Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are stories to start your day on this Wednesday morning.
Two arrested for Saturday assault in Coniston
Two people have been arrested following a Saturday evening assault on Edward Avenue in Coniston, including a 15-year-old youth and a 19-year-old man. Police were dispatched to the scene at approximately 10 p.m. on Dec. 10 in relation to an assault that had reportedly just taken place. According to a media release issued by the police, they were told three vehicles were used to block a car, and that the occupants of the three vehicles smashed the windows of the car and assaulted three people inside. The three young men in what police describe as a “targeted incident,” one aged 17 and two aged 18, reportedly sustained minor injuries in the attack.
Are you eligible for tax-free payment of $500 to help with rent?
Applications are now being taken for a one-time top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit which aims to help low-income renters with the cost of renting. You may be eligible for a tax-free one-time payment of $500 if your income and the amount that you pay on rent qualify. Part of the qualification criteria is having an adjusted family net income in 2021 of $35,000 or less for families and $20,000 or less for individuals. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) administers this one-time payment. To apply for this new federal one-time payment, you do not need to receive other housing benefits such as the Canada Housing Benefit, which is co-funded and delivered by the provinces and territories. The one-time $500 federal boost to the existing Canada Housing Benefit program is designed to help those eligible to cover the cost of rent as it continues to rise nationwide.
Atikameksheng opens new community hub in Downtown Sudbury
A longtime dream of the members of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek is now a reality in Downtown Sudbury, with the Dec. 12 opening of their Community Support Hub. Located at 66 Elm Street, the hub provides resources to all their Debendaagziwaad (Those Who Belong/Members). It is the result of several years of work, and most recently, a state of emergency. In February 2021, a State of Emergency was declared by Gimaa (Chief) Craig Nootchtai and band council over the difficulty accessing services for struggles with mental health, addictions, homelessness, and historical traumas stemming from a variety of experiences. There are services available on reserve, but as it is difficult to access for some living in Sudbury. It’s hoped that the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek Community Support Hub will enhance the services for community members to those who are residing both on and off reserve. It has also been an ongoing conversation for more than a decade. Nootchtai told the attendees at the opening that the need for an urban hub has been discussed since he was director of operations for Atikameksheng Anishnawbek in 2010.
Sudbury Catholic trustee resigns just weeks into his second term
A Sudbury Catholic District School Board trustee resigned last month, just a few weeks into his second term as trustee. Alex Cimino submitted his resignation letter to the board on Nov. 9, and trustees were asked at the Nov. 15 board meeting to accept his resignation. He was first acclaimed as trustee in 2018, at the age of 18 (after having previously served as student trustee with the board), and won another four-year term in this year’s school board election, beating out challenger Claire Morrison. Cimino graduated from Laurentian University’s sports administration program this past spring. Earlier this year, he posted on his LinkedIn page that he had accepted an offer of admission at NIpissing University “to further my education and passion of becoming a teacher.”
Pursuit: From Spain to Sudbury … to play hockey?
In the entirety of Spain and its population of 43 million or so, there are approximately 760 registered hockey players, or about 25 per cent of the number of hockey players in Sudbury alone. The country is home to 16 arenas, the bulk of which are in Madrid, home of Claudia Castellanos. At least that’s the permanent home of the cheerful young teenager who is spending the winter of 2022-2023 attending St Charles College, suiting up with both the Cardinals and the Sudbury U18 A Lady Wolves. Make no mistake, despite the rather unique foundation on which her hockey career is built, this girl can play.
Free clothing available online to Sudburians in need
A free program is now available to Sudburians, designed to help community members get the clothing they need, all collected, cleaned and organized by Melissa Porter, founder of Closet Share. Porter said Closet Share began in June as a part-time hobby, but as the need grew, so did the operation. Moving from posting items on occasion to Facebook, to opening an online store where individuals can order up to 10 items, to be picked up at Closet Share’s warehouse, otherwise known as Porter’s laundry room. “I run this program by myself from our home located at 143 Metcalfe Ave., Garson,” said Porter. “I have turned my laundry room into a small warehouse where all processed items go and my living room is currently storage for all donations and where we take the photos of each item and process them. It is a lot for one person and we just keep growing.” Porter said she often puts 10 to 12 hours a day into the work, but it’s a labour of love.
Sunny with a biting wind chill today
Expect the cloudy skies to clear this morning with the wind out of the northeast at 20 km/h. That wind will bring a wind chill of -22 in the morning and -14 in the afternoon. The UV index today is one, or low. Tonight, the skies will stay clear and the wind will die down. The overnight low is -8.
