Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Friday morning.
Masking mandate ends on Saturday in most settings
Dr. Keiran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health made it official Wednesday when he announced that the masking mandate will end on Saturday. There was some speculation among some Toronto-based media outlets that Moore might extend the mandate, but that did not happen as the Ministry of Health issued a news release Wednesday afternoon. “With high vaccination rates and Ontario’s COVID-19 situation continuing to improve, most of the province’s remaining provincial masking requirements, including on public transit, will expire as of 12:00 a.m. on June 11, 2022," said the release. "To continue providing an additional layer of protection for the most vulnerable, masks will still be required in long-term care and retirement homes. Masking is recommended in higher-risk congregate living settings, such as shelters and group homes," the release continued. "On June 11, 2022, remaining Directives will also be revoked and replaced with Ministry of Health guidance for health care workers and organizations. This includes guidance on when masks should be worn in hospitals and other health care settings."
Woman loses fight to name Laurentian in sexual abuse lawsuit
A judge has rejected arguments by a lawyer who sought the court’s leave to have the stay of proceedings lifted so Laurentian University could be named as a defendant in a $5-million lawsuit related to an alleged historic sexual assault. Laurentian is still currently under creditor protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (or CCAA). While a business (or in this case a university) moves through the insolvency process, the rules under the CCAA prevent any legal claims being made against the insolvent entity while it restructures. This is what’s called “a stay of proceedings.” According to documents filed before the courts, the woman, Barbara Robinson, alleges she was sexually abused by University of Sudbury religion professor John Sahadat in 1979 while a student there. Sahadat passed away in May 2021. None of the allegations made by Robinson have been proven in court. Robinson made a $5-million claim against Laurentian University regarding this matter through its insolvency claims process last summer, but the claim was disallowed. Her lawyer argued a certain section of the CCAA (section 19(2)(b)(i)), which he sees as a “carve out” in the legislation. This could allow an individual to access damages against a "debtor company" under the CCAA, but the argument was rejected.
Even a fire can’t dampen Ryan Benoit’s positivity
Local clothing store Positive Inception is back in business after a fire closed the shop for nearly three months. Owner Ryan Benoit kept a positive attitude through it all — it’s kind of his jam, after all. “So (the business next door) burned down on Feb. 22. We were closed for two-and-a-half months. That was definitely different. I think it was worse than COVID because I didn't know what was going on and dealing with insurance and the state of all the clothes,” Benoit told Sudbury.com in an interview. On Feb. 22 a fire took place at approximately 11 p.m. at a Barber Shop location on Lasalle Boulevard at the Place De Leon strip mall, right next to Positive Inception. Despite the fire being contained to a single unit in this incident, adjoining units suffered smoke and water damage. “But we opened up May 16 and ever since then, everyone's been so awesome. And the community support has always been so great – I think that's what makes the brand what it is.” The clothing brand is a local gem that Benoit started up when he was a Laurentian University student in 2014. Before he was selling his designs out of a store front, Benoit’s clothing store existed, basically, in his backpack.
Get ‘Wild and Scenic’ at Science North’s short-film fest
If you love the beauty of the natural world, the newest event at Science North, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, could be just what you’re looking for. Taking place in the IMAX Theatre at Science North on June 9 at 7 p.m., the film festival contains 10 award-winning short films with topics like nature, adventure, conservation and climate change, wildlife, agriculture, and Indigenous cultures. The total length of the film festival is approximately 125 minutes. And you can have all the fun of a film festival with the Science North touch, as the $25 ticket will not only get you access to the festival, but also to the science demonstrations that will be held during intermission. The Wild & Scenic Film Festival was started by the watershed advocacy group, the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), in 2003. The festival’s namesake is in celebration of SYRCL’s landmark victory to receive “Wild & Scenic” status for 39 miles (approx. 62 kilometres) of the South Yuba River in 1999.
Passport backlog leads to lineups, scrambles summer travel plans
Kelly Potter Scott has been looking forward to taking her 10-year-old daughter across the Canadian border for the first time for a girls' getaway in Upstate New York in a couple of weeks. But as she spent hours waiting outside a Toronto passport office, Potter Scott said she had to trust an official's assurances that her daughter will have her documents for the weekend trip with family and friends. "If we don't get it, my daughter just won't be able to come with us, which will be unfortunate," Potter Scott said. "Fingers crossed, we get it in time." She was among dozens of people in a line that stretched down the block Wednesday, some toting fold-up chairs as they shuffled toward the door to submit their passport applications. Some aspiring travellers expressed concern that their summer vacation plans could be scrambled as pent-up pandemic wanderlust fuelled a backlog in passport processing times. Officials have been bracing for a rise in passport demand with the relaxation of COVID-19 border measures, bringing on 600 new employees to help sort through the influx of paperwork. Last month, Service Canada reopened all passport service counters across the country, and additional counters have been added at more than 300 centres.
Nepali momo is definitely a go-go
Tenzing Limbu, the owner of A-One Dumplings in the Elm Place food court, has loved dumplings since he was a child in Kathmandu, Nepal, he told me. Called “momo” in Nepali, they can be served steamed, fried or curried and are the pride of his new restaurant. Run by Limbu, his wife and two daughters, who make the food from scratch using Limbu’s special recipes, the restaurant is just around the bend from their other shop, Nepal Handicrafts, located near the main entrance of the mall. Limbu has travelled many parts of the world, as part of his work as a consultant for a small manufacturing and export company, as well as with his time in the British Army. As a member of the Brigade of Gurkhas out of Nepal, Limbu travelled to Gander, Nova Scotia, in 1996. It was then he fell in love with Canada, but also, a little treasure called a ‘food truck.’ “I loved it,” he said, “I wanted one for myself.” But it would be some time before he would get anywhere close to one.
Read the full story and check out the TikTok here.
Rain, some sun, maybe a thunderstorm today
Expect a mix of sun and cloud today with a 60-per-cent chance of showers and the risk of a thunderstorm this afternoon. Wind will be out of the southwest at 20 km/h in the afternoon. Today’s high is 18 with a UV index of seven, or high. Tonight, the skies will be mainly cloudy with a 60-per-cent chance of showers in the evening and risk of a thunderstorm. Skies will clear overnight with fog patches forming. The wind will be westerly at 20 km/h before becoming light early in the evening. Low of 9.
