Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Thursday morning.
Leduc alleges Vagnini threatened him after Tuesday’s city council meeting
A clash between city councillors during Tuesday’s Greater Sudbury city council meeting allegedly intensified after the meeting wrapped up. Following the meeting, Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc said that Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini threatened him, but Leduc declined to specify any details of the threat. “I really don’t want to comment because I don’t want to interfere with the police investigation at this time,” he said, later clarifying that the threat made was “very serious.” Leduc said that he wishes the public will respect his and his family’s privacy on this matter and that he’s waiting on the police investigation to settle matters. A Greater Sudbury Police Service spokesperson confirmed they received a threat complaint from a city councillor in relation to a Greater Sudbury Police Services board member, which Vagnini sits on. “In order to protect the integrity of the investigation and in order to ensure objectivity, we have engaged the North Bay Police Service to conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations” GSPS told Sudbury.com. “It’s a very serious matter,” Leduc said. “It’s got more to do with the safety of my family – me as a public figure, I’m fine with that, but my family has a private life … and I have to look out for their personal safety now.”
‘Hopefully it does something’: We spoke to several truckers at a Sudbury truck stop to get their thoughts on the ‘Freedom Convoy’
Truckers passing through Greater Sudbury earlier this week appeared largely supportive of the Convoy to Ottawa 2022 protest, which is expected to reach the city on Friday. The convoy in opposition to vaccine mandates is about “free choice,” Edmonton-based long-haul trucker Tracey France said while walking to his truck at the Petro Canada truck stop on Regent street earlier this week. “If you don’t want something stabbed into your body they shouldn’t,” he said, adding that although he has been vaccinated against COVID-19, he’s no longer confident it had much of an impact. After all, he said, people who have been vaccinated against the virus can still get it – a point that doesn’t address the fact that the unvaccinated are at a statistically greater risk of facing serious outcomes if they contract the virus. The convoy of Canadian truckers is on its way to Ottawa and is expected to pass by Greater Sudbury on Friday, following a scheduled stop at Nairn Centre, west of the city, for a rally at 10 a.m.
Sudbury nursing student frustrated at Laurentian for not recognizing her vaccine exemption
A Sudbury woman who has a religious exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine from the federal government said she is frustrated by Laurentian University refusing to let her continue her final year of nursing studies. Twenty-one-year-old Katherine Bishop of Sudbury said she had been working hard for her medical education. For more than three years, she was pursuing her four-year BScN nursing degree at Laurentian University. From there Bishop's plan was to apply to the Northern Ontario School of Medicine to learn to become a doctor. Things have changed. First the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 demanded that students everywhere learn to adapt to a new way of learning. And then the arrival of COVID vaccines put a new demand on students. Back in September of 2021, LU implemented a policy stating that all students must be fully vaccinated. The university said that exemptions would be considered on medical grounds and/or other protected grounds, as per the Ontario Human Rights Code. As it would turn out, Bishop was refused an exemption by Laurentian University. Two months later she was granted the exemption by the Government of Canada.
Ford says he can't see mask mandates lifting anytime soon
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he doesn't see the province's mask mandates ending anytime soon. Ford was speaking with Belleville radio station CJBQ today and was asked about his recently announced plan to start easing COVID-19 restrictions. The premier said he can't stand shutdowns and wants to get back to normal, but wants to do it properly and cautiously, which is why there will be at least 21 days between each reopening phase. When asked if a mask mandate will be lifted, Ford said he couldn't say that it will be anytime soon. He says it really protects people, though it won't be in place forever. Businesses such as restaurants, gyms and cinemas are set to reopen Jan. 31 with capacity limits and Ford plans to lift nearly all such constraints by mid-March.
Barrie Colts stampede over Sudbury 9-1
Coming off a successful weekend, the Sudbury Wolves slammed head first into the Barrie Colts on Tuesday night and came up wanting. The Pack was coming off a successful weekend that saw them pick up back-to-back wins, defeating the Oshawa Generals at home 4-2, and the North Bay Battalion 6-4 on the road. Those highlights though screeched to a halt on Tuesday night at Sudbury Arena. The Pack were stampeded 9-1 on home ice by the Barrie Colts. The match was a rescheduled game from December. The Wolves are home for another six games now. The Pack faceoff against their Eastern Division rivals the Ottawa 67’s on Friday at 7:05 p.m. Then, the Wolves round out the weekend on Sunday afternoon by again taking on the Barrie Colts at 2:05 p.m. Under the current provincial guidelines, spectators are not permitted at any of the games this week. With pandemic restrictions set to loosen Jan. 31, it’s very possible fans will be able to watch the early February stretch of home games though. Feb. 4, the Pack welcomes the Kingston Frontenacs. Then, on Feb. 6 and Feb. 8, the Soo Greyhounds visit Sudbury Arena. The home stand ends Feb. 11 with a game against the Niagara IceDogs.
Beware of phone, email, text scams, Canada Border Services Agency warns
Beware of scammers posing as Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officials, the organization warned in a news release. These ongoing email, web, text/telephone scams involve people posing as officials from the CBSA are asking for payment or personal information, including Social Insurance Number (SIN), the release states. The methods and messages used are varied and ever-changing, but always designed to demand money and lure the public into providing personal information. In some cases, these scams use false CBSA information. Telephone calls may display numbers and employee names that falsely appear to be from the CBSA. Emails may contain CBSA logos, email addresses or employee names and titles to mislead the public. According to the release, "the CBSA never initiates a request for social insurance number and credit card number by telephone or email."
A reprieve from the frigid temperatures today
Yesterday’s frigid temperatures won’t be repeated today. Expect a high of -6 today with periods of snow. About five centimetres is expected. Wind will be out of the southwest at 30 km/h, gusting to 50 in the morning, before swinging to the north for the afternoon at the same velocity. Expect a wind chill of -20 this morning and -11 in the afternoon. Tonight, periods of snow are expected in the evening with a 30-per-cent chance of flurries. The skies will be partially cloudy. The wind will remain steady until about midnight when it is expected to lighten. Expect a wind chill of -18 in the evening, and -34 overnight. Tonight’s low is -25 so it’s a good idea to plug your vehicle in.
