Good morning, Nickel City! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Friday morning.
Gas prices to take a big dip for long weekend, analyst says
Provincewide gas prices are expected to drop significantly in the next 48 hours, providing some much-needed relief for those travelling on the roads this long weekend. Roger McKnight, chief petroleum analyst with En-Pro International Inc., told CityNews Ottawa the price of gas is likely to drop three cents on Thursday (today) and will further dip eight more cents by Friday at most stations. McKnight says that Friday’s drop will see gas prices fall below $2 a litre ($1.989) in southern Ontario. In the North, where the price is generally considerably higher than in the south, the price isn't likely to fall below $2 in most areas. The fuel cost has risen steadily in recent weeks. On April 20 in Sudbury, the price jumped 24 cents to 196.6 a litre. From there, it hovered near that price for a few weeks before jumping to more than $2 a litre around May 3. It climbed further, hitting 209 a litre or so about a week ago before spiking dramatically this week to more than $2.20 a litre.
Advance voting opens as leaders fan out across the province
Advance voting locations opened yesterday in Ontario as party leaders fanned out across the province to pitch voters on their platforms. Voting day is officially set for June 2 but people can start casting ballots early as of today. The advance voting period will run until May 28, with venues open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. New Democrat Leader Andrea Horwath was set to visit Northern Ontario for a jobs announcement in Sault Ste. Marie as part of a northern tour, but had to cancel after testing positive for COVID-19. Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford was scheduled to be in the Niagara Region with expected stops in Niagara-on-the-Lake and St. Catharines. Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca was in Mississauga for a scheduled stop, while Green Leader Mike Schreiner is isolating at home after testing positive for COVID-19.
Bryan Adams runs to Sudbury on Oct. 17
As part of a cross-country tour this summer, Bryan Adams will be making a stop in Sudbury on Oct. 17 at Sudbury Arena. Tickets will go on sale May 27 at 10 a.m. on the Greater Sudbury website. The platinum-selling and Grammy Award-winning musician, known for hits like ‘I Do It For You’, ‘Cuts like a Knife’, ‘Run To You’ and the anthem that is ‘Summer of ‘69’, Adams is touring in support of his 15th studio album, So Happy It Hurts, released in March 2022. Not only considered an iconic Canadian musician, Adams also has three Academy Award nominations and five Golden Globe nominations. You can purchase tickets for the one night love affair here.
Final submissions in Cady trial took place yesterday
Crown counsel continued its cross-examination of Michael Cady on Wednesday, suggesting Cady knew very well that his wife was stealing money from Henninger’s Diesel to pay for their “toys” and lavish lifestyle. Michael Cady pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of laundering the proceeds of crime and possession of property obtained by crime after his wife, Karen Cady, stole more than $1 million from Henninger’s Diesel. Michael Cady is being represented by defence lawyer Glenn Sandberg. Karen Cady was sentenced to four years in prison in September last year after she pleaded guilty to possession of a fraudulent document used in the commission of an indictable offence and fraud over $5,000. This was Karen Cady's third fraud conviction in the past 15 years. She was further sentenced to one year concurrent to another offence relating to possession of a forged document. The Crown alleges that between Feb. 10, 2016 and May 21, 2020, a total of $306,677.29 in fraudulently obtained funds flowed into assets owned and registered to Michael Cady. Those funds were filtered through his Northern Credit Union account, said the Crown. On Tuesday, he took the stand in his own defence, claiming he was "flabbergasted" when he was arrested and further claiming he had no knowledge his wife had misappropriated $1.2 million from her employer.
Councillor: Front-yard parking visual symptom of ‘slumlords’
With unsightly properties a recurring concern in New Sudbury, two city council members have banded together to host a community meeting at Cedar Park on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann raised the issue during last week’s planning committee meeting, which centered primarily on people parking vehicles on front lawns. She is hosting Thursday’s community meeting alongside Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer, whose constituents in his neighbouring New Sudbury ward have reported similar concerns. In conversation with Sudbury.com this week, Landry-Altmann clarified that improper parking is a visual symptom of the underlying issue brought about mainly by “slumlords” in the area. “We’ve seen an influx of investors,” she said. “They are buying up properties – of course it’s a bidding war … and what’s happening is the cost is being shared by too many tenants.”
Sudbury geoscientist to receive prestigious national award
A Sudbury-based minerals researcher is receiving a prestigious accolade from the Geological Association of Canada (GAC). Dr. Stéphane Perrouty, a geoscientist with the Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC), will be awarded the William Harvey Gross Award from the GAC’s Mineral Deposits Division during the association’s 2022 meeting, taking place May 15-18 in Halifax. The award is bestowed annually to a geoscientist who is under the age of 40 who has made a significant contribution to the field of economic geology in a Canadian context. “The contribution on which the award is based may relate to studies that include all aspects of what is generally referred to as economic geology, and which represents the broad spectrum of fields to which Bill Gross contributed,” notes the GAC in its award synopsis. “These include mineral exploration and development, scientific research either applied or fundamental, and field based studies.”
Cool, wet Friday paves for cool, wet weekend
Expect a high of 16 with showers and the risk of a thunderstorm. Up to 15 mm of rain is expected. The wind will be out of the southeast at 20 km/h, gusting to 40, before swinging to the southwest at 20, and again, gusting to 40. The UV index today is three, or moderate. Tonight, expect more showers and a low of 10.
