Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Tuesday morning.
Pay cheques for Nickel City’s non-union staff actually trail behind comparable municipalities
In the midst of this year’s tough budget talks, compensation levels have been afforded some air time in virtual council chambers. While city council plans on setting the stage for a mayor and council compensation review in January, non-union staff members’ salaries remain on track in accordance with policies set in motion several years ago. “Council has been shown that our staff levels of compensation are actually below average for municipalities in Ontario – below average, not in excess,” Ward 7 Coun. Mike Jakubo said. Jakubo also serves as chair of the city’s finance and administration committee. “Certainly there can be an opinion in the public that staff salaries are inflated, but the facts speak differently.” At the time, Jakubo cited an unnamed report that affirmed as much. This week, city general manager of corporate services Kevin Fowke clarified that Jakubo had referenced a slide that was presented in a report by city CAO Ed Archer in a closed session. The slide in question showed that 10 of the city’s 13 non-union pay groups were below the 50th percentile among a list of municipal comparators. This indicates they earn less than the median. Lower pay groups such as administrative and co-ordinators are “significantly below” the 50th percentile line, supervisors/managers are closer to the median and directors are on the low end.
Mayor orders the unblocking of Lake Wanapitei access
Mayor Brian Bigger has requested city staff remove boulders they placed along Poupore Road West, which were intended to block access to Lake Wanapitei. A civic petition earlier this summer requested that the city block access to the lake at this location. “There was a staff response to this, and they actually placed boulders at this launch that’s been used for the last 80 years,” Bigger said. “People are looking outside and thinking in a couple months or so they’ll be looking to put ice huts out there and there are boulders blocking access to the lake.” The concern among area residents had to do with parking in the area, he said, adding that this was in spite of “no parking” signs being installed in 2011. Another civic petition is expected to be presented to city council pushing for the boulders’ removal and for the city to conduct public consultation into the matter. Rather than wait for the next city council meeting in January to deal with this, Bigger said it was best to remove the boulders now.
Ontario's nursing shortages 'critical' as Omicron ramps up: nurses’ association
The implementation of Bill 124, people refusing vaccination, the anticipated problems that will come with Omicron and nurses getting sick with the virus themselves has created a perfect storm for nurses to leave their profession in Ontario. That’s what Dr. Doris Grinspun, CEO of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), told The Sam Laprade Show on Friday, December 17, as she discussed the “critical” nursing shortage in Ontario hospital rooms as Omicron drives cases up. “It is very serious when it comes to Omicron,” she said. “The virus is exponentially multiplying every two to two-and-a-half days. Come Christmas Day, come New Years, we’ll see a tremendous increase in cases up to 10,000 or close to a day. That means many of them will get to the ICUs, to the hospitals, and that’s where the crunch happens.” The shortage, Grinspun said, mostly has to do with registered nurses (RN). In fact, she added, Ontario has the lowest RN population in Canada. “They’re exhausted,” she said. “They don’t feel recognized or valued by the government.”
Ontario residents 18+ can now book COVID-19 booster
Patience is the name of the game if you are trying to book your COVID-19 vaccine booster this week. As of today, Ontario residents 18 and older can book their booster through the provincial portal, as along as it’s been at least 84 days (three months) since receiving the second shot. If you plan on booking your appointment through the oline portal, be prepared to wait. The volume of people trying to book is high and wait times of at least an hour are not unusual. Those who have booked report receiving appointment dates of a month away. Those who have attended a local vaccine clinic offered by Public Health Sudbury & Districts are also reporting fairly long lines. The province announced Wednesday that it was expanding eligibility in an effort to bolster defences against the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
Judge OKs court officers to oversee disputed claims against Laurentian University
A judge has granted Laurentian University’s latest requests of the courts, which include appointing several court officers and the lifting of a $500,000 cap on fees for independent counsel representing the board of governors. Laurentian president Robert Haché said in a Dec. 13 affidavit that board counsel has reached the amount of its fee cap. The university, which declared insolvency in February, continues to undergo court-supervised restructuring under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). Its latest requests of the court include appointing three people as claims officers to determine disputed claims against Laurentian and removing the cap on professional fees for independent counsel for LU’s board of governors, which is currently set at $500,000. Laurentian counsel DJ Miller said at Monday’s hearing that approximately 1,500 claims have been filed at LU by its creditors, “in the aggregate amount of in excess of $360 million.” “Many of those are expected to simply proceed in the ordinary course efficiently and will not require the involvement of a claims officer,” said Miller, but added that there are others that are complex or disputed, and require intervention.
Read the full story on the Sudbury.com homepage.
Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe named to two standing committees
A few months into her first term in Parliament, Sudbury Liberal MP Viviane Lapointe has been appointed to two standing committees. These include the Natural Resources and Industry and Technology standing committees, which both convened last week in Ottawa. “I am very pleased to begin the important work of both the Natural Resources and Industry and Technology committees,” she said in a media release. “My focus will be to ensure Sudbury has a voice at the table. Many important sectors in Sudbury fail under the Natural Resources and Industry portfolios and are critical to the growth of our local economy.” Among her goals is to “elimate barriers and foster a resilient economy for Northern Ontario.”
Read the full story on the Sudbury.com homepage.
High of -7 today with some snow
Expect a high of -7 for your Tuesday with periods of snow beginning in the afternoon. About two centimetres is expected to fall. The wind will be blowing at 15 km/h, meaning you should expect a wind chill this morning of -20, dipping to -12 for the afternoon. Expect more snow this evening and a low of -13.
