Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Saturday morning.
Public Health Sudbury concerned as COVID-19 surges again locally
There is a good chance the local COVID-19 risk level — currently in the moderate range — could spike to “high risk” in the coming week, given the current trends, Public Health Sudbury & Districts said today. In a news release, the health unit said it continues to monitor virus trends in the region and is concerned “by that increasing trends signal a resurgence of COVID-19 spread in the community. “Following a two-week uptick of COVID-19 trends, it’s vitally important that people take extra steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, the region’s medical officer of health. “The BA.5 subvariant of Omicron is now the dominant sub-variant in the province. Emerging data on BA.5 suggest it has similar severity to previous Omicron sub-variants, but it is likely more transmissible.” Sutcliffe said the variant also seems to show increased reinfection rates among those who were infected with earlier strains of Omicron. “For all these reasons, I am reminding people to use as many layers of personal protection as possible to protect yourself, your close ones, and our health care system. The message, Public Health Sudbury said, is the pandemic is surging again locally.
Read the full story on the Sudbury.com homepage.
Laurentian’s creditors must OK plan to settle university’s debts
After a year and a half of insolvency proceedings, Laurentian University filed its long-awaited proposed plan of arrangement documents before the courts July 21, with an expected pool of cash of up to $53.5 million for its creditors. A plan of arrangement is a plan put forward by an insolvent organization to pay out its creditors, and it must be approved by these creditors. Laurentian continues to undergo court-supervised restructuring after declaring insolvency in February 2021, and filing for creditor protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (or CCAA). As it revealed details of the plan of arrangement, Laurentian also announced July 21 what it termed the “pending retirement” of the university’s president, Robert Haché, as well as its provost and vice-president, academic, Marie-Josée Berger. The university said the retirements of these two senior administrators, to be effective prior to the emergence from the CCAA, is “part of the plan of arrangement materials” filed Thursday. An interim president and provost will be appointed, and the formal search process to identify a permanent president, in consultation with the Laurentian community, will be commenced.
Centre supporting Black entrepreneurs opens in Sudbury
Mandated with helping Black entrepreneurs get businesses rolling, the Northern Ontario Black Economic Empowerment Program (NOBEEP) opened in downtown Sudbury this week. The initiative was made possible through a $1.15-million grant from FedNor the Afro-Heritage Association of Sudbury applied for and received earlier this year. The goal during the two years of operations this funding allows for will be helping more than 70 Black-led businesses start up, scale up and create sustainable jobs. “This program doesn’t reinvent the wheel or duplicate a service,” interim executive director and co-founder Charles Nyabeze told Sudbury.com, adding it’s intended to help Black entrepreneurs navigate culture and bureaucracy from start to finish in making dreams a reality. “There are services in this community, but if you’re new to this country and you speak different and you look different, you have a more difficult time accessing those services than someone born here and has an established network.”
Water damage repaired at Onaping Falls Community Centre
After a wave of public attention via last week’s council meeting and a media visit, the city has pushed forward with long-sought repairs to the Onaping Falls Community Centre. “This crew is working here at lightning speed,” Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier said, a wide smile stretching across his face as he watched a crew of contractors fix a small water-damaged room and install a wall to close the area off to the public on Wednesday. Although he clarified the repair crew’s arrival earlier that day was nothing but good news, Montpellier also said it should have been done years ago and much more work is needed. During last week’s city council meeting, Montpellier introduced a successful motion for the city to draft a business case for Onaping Falls Community Centre upgrades and repairs to come up during 2023 budget deliberations. He also raised concerns regarding immediate repair needs at the building, such as the water-damaged room, which were supported by Mayor Brian Bigger.
Happy birthday! The Big Nickel turns 58
The Big Nickel is synonymous with Greater Sudbury and Friday marked the roadside attraction's 58th birthday. Not only is the giant coin a shining example of Sudbury's rich mining history, it has become one of Canada's most iconic landmarks. After spending so many years underneath the glow of our Big Nickel, it's easy to forget how this 13,000 kg structure found its home on the hills of Dynamic Earth, but Ted Szilva's monumental creation is not to be overlooked. Szilva passed away in 2016 at the age of 81, but his creation still stands as a testament to what a person with a dream can achieve. Since being proposed as a way to mark Canada's 100th birthday back in 1963, the Big Nickel has been a leader in Northern Ontario tourism, helping inject tourism dollars into the local economy and global awareness for Sudbury's industry potential. The 1951 Canadian nickel replica is about 64,607,747 times the size of a real Canadian nickel at a height of nine meters, and is comprised of 94 per cent steel, 3.5 per cent copper and only two per cent nickel.
OLG announces $516K payment to Greater Sudbury
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has announced a $516,541 payment to the City of Greater Sudbury for hosting Gateway Casinos Sudbury. The amount is determined by a formula applied consistently across all gaming sites in Ontario and covers the fiscal year’s first quarter (April 1 - June 30). “OLG’s land-based casinos are once again providing an important stream of revenue to gaming host communities through Municipality Contribution Agreements,” Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said in a media release. “Municipalities rely on this funding to maintain essential programs and services, and to help improve the lives of people across Ontario.”
Mix of sun and showers for the weekend
Expect a mix of sun and cloud today with a 30-per-cent chance of showers in the afternoon. The will become westerly in the morning at 30 km/h, gusting to 50. Today’s high is 29 with a humidex value of 34. The UV index today is eight, or very high. Tonight, expect cloudy periods and a 40-per-cent chance of showers with a low of 19. For Sunday, expect cloudy skies and showers periodically during the day and a high of 25. For tomorrow night, the skies will stay cloudy with a 60-per-cent chance of showers and a low of 12.
