Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Wednesday morning.
Rampant misinformation a likely hurdle during upcoming municipal election
A few local examples of murky messaging and misinformation have already begun cropping up. Last month, Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini was accused of spreading misinformation about the city’s homelessness crisis though a video posted to YouTube. Vagnini rejected the idea he was spreading misinformation, has kept the video online and insisted that his information was accurate. As of mid-day Monday, the video had 2,791 views. Ward 5 Coun. Robert Kirwan has also come under fire in recent weeks for his claim during both city council meetings and on social media – primarily the Valley East Facebook page he moderates with his wife, Valerie, that there was a legally binding build commitment among the Kingsway Entertainment District’s partners. In December, city council passed a motion requesting that the city publicize this point to help clear the air, which they did via social media. In anticipation that misinformation campaigns continue on social media as the election season heats up, Sudbury.com reached out to the city’s elected officials, the majority of whom have already confirmed that they are seeking re-election, to hear their thoughts on social media.
Almost half of region’s total COVID-19 deaths occurred in the past month, stats show
Health officials are becoming increasingly concerned about the number of COVID-related deaths occurring in the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts. A spokesperson for the health unit said that over half of all deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Public Health Sudbury and Districts’ service area have occurred since the beginning of December. There were 37 deaths reported in January alone, which represents 43 per cent of the overall deaths reported since the beginning of the pandemic. Public Health is attributing the increase to the surge in local COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant. “We have definitely seen more deaths in recent weeks, and that is probably due to the highly transmissible nature of the Omicron variant,” said Dar Malaviarachchi, an epidemiologist at Public Health. “Even though studies have shown that the Delta variant is associated with more severe outcomes, we are seeing a lot more deaths occur now due to the sheer volume of Omicron cases in the community.”
Number of people in Ontario needing mental health support increasing: survey
More people in Ontario are accessing mental health support than at any other time during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new survey suggests. The Canadian Mental Health Association poll indicated 24 per cent of respondents have sought help for mental health challenges, compared to 17 per cent last winter and nine per cent almost two years ago. Camille Quenneville, the association's CEO, said the survey results are worrying as they indicate the mental health of those living in the province is not improving. "We've conducted four polls during this pandemic because we wanted to get a sense of how people are doing nearly two years in," she said in a written statement. "Needless to say we're very concerned that the numbers are going in the wrong direction." The poll surveyed 1,001 Ontario adults between Jan. 10 and Jan. 17, and carries a margin of error of 3.1 per cent.
Most Canadians approve of increased spending on medical imaging if it means reduced wait times
The idea of spending more tax money on medical imaging machines such as MRIs and CT-scans has won significant support from most Canadians because it will mean reduced wait times. The results were revealed in a survey carried out by the Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) and showed nine out of 10 respondents support increased federal spending on medical imaging to reduce wait times. The same survey, conducted in January by Nanos Research, shows 53 per cent of Canadians said wait times got worse during the pandemic. Only three per cent said they believed wait times had improved in the past two years. "Canadians understand that medical imaging is a critical part of our health infrastructure and that without investment in equipment and personnel, our system, and patients, are at risk," said CAR President, Dr. Gilles Soulez. He said the survey reinforces what the association has been saying for some time. "The time to act is now," said Soulez.
Read the full story on the Sudbury.com homepage.
Hanmer development clears public hearing hurdle
A housing development in Hanmer cleared a legislative hurdle on Monday, with the city’s planning committee approving its rezoning application following a public hearing. The development includes 34 townhouses as well as either a 250-bed long-term care facility or 144 apartment units on Bonaventure Drive. The long-term care facility would be one long V-shaped three-storey building and the apartment building would consist of three five-storey buildings. While the committee’s approval still needs to be ratified by city council, their unanimous support makes it likely the Dominion Park Developments Corp. project moves forward. Even so, it hasn’t been without its opposition from area residents. “This will create a traffic nightmare which will cause safety issues to our children and pedestrians with the huge amount of traffic this will create,” according to a letter of opposition by Mederic Street resident Marc Bourque. “Please don’t let this happen for the sake of the children and their safety.” Wilfred Street resident Tim and Terry Binkley said the project will “destroy the fabric of a longstanding, quiet residential neighbourhood that many families have lived in for decades.” They expressed concern about traffic, noise, property values and the development’s aesthetics.
Read the full story on the Sudbury.com homepage.
Health card deadline will not be extended, but you can still use it
Despite calls from senior’s and disability advocates, the province of Ontario’s health card renewal deadline set for the end of February will not be extended, but a few accommodations are being made. Health card renewal deadlines were extended at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and Service Ontario letters were sent out over the 2021 holidays informing people they must hold a non-expired card by February 28. In a statement to CityNews, the Ministry of Health said most Ontarians have been able to safely renew their health cards during the pandemic and it encourages everyone to do so as soon as possible. However if you cannot manage to renew by the deadline, the ministry said “health care providers have been asked to continue to accept expired cards, and most people will continue to be able to use their health card to access insured health care services as they always have, despite the deadline.”
Read the full story on the Sudbury.com homepage.
High forecasted to climb above zero today
Expect a cloudy day for Wednesday and a high of one degree. There is a risk of freezing drizzle in the morning, which will turn into a 40-per-cent chance of flurries. Up to four centimetres is expected. The wind will blowing at 20 km/h from the south, bringing a wind chill of -12 in the morning. Tonight, the temperature will drop to -8 with flurries.