Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Friday morning.
Kerry Burke gets life for ‘brutal’ murder of his brother
For what Justice Erin Cullen described as the “brutal” murder of his own brother, Kerry Burke was sentenced to life in prison without a chance of parole for 15 years on Wednesday. Although when he becomes eligible for parole was up for consideration, Burke’s life sentence was a forgone conclusion due to a mandatory minimum sentence for second-degree murder, to which he pleaded guilty in May. Parole eligibility for second-degree murder can be anywhere from 10 to 25 years, and the Crown and defence submitted a joint submission for Burke to get 15 years. This, Cullen said, is “reasonable and appropriate” in this case, with 15 years ranking in the high range according to case law. Stretching 15 years from the date of his arrest, this means Burke, 60, is first eligible to apply for parole on Nov. 24, 2035.
Wife of Brant Burke suing OPP over dropped murder charge
A Sudbury woman who was accused of murder in her estranged husband’s death until the charges against her were dropped this past summer plans to sue the police services and officers involved in her arrest. Melissa Sheridan’s lawyers say the statement of claim in the lawsuit will be issued shortly. They did provide Sudbury.com with a copy of a letter providing notice of the lawsuit, however. The Aug. 31 letter is addressed to the OPP and Wikwemikong Tribal Police Service, several individual OPP police officers, as well as a police officer with UCCM Anishnaabe Police. “We have been retained to commence a civil action against you to recover damages arising from your negligent investigation, breach of my clients’ right and freedoms under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, unlawful detention, and other negligent and/or intentional conduct that occasioned injury and damages,” the letter from Linden & Associates, a Toronto personal injury law firm, states. Sheridan had been charged with first-degree murder for the Oct. 19, 2020, death of her estranged husband, Brant, but the charges against her were dropped in July, with the Crown attorney saying there was no reasonable possibility of conviction.
Bigger congratulates mayor-elect Paul Lefebvre
Mayor Brian Bigger issued a statement Wednesday congratulating mayor-elect Paul Lefebvre on the results of the Oct. 24 civic election. “I am confident that Paul will guide council with new ideas and his wealth of experience which will be instrumental towards a prosperous future for Greater Sudbury,” he said. “I would also like to congratulate the new and returning city councillors and trustees. I wish you all the best in your dedicated efforts toward making Greater Sudbury a great place for residents to live, work and play. “I have the utmost gratitude and appreciation to my fellow members of city council and residents for allowing me to be your mayor for the past eight years. Our city is resilient and strong and it is the people who live here that make this a vibrant place to call home.” Bigger pledged that his office would “do everything possible to ensure a seamless transition.”
Federal Natural Resources Minister looks to speed up Canadian critical minerals production
With a global critical minerals supply gap coming, federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson admits Ottawa has some work to do toward expediting approvals to put more critical minerals mining projects into production sooner. In his Oct. 25 remarks to Canadian Club of Toronto, Wilkinson said Ottawa is looking to get on the same page with the provinces and territories in working smarter in advancing energy and natural resource projects along in a timely manner. Wilkinson said there’s a clear need to find ways to develop projects “more rapidly than what we have been able to in the past.” The bulk of his speech had much to do with Canada’s clean energy transition and fulfilling this country’s obligation to help its European allies struggling with an energy crisis following the cutoff of Russian oil and gas stemming from conflict in Ukraine.
OPP and North Bay Police make massive drug seizure
A Bonfield man is facing multiple charges in connection to one of the biggest drug seizures in northeastern Ontario. The OPP held a media conference at the Northeast Region (NER) Headquarters in North Bay where the massive seizure was displayed, which includes $3,200,000 worth of illicit drugs. "This is obviously a massive blow," said NER OPP Chief Superintendent Mike Pilon. "You are looking at the quantity and these are unprecedented numbers in the northeast region. We have seen these types of seizures made by the OPP. It is very concerning that in these smaller communities in northeastern Ontario, we are seeing these types of quantities and it is just indicative of how we are at a crisis level when it comes to opioids and drugs along with the distribution and trafficking of those products." Pilon says the investigation took a number of days but the actual seizure was done in a single day. He credits the teamwork from the OPP North East Region Community Street Crime Unit, OPP Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau, North East Emergency Response Team, North Bay Detachment and the North Bay Police Service, as they executed search warrants at residences in Bonfield and Callander.
Check out ‘Trick or Treat a Neighbourhood Walk’ Oct. 29
What are the best neighbourhoods in Greater Sudbury for trick-or-treating and why? What does that say about what it’s like to live there? What kind of things would make neighbourhoods even better to live in, and what are some exciting examples from other cities? Come out to the Trick or Treat a Neighbourhood Walk, Saturday, Oct. 29, and join Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury for a community walk and conversation. Meet at the entrance of Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School (275 Loach’s Rd.) at 2 p.m. (register online here). During the walk, discover some streets nominated as favourites for trick-or-treat streets and chat about what might make them great for Hallowe’ening and how those same attributes affect our daily life. Explore the wider neighbourhood and hear about some inspiring and thought-provoking examples of transformational city-led changes from elsewhere. Come out for a fun, family-friendly walk and some great conversation.
Decent fall day in the forecast
The forecast calls for a pretty nice day to end the work week. Expect a mix of sun and cloud for your Friday with a high of 11. Fog patches will dissipate over the morning, The wind will be southerly at 20 km/h near noon. The UV index today is two, or low. Tonight, the skies will be clear before becoming partly cloudy near morning. Fog patches will develop around midnight. The overnight low is 2.
