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Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day

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Sudbury.com reader John Dunning shared this image of a colourful sunrise. Sudbury.com welcomes submissions of local photography for publication with our morning greeting. Send yours to [email protected].

Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Thursday morning.

Misinformation abounds on both sides of the debate, we attempt to clear the air

Misinformation has long clouded public debate on the Kingsway Entertainment District – a large-scale municipal arena project expected to also include a private hotel and casino. The spreading of falsehoods has been “continuous” throughout the multi-year process that brings us to today, Mayor Brian Bigger said. “That’s the challenge with a project like this, when people are intentionally putting misinformation out into the public realm. I do believe that is the case, obviously trying to dissuade public opinion, however, the decision was based on professional advice and many factors a number of years ago by council.” City hall reporter Tyler Clarke digs into the main points of misinformation, speaks with some of the people on both sides of the issue who are pushing it out and attempts to correct the record. This is a long read.

Read the full story here.

Lively resident charged with multiple counts of sexual assault of a minor

A 29-year-old Lively resident has been charged with sexual assault of a person under the age of 16, among other charges, said provincial police. On Dec. 28, at about 11:55 p.m., officers responded to a report of someone who had sexually assaulted and threatened several people at a home on West Branch Road in Massey. Police attended the location and arrested one person. The investigation is ongoing with the Manitoulin OPP Crime Unit. The Lively resident is also charged with two counts of sexual interference, three counts of forcible confinement and assault with a weapon. The suspect was held for a bail hearing and was scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Espanola on Dec. 30.

Most homeless people in the Nickel city aren’t local, so where are they coming from?

The Point in Time count, undertaken by the city on Oct. 19, identified a great deal of information about people who are homeless in Sudbury, but perhaps none so startling as the number of people who had relocated from another city to live in an encampment or shelter in Sudbury: 95 (72 per cent) of the 132 survey respondents. Of those, 33 per cent of those had been in Sudbury less than a year, and 15 per cent for less than 60 days. The top two reasons given are “family moved here,” or “to access services and supports.” But this number was not a surprise to Sudbury.com, or any organizations that work with vulnerable populations in Sudbury. Sudbury.com reporter Jenny Lamothe has been investigating the surge of new people based on tips and sources since July, interviewing people on the street and outreach workers, and trying to connect with government officials about what seems to be an unofficial system of relocating people who are homeless around Ontario. This is a long read.

Read the full story here.

Laurentian continues to try to delay order requiring it to turn over privileged documents

Counsel for Laurentian University is asking the court for a stay of the Speaker’s warrant issued against the university earlier this month. That Speaker’s warrant orders Laurentian president Robert Haché and Claude Lacroix, who’s now the former president of the university’s board of governors, to release a long list of documents, including privileged documents, by Feb. 1. Laurentian University, which declared insolvency this past winter, continues to undergo restructuring under the Companies Creditors’ Arrangement Act (or CCAA for short). The stay Laurentian is asking for is “pending a determination of whether their issuance fell within the scope and extent of the Legislative Assembly’s parliamentary privilege, or further order of the Court.” Alternatively, Laurentian is asking for “advice and directions from the Court on how the University should comply with the Speaker’s warrants, given the existing court orders and the CCAA restructuring process.”

Read the full story here.

Ontarians waiting on back-to-school plan amid unprecedented Omicron spread’

Classes are set to resume in much of Ontario next week, but families still don't know if kids will be learning in school or at home as the government mulls whether to reopen amid unprecedented levels of COVID-19 spread. "It’s making me really anxious. I feel like all week I've been noticing my stress levels have been going up," parent Laura Jackson said in an interview from her home in South Mountain, Ont., outside of Ottawa. Jackson said she would have preferred the government had a plan in place to ease her worries. Her daughter is four years old, still too young to be vaccinated against the virus. She and her husband are worried about her getting sick, although both of them have received three vaccine shots. "She loves her teachers and she loves what she's learning, but then at the same time, we don't want her to get COVID either," Jackson said. “Right now there isn't really anything that's been putting parents' minds at ease." With the highly infectious Omicron variant driving similarly unprecedented virus trends across the country, some provinces have decided to extend the winter break for students and keep kids out of class for longer. Newfoundland and Labrador announced Wednesday that learning would happen remotely starting Jan. 4, while Nova Scotia and Quebec have extended students' winter breaks until Jan. 10. Ontario was still looking at its options by mid-week. Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday that an announcement would come within days after consultations chief medical officer of health.

Read the full story here.

