Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Saturday morning.
No special treatment for fired Laurentian brass, documents show
Documents released by Laurentian University this week are shedding light on the circumstances under which two senior LU administrators departed the university earlier this fall. The information in question is located in the minutes of in-camera meetings of Laurentian University’s board of governors held earlier this fall. The minutes have been published this week as part of the package for the Dec. 2 public Laurentian board of governors meeting. Both Laurentian’s now former president, Dr. Robert Haché, and its former provost, Dr. Marie-Josée Berger, were terminated on a “without cause” basis, according to the minutes of these in-camera meetings. Haché departed from the university on Oct. 31, and Berger on Nov. 18. The two leaders parted ways with Laurentian as one of the terms of Laurentian University’s plan of arrangement, the roadmap to paying back its creditors after undergoing insolvency restructuring under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (or CCAA).
Battery-electric vehicles and Northern Ontario winters
With the arrival of winter in Northern Ontario, people are again getting used to warming up their cars every morning. It can take a few minutes and over a week, it could burn plenty of gasoline. Not so if you drive an electric vehicle. That's one of the perks of them, said Devin Arthur of Sudbury, who has been driving an electric vehicle (EV) for more than five years. "There's so many benefits to having your EV even in the winter … you don't have to wait for your car to warm up now because it's using electric heat,” he said. “As soon as you turn that car on, it's hot. And while the car is still plugged in, you're not expending any battery energy, you're using the power from your house." Arthur is definitely pro-electric. He is the voice behind the Electric Vehicle Society of Sudbury, an online group of individuals passionate about the idea of electric cars and eventually doing away with gasoline and diesel vehicles.
Illness-related absentee rate hits 30% at some local schools
You may have noticed a lot of kids have been getting sick in Greater Sudbury and across the province lately. Public Health Sudbury and Districts has confirmed there have been abnormally large absenteeism rates due to illness at area schools in recent weeks. This as The Canadian Press reports that a combination of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), the flu and COVID-19 have been putting immense pressure on Ontario's pediatric hospitals, with many having to cancel surgeries to accommodate the influx of patients. Earlier this fall, in an interview about increasing RSV infections, Public Health Sudbury told Sudbury.com that earlier in the pandemic, more people were taking precautions to prevent infection. Precautions such as masking, physical distancing and hand sanitizing were highly effective, and cases of respiratory illnesses dropped.
Canada Dental Benefit now accepting applications
The federal government has announced the launch of the temporary Canada Dental Benefit, which is now accepting applications. While this temporary benefit is in place, the government will be taking the necessary steps to build a comprehensive, long-term, Canada-wide dental care program. One third of the population in Canada does not have dental insurance, and many may not be able to visit a dental health professional due to the costs of dental care services. This lack of access to vital health care can contribute to serious health issues, states a press release from Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe. The Canada Dental Benefit is available to families with children under 12 who have an adjusted net income of less than $90,000, and who do not have access to private dental insurance.
Greater Sudbury has four city museums — what is their future?
With the operation of Greater Sudbury’s four city-run museums remaining relatively unchanged since amalgamation more than two decades ago, the issue is now receiving some attention from the newly elected council. Council voted to pass two resolutions related to the Museum Revilization Business Plan at the Nov. 30 special council meeting, the latest step in the museums revitalization process. It was a response to the previous council's direction on Feb. 8 to develop the business plan for consideration as part of the 2023 budget process. The report, by city strategic initiatives, communications and citizen services director Ian Wood, and the planning department’s Linda Harnish, states once again that there is a “clear misalignment between the community’s service expectations and the corporation’s capacity to fill them.” You can find more details on that here. The city is also seeking the public’s feedback on this plan, and has requested residents to give feedback by Dec. 16.
Greater Sudbury Cubs extend win streak to six games
The Greater Sudbury Cubs won their sixth straight game Thursday night, defeating the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 7-1 at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex. The Cubs continue to lead the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League with 46 points, two points ahead of the Timmins Rock. Their record currently sits at 22-4-2-0. In other Cubs news, Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League announced that Cubs’ forward Assinewai has been named to take part in the Team Canada East Selection Camp, to vie for a roster spot in the upcoming World Junior A Challenge in Cornwall. The 18-year-old Little Current resident will be among 32 Canada East hopefuls competing in the three-day camp, which runs Dec. 5-7 in Cornwall. The Cubs are back in action on the road in Espanola on Sunday to take on the Paper Kings.
Flurries but not too cold this weekend
Expect cloudy skies for your Saturday with a few rain showers ending near noon, then a 40-per-cent chance of flurries. The wind will be southwesterly at 30 km/h, gusting to 50, before swinging to the northwest at 30 km/h, also gusting to 50, for the afternoon. Today’s high is 4 but it is expected to drop to -8 this afternoon. Expect a -15 wind chill this afternoon. For tonight, expect increasing cloudiness and a low of -11. For Sunday, expect more cloudy skies with a 60-per-cent chance of flurries and a high of -5. For Sunday night, more clouds with a 40-per-cent chance of flurries and a low of -8.
