Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Thursday morning.
Sudbury Santa parade organizers excited for 1st event since 2019
The Greater Sudbury Santa Claus Parade returns Nov. 19 after being absent since 2019 due to COVID-19 restrictions. “Needless to say, I'm very excited,” said the parade’s co-chair, GSPS Const. Rick Carr, speaking at an Oct. 19 press conference where details of this year’s parade were released. “I've been involved in the Santa Claus parade for several years. It's been tough on our community not to be able to celebrate something like this. I think the community buzz on our Facebook page, and through the media, is that everyone's looking forward to it, and as am I.” This year’s parade will be much the same as it was pre-pandemic. Fireworks kick off the parade at around 5:25 p.m., and the parade begins at 5:30 p.m. sharp. The parade route goes from St. Anne Road along Elgin Street, down Larch Street, across Durham Street, back down Elm Street and onto Notre Dame Avenue, where it will be completed. “Citizens will be reminded to come early, as parking will be at a premium,” said Carr. “There are various roads that will be closed as of 1 p.m., and basically the downtown core is closed as of 5 p.m.”
Province tied financial help to Laurentian president’s departure
The provincial government made its financial support of Laurentian University contingent upon the impending departure of the insolvent university’s president, Robert Haché. That bit of information is included in a draft of Laurentian’s 2021-22 financial statements, which are set to be voted on by the university’s board of governors Oct. 21. The province’s support of Laurentian was also contingent upon the renewal of its board of governors, although that fact has been publicly known since last winter. The board of governors has since seen a large turnover, which has included the resignation of former chair Claude Lacroix last December. In July, the university announced the impending retirements of both Haché and provost Marie-Josée Berger as part of its plan of arrangement, which includes as one of its conditions the renewal of senior management (see page 38 of this document).
Join the Great Pumpkin Hunt at Kivi on Oct. 22
Get ready for a spooktacular good time this Saturday (Oct. 22) as Kivi Park once again hosts the Great Pumpkin Hunt from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. “This year we have added more pumpkins to The Great Pumpkin Hunt — 750 pumpkins will be hidden throughout the front of the park,” the park said in a news release. “Each family is to find a pumpkin, take it home and carve It to enter our pumpkin carving contest.” Besides the pumpkin hunt, tons of other fun activities are on the slate, including the S’mores Station, Spooky Story Trail Walk, Halloween Scavenger Hunt and the Freaky Family Photo-shoot. As if that isn’t enough, new activities this year include The Ghostly Bowling Alley, Pumpkin Tic-Tac- Toe and the Chilling Bean Bag Toss.
Holiday Train back in Sudbury Nov. 30 for first time since 2019
Sudburians will have the chance to see the Canadian Pacific (CP) Holiday Train return to the rails next month on its first cross-continent tour in three years. Stopping in Sudbury Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 8:50 p.m., the train will again raise money, food and awareness for local food banks in communities along the CP network. From 9:15 p.m. to 9:45 p.m., award-winning musician and singer-songwriter, Tenille Townes, and Oji-Cree singer-songwriter, Aysanabee, will take to the stage at the event. Holiday Train shows are free to attend, but CP asks attendees to bring a cash or non-perishable food donation if they're able. Collection stations will be set up at each event, with all donations staying with the local food bank to help people in need. Because local food shelves buy food at a discount, cash donations can go further than food donations to help those in need.
‘Energy guy’ DaRohn Scott signed to the Sudbury Five
Another key member has been signed to the Sudbury Five roster for their upcoming 2022-23 season, with forward DaRohn Scott from Grand Rapids, Michigan, joining the team. "DaRohn is an energy guy and fills a spot that The Five needs,” Sudbury Five general manager and head coach Logan Stutz said in a media release. “He brings size, athleticism, and energy and he is already appreciative of the opportunity before him. I am excited to see him capitalize on the opportunity and bring his energy to Sudbury." "Everybody wants to be a beast... until it's time to do what beasts do,” Scott said in the media release. “I'm excited to be a part of an organization with such diehard fans. Sudbury, let's go to work and have fun this season!" DaRohn is a 6-9, 230-pound “power forward,” who played college basketball at Central Michigan where he was teammates with veteran Five player Braylon Rayson. He recently played in El Salvador, where he averaged 14.7 points per game and 14.8 rebounds. He shot 48.6 per cent from the field and averaged two blocks per game.
Love horror? Learn the science behind our love of the scare
Ever wondered how horror films get under our skin, or why we keep coming back for more? Local author and Science North Bluecoat Nina Nesseth is hosting an interactive talk for her second book, Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films at Dynamic Earth Oct. 20 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. In Nightmare Fuel, Nesseth explores the strange and often unexpected science of fear through the lenses of psychology and physiology. Guests in attendance for this ticketed event will receive a signed copy of the book and hear Nesseth talk about the research that went into it. Tickets also include admission to Dynamic Earth’s Halloween themed Pumpkinferno event and light refreshments. This event is presented in English.
Forecast calls for a high of just 5 today
The forecast predicts we’ll be waking up to falling snow today. Periods of light snow should end in the morning, then cloudy for the rest of the day. The wind will be southwesterly at 20 km/h late in the afternoon. Today’s high is 5 with a wind chill of -5 in the morning. The UV index today is 1, or low. Tonight, the skies will stay mainly cloudy with a 40-per-cent chance of drizzle overnight, and a low of 1.
