Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Tuesday morning.
Dominic Giroux is the new chair of Ontario Hospital Association
Dominic Giroux has been named as the new chair of the Ontario Hospital Association’s (OHA) board of directors. Giroux is also the president and CEO of Health Sciences North (HSN) and the Health Sciences North Research Institute (HSNRI) in Sudbury, and the former head of Laurentian University. Health Sciences North is Northern Ontario's largest hospital with 4,000 employees, 500 medical staff members, 700 volunteers and 2,100 learners. Giroux has been serving on the OHA Board since 2019. He was elected as chair during the OHA's annual special meeting of members, said an OHA news release. Giroux was commended for the breadth of his experience as a hospital administrator and for his leadership.
Sudbury mining companies adapt in the age of change
Change and adaption are constants in any business. Three senior mining executives, including the heads of Sudbury's two major mining companies, spoke at length at the Maintenance, Engineering and Mine Operators conference in Sudbury this week about how the industry is faring at a time when the demand for critical minerals is high and the availability of skilled labour is low. Mining has always been one of Canada’s industrial cornerstones. Now with the global push to secure battery and high-tech metals, there’s a growing appreciation that the cleaner, greener, net zero global economy can’t be achieved without mineral extraction. What’s being mined in the Sudbury basin is part of that burgeoning new circular economy that’s ending up in the battery materials that power the vehicles now going underground. The industry today adheres to high safety and environmental standards, and is introducing new technologies all the time.
Firefighters raise $44.6K for muscular dystrophy
This year’s Fill the Boot fundraising total hit $44,624.94, with all funds raised by Sudbury Professional Firefighters going to Muscular Dystrophy Canada. “We work very closely with (Muscular Dystrophy Canada) and this money goes a long way, directly supporting people in our community suffering from muscular dystrophy with equipment, transport, research and much more,” Sudbury Professional Firefighters wrote online. “You have shown how great and generous this community is and we are humbled by the overwhelming support.” This year’s event was held in-person, with firefighters banding out throughout the community to seek donations people would often do as the campaign’s name implies and fill a boot with cash. This was a return to form for the annual event, with the past two years’ events forced online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Municipalities band together to oppose federal boundary changes
The Sudbury East Municipal Association’s membership has unanimously approved a resolution opposing a proposed changes to federal electoral boundaries. Members of the organization stated, “reducing the number of members of Parliament in the north will diminish Northern Ontario’s voice in Parliament and will have detrimental effects on participatory democracy and regional development,” according to a release issued by the organization. “Issues in Northern Ontario are quite unique and different from those in Southern Ontario.” SEMA is comprised of the municipalities of French River, Killarney, Markstay-Warren, St. Charles, and West Nipissing. All members of SEMA are currently in the Nickel Belt federal riding, which would become Manitoulin-Nickel Belt under the proposed changes. It would technically no longer be a belt around the Sudbury riding. The riding would stretch from the U.S. border east to encompass Manitoulin Island and the French River region as far east as Noelville, as well as Espanola and Elliot Lake. The northern border of the riding would extend from west of Biscotasi Lake Provincial Park to Obabika River Provincial Provincial Park.
Serresse takes over as coach of LU men’s basketball team
With Laurentian University men’s basketball coach Shawn Swords taking a leave of absence this season, Georges Serresse has stepped up to take his place. “We are excited to have Georges step up and fill in for Shawn this season,” Laurentian athletic director Peter Hellstorm said in a media release. “Having an alumnus like Georges honing his coaching skills within our program allows this transition to be seamless.” Serresse graduated from Laurentian in 2013, after which he played professionally in France for four years before returning home and suiting up for the Sudbury Five for the last three seasons. During these past three seasons, he also returned to Laurentian to serve as assistant coach with the men’s and women’s programs. Swords’ leave of absence is to make time to serve as assistant coach with the Long Island Nets, a G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets. This past summer saw Swords serve as lead assistant for Brooklyn in the NBA’s Summer League, helping guide them to a 3-2 record.
Ontario opens bivalent Omicron-targeted vaccine bookings for all adults
All adults in Ontario can now book an appointment to receive an Omicron-targeted COVID-19 vaccine as of today. The province made the bivalent vaccine available to its most vulnerable populations earlier this month, but said appointments to receive the new shot would be open to all residents 18 or over as of Sept. 26. Health Minister Sylvia Jones says getting a booster dose is especially important with the start of the fall and winter respiratory illness season. The Ministry of Health has said the recommended wait between shots is six months from the last booster dose, but the minimum interval is 84 days. The province is also opening appointments for children between six months and five years old to receive the new pediatric vaccine from Pfizer, offering an alternative to the Moderna shot in use since July. New appointments for both adults and children can be booked through the province's online portal, regional public health unit booking systems, Indigenous-led vaccination clinics, participating health-care providers and pharmacies.
Showers and a high of just 11 today
Expect cloudy skies and a high of 11 today with a 40-per-cent chance of showers. Wind will be out of the north at 20 km/h gusting to 40. The UV index today is two, or low. Tonight, the skies will stay cloudy with a 30-per-cent chance of showers, and a north wind at 30 km/h, gusting to 50. The overnight low is five.
