Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Wednesday morning.
Online fundraisers set up for man injured at Flour Mill silos
It’s still ‘touch and go’ with a long road to recovery for the 27-year-old man who was injured on the job at the Flour Mill silos on Monday. This, according to two GoFundMe campaigns set up to support Cameron Stone and his family through this difficult time, both of which his family members have shared on their own social media accounts. Click here for a GoFundMe campaign set up by his cousin, Alora Violet-Marie Kerr, and here for a campaign set up by friend Breanne Ross. As of mid-day today, the campaigns had raised more than $4,000. “He’s a tough cookie, but it’s going to be a VERY long road to recovery,” Kerr wrote in her campaign’s statement, noting that the funds raised are meant to help with any expenses the family might face. Stone’s wife, Brittany Sheahan, is currently caring for their infant daughter, Serenity, who was born less than two months ago.
Gas prices spike to more than $2.24 a litre
In the Greater Sudbury region, drivers have become used to the Tuesday price hike, but today’s jump takes the cake, climbing more than 13 cents over Monday. Several stations across the city have moved the price up yesterday afternoon to $2.24.9 a litre. There are still several stations particularly in Chelmsford and Lively, selling fuel for between 206.9 and 209.9 as of yesterday afternoon. On Sunday, the national price was at $2.06 a litre on average but records were still being broken. In Vancouver that day, the price was $2.37 a litre while Montreal saw prices rise to about the level Greater Sudbury is seeing today.
Parts of Sudbury rumble from seismic event at Garson mine
Earthquakes Canada has confirmed to Sudbury.com that a “mining-related seismic event” took place at Garson mine, and register a 3.1 on the Richter scale, what Earthquakes Canada considers a fairly substantial event, and the reason so many Sudburians felt the earth move at approximately 3:46 this morning. Vale spokesperson Danica Pagnuitti confirmed the event was mining-related, occurring at the company’s Garson Mine. Though Earthquakes Canada measured 3.1, Vale is reporting an approximate 3.3. “A seismic event occurred at Vale’s Garson Mine at approximately 3:45 this morning measuring approximately 3.3 in magnitude,” said Pagnuitti in email correspondence. “No one was injured during the event and we immediately implemented our internal seismic response protocol to ensure the safety of our workforce.” Pagnuitti stated that operations will “ramp Up” following inspection and as the seismic levels in the region subside.
Low voter turnout last week wasn't as low as in 1911, here's why
Last week’s voter turnout was a modern-history low for a general provincial election locally, but not the lowest-ever recorded in the Greater Sudbury area. The 1911 voter turnout in the Sudbury electoral district earns the distinction, with only 29.2 per cent of eligible voters turning out to cast a ballot. Given the fact that women weren’t allowed to vote in Ontario until April 12, 1917, the term “eligible voters” carried even greater weight then than it does today. Next up after 1911 when it comes to low voter turnout was the Sudbury electoral district turnout of 39.7 per cent in 2015, but that was for a byelection and not a general election. The 1905 election in the Nipissing West electoral district (which was retooled as part of the Sudbury electoral district in 1908) is next with a voter turnout of 43.8 per cent. Last week’s election is the next-lowest on the list, with a turnout of 45.5 per cent recorded in Sudbury and 43.9 per cent recorded in Nickel Belt for an overall voter turnout of 44.7 per cent.
FedNor drops $8.7 million in tourism dollars across the North
FedNor dished out more than $8.7 million to tourism operators, organizations and communities across Northern Ontario last week to assist with the pandemic reopening rebound. A news release from the federal funding agency said the pandemic had an “undeniable impact” on the tourism sector. Dipping into the Tourism Relief Fund should help with the preparations to welcome back travellers and vacationers. Thunder Bay-Superior North and Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu made the June 4 announcement of investments totally $8,750,385 to support 58 tourism projects across the region.
Cambrian encouraging more applicants for free PSW training
Cambrian College in Sudbury said it is again taking part in an accelerated program to provide tuition-free training for more Personal Support Workers (PSWs) to meet the growing demand in Ontario. The college said the special PSW Accelerated program was introduced last year, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, to address the shortage of PSWs. "The demand for more PSWs continues this year even as the world emerges from the worst of the pandemic," said a news release from Cambrian. The college said the accelerated PSW program includes the following features: no tuition fee and funding for expenses; a condensed schedule that allows students to graduate in six months, and; a paid work placement/opportunity in the final three months of the program. Cambrian said it was important to note that the government funding for tuition and supply costs is available for Canadian students only and only applies to the July 2022 program delivery.
Mix of sun and cloud, chance of showers today
Expect a mix of sun and cloud for your Wednesday with a high of 21. There is a 60-per-cent chance of showers this afternoon. Fog patches will dissipate over the morning. The wind will be out of the southwest at 20 km/h in the afternoon. The UV index today will be eight, or very high. Tonight, expect cloudy periods and a low of 11.
