Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Wednesday morning.
Hospital says it's pulling the stops to address staff shortages
Health Sciences North (HSN) in Sudbury, the largest hospital in Northern Ontario, said it is taking steps to address the current staff shortage there. The shortage issue has been the focus of sharp criticism from health-care unions, politicians and members of the public through social media. HSN said new efforts are underway to cope with the shortage and the backlash. This includes things like voluntary standby, paying shift incentives for call-ins, paying licence fees for new nursing graduates, and inviting recent retirees to come back and help out or to mentor new staff. "Like other hospitals in Ontario, HSN has been experiencing significant staffing challenges across our organization particularly over the last two months in acute, emergency and critical care areas," said HSN communications manager Jason Turnbull. "There are many reasons for the current provincial staffing situation including retirements, people choosing other employment options and a limited number of new graduates to recruit."
Inquest into 2015 Sudbury mining death to be held in August
The province has rescheduled an inquest into the 2015 mining-related death of Richard Pigeau in Sudbury. Pigeau died on Oct. 15, 2015 from injuries sustained while working at Glencore’s Nickel Rim South Mine. An inquest into the fatality is mandatory under the Coroners Act. Originally scheduled for April 2020, the inquest was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pigeau died after he was thrown from, and run over by, an underground vehicle. In 2017, Glencore was fined $200,000 for the incident, after pleading guilty to failing as an employer to provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker to protect the safety of the worker, contrary to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, specifically to failing to provide sufficient information regarding the use of the seatbelt while operating a load haul dump (LHD). The inquest will start at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 29.
Two men found dead in separate wooded areas in Elliot Lake
Two men were found dead in wooded areas in Elliot Lake in recent separate incidents. The East Algoma OPP say that on July 23, a caller reported locating a deceased person in a wooded area north of Elliot Lake, near the Pipeline Road. A 67-year-old man was confirmed deceased. On July 25, a caller reported locating a deceased person in a wooded area near Esten Drive North. A 72-year-old man was confirmed deceased. These occurrences are not related in any way, nor is there any foul play suspected at this time. There is no threat to public safety.afety. The East Algoma crime unit and the OPP Forensic Identification Services (FIS) assisted with the investigations. These investigations are ongoing under the direction of the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OCC-OFPS). Post mortem examinations are expected to take place in Sault Ste. Marie at a later time.
Teen charged for fatal June 26 crash near Nairn Centre
Manitoulin OPP have laid charges related to a June 26 fatal crash on Highway 17 that claimed the life of a Nairn Centre man. On June 26, Manitoulin OPP and Manitoulin-Sudbury Paramedic Services responded to a two-vehicle crash on Highway 17 at Sand Bay Road. The crash occurred around 1 p.m. that day and kept Highway 17 closed for several hours while police investigated. The victim was later identified as 66-year-old Fern Belanger of Nairn Centre. The driver of the other vehicle, an 18-year-old from Espanola, sustained minor injuries in the crash and has been charged with one count each of careless driving causing death and careless driving causing bodily harm. The teen is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Espanola on Aug. 18.
Laurentian hosted some of Canada’s brightest teens this July
Laurentian University played host to 55 of Canada’s brightest teens for the month of July, as the university participated in the Shad Canada program. The Shad program for high-achieving high school students is offered at 20 participating universities across Canada, and focuses on experiences in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM). Thomas Merritt, a professor in the School of Natural Sciences at Laurentian and one of the organizers of the program, said “it’s a big deal” for LU to host Shad, something that has been five years in the making. Officially, Laurentian first hosted Shad in 2021, but due to the pandemic, the program was virtual last year. This is the first time the Shad students have physically been on Laurentian’s campus. There is a rigorous application process, which goes in-depth into both the students' academics and extra-curriculars.
Local 11-year-old musician drops a new song cover
Emi Peralta, a young Sudburian and new Canadian Sudbury.com featured in late December 2021, is back with a new video. Emi recently released a new music video for her cover of Grammy Award-winning song, ‘Driver’s License’ by Olivia Rodrigo. The young musician was inspired to do the music video as a birthday present to her best friend, who loves the song. Emi (short for Emilia) Peralta Castillo is a student at MacLeod Public School and a talented multi-instrumentalist, who can play the ukulele, guitar, bass guitar, drums and piano. She has been singing and making music since 2018 and with her father’s help, they launched a YouTube channel in 2020 to further the passion for music. The family of three, including Emi’s mom Blanca Castillo Álvarez, moved to Sudbury in August 2021 from Chile and the transition has been a rather positive experience for the young musician.
Read the full story and watch the video here.
Mainly sunny morning, showers late afternoon
Expect a high of 27 today under mainly sunny skies, at least in the morning. Expect increasing cloudiness as the morning moves on with showers beginning late in the afternoon. There is a risk of a thunderstorm along with those showers. The wind will be southerly at 20 km/h but gusting to 40 in the morning. The humidex value today is 30 and the UV index is five, or moderate. Tonight, expect cloudy skies with a 60-per-cent chance of showers and a low of 16.
