Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your weekend.
Pedestrian struck by vehicle at Notre Dame-King intersection is in critical condition
A 28-year-old man is in hospital in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Notre Dame Avenue and King Street early Friday morning. Greater Sudbury Police say they received a call about the collision at around 2:25 a.m. this morning. Paramedics transported the man to hospital with life-threatening injuries. The victim’s name will not be released out of respect for his family’s wishes. Notre Dame Avenue was closed for several hours as police investigated the incident. They have determined that a blue four-door sedan was travelling northbound on Notre Dame Avenue when it struck the man at the intersection of King Street. The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Anyone with information related to the collision is asked to contact the GSPS Traffic Management Unit at 705-675-9171. Read the full story here.
Threatened strike at Ontario colleges averted by binding arbitration agreement
It will be business as usual for students and staff at Ontario's colleges after a threatened strike was averted by an agreement to enter into binding arbitration. Ontario's colleges and the union representing faculty issued a statement late Thursday night that says they reached an agreement to enter binding interest arbitration and the strike that was scheduled to commence Friday has been called off. The statement from the Ontario Public Service Employees Union and the College Employer Council added that all work-to-rule strike activities have also ended. Negotiators for the two sides met virtually on Thursday. Full details here.
Construction delays push back Sudbury supervised consumption site opening
Originally expected to welcome users sometime this month, the supervised consumption site at Energy Court in downtown Greater Sudbury is no longer expected to open in March. “Site construction has been affected by the global supply chain issues as well as relatively minor change orders which have caused some delay and that all are working hard to mitigate,” according to a Public Health Sudbury and Districts spokesperson’s emailed correspondence. The site construction lead on this project is the City of Greater Sudbury, with Réseau ACCESS Network the lead organization for services and operations and Public Health Sudbury and Districts a partner to establish what they refer to as a “critical harm reduction service.” In emailed correspondence, a city spokesperson said they have continued working with Public Health and Réseau ACCESS to complete construction of the facility, located behind the Your Independent Grocer on Lorne Street. An updated timeline was not provided, with the city noting that they are currently evaluating and reviewing the information they have. Learn more here.
Taxi fare prices increase alongside skyrocketing gas prices
Regular taxi users might have noticed themselves ponying up a bit more dough for their rides this week, with price increases having taken effect in Greater Sudbury on March 15. The city’s taxi bylaw was amended in 2021 to permit meter rates to be set by taxi owners and filed with the municipality, with fees typically set once per year in August. With gas prices skyrocketing since August 2021, from the $1.30 range to hovering around the $2 mark (it was around $192.6 on Thursday), taxi companies banded together to request an additional fare jump in February, which took effect this week. The fares vary by company, but several companies submitted their requests together in a uniform approach, which for the majority of them meant a drop rate (initial fee) increase from $4.25 to $4.50. Lockerby Taxi joined others in securing a per-kilometre rate increase from $2.90 to $3.20, which owner Sharon Flinn said has become necessary in recent weeks. Read the full story on Sudbury.com's home page.
New downtown Sudbury shop ‘Gory Hole’ specializes in all things horror
A new store called “Gory Hole” has opened up on Larch Street in downtown Sudbury, and it's not to be mistaken for a hole in the wall. The Gory Hole’s grand opening was only last Friday, March 11 after a year of preparation. Due to COVID delays on shipments for store items, the Gory Hole took a little longer than expected to open for business. But it’s finally here, and If you’re a fan of horror movies, then consider this place a candy store – from signed movie posters and taxidermy to scary movie props, the store is horror galore. Read the full story here.
Scam targets Greater Sudbury Utilities customers
A phone scam is making its rounds, with someone misidentifying themselves as a representative of Greater Sudbury Utilities and requesting customers’ banking information. In a media release issued Thursday, Greater Sudbury Utilities clarifies that they never call customers and ask for banking information. They recommend customers phone the local number on their utility bill and talk to a customer service representative if they think action may be needed on their account. Full details here.
Weekend weather:
Saturday there will be periods of snow mixed with rain, changing to rain near noon. Wind northeast 20 km/h becoming light near noon. High of 2 C. UV index 1 or low. Saturday night there will be periods of snow, with a low of -3 C. Sunday (which happens to be the first day of spring) will bring a mix of sun and cloud with a 40 per cent chance of showers. High of 7 C. Sunday night will be clear with a low of -5 C.