Sudburians come together to support GoFundMe for young Sudbury girl

On 20th of December, Denis Lemelin and Karla Laflamme were awoken during the night to medical complications with their four-year-old daughter, Braelyn. She was found struggling to breathe due to a build up of fluid within her lung and esophagus, causing her to lose consciousness. CPR was performed while awaiting transport to Health Sciences North and then Braelyn was airlifted to London Sick Kids Hospital, where the family is staying at this time. The girl was born with a mutation to her KCNT1 gene, which is normally associated with early infantile epileptic encephalopathy. The condition leaves her developmentally delayed. Her immobility stems from severe scoliosis, which doesn't allow her lungs to expand and contract on their own, forcing her to be on a breathing tube 24 hours a day. Lemelin and Laflamme are both on a leave of absence from work and have no return date set. But a GoFundMe was started by their friend Baylee Ouwens, who started the fundraiser to cover hotel accommodations, flight to and from, and medical expenses not covered by the Ontario Government and or work health care plans. At $6,300, they are more than halfway to their $10,000 goal.

Read the full story here.

Save your Christmas tree for wildlife, Nature Conservancy of Canada urges

By leaving old Christmas trees in your backyard they can continue to serve a useful purpose by helping wildlife. So described the Nature Conservancy of Canada in a media release issued this holiday season. “Evergreens offer a safe place for birds to rest while they visit your feeder,” national conservation science manager Samantha Knight said. “Another benefit is that if you leave the tree in your garden over the summer, it will continue to provide habitat for wildlife and improve your soil as it decomposes.” They encourage Christmas tree owners to prop it against another tree, a fence or lay it in their garden. People can also redecorate it with pine cones filled with peanut butter, strings of peanuts and suet for birds. “These delicious decorations will provide food for birds while they find shelter in the tree,” the release notes.

Read the full story here.

Not a bad day in store for Thursday

Expect a mix of sun and cloud today and a high of -6. Wind will be blowing at 15 km/h, so expect a wind chill of -14 in the morning and -8 in the afternoon. The UV index today is one or low. Tonight, the temperature will dip slightly to -8 with cloudy periods.

Current Weather

Mostly Cloudy

Mostly Cloudy

-4.0°C

Pressure
101.5 rising
Visibility
24.1 km
Dewpoint
-8.0 °C
Humidity
74%
Wind
W 10 km/h

Radar Satellite


Hourly Forecast

Today
2 AM
-6°C
Cloudy
Today
3 AM
-6°C
Cloudy
Today
4 AM
-6°C
Cloudy
Today
5 AM
-6°C
Cloudy
Today
6 AM
-6°C
Cloudy
Today
7 AM
-6°C
Cloudy
Today
8 AM
-6°C
Cloudy
Today
9 AM
-4°C
Cloudy
Today
10 AM
-2°C
Cloudy
Today
11 AM
0°C
Cloudy
Today
12 PM
0°C
Overcast
Today
1 PM
0°C
Overcast

7 Day Forecast

Chance of flurries

Tonight

-6 °C

Cloudy. 60 percent chance of flurries early this evening. Wind southwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light this evening. Low minus 6. Wind chill near minus 10.


Overcast

Friday

3 °C

Overcast. Wind becoming west 20 km/h near noon. High plus 3. Wind chill minus 8 in the morning. UV index 2 or low.


Cloudy

Friday night

-7 °C

Cloudy. Wind up to 15 km/h. Low minus 7. Wind chill minus 12 overnight.


Chance of flurries

Saturday

3 °C

A mix of sun and cloud with 40 percent chance of flurries. High plus 3.


Chance of flurries

Saturday night

-6 °C

Cloudy with 40 percent chance of flurries. Low minus 6.


Sunny

Sunday

6 °C

Sunny. High 6.


Clear

Sunday night

-4 °C

Clear. Low minus 4.


Sunny

Monday

9 °C

Sunny. High 9.


Cloudy

Monday night

-3 °C

Cloudy. Low minus 3.


A mix of sun and cloud

Tuesday

4 °C

A mix of sun and cloud. High plus 4.


Chance of flurries or rain showers

Tuesday night

-3 °C

Cloudy periods with 30 percent chance of flurries or rain showers. Low minus 3.


Chance of flurries or rain showers

Wednesday

5 °C

A mix of sun and cloud with 40 percent chance of flurries or rain showers. High plus 5.


Yesterday

Low
0 °C
High
0 °C
Precipitation
0.3 mm

Normals

Low
-7.1 °C
High
3.2 °C
Average
-2.0 °C

Sunrise and Sunset

Sunrise
7:08 AM
Sunset
7:50 PM

Record Values

Type Year Value
Max 1977 14.7 C
Min 1970 -22.2 C
Rainfall 2009 26.6 mm
Snowfall 1975 8.1 cm
Precipitation 2009 27.2 mm
Snow On Ground 1959 94.0 cm

Based on Environment Canada data