Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Tuesday morning!
Trudeau to invoke Emergencies Act as blockades drag on
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will tell Canadians later today he is invoking the Emergencies Act for the first time as antigovernment blockades continue. Trudeau consulted premiers about using the Emergencies Act earlier Monday about the use of the act, which could give the federal government temporary and extraordinary powers to curtail the demonstrations. That followed an urgent meeting with his cabinet Sunday night. Trudeau was set to appear at a news conference later Monday alongside Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Justice Minister David Lametti. They were to be joined by Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino and Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair. The plan to invoke the Emergencies Act was confirmed by two sources with knowledge of the matter, who were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly. Not every premier is on board with the idea. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson all said Monday they do not think the added powers are needed in their provinces. The protest by antigovernment demonstrators blockading city streets around Parliament Hill is now in its third week and has spread to several Canada-U.S. border crossings.
Capacity limits for restaurants, gyms lifting Thursday
Premier Doug Ford has announced a new timeline to speed up reopening the province. Ford announced the new plan today. It includes lifting capacity limits at restaurants and gyms this week, a date to remove the proof of vaccination passport, and expanding booster eligibility to youth aged 12 to 17. Masking will remain in place for a little longer, said Ford. A specific timeline to lift the masking measure will be released at a later date. The changes effective Thursday, Feb. 17 include social gathering limits will increase to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors; organized public events will increase to 50 people indoors and no limit outdoors, and; capacity limits lift in certain indoor public spaces that require proof of vaccination including restaurants and other food and drink establishments without dance facilities, gyms, cinemas, meeting and event spaces, casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments, indoor areas of settings that choose to opt-in to proof of vaccination requirements.
Ontario speeding up reopening, aims to drop vaccine passports March 1
Ontario is speeding up its removal of the remaining COVID-19 restrictions. Premier Doug Ford announced the new plan today. It includes lifting capacity limits at restaurants and gyms this week, a date to remove the proof of vaccination passport, and expanding booster eligibility to youth aged 12 to 17. Masking will remain in place for a little longer, said Ford. A specific timeline to lift the masking measure will be released at a later date. "This is an important layer of protection that will allow us to proceed with our reopening plan safely," he said. On Friday, Feb. 18, youth aged 12 to 17 years will be eligible for a booster. March 1 the province intends to eliminate capacity limits in all indoor public settings. At the same time, the proof of vaccine requirements will be lifted for all settings. Businesses may choose to continue to require proof of vaccination.
A return to the office under consideration again at Tom Davies Square
With the Omicron COVID-19 variant showing early indications of slowing down, the City of Greater Sudbury is eyeballing a return to the office and council chambers. “The plan for returning to office work anticipates some phased approach,” city CAO Ed Archer said last week, adding that the effort’s nuances will be communicated with city staff in the coming weeks. It’s anticipated that the return to work will coincide with the province’s reopening plans, beginning in mid-March and continuing in two additional phases a month apart. For several hundred employees, remote work arrangements will continue to be made on a sustained basis. Despite the city making these considerations, Archer clarified that it will depend on how well key indicators perform and the advice that comes out of the city’s Community Control Group, which includes the city’s executive team, Sudbury Health Unit’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Health Sciences North president and CEO Dominic Giroux and Greater Sudbury Police Chief Paul Pedersen. “It’s not that we are seeing ourselves as out of the woods by any extent,” Archer said, adding that whatever transition plan they employ will take months to conclude.
Battalion rallies for comeback win over Wolves
Down 3-0 in the third period, the North Bay Battalion wasn’t ready to let its winning streak end just yet. Brandon Coe, the OHL’s leading scorer, buried a 2-on-1 pass from Matvey Petrov with 1:11 remaining to cap a terrific comeback with a 4-3 win over the Sudbury Wolves. Coe has feasted on the Wolves this season to the tune of 13 points (5+8) in 7 games. David Goyette had a natural hat trick for the Pack (10 points in 7 games vs. North Bay this season) and goaltender Mitchell Weeks was turning away everything before the floodgates opened. Sudbury, playing its third game in three days after a 7-4 win at Barrie last night, seemed to run out of gas once the Battalion finally got their first goal from Mitchell Russell on a powerplay at 4:26. After Kyle McDonald, who has eight points (4+4) in his last seven games, cut the lead to 3-2, the feeling in the building was that it was a matter of time for the Troops. Anthony Romani tied the game moments later, banking the puck in off of Weeks’ mask after he was hooked on his initial cut across the goalmouth. With the win, Sudbury falls to a record of 2-4-1 against North Bay this season with another five contests still on tap, including a mid-week showdown Wednesday at Sudbury Arena. Meanwhile, Sudbury's record sits at 14-25-3-2 on 44 games, putting them ninth in the Eastern Conference. Overall, the Pack sits 19th in the OHL, ahead of the Niagara IceDogs. Sudbury plays back-to-back home games this week, hosting North Bay on Wednesday and the Peterborough Petes on Thursday. Game time is 7:05 p.m. for both contests. The Pack then hits the road for three games, starting with a match against Niagara on Sunday.
High of -13 today under sunny skies
Expect a high of -13 today under sunny skies. The wind, though, will be blowing at 15 km/h, so expect a -32 wind chill this morning and a -16 wind chill this afternoon. There is a risk of frostbite. Tonight, the temperature will drop to -14 with snow.