Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Thursday morning.
Former MP Lefebvre announces his candidacy for mayor of Greater Sudbury
A well-established political contender has entered the mayoral race in Greater Sudbury, with former Liberal MP Paul Lefebvre announcing his intention today to seek office. The official nomination period for the Oct. 24 municipal election begins on Monday, at which time candidacies will become official. Lefebvre was first elected as Sudbury’s MP in 2015 and announced last year that he would not seek re-election. “Both before and after I left the MP’s office, I heard loud and clear that Greater Sudbury needs experienced leadership and a strong vision for the future,” he said in a media release issued today. “I worked hard to put Sudbury back on the map in Ottawa, and now I want to continue that work at Tom Davies Square. I want to bring the experience, the leadership skills, the connections and the vision to move Sudbury forward and fulfill its potential.”
Monster Spectacular shows cancelled due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’ at the border
The popular Monster Spectacular show featuring monster trucks and other motorized vehicles scheduled to take place at the Sudbury Community Arena this weekend has been cancelled. Saturday’s show was sold out and a second performance had been added for Sunday, both of which now cancelled “due to unforeseen circumstances with the trucks at the border.” Sudbury.com has reached out to the event organizers for additional details but did not receive an immediate response. The Monster Spectacular show was to feature four monster trucks, motocross back-flip, lawnmower races and more. Those who purchased tickets to either show using Visa, Mastercard or American Express can expect a full refund automatically applied to their card within five to 10 business days, according to the city.
Sudbury OPP officer facing criminal charges after alleged thefts from evidence locker
A veteran Sudbury OPP officer is facing criminal charges in connection with property taken from an evidence vault at the Sudbury detachment. Sgt. Straun Frederiksen of the Sudbury detachment was charged April 26 under the criminal code with theft and breach of trust. He was charged by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Professional Standards Unit (PSU). An investigation by the Professional Standards Unit, part of the OPP's Office of Professionalism, Respect, Inclusion and Leadership, began in 2021 after it was determined that items had gone missing from the evidence locker at the Sudbury detachment. Police have not stated what kind of evidence the officer is alleged to have taken. The accused was released from custody and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Sudbury on May 25. The officer has been a member of the OPP for 27 years. He has been suspended with pay, under the terms of the Police Services Act, since March of this year, said a press release.
Charges laid against 4th person in 13-month child pornography investigation
Greater Sudbury Police have wrapped up a 13-month investigation and charged a fourth man with accessing and possessing child sexual abuse material, also known as child pornography. GSPS said its Internet Child Exploitation Unit has completed what police called an “extensive” investigation that had previously resulted in similar charges against three other people. Today, police announced they have charged a fourth and final person, Raymond Stargratt, 36, from Sudbury. He faces four counts of possessing child sexual abuse material and three counts of accessing child sexual abuse material. He appeared in bail court on April 22 to answer to the charges. His next court appearance is May 25 to be spoken to. Of the three other people charged, the names of two have been withheld to protect the identity of the victims. James McGuire, 37, from Sudbury, was previously charged on March 7, 2021 as part of the same investigation. He was charged with one count each of accessing child sexual abuse material, possessing child sexual abuse material, bestiality and compelling the commission of bestiality. He was scheduled for court today to set a date for trial.
‘Enduring call’ to mourn the dead, fight for the living still relevant and urgent, says labour council prez
The Sudbury and District Labour does not accept that thousands of workers are dying every year, and hundreds of thousands more are injured or made sick as a result of their jobs, said the organization’s president. Jessica Montgomery, president, Sudbury and District Labour Council, hosted this year’s National Day of Mourning at Laurentian University. Now an international observance as a day of mourning for workers killed, injured or made ill by their job, the declaration of April 28 as the Day of Mourning began here in 1984 when unions adopted the day as one to publicly acknowledge workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths. “The enduring April 28 call to mourn the dead and fight for the living is still relevant, and still urgent, especially with the pandemic,” Montgomery said. It has been just over two years since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 global pandemic, and in that time, there have been more than 3.5 million recorded cases of COVID-19 and 37,728 deaths, she said. Meanwhile, workers continue to be injured, made sick or killed from unsafe working conditions and a range of hazards, she said.
Sudbury’s Emma Solar is one good citizen
In a virtual ceremony on April 13, the Ontario government awarded Sudbury medical student Emma Solar with an Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship. The Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship is a medal of merit that was created in 1973 to recognize people who made exceptional long-term contributions to the quality of life in the province. Solar’s years of humanitarian work as well as her current work with the Canadian Armed Forces were deciding factors in being given the award. With her background in international affairs, she travelled to Peru to do research on flood-affected communities and was employed in disaster response with the Canadian Red Cross for two years, continuing to volunteer with them for years afterwards as a disaster response volunteer. “The work in disaster response and humanitarian crises was always something that called to me and I wanted to be able to help and I wanted to be there in person and contribute to that,” Solar told Sudbury.com in a phone interview. “So that's sort of what drove me to it and I really enjoyed the work and so I just continued with it.” She worked overseas for three missions with Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Canada and continued her work in medicine with the Canadian Armed Forces. Currently a medical student at Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) here in Sudbury, she continues to work as a medical officer trainee with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Sunny, warm day in store
Expect a sunny, warm day for your Friday with a high of 13 under clear skies. The wind will be blowing at 15 km/h, so anticipate a bit of a wind chill of -6 in the morning. The UV index today is six, or high. Tonight, the skies will stay clear and temperature will drop to one degree.
