Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Friday morning.
Cambrian prof amasses nearly 1M followers talking masculinity
Cambrian professor Neil Shyminsky, a self-described “littlest kid in class” became obsessed in his youth with Wolverine, a reluctant hero in the X-men comic book series. But it wasn’t until he went to university he decided that, perhaps, the mighty X-man he looked up to was not quite the role model he thought. “There's no greater empowerment fantasy than the little guy with claws who can't be killed,” said Shyminsky with a laugh. “It wasn't until I reached university and took classes on feminism and gender studies that I realized that, in fact, might be feeding me something a little toxic.” It’s that idea of toxic masculinity that drove Shyminsky to begin studying and researching masculinity, and in particular, through the lens of comic books and graphic novels. Now, after taking these ideas to social media, the professor has almost one million followers across three platforms, with the most followers on TikTok: 400,000.
Accused murderer sentenced to five years in another case
A 28-year-old man could be headed to trial for a murder he allegedly committed in Sudbury while on bail for a crime in York Region, a crime for which he was only just sentenced. David Pusey, 28, was sentenced Jan. 2 to five years in jail for weapons charges laid in 2020, and will find out this week if he will be going to trial for the shooting death of Andrew Mackey, killed Aug. 5, 2023. Pusey is facing charges of second-degree murder after police reported an argument at a social gathering escalated and led to the shooting of 24-year-old Mackey. He was rushed to hospital where he died of his injuries. Pusey is also charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a dangerous weapon, pointing a firearm, careless use of a firearm, possession of a firearm knowing possession is unauthorized, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a prohibited weapon, discharge firearm with intent, breach of release order, and breach of a weapons prohibition in the same case.
Man given bail twice in one night after violent assaults in Cochrane
An Alberta resident arrested twice in one night is accused of forcibly confining a teenager at a hotel, where police say they later tried to suffocate their intimate partner. The accused was also released from police custody twice after separate bail hearings for each of the alleged violent incidents. The serious incidents happened at a Railway Street hotel in Cochrane, said James Bay OPP. The first incident happened on Jan. 4. OPP was called to the hotel around 9 p.m. and says a 14-year-old victim who did not know the accused was assaulted and forcibly confined in a common area of the hotel. A 49-year-old from Chestermere, Alberta, was arrested and charged with forcible confinement and assault with a weapon. Police say the accused was released from custody with conditions and a future court date. Hours later — around 3 a.m. on Jan. 5 — police say first responders received an intimate partner violence call at the same hotel.
AMO: 81,515 were homeless in Ontario in 2024 — up 25% in 2 years
After finding over 80,000 people who experienced homelessness in Ontario last year, the group representing the province’s municipalities is once again raising alarms about the crisis. As a result of what it called “the most ambitious study of homelessness conducted across Ontario,” the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) wrote that the issue has “deepened significantly” recently and “will only get worse if we don’t take action.” AMO estimated in its “Municipalities Under Pressure” report that 81,515 Ontarians experienced “known homelessness” in 2024. The count was based on data the province’s 47 service managers, who help manage homelessness, provided to AMO. “Known homelessness” refers to people who the homelessness-serving system is aware of through their use of shelters, inclusion on service managers’ by-name lists or point-in-time counts, and more. AMO found that more than half of people in Ontario who experienced homelessness last year did so chronically — meaning they were without somewhere to live for prolonged or repeated periods. About one-quarter of the total who experienced chronic homelessness in 2024 were younger than 25 years old, it found.
City undertaking phased-in organizational redesign
A few months after city council members voted to dismiss CAO Ed Archer, the City of Greater Sudbury has announced a redesign of its organizational structure. The new structure still includes four general managers, but department names and certain functions have been altered. “Greater Sudbury is at a pivotal point in its growth, and these changes reflect our city council’s shared vision for a stronger, more efficient organization,” Mayor Paul Lefebvre said in a media release issued by the city on Wednesday. “By realigning departments and focusing on key areas like community wellbeing, growth and development, housing and community safety, and environmental sustainability, we are ensuring the city is better positioned to deliver on council’s strategic priorities and meet the evolving needs of our residents. “This redesign is about building a responsive and future-ready organization that supports the long-term success of our community.”
Vale share prices sinking to lowest rate in nine years
The stock market value of Brazilian base metals giant Vale is declining. The Northern Miner reported Jan. 8 that the value of Vale shares have hit the lowest point since 2016 amid investor concerns over the price of iron ore and nickel, based on analysis from Citibank. The report said share prices for Vale are down by 2.7 per cent so far this year. Share prices were reported at US$8.56 per share on the New Stock Stock Exchange, which placed the company's value at roughly US$38.3 billion, said the report. Over the past 12 months, the company’s shares have plunged 44 per cent. Vale’s shares in Brazil fell by more than 23 per cent in 2024, marking their worst annual return since 2015, said the Northern Miner.