Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Tuesday morning.
Roundabout project to receive $2M in provincial funding
A new four-lane roundabout is slated for construction at the Lasalle Boulevard and Frood Road intersection this year, and will receive $2 million in provincial funding to help make it a reality. Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry Minister Greg Rickford made the funding announcement at council chambers in Tom Davies Square today, pledging $400,000 annually over five years for the project. The new four-lane roundabout is expected to contribute to the overall Maley Drive Extension, whose goal is to help reroute heavy mining trucks and ease congestion along the Maley Drive and Lasalle Boulevard corridor. Replacing the currently signalized intersection with a roundabout has been a long-planned component of the project’s second phase and will be similar to other roundabouts already in use along Maley Drive, including one a short distance east at the Collège Boréal entrance. Following today’s funding announcement, Deputy Mayor and Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer told Sudbury.com that the project will fit well into the city’s traffic-flow goals and help get heavy trucks off of Lasalle Boulevard.
Man facing 13 charges after multiple complaints of women being followed
A 40-year-old man faces numerous criminal harassment charges stemming from five separate incidents between Jan. 30 and March 23, said Greater Sudbury Police. Police requested the public’s help to identify the driver of a vehicle involved in multiple suspicious incidents after complaints were made from community members in the area of Lasalle Boulevard in relation to a pick-up truck that has been following women. As part of the investigation, it was determined that the same vehicle and same man were involved in those incidents. He was arrested April 1 and charged with five counts of criminal harassment - engage in threatening conduct, three counts of criminal harassment - beset/watch, and five counts of committing an indecent act in a public place. As a result of the investigation, detectives applied for and were granted a search warrant for his home. Officers located and seized bear mace, two conducted energy weapons, and a firearm. He was additionally charged with unsafe storage of a firearm, and seven counts each of unauthorized possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. Anyone who experienced a similar incident involving the previously mentioned vehicle and described man is asked to contact Det.-Const. Belanger at 705-675-9171 ext. 2338.
Fatal collision on Hwy. 69 in between Parry Sound and Sudbury on Sunday
The OPP say they’re investigating a fatal motor vehicle collision that occurred on Highway 69 in between Parry Sound and Sudbury Sunday evening. The two-vehicle collision occurred at 6:50 p.m. on Highway 69, near Station Road in Wallbridge Township, approximately 70 kilometers north of Parry Sound. A southbound vehicle collided with a northbound vehicle. The occupant of the southbound vehicle was fatally injured. Three occupants of the northbound vehicle were transported to a nearby hospital. The name of the deceased is not being released at this time. Further information will be released as it becomes available. The collision remains under investigation by Members of the West Parry Sound Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) along with the OPP Technical Collision Investigation Unit (TCIU). Highway 69 was closed until early Monday morning due to the collision. It was a deadly weekend on area highways. Two people were also killed in a collision on Highway 17 near Massey on Saturday.
Travelling Wolves fall 5-3 to Mississauga
Coming off a loss at home on Saturday, the Sudbury Wolves hit the road for Mississauga on Sunday hoping to get one back. Unfortunately, a win was not in the cards for the Pack and they fell 5-3 to the Steelheads. It was a hard fought game though, with the Wolves sticking close to Mississauga despite being outshot 45-24. With the win, Mississauga, currently sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference, clinched a playoff position. The loss drops Sudbury’s record to 22-34-3-4, good enough for ninth in the East. The Pack is two positions back of seventh place and not in a playoff position. Overall, Sudbury is 18th in the OHL. The Wolves are at home for two games this week. Tomorrow (April 5), they take on the visiting Niagara IceDogs. Game time is 7:05 p.m. Then on Friday, the Pack welcomes the Soo Greyhounds to Sudbury Arena for a 7:05 tilt.
War-era wedding photo found in wallpaper sample book returned to Sudbury family
A Second World War-era wedding photo found in a wallpaper sample book by a local business has been reunited with family members of those in the photo thanks to a social media post. On March 16, Barrydowne Paint posted the photo on their Facebook page, saying the business was “hoping to harness the power of the internet to get a photograph back to its family.” Just a day after the Facebook post went up, Sudburian Sharon Smith commented on the photo, saying the image was of her late parents, Marie and George Wachnuk. Her daughter, Melinda Bowes, recently picked up the photo at the business on behalf of the family. Trista Leclair, a manager/team leader with Barrydowne Paint, said the photo was found by Laurel Scott, one of the owners of the business, more than a decade ago. With the business changing the carpets in its main office recently, Scott was sorting through her stuff, and came across the wallpaper book again, and that’s when she asked Leclair to post the photo on Facebook. “We just by a fluke posted it, just crossing our fingers, right?” Leclair said. “But never actually thinking that it would make it back to the family. That it actually did was super, super pleasing for everybody. So awesome.”
Scammers using Ukraine invasion to defraud you of your money, says provincial police
Scammers are now using the invasion of Ukraine to target people’s hard-earned and well-intentioned dollars and donations, said provincial police. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Anti-Rackets Branch (ARB) and Serious Fraud Office Ontario (SFO), in concert with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), are warning the public about charity scams during Fraud Prevention Month. The CAFC said it has received reports of charity scams related to the situation in Ukraine. Fraudsters are contacting victims by telephone, email, online and on social media. They will impersonate reputable charities and can sound very convincing. “Unfortunately, fraudsters will attempt to use a situation like the one in Ukraine to steal your money,” said a press release. “As a result, the CAFC would like to remind Canadians to be wary of charity scams.” Charity/donation scams involve any false, deceptive, misleading or fraudulent solicitation for a donation to a charity, association, federation or religious cause. Scam artists hope to profit from people’s generosity and compassion for others in need.
Mainly cloudy but a high of 8 today
It’s going to be mainly cloudy today with a 30-per-cent chance of flurries this morning, but Tuesday’s high is expected to be a lovely 8 degrees. The wind will be from the east at 20 km/h before becoming light near noon. A wind chill of -6 is expected this morning. Tonight, the mercury will drop to zero under clear skies.
