Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are stories to start your day on this Wednesday morning.
A preview of how next year’s city council arena debates might go
As we enter a new year, the question of what’s to be done with the 71-year-old Sudbury Community Arena lingers in the background. Should it be replaced with a new facility? Retrofitted? Maintained at its current state? Last year saw the Kingsway Entertainment District balloon in cost from its original $100-million price tag to a new estimate of $215 million, effectively killing the project in council chambers. The long talked about project was supposed to replace the aging Sudbury Arena, built in 1951. Although the aging building is reportedly “holding up quite well” for a facility of its age, it will require millions of dollars in maintenance work during the next few years.
Man is fined $15,000 for killing and abandoning a moose
After a lengthy investigation, Ontario Conservation Officers recently succeeded in winning a case in the Ontario Court of Justice in Espanola where a man from Simcoe, Ont., was convicted for unlawful hunting and also for abandoning a moose carcass. His fines totalled more than $15,000. A news release from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry said it shows the Ontario government is safeguarding moose populations by ensuring hunters don’t hunt without a licence. "Aaron Elyk of Simcoe pleaded guilty to unlawfully hunting big game without a licence and was fined $3,755. He also pleaded guilty to abandoning big game and was fined $11,255. In addition, his hunting licences have been cancelled and he is prohibited from hunting in Ontario for two years," said the news release.
Pursuit: The fascinating life of John Mealin
At the tender young age of 74, some three years ago, John Mealin began to study karate. By the time that he turned 77 last year, the Sudbury resident, who was born in Burma (when it was still called Burma; it has been known officially as Myanmar since 1989), had acquired his brown belt in under four years, a feat, I am told, that is extremely rare. And yet the irony is that when it comes to the life and times of John Mealin, this notable tidbit might not even crack the top ten of interesting facts for a man whose interest, pursuits and journey are about as fascinating as they come. Given the nature of this column, I will tend to focus largely on his sporting interests, the first of which began in Calcutta, India, the city where Mealin did most of his schooling.
NOBA 2022: Nadia Mykytczuk is the Innovation Award winner
According to researcher Nadia Mykytczuk, Sudbury is ready to play a leading part in the global story about electric vehicles (EV). As auto manufacturers lock up supply chains, and countries position themselves as viable trading partners, the Nickel City has the resources and necessary tools to transition into a hub for EV technology. Not to mention the experience and ingenuity of its workforce. “Globally, the demand for battery minerals is really going to expand,” Mykytczuk said. “And that could spell disaster if we're not careful in how we extract those minerals in an environmentally sustainable way. “And how we meet those demands is going to really single out companies and regions that are extracting and providing battery minerals without a massive environmental footprint.”
Nouvelon board staff donate more than $8K to Sudbury charities
The staff at the Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon board office have donated $8,388 to five Greater Sudbury charities to help support those in need. The Sudbury Food Bank, Maison McCulloch Hospice, NEO Kids Foundation, Northeastern Cancer Centre and Association des jeunes de la rue de Sudbury will each receive a donation of $1,677.60. Throughout the year, CSC Nouvelon board office employees are offered the opportunity to contribute $2 each week to take advantage of dress-down Fridays. This initiative is among the many other holiday season charitable endeavours at numerous CSC Nouvelon schools and at the board’s head office.
Inaugural One-Act Play Festival seeks actors
The Sudbury Performance Group is launching a new theatre festival, and is making a call-out for actors. The inaugural One-Act Play Festival is set to hit the stage in March 2023. “We are beyond excited to be moving forward with our One-Act Festival,” said Nancy Beland, vice-president of SPG. “We will be staging four different, humorous, one-act plays, each one directed by one of our guest directors — Angel Mannisto, Kalem Mahaffy, Cheyanne Monk, and Tanya Saari.” Sudbury Performance Group said female and male actors with a sense of humour and good comedic timing are needed.
Flurries, risk of freezing drizzle in the forecast
Expect a cloudy day for your Wednesday with a high of -5, a 40-per-cent chance of flurries and risk of freezing drizzle. The wind will be northeasterly at 20 km/h, gusting to 40, so the forecas is calling for a wind chill near -13 for most of the day. The UV index today is one, or low. Tonight, expect periods of snow and a low of -12.
