Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Wednesday morning.
Family members still concerned by care at Extendicare Countryside
As Sudbury's Extendicare Countryside continues to operate under a Cease Admissions order, family members of residents continue to express disappointment in the way the home is operating. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care issued the Cease Admissions order on Dec. 16, 2024. In response to the original story about how Sudbury’s newest nursing home is not allowed to accept new patients, several individuals contacted Sudbury.com to outline their concerns for loved ones living at Countryside. The order forbidding the facility from accepting new patients was issued by Brad Robinson, director of the Long-Term Care Inspections Branch for the ministry. Robinson was responding to a number of inspection reports carried out at the Countryside nursing home that showed several issues of non-compliance with the Fixing Long Term Care Act (FLTCA), essentially the rule book for LTC homes that was passed in April 2022 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pursuit: For Team Gordon, a little greyer, curling never gets old
“It never gets old.” For a quartet of local curlers who have enjoyed the most sustained success of their careers once they started competing in the Seniors (50+) and Masters (60+) divisions, this proclamation from lead Doug Hong carries with it more than just a touch of irony. Fourteen years after combining forces with Dion Dumontelle, Ron Henderson and Robbie Gordon, Hong and friends are preparing for their sixth visit to a national championship, their second in the Masters bracket following four journeys as Northern Ontario Curling Association (NOCA) Senior champs. A 7-2 Team Gordon win over the defending champion Bruce Munro / Al Harnden rink in Long Lac two weeks ago finds the Northern Credit Union Community Centre (NCUCC) representatives travelling to Sault Ste Marie in April for the 2025 Canadian Masters playdowns. All in their mid-sixties, the foursome are bonded by lengthy ties, some far lengthier than others. Henderson and Dumontelle have curled together since their high school days, with virtually no parting of the ways over the course of the ensuing half century or so.
Dan McCourt, longtime NHL linesman from Sudbury, has passed away
Dan McCourt of Sudbury, a longtime National Hockey League linesman, passed away Jan 20 after a long illness. He was 70 years old. Inducted into the Greater Sudbury Sports Hall of Fame in 2015, McCourt spent 25 years as an NHL linesman, from 1979 to 2004, and then serving as an officiating manager for more than a decade after taking off his skates and striped shirt. McCourt was a talented junior player in his youth, but he didn’t attract the attention of scouts like his brother Dale McCourt did (who played in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs between 1977 and 1984) or his uncle, George Armstrong (Hockey Hall of Famer who played 21 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, was captain for 13 years and won four Stanley Cups). But he loved hockey and wanted to stay close to the game.
Wild police chase on Hwy 17 leads to 28 charges for Sudbury man
A Sudbury man is facing 28 charges after leading police on a wild chase on Highway 17 on Jan. 17. The incident, which began in Baldwin Township (McKerrow) at 8:30 p.m. that evening, involved a high-speed chase, driving on the wrong side of the road, ramming a police cruiser and the deployment of a spike belt to end the chase finally. Things began when a vehicle triggered the Automated Licence Plate Recognition of a patrolling Manitoulin Detachment Ontario Provincial Police cruiser. “When police attempted to stop the vehicle, it fled at a high rate of speed,” the OPP said in a news release.” Police searched for the vehicle and eventually located it driving in Whitefish River First Nation territory. OPP attempted to stop the vehicle again, but it rammed a Sudbury detachment OPP cruiser and fled again.
Deceased person found on St. Joseph Island IDed as Sudbury man
A deceased person found on St. Joseph Island has been identified as a 52-year-old Sudbury man. The East Algoma OPP responded Jan. 6 to a report of a deceased person located in the vicinity of P Line Road, in Jocelyn Township. The man was identified as Corey Hynes of Sudbury. The East Algoma OPP Crime unit is continuing the investigation under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch in conjunction with the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service. Anyone with any information is asked to contact the East Algoma OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222- 8477 (TIPS) or visit ontariocrimestoppers.ca where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000. The investigation is ongoing. Further information will be provided when it becomes available.
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with Sudbury’s Vietnamese community
You can join the Vietnamese Association of Sudbury on Jan. 25 to celebrate the Lunar New Year, hosted at the Caruso Club, 385 Haig St. Featuring authentic Vietnamese food, cultural activities, lion dancing, a fashion show and an Ao Dai contest — a pageant that celebrates the traditional silk tunic and pants that are the national dress of Vietnam — there will also be lucky money, which is a traditional gift of money in a red envelope to bring good fortune, health and prosperity, as well as lucky fruits, which in Vietnamese culture are the kumquat, pomelo and watermelon. There will also be games and calligraphy available. Tickets must be purchased in advance, no tickets will be available at the door. Adult tickets are $60 or $100 for a VIP ticket. Student tickets are $35 and children under five are free. For more information, email [email protected].