Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Thursday morning.
Sudbury, Nickel Belt MPs among politicians banned by Russia
Greater Sudbury's two federal members of parliament are among those Canadian politicians who have been banned by Russia. On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry released the names of 313 Canadians banned from entering the country. The black list includes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly and Minister of National Defense Anita Anand, as well as most MPs. The list was released the same morning that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talked to Canadian Parliament. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus is also among the list of Canadians banned from Russia. He issued a statement about it, indicating takes making the blacklist as a point of pride. “This is an illegal war. Putin is acting like an international criminal. I will not be intimidated by Putin’s blacklist. I will continue to speak up in defence of the Ukrainian people," he said in a news release.
Water safety statement issued ahead of Thursday’s warm temperatures
Conservation Sudbury issued a water safety statement for the Greater Sudbury watersheds effective as of 3 p.m. today. This statement will remain in effect until 2 p.m. March 22. “The current Environment Canada forecast for the rest of the week and into early next week indicates warm temperatures nearing 10o C with light precipitation,” Conservation Sudbury said in a news release. “Warmer temperatures will accelerate the rate of snowmelt, resulting in a sudden rise in water levels and flows.” All watersheds within the city limits still have a significant snowpack, the statement reads, holding “anywhere between 100 and 150 mm of water content.” Water levels and flows are in the normal, seasonal range at the moment, but the warm weather and rain could cause localized ponding on streets and other low-lying areas. Residents, especially those in low-lying, flood-prone areas, are encouraged to monitor conditions in their area closely.
Ontario expands northern medical school enrollment by 71 spots
More medical students will be allowed to attend NOSM University (formerly the Northern Ontario School of Medicine), Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on Tuesday. The province has announced 30 new undergraduate positions that will be added to NOSM's usual uptake of 64 students. Ford was speaking at a news conference in Brampton when he revealed the creation of more than 450 new positions for all six of Ontario's medical schools. Ontario ministry of health officials said the addition of the new positions — 160 of which will be for undergraduate positions and 295 for postgraduate — marks the largest expansion of undergraduate and postgraduate education in Ontario in more than a decade. It is also the largest ever expansion of NOSM, which has active campuses at Laurentian University in Sudbury and Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. NOSM CEO and Dean Dr. Sarita Verma said it was exciting news. "We're delighted and we believe that this is exactly what Northern Ontario needs; exactly what I promised to deliver when I came here two and a half years ago," Verma said. The normal cohort of 64 undergrad positions at NOSM is being bumped up to 94 positions, said Verma. In addition to that, the usual group of 62 residency positions in postgraduate training is being bumped up by an additional 41 positions to a total of 103.
Early morning fire on Regent deemed suspicious
A fire on Regent Street has been deemed suspicious and will be turned over to the Fire Marshal for investigation, said Greater Sudbury Fire Services Deputy Chief Jesse Oshell this morning. The fire occurred at a business called The Barber Shop, which is located in a strip mall at 1769 Regent Street. The call came in around 6 a.m. said Oshell, with four fire crews responding. No injuries were reported. The Barber Shop is located between Eddie’s Restaurant and a Sudbury Steam Laundry and Dry Cleaners location. Neighbouring businesses suffered smoke damage, Oshell said. Firefighters helped staff from the Pet Food Warehouse, which is located in the same plaza, move animals out of the building to safety. As previously stated, Oshell said the fire has been deemed suspicious and the investigation is being turned over to the Office of the Fire Marshal. This is not only the second fire the owners of the Barber Shop have experience, but also the second fire that has is being treated as suspicious. Back on Feb. 22, Greater Sudbury Fire Services were called out to an “extremely hot” blaze at the Barber Shop’s New Sudbury location, at 1212 Lasalle Blvd. At the time, Oshell said that fire was suspicious as well. There has been no update on that investigation for the past month.
Porter Airlines deal with Air Transat promises better connections to points east
Regional Canadian carriers, Air Transat and Porter Airlines, have concluded a code-sharing agreement to be implemented for the 2022 summer season. Porter flies into Greater Sudbury Airport and this agreement should provide greater connectivity to the East Coast and points beyond. For the initial roll-out, the focus is on connecting Porter’s bases at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Halifax-Stanfield to Air Transat’s hub at Montreal-Trudeau, providing air travellers with more connecting flights in Canada, the U.S. and internationally. Each carrier will market, under its own code and licence, flights operated by the other partner, enabling customers to combine flight segments on a single ticket and check their baggage just once. "We are very excited to team up with Porter in an important partnership that will contribute to the strengthening of our network and reinforce our leadership in our main markets,” said Transat President and CEO Annick Guérard in a March 8 news release.
Bail review under way for man charged with murder in fatal Bruce Ave fire
A bail review is under way for one of the men facing first-degree murder in the fatal April 2021 house fire on Bruce Avenue. Jared Herrick, 36, faces three counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, one count of conspiracy to commit murder, one count of arson with disregard for human life, one count of break, enter and commit an indictable offence, and one count of possession of an incendiary device. Greater Sudbury Police Det.-Const. Marc Belanger testified on Tuesday. He was one of the lead investigators on the case. There is a publication ban preventing any evidence from being reported. The reason Herrick is seeking bail is also covered under the ban. Also charged are Liam Stinson, Phillippe Jeannotte, Fern Bolduc and Riley Roy. Jeannotte faces the same charges as Herrick. Stinson and bolduc are charged with being a party to the offence of first-degree murder, being party to attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and being party to the offence of arson with disregard for human life. The fire killed Guy Henri, 49, Jasmine Somers, 27, and Jamie Lynn Rose. Another man, David Cheff, survived by jumping out a window on the second floor. Superior Court Justice Dan Gordon is presiding. The review will continue March 28 at 9:30 a.m.
Springtime temperature will make for a mild day
Expect a high of around 9 today under mainly cloudy skies. There is a 60-per-cent chance of rain as well. The daytime high coupled with the chance of rain prompted Conservation Sudbury to issue a water safety statement yesterday, warning the public to be watch for localized flooding and ponding in low-lying areas of the city. Expect fog patches to dissipate over the morning. Tonight, the temperature will dip to 1 under clear skies.
