U of S change to non-denominational institution will allow for public funding
The University of Sudbury’s (U of S) board of regents announced a historic decision September 16, changing the institution to one that is non-denominational and officially French-language. The move will allow the university to apply for public funding, another step in the U of S move to become a standalone institution. Formally a federated university under the umbrella of Laurentian University (LU), the institution has been seeking status as an accredited institution since LU filed for insolvency in February, dissolving the federation agreement with U of S, as well as Thornloe and Huntington University. Since then, the francophone community of Sudbury and beyond have been demanding the francophone programming still at LU be switched to U of S, as well as all funding received. Francophone leaders in Sudbury say that faith is lost in the ability of a predominantly English institution like LU to teach French programming.
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City hall considering loosened multi-unit parking requirements
The City of Greater Sudbury is poised to loosen its parking requirements for multi-unit dwellings. Earlier this week, the city’s planning committee, which is composed of five city councillors, unanimously approved a draft zoning bylaw amendment that would require multi-unit dwellings to include a minimum of one parking space per unit. The current requirement is 1.5 parking spaces per unit, and the change would affect both Shopping Centre Commercial (C5) and Low Density Residential Two (R2-3) zones. The bylaw amendment also proposes that more land qualify to accommodate minimum parking requirements in low-density residential zones. This includes the first six metres of front yard driveway depth, which does not currently factor into legally required parking space. These changes are intended to assist in the creation of housing units in situations where people don’t have the land available for required parking under the current bylaw.
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Lack of French-language programs at Laurentian could lead to teacher shortages
While Laurentian University has kept some of the francophone programming it had before the cuts made as part of its insolvency restructuring this spring, francophone leaders in Sudbury say it is not enough to keep those who wish to study in French here. One such career is in education, an industry already facing severe shortages of French-speaking teachers - so much so that in June, the Ontario government announced an investment of $12.5 million over the next four years to support their recruitment and training. But while that would have once been a boon for both Laurentian University and the Université de Sudbury, it’s not something that francophones who wish to stay in Sudbury can take advantage of. That’s because each potential teacher must learn two “teachables” before they can enter the Faculty of Education, which at Laurentian University is offered in both official languages. However, if you wish to take your teachables in French at Laurentian, you may be out of luck. And as Lyse Lamothe of Planif Sudbury said, it could be unlikely that students will leave town for their bachelor’s degree and return for their teaching degree.
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Ontario reports 715 new COVID cases Sunday
Public Health Ontario reported 715 new COVID cases today.
The latest updates noted 708 recoveries and five deaths, one of which occurred more than one month ago and was added to the cumulative report based on data cleaning.
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New screening program helps identify chronic diseases in Indigenous children who live in remote Canadian communities
A formal study into a medical screening program for Indigenous children from remote Canadian communities has found that the additional screening has been successful in increasing access to appropriate medical care for children who are at increased risk of diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The research report, published Sept. 13 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), outlined how screening was carried out to identify ways to help young people aged 10 to 17 years. The study was carried out by 11 physicians and researchers from several hospitals, universities and health-care agencies in Manitoba. The study included more than 300 children who were part of the screening intervention and additional laboratory testing procedures. It was stated in a previous study, known as The Finished Program, that "Indigenous populations are disproportionately affected by kidney failure at younger ages than other ethnic groups in Canada. As symptoms do not occur until disease is advanced, early kidney disease risk is often unrecognized."
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City staff overcome obstacles by issuing an increasing number of building permits
With staff facing the double-whammy of increased workloads and the COVID-19 pandemic slowing things down, issuing building permits became more complicated in March 2020. That said, City of Greater Sudbury building services director and chief building official Guido Mazza clarified he’s proud of what his staff has been able to accomplish since then.“Resilient, responsible, conscientious -- all the good words you can come up in the dictionary apply to my staff,” he said “We’ve had some major challenges and pivots throughout these 18 months, but I can tell you between my managers and my staff, they’ve been incredible. We couldn’t have done it without the teamwork that I see on a day-to-day basis here.” The province’s benchmark for building permit turnaround is 10 working days, which he said they have been inching beyond, with 2020 recording an average turnaround of 13.7 days.
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City hall considering loosened multi-unit parking requirements
The City of Greater Sudbury is poised to loosen its parking requirements for multi-unit dwellings. Earlier this week, the city’s planning committee, which is composed of five city councillors, unanimously approved a draft zoning bylaw amendment that would require multi-unit dwellings to include a minimum of one parking space per unit. The current requirement is 1.5 parking spaces per unit, and the change would affect both Shopping Centre Commercial (C5) and Low Density Residential Two (R2-3) zones.
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Warm, sunny day to start the week
Environment Canada is calling for a mainly sunny start to the week with a high of 24 C. With the humidex, it will feel more like 27 C. Tonight, it is projected to be cloudy, with a low of 17 C and a 40 per cent chance of showers.