Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Thursday morning.
Why a fire ban? City firefighters have battled 33 bushfires already this month
Greater Sudbury firefighters have seen a “significant increase” in the number of wildland burning complaints and unauthorized burning incidents in May, resulting in a municipal fire ban, said deputy fire chief Jesse Oshell. The ban applies to all open-air fires, including campfires, chiminea fireplaces, crop residue fires, fireworks, and any other type of outdoor burning. All open-air fire permits are cancelled for the duration of the ban. Gas-fired and charcoal barbecues and outdoor propane fireplaces are still permitted. It’s only May 11, and firefighters have already responded to 33 incidents, said Oshell. That is three times higher than the average for all of May over the past four years. “At this point in the season, our average would be less than 10 fires for the entire month of May, and right now we are more than 30,” Oshell said. On Wednesday morning, firefighters fought a lightning-strike fire in the Hanmer area, said Oshell. Firefighters responded to five incidents on Tuesday, another four on Sunday and seven more on Saturday, Oshell said.
Sudbury hospital and health care workers rally and call for an end to Bill 124
Unionized health care workers in Sudbury shouted and hollered their disapproval of Doug Ford's government and Bill 124 at a public rally near Health Sciences North on Tuesday. The event was organized by OCHU (Ontario Council of Hospital Unions) and CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) and was attended by several Health Sciences North employees who took time off during their lunch breaks at the hospital. Also joining the group were provincial NDP candidates France Gélinas and Jamie West in the Nickel Belt and Sudbury ridings, respectively. Speakers said Ontario Bill 124, passed by the Progressive Conservatives in the last sitting of the Ontario Legislature, is regressive legislation because it imposes a wage cap of one per cent increase for each 12-month period, over a three-year period. The bill affects workers such as Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses and other health care workers in the public sector. The Ford government said "the purpose of the act is to ensure that increases in public sector compensation reflect the fiscal situation of the province.
City to further investigate ways of limiting the use of road salt at the KED
With the Kingsway Entertainment District raising concerns for its potential impacts on Ramsey Lake, a motion was passed by city council tonight for city administration to further look at limiting the use of road salt. “The health of the main source of drinking water for some 60,000 of our residents is obviously not something that we take lightly, so when it comes to issues like this I think this motion is in order,” Ward 10 Coun. Fern Cormier said while introducing tonight’s motion, which he co-presented alongside Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh. The motion, which was passed unanimously by city council, calls on city administration to present a report to city council outlining how their stormwater management plan for the KED will adhere to the recently released Ramsey Lake Subwater Study and Stormwater Master Plan. Staff are also asked to present alternatives to the use of sodium chloride (road salt) for the “safe winter management of roads, parking lots and pedestrian pathways within the KED at the city council meeting of July 12, 2022.” “We can control our salt usage at municipally owned properties at a cost, but I hope that we can also convince our partners on this project to adopt the same protective measures,” McIntosh said. Genesis Hospitality is slated to build and operate a private hotel, which is expected to join a Gateway Casinos facility at a property on The Kingsway centred around a municipal arena/events centre.
Leader Mike Schreiner brings the Green Party campaign train to Sudbury
Green Party leader Mike Schreiner made two announcements during his visit to Sudbury this week. On May 10, he spent the evening at the Knowhere Public House on Elm Street addressing supporters, and this morning he held a press conference to unveil a major plank in the party’s platform. Sudbury Green Party candidate David Robinson was on hand for both events. During his address on Monday evening, Schreiner made a point of mentioning Laurentian University and its financial challenges, stressing that a Green government wouldn’t allow that to happen again to an Ontario post-secondary institution. “Never again in Ontario, should we allow a publicly funded university to go through creditor protection,” Schreiner told the approximately 40 people who attended the Monday evening event on Knowhere’s outdoor patio. “Ontario has the lowest per capita funding for university and colleges in any province in the country, and we have the highest tuition rates,” Schreiner said Monday. “So part of the challenge that Laurentian and other post-secondary institutions face is they receive so little provincial funding, that they're now relying increasingly on international students, which can become completely unsustainable, especially in a global pandemic.”
Stakeholders worried a quiet takeover of Sudbury Theatre Centre is happening behind closed doors
Sudbury Theatre Centre and YES Theatre reps say they’re planning to make a statement later this month following an open letter from local theatre supporters who allege a merger or takeover is occurring behind closed doors. Following the release of the May 6 letter, Sudbury.com reached out to both John Dow, co-president of STC’s board, and Alessandro Costantini, artistic and managing director of YES Theatre. While both Costantini and Dow declined to speak about the situation at this time, the theatre companies say they will be releasing information soon. Dow said a press release will be issued by STC on May 25. A statement relating to the May 25 press release will be coming out this week. To recap, the May 6 letter, which was signed by more than 40 concerned current and former Sudburians, alleges that “in what might be described as a merger, or perhaps viewed more cynically as a takeover, the (Sudbury Theatre Centre) board would hand over operations of the (STC) building to another local company, YES Theatre.”
Labour ministry has issued an order to the city after worker killed on the job in Levack
The Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) has issued an order against the City of Greater Sudbury with respect to the death of a municipal employee on Friday. Greater Sudbury Police reported officers were dispatched Friday at about 2:50 p.m. to a winter salt and sand yard located on Municipal Road 8 in Levack, where it was discovered that a 40-year-old man was dead. In a statement issued May 7, the city confirmed the person who lost their life was a municipal employee and expressed condolences to the person’s loved ones. In terms of the order issued by the ministry, no information has been released thus far about the nature of that order. "On Friday, May 6, 2022, the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) was notified that a worker had been fatally injured. The worker had been working on equipment operation for the roads department for the City of Greater Sudbury. Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased worker," said an email statement from the ministry. "An MLTSD inspector has been assigned and one order has been issued to the employer, City of Greater Sudbury. No further details are available at this time as the ministry’s investigation is ongoing," the statement continued.
Another hot and (mainly) sunny in store
Another nice day is in store, Greater Sudbury. Expect a high of 26 today under mainly sunny skies. The wind will be out of the south at 20 km/h, gusting to 40 in the morning. The UV index today is nine, or very high. Tonight, the temperature will drop to 14 under clear skies.
