Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Thursday morning.
Letterkenny studio eyes three-year lease of Capreol Arena
The Capreol Arena has been targetted as a film studio for at least the next three years in what the area’s city council representative considers a boon to the community. “It really is a good economic impact and more of a sustained economic impact than what that pad used to offer from an ice perspective, where it had very low utilization in the winter months only,” Ward 7 Coun. Mike Jakubo said. “It’s a real positive for the area, for sure.” The studio would be used to accommodate filming of the television series Letterkenny and its spin-off series, Shoresy, both of which have a history of filming in Greater Sudbury and the Capreol Arena in specific. An application by Letterkenny/Get’Er Done Productions/New Metric Media for a three-year lease of the Capreol Arena’s otherwise unused first pad will be under consideration at the Aug. 8 planning committee meeting. Pad No. 1 was closed early in the pandemic, which shifted all ice use to pad No. 2, which Jakubo said it was able to accommodate.
Local family wins more than $525,000 in hospital 50/50 draw
A family group in Sudbury was doing the happy dance on the weekend after learning they had won Sudbury's monthly 50/50 draw in support of the Health Sciences North (HSN) Foundation, the Northern Cancer Foundation, and the HSN Volunteer Association. Michéle Beaulieu, her mom Rita Blais and her sisters Lyse Lamothe and Monique Desforges will be sharing more than half a million dollars. They had ticket number Z-21559379 and won the July HSN 50/50 take-home jackpot of $525,475. The ticket was purchased by Michéle but was a shared venture. “We’ve been buying tickets individually for a long time, but only started buying together in January. We were hoping it might bring us some extra luck,” said Beaulieu. “It’s hard to believe we’re standing here with a cheque. On Friday we were all talking about how lucky this month’s winner is and the next thing I know my phone rang with a call from HSN. I was out at camp, but I FaceTimed everyone right away. We are just so surprised.”
Vote ‘no’ on plan of arrangement, fired Laurentian faculty say
Eleven members of a group calling themselves the Terminated Faculty Committee have signed a letter urging their colleagues to reject the proposed Laurentian University plan of arrangement. A plan of arrangement is a plan put forward by an insolvent organization to pay out its creditors, and it must be approved by those creditors. Learn more about them here. 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). Provided the plan of arrangement is approved by Laurentian’s creditors, the university hopes to seek a “sanction order motion” to exit insolvency on Oct. 5. The signatories to the letter laid out five reasons they are urging some 90 of their terminated colleagues to reject the university’s rhetoric about the implications of rejecting the plan of arrangement and vote no anyway. The letter was signed by Crestina Beites, Thierry Bissonnette, François Boudreau, Eduardo Galiano-Riveros, Youssou Gingue, Rachel Haliburton, Vassilios Kazakidis, David Leadbeater, Stephanie Martens, John Peters and Reuben Roth.
Timmins doctor charged with sexual assault, forcible confinement
A Timmins doctor is facing a number of serious charges, including sexual assault and forcible confinement. Dr. Ali Mahmoudi, 52, who is an orthopedic surgeon with privileges at Timmins and District Hospital (TADH) was charged by Timmins Police on Friday, July 29. The arrest came after an investigation into sexual assault allegations that police say occurred between 2018 and July 2022. The alleged criminal acts were committed against a woman, say police. He has been charged with two counts of assault, forcible confinement, two counts of extortion, two counts of sexual assault, two counts of sexual assault causing bodily harm, and publication of an intimate image without consent. None of the allegations have been tested in court. TADH communications specialist Kaileigh Russell said the hospital has been notified of the criminal investigation. "At present, Dr. Mahmoudi is not providing patient care at the Timmins and District Hospital," she said. Mahmoudi was released from police custody on Saturday, July 30. He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 16 to answer to the charges.
Teens arrested after man shot in the face with a pellet gun
A New Sudbury man suffered minor injuries after being shot in the face with a pellet gun on Aug. 2. Greater Sudbury Police report officers were dispatched to a home on Arvo Street at around 3:20 p.m. on Aug. 2 regarding a weapons complaint. “Information provided was that three youths had attended the residence and got into a verbal and physical altercation with the residents,” GSPS said. “As a result of the altercation, one of the youths shot the homeowner in the face with a pellet gun. The three youths left the area on foot prior to police arrival.” The 46-year-old sustained minor injuries as a result. Officers were provided with physical and clothing descriptions of the three youths, as well as their direction of travel. It didn’t take long for police to track them down. The trio of teens was located in the area of Falconbridge Road and Lasalle Boulevard and arrested without incident.
Spartans host Raiders in quarter-final action Saturday
The Sudbury Spartans host the Toronto Raiders in quarter-final Northern Football Conference action on Aug. 6. The team closed out the regular season on July 23, dropping the Sault Ste. Marie Steelers 27-25 to lock in their playoff spot. It also means Sudbury ended the Sault’s perfect season. The kickoff time for the quarter-final match against the Raiders is 7 p.m. at the James Jerome Field. The Raiders are the seventh seeded team in the NFC. On June 11, the last time the two teams met, the Spartans sent Toronto packing 41-20. Tickets are available at the gate for $10. Kids 12 and under get in free.
Cloudy, humid day in the forecast
Expect a cloudy, humid day for your Thursday. The high today is 24 with a humidex value of 30. The UV index today is five, or moderate. Tonight, the skies will clear and the temperature will drop to 12.
