Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are some stories to start your day.
Laurentian University brings back masking
If you plan to be on the Laurentian University campus, keep in mind that as of Sept. 1, the university will require masks to be worn in certain situations. The university has announced it is resuming its Face Coverings Policy, which had been paused over the summer months. This is after discussions with campus leaders, colleagues at other post-secondary institutions, and public health officials. As of Sept. 1, the university will require masks in all instructional spaces (classrooms, labs, teaching spaces; studios) where two metres of distance cannot be maintained between individuals. Laurentian said it has updated the Mask Use Guidelines and people refresh their understanding of the guidelines. Read more here.
Program that attracts immigrants to Northern Ontario extended
A program attracting skilled immigrants to Northern Ontario will be around for a little longer. The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) has been extended to 2024 and the boundaries for seven of the 11 participating communities have been expanded. Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser was at College Boreal in Timmins to announce the changes and hear from people involved in the program. Other changes announced today include expanding the range of job offers available to candidates in the health care and trades sector, helping community partners provide greater support to candidates and employers, and reducing the amount of money participants are required to have. Timmins is one of the communities seeing its boundaries extended. The area now covers the Highway 11 corridor from Hearst to the Cobalt area and west on Highway 101 to Foleyet. The geographic boundaries are also expanding for North Bay, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Moose Jaw, Sask., West Kootenay, BC, and Vernon, BC. Maps of the new boundaries are available here. Read the full story on Sudbury.com's home page.
MPP Mantha working to boost Northern Health Travel Grant
In the face of increasing gasoline prices, a Northern Ontario New Democrat MPP is working to boost the Northern Health Travel Grant. Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha has reintroduced legislation, Bill 13, to see the creation of a committee with a mandate to fix and improve the Northern Health Travel Grant (NHTG). The Northern Ontario travel grant is funding provided by the province to help individuals and families travel from remote parts of the North to larger cities to access better health care. Mantha's plan is that the travel grant committee would bring together health care providers in the North, as well as recipients of the NHTG to make recommendations to the Minister of Health. Speaking in the Ontario legislature on Thursday, Mantha expressed the hope that the committee could make recommendations for improving the facilitation of reasonable access to health care services for people in Northern Ontario by means of reasonable, realistic and efficient reimbursement for travel costs. Read the full story.
NOSM U. student receives hall of fame award
NOSM University medical student Nusha Ramsoondar is the recipient of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (CMHF) Award for 2022. The award recognizes medical students who have completed their second year of study and exemplify perseverance, collaboration and an entrepreneurial spirit. Recipients have an established track record of community leadership, superior communication skills and demonstrated interest in advancing knowledge. “I am honoured and grateful to be chosen to receive this award,” said Ramsoondar, in a press release. “I feel very privileged to be a medical student at NOSM University and even more so that I’m able to support my peers through my advocacy efforts. I am fortunate to be part of an environment where I can grow my leadership skills. My experience here reassures me that I’m in the right field of study.” Ramsoondar is from North Bay and completed a Bachelor of Business Administration at Nipissing University, followed by a Master of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan. Currently, she is involved in research focusing on improving social accountability standards across health-care institutions. Read more here.
Let’s Eat: Northern Bread Haus sells sourdough at Sudbury Market
When you grow up with bread and pastries all around you, it is easy to see why you might want to return to those warm and delectable tastes and aromas. Growing up in Switzerland with two bakeries within walking distance, Nicolas Thommen of the Northern Bread Haus admits there was always bread on the table. But he never expected to wake in the wee hours of the morning to make it for a living when he was playing hockey. At age 19, Thommen immigrated to Canada to play hockey for Laurentian University while majoring in Motion Picture Arts and Minoring in Theatre Arts and Indigenous Studies. Upon finishing school, he dabbled in the industry and painted homes until the pandemic hit and he had time on his hands. Learn more here.
Tuesday weather:
Tuesday will be cloudy with a 60 per cent chance of showers. Risk of a thunderstorm in the afternoon. Wind becoming southwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 in the morning. High of 22 C. Humidex 27 C. UV index 4 or moderate. Tuesday night there will be cloudy periods with a low of 11 C.
