Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Tuesday morning.
City recommends 6% annual water/wastewater rate increases
Water/wastewater rates could begin jumping by a greater percentage in the event that city council members support a recommendation by staff. Annual increases of six per cent have been proposed in a staff report which city council members will vote on during their April 22 finance and administration committee meeting. The long-range financial plan update follows through on a recommendation by consultants at BMA Management Consulting Inc. to help pay for a municipal infrastructure spending gap. At six per cent, annual increases would exceed the 4.8 per cent city council members have approved during the past few budget cycles. The real-life impact for an average residential user is a rate increase of $95.8 next year (compared to $72.1 under this year’s 4.8-per-cent increase).
Kazakhstan trade mission could mean big dollar signs for Sudbury mining suppliers
With the City of Greater Sudbury planning to lead a trade mission to the central Asian country of Kazakhstan in June, the person heading the mission is confident it will open the door to more mining partnerships between local mining supply firms and new ventures in that country. Elena Zabudskaya, a business development officer with the city, said she is hopeful the mission she leads will be as beneficial to Sudbury as was the huge Oyo Tolgoi mining operation in Mongolia. Oyu Tolgoi is a massive copper and gold mining operation owned by Rio Tinto, one of the world's largest mining companies. Several Sudbury-based and Northern Ontario companies have been part of that project, which began construction in 2010 and commenced open pit production in 2013. This included Rainbow Concrete, Variant Mining and Redpath Mining of North Bay. Zabudskaya, who has become a familiar face at Canadian mining conferences and other venues where mining developments are talked about, said Kazakhstan should open the door for Canadian companies that provide mining products and services.
Meet the so-called 'bed-blockers' in Ontario's hospitals
One 68-year-old man was in the hospital for four years, hooked up to a feeding tube, breathing tube and a ventilator. An 82-year-old man required dialysis, a feeding tube and a mechanical lift to get out of bed. Another patient had a bed sore down to the muscle and couldn't move his arms or legs. All of them were "alternate level of care" (ALC) patients, meaning the hospital believes they should no longer be there — and if they or their loved ones disagree, they could be fined for refusing to move. Internal hospital documents obtained by The Trillium illustrate the complex needs of these patients, who sometimes can't afford private care, have no family to look after them and medical issues advocates say are too severe for long-term care.
Extendicare says all compliance issues at Countryside resolved
All outstanding compliance issues at the Extendicare Countryside nursing home in Sudbury have been looked after, said the corporate communications office of Extendicare. The company was responding to inquiries from Sudbury.com following the most recent inspection report provided by the Ontario Ministry of Long Term Care. Extendicare said there is usually a delay between the time when an inspection report occurs, and the time (often many days later) when the report is published online. "By the time the report is available on the Ministry’s website, many concerns have already been addressed by the home," said Extendicare in an email response. In addition, the company said all outstanding compliance orders have been acted on.
Sudbury soccer tourney returns to original ‘Coppa Caruso’ name
The Sudbury Regional Competitive Soccer League said it is “thrilled” its annual summer tournament is reclaiming what the league vice-president calls its “original identity.” This week, the league (SRCSL) announced the Caruso Club has returned as the main sponsor of its August tournament. “The Sudbury Regional Competitive Soccer League (SRCSL) is proud to announce the official return of the Caruso Club Soccer Tournament, one of Sudbury’s most beloved sporting traditions,” the league said in a news release. “In partnership with the historic Società Caruso, the tournament will be restored to its original name and heritage, now officially known as Coppa Caruso.” The tournament was founded in 1992 by the Società Caruso, which sponsored the tournament for 20 years until 2012. SRCSL revived the tournament in 2014 as the Sudbury Star Cup, a name it has maintained until now. The league said having Società Caruso back “marks a significant and symbolic restoration of the tournament’s roots.”
These balls are fighting testicular cancer at Rhythm ‘n’ Cues
How about a few games of nine-ball for testicular cancer? April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month so come out for a night of nine-ball at Rhythm & Cues on April 25 to raise funds to fight testicular cancer. Cheekily titled the “Ball in Hand” event, the 9-Ball Tournament at Rhythm 'N Cues, 1855 Lasalle Blvd, is part of a Movember event in support of research and awareness of the disease. The tournament takes place April 25 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 with all proceeds going to the Movember Foundation. The Movember Canada organization is a registered charity dedicated to raising awareness of testicular cancer, men’s health in general, and advising men of things they should be aware of regarding their bodies and how to get medical attention if something doesn't feel right. Movember said testicular cancer is the number one cancer in younger men in Canada.
