Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Saturday morning.
Greater Sudbury continues to stand with Ukraine
Greater Sudbury’s Ukrainian community will take to the streets again on Sunday to show their support for their homeland as Russia’s invasion continues. Residents can gather at Notre Dame and Lloyd Street at noon for the rally. Following the rally, the Knights of Columbus in Sudbury will host its own service at 1 p.m. at St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church on Notre Dame Avenue. Bishop Thomas Dowd of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie is expected to attend the service. The civilian death toll continues to mount in Ukraine. Cities are under siege and schools and homes are being destroyed. Media reports put the death toll at more than 2,000 civilians in the week since Russia invaded Ukraine. Halia Buba of Sudbury, a member of the city's Ukrainian community, said the Ukrainian community here in Greater Sudbury very much appreciates the efforts Sudburians are putting in to help raise funds for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.
Read the full story on the Sudbury.com homepage.
Snowcross races return to Sudbury this weekend
After almost seven years, Greater Sudbury racing fans are revved for the return of Snowcross racing this weekend. The Canadian Snowcross Racing Association will be at Sudbury Downs March 5-6 where almost 200 racing teams from Ontario, Quebec and other eastern Canada locations will vie for top spot in the national event. Ken Avann, president of CSRA, said there is a lot of action lined up for this weekend with youth in the amateur classes hitting the track each morning, with the professionals taking over the course in the afternoon starting at 2 p.m. Races will also take place for sledge snow bikes and side-by-side ATVs, Avann said. “We haven't been in Sudbury for probably seven years now for the snowcross races,” said Avann. “The Sudbury market is a fabulous market for us, so we wanted to come back here. We want to keep on growing the event into a really big race.” Advance tickets for the races can be purchased at Royal Distributing. Tickets can also be purchased both race days at the game. For more information, click here. Following the races in Sudbury, CSRA is off to Timmins for its next series of races.
Day parole granted to one of the men who killed Sudbury police officer
The man who gunned down a Sudbury police officer in 1993 has been granted day parole, the Parole Board of Canada said. Clinton Suzack, 57, is one of two men convicted of murdering Const. Joe MacDonald, a young officer making a routine traffic stop in New Sudbury on Oct. 7, 1993. Also charged and convicted was Peter Pennett. Together, they ambushed, pistol-whipped and fatally shot MacDonald. They were convicted of first-degree murder in 1995 and sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 25 years. Next October will mark the 30th anniversary of MacDonald’s death. For more details on what happened that night, click here. The Parole Board of Canada said it has granted Suzack day parole for a six-month period, but has denied him full parole.
Drug dispensing machines being set up at community hospitals on Manitoulin Island
When you work in a small hospital in a small town in Ontario, it's always nice to get brand new equipment that makes everything safer and more efficient for the patients and medical staff. That's how Jayme Watson feels about the four new automatic drug dispensing machines (ADUs) that are being installed at the Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC), which operates hospitals in both Little Current and Mindemoya. The ADU machines are a common feature in big city hospitals, but have become a welcome new piece of equipment in smaller communities. Watson is the Operational Pharmacy Manager for the MHC and said the ADUs are similar to a vending machine for prescription meds. She said one of the key points of the new technology is that the drug machines are aligned with the patient's electronic medical record. "So when a patient is admitted you have a list of medications that are in the system. Those medications are actually profiled to this drug dispensing unit, and verified. So it makes sure that the patient is on the same medications that he's supposed to be on and only those medications can be dispensed on an ongoing basis," Watson explained.
Bridge of Nations should remain unpolitical: Bigger
The Russian flag should continue to fly at the Bridge of Nations on Paris Street, Mayor Brian Bigger said in response to an ongoing push by some people for it to be removed. “There are many who don’t agree with what their government is doing right now,” he said, adding that residents whose birth origin is Russia or are of Russian descent have chosen Greater Sudbury as their home and should feel welcome. “It’s a reflection of the belief that we’re better than what individual governments do from time to time.” The message behind the grassroots-based Bridge of Nations effort has been that Greater Sudbury is an inclusive and diverse city, Bigger said, which he wants to see maintained. “A message of removing the Russian flag is a political statement that is actually a horrible message for Greater Sudbury,” he said. “We’re a welcoming, inclusive community that appreciates people internationally from all over the world.” The flags that fly outside of Tom Davies Square, meanwhile, can be a political statement. Last week, the city erected a Ukrainian flag at this location, at which time Bigger said it was a symbol of how deeply woven the identity of Ukrainian-Canadians has been in the community. “Together, we must continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine,” he said.
Advocacy group pushes for free public transit service for seniors
Dusting off a point of advocacy, the local chapter of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons is again pushing for free public transit service for seniors. “It’s a quality of life thing for that particular segment of the population,” Canadian Association of Retired Persons interim chair John Lindsay told Sudbury.com. “A lot of seniors don’t go out of their home in the wintertime because they’re not sure of the transit and they’re not sure of the snow conditions.” Aiding in their advocacy this time around is that the City of Brampton began allowing seniors to ride Brampton Transit free of charge beginning last week. “This is a milestone in transit affordability and caring for our senior residents,” Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said in a media release issued by the city. “Brampton is a Green City, and as part of our 2040 Plan we’re committed to providing efficient, affordable and sustainable transit through our Brampton Transit network.” The shift to free public transit for seniors is part of that city’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions generated in the city by 80 per cent by 2050. The City of Greater Sudbury’s Community Energy and Emissions Plan has set a target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. “If Brampton can do it, why can’t Sudbury?” Lindsay asked, adding that in addition to the environmental positives associated with greater public transit use are the mental and physical health improvements that come with seniors being out and about in the community.
Ontario spending $2.5M to build mental health and addictions facility in Sudbury
"This is monumental for us. It's a huge leap forward in the services we will be able to combine and provide for individuals," said Roxane Zuck, CEO of Monarch Recovery Services in Sudbury. Zuck was speaking at the provincial announcement Friday morning when Michael Tibollo, Ontario's Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, revealed that the province was providing $2.5 million through the Ontario Addictions Recovery Fund. The announcement was made from Monarch's Ramsey Street location. Zuck said Monarch will have a new multi-faceted facility that will combine several of the existing Monarch services that are now situated in five different locations. "It's a great thing for the community. All of our services will be together. There will be that continuum of care. Individuals can go from one program to another without having to drive across the city, or walk. And, you know, it's just that the staff are very excited. I'm very excited about it," said Zuck. She said the new venue will be created on Jean Street at the site of an old school. "And it's big enough to house all of our programs,” she said, including the 18-bed men's recovery home, 14-bed women's treatment, flex beds, and six withdrawal management beds, as well as various treatment programs.
Read the full story on the Sudbury.com homepage.
Mild temps but snow, ice pellets and freezing rain in the forecast
The weekend forecast hints that spring is not far off. Expect a high of -3 today with the skies becoming cloudy in the morning, following by periods of light snow. Snow or periods of ice pellets are expected late in the afternoon. There is a risk of freezing rain late in the afternoon. Tonight, the temperature will dip to -5 with periods of snow or freezing rain. For Sunday, expect a high of 9 with freezing rain or rain in the morning. Sunday night, expect cloudy periods with a 60-per-cent chance of flurries.
