Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are stories to start your day on this Thursday morning.
Dominic Giroux declines to comment on criticism in AG's report
The actions of Dominic Giroux, Laurentian University’s president from 2009 to 2017, came under criticism in Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk’s special report on Laurentian, which was released last week. Sudbury.com reached out to Giroux for reaction to the report’s contents, but a spokesperson for his current employer, Health Sciences North, said he has “declined comment on this matter.” Giroux left the university in 2017 to become the CEO of Health Sciences North (HSN), Sudbury’s hospital. We also reached out to Daniel Giroux, chair of HSN's board, for comment in light of the AG's report, and we received a written response this week. (Daniel Giroux is of no relation to Dominic GIroux), "The HSN Board has full confidence in the leadership of its President and CEO," said Daniel Giroux, who also touted the hospital CEO's success in turning HSN's deficit when he arrived into a yearly surplus, his handling of the pandemic response in Northern Ontario, and his success in receiving grants and donations for capital development, among other items. "Therefore, the Board is extremely confident in the job Dominic has done as CEO – a job that was recently validated by being chosen by his peers to be the Chair of the Ontario Hospital Association at a time of great challenge in Ontario’s health care sector," added Daniel Giroux's statement. Following Dominic Giroux’s departure from Laurentian, he was replaced at the university by interim president Pierre Zundel. Robert Haché became Laurentian’s president in 2019. Haché, in turn, left the university earlier this month in relation to the university’s insolvency. In the wake of Laurentian declaring insolvency in early 2021, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts of the Legislature of Ontario requested that the Auditor General of Ontario perform a value-for-money audit of LU for the period 2010-2020. Giroux was the university’s president for the majority of that period of time. While Giroux wasn’t around for what Lysyk describes as the “strategic” planning of Laurentian’s restructuring under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (or CCAA), she has plenty to say about his role in the university’s financial decline. Read our full story online here.
Accused dealer caught with $15K in drugs
A Southern Ontario man was arrested and charged after failing to stop for police and later being found with $15,550 worth of drugs. Just before 11:15 p.m. on Nov. 22, an officer saw a vehicle belonging to a suspended driver being driven in the area of Paris Street at Cedar Street. Upon running the vehicle’s plates and information through their system, the officer also determined that the insurance status of the vehicle was unconfirmed and the permit had expired. The officer turned on the emergency lights of the cruiser in order to conduct a traffic stop. However, the driver did not pull over. Around 11:45 p.m., the vehicle was located outside of a residence on Agnes Street. Officers knocked on the door of the residence, and after speaking with the resident, the driver of the vehicle came outside and surrendered himself to police without incident. Upon arresting the driver, officers began to clear the vehicle when they smelled a strong odour of cannabis. Officers located a bag inside the vehicle containing a substantial amount of illicit drugs, including 138 grams of heroin, 77 Oxycodone pills, an additional 4.8 grams of Oxycodone, over 26 grams of cannabis and five grams of an unknown substance. Read the full story here.
Nipissing OPP ID seniors who died in Sturgeon Falls fire
The Nipissing West Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has identified the remains of two people who died following a fire in West Nipissing (Sturgeon Falls) earlier this month. The Nipissing West OPP and the Nipissing West Fire Service had responded to a fire on Quesnel Road, shortly before 9 a.m. on Nov. 2. Two people were located deceased at the premises. Those individuals have now been identified as Joseph Brunet, 91, and Lorraine Brunet, 81, both from Sturgeon Falls. The OPP said they will not be disclosing the cause of death for either individual at this time. Read the full story online here.
CCHS alumni donate to current generation of Copper Cliff students
A reunion of the alumni of Copper Cliff High School (CCHS) this past summer has raised funds to benefit the current generation of students in the community of Copper Cliff. CCHS closed in 1980, but the building is still occupied by the community’s elementary school, Copper Cliff Public School (CCPS). Replicas of a painting of the school building created by Barb Giommi were sold at the reunion this past summer. A donation amount of $1,000 coming from sales of the prints were donated to the school for use by the CCPS music program. The painting itself has also now been donated to the school. A second cheque of more than $3,000 stemming from was also presented to CCPS by the reunion organizing committee. The money came from proceeds from the reunion event, including donations from a variety of sources and registration fees. These funds will go toward Grade 8 bursaries at Copper Cliff school in the name of CCHS alumni. The bursaries will be presented to “particularly school-spirited” students for many years to come.
Past poet laureate to launch latest book Nov. 24
Past Greater Sudbury poet laureate Kim Fahner launches her latest book of poetry, “Emptying the Ocean,” at Le Studio Desjardins at Place des Arts downtown Thursday, Nov. 24. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for book sales ($20, cash only), with a reading at 7 p.m. Enjoy music by Patrick McGuire. The launch will also be livestreamed through Fahner’s website, www.kimfahner.com. “Emptying the Ocean” is a poetic journey based on the ancient Irish immram tales—the soul voyages taken by a woman who moves mystically through the four elements and the spirited Otherworld. Water, earth, air, and fire are woven through with imagination, inspiration, and spirit. The voice of the selkie bookends the collection, and the character of the sailor finds himself caught up in her wake. Rooted firmly in Irish myth and lore, with references to strong female figures who shapeshift and move between dimensions, there are Atlantic echoes of both Ireland and Newfoundland at work in these poems.
Barbershop chorus, Lockerby put on joint Christmas concert
Nickel City Sound, Sudbury’s award-winning women’s barbershop chorus is joined by the music students at Lockerby Composite School for their upcoming “Joy to the World” concert. Enjoy a special performance by the Lockerby Student Guitar Trio. The event takes place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 at Lockerby’s auditorium. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for those aged 17 and younger. Tickets at www.nickelcitysound.ca, at the door (cash only), or from any chorus member. A portion of the ticket sales go to the Sudbury Food Bank.
Thursday weather:
Thursday will be cloudy. Fog patches dissipating near noon. Wind becoming southwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 late in the morning. High of 6 C (that's above the seasonal average of -0.2 C for Nov. 24). Windchill of -5 C in the morning. UV index 1 or low. Thursday night there will be periods of rain with a low of 0 C.
