Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Tuesday morning.
Health unit discriminated against religious nurse, ruling states
A provincial arbitrator has decided that Public Health Sudbury and Districts discriminated against an employee when she was fired in 2021 for refusing COVID-19 vaccination. At the centre of the arbitration is whether the ‘grievor’ — a public health nurse — was discriminated against on the basis creed, when her request for a human rights exemption from PHSD’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy was denied. Arbitrator Robert Herman states that the nurse was, in fact, discriminated against. The grievor, whose name has not been release, worked in health promotion for PHSD and was involved in communicating with the public about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations. She began as a contract employee with PHSD in October of 2020 and became a full-time employee as of September 2021. After the vaccination policy began at PHSD, the grievor filed for exemption on the basis of creed, which was denied. When she was not vaccinated by the deadline given, the grievor was placed on unpaid leave of absence and subsequently terminated for failure to get vaccinated, as required by the vaccine mandate. Of the 556 employees of PHSD, only three refused vaccination, including the grievor.
Masking rules remain in place at Greater Sudbury Airport
Although most remaining mandatory mask rules in Ontario expired Saturday, those required at the Greater Sudbury Airport Terminal remain in place. In a media release issued by the airport largely echoing another one released in March, it’s noted that the airport is governed by federal regulations that maintain COVID-related mandates. The one change to airport regulations is that friends and family of passengers were welcomed to enter the terminal as of last month. Prior to that, only ticketed passengers and airport personnel were permitted in the airport terminal. The Greater Sudbury Airport was awarded the Safe Travels Stamp by the Worldwide Travel & Tourism organization during the pandemic for meeting and exceeding international health standards.
Neelon Casting names added to workers’ memorial wall
Ten more names have been added to the memorial wall at Leo Gerard Memorial Park. The Val Caron park is a place where those who have died due to their employment are commemorated. The 10 workers recently added to the memorial wall are those who were employed by the Sudbury firm at one time known as Neelon Casting, all of whom have been recognized by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) as having died from occupational disease. The car parts manufacturing company opened in 1975 as Neelon Casting, and later changed ownership to become Dana Brake Parts and finally Affinia Canada Corp., finally closing in 2007. Steelworkers Local 2020, which represents the affected workers, has been helping them file for compensation with the WSIB. An investigation is underway by the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW).Since 2020, 200 diagnoses have been claimed, and to date, 10 claims by the estates of deceased workers have been recognized by the WSIB. Diagnoses included asbestosis, silicosis, COPD, mesothelioma, laryngeal cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer, with a few of the workers having multiple diagnoses.
Vale launching $100M venture capital fund
Nickel miner Vale is launching a new venture capital fund to support startups working on solutions to some of mining’s top problems. Announced on June 8, Vale Ventures is a $100-million fund that will be used to invest in companies whose work is focused on four themes: the reduction of carbon emissions, the reduction of waste and environmental impact, speeding up the supply of critical minerals, and the development of disruptive technologies that will change how mines operate. “We will collaborate with forward-thinking startups bringing big ideas and bold thinking to these monumental challenges,” said Viktor Moszkowicz, head of Vale Ventures, in a June 8 news release. “By creating a portfolio of disruptive solutions, we can generate financial and strategic return, and bring new business opportunities, insights, and knowledge to our company, customers and society.”
Major mining conference returns for first time in two years
Hundreds of mining exploration representatives from Sudbury and across Northern Ontario are taking part in the annual convention of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC).. They're joined by thousands of representatives of mining supply businesses, mining technology firms, mine safety companies, mining education and employment firms and actual mining production companies, from around the world. They're taking part in the annual event to share information on new mining properties, to share knowledge on new mining techniques and to consider which mining prospects are worthy of investment. In the past, the the Toronto-based convention has attracted more than 22,000 delegates and participants from around the world. This is the first live convention since the onset of COVID-19, which was declared, incidentally, just days after the last convention was held in Toronto in March of 2020.
Azilda community keeps the pressure on for sidewalks
With Azilda community members keeping the pressure on for new sidewalks along the eastern leg of Notre Dame Street, the city is poised to look at alternatives. Ward 4 Coun. Geoff McCausland plans on asking for city administration to look into it in a motion to be presented at the June 20 operations committee meeting. This is good news, community advocate Reina Bélanger said. “We worked really hard for that,” she said, adding that during an April 29 community meeting, McCausland was presented with a 1,400-name petition requesting a sidewalk expansion. “I wanted to go house to house to find out what the people really wanted, and 99.9 per cent were all for sidewalks; no paved shoulders,” she said. “With paved shoulders, there’s only a white line separating you from the car.” At issue is a longstanding concern among area residents regarding safety along a busy stretch of Notre Dame Street’s eastern leg in Azilda, which leads up to the Tim Hortons.
Read the full story on the Sudbury.com homepage.
Sunny day, cloudy evening for Tuesday
Expect a high of 25 today under sunny skies. The humidex today will make it feel more like 28. The UV index today is nine, or very high. Tonight, the temperature will drop to 16 and clouds will roll in. There is a 40-per-cent chance of showers.
