay clear and the temperature will dip to six.
