Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Thursday morning.
Sudbury musician one of two men killed in Travelodge murders
A Sudbury musician is one of the two men killed in a double murder at the Travelodge Hotel shortly before Christmas. The names of the victims in that incident are now publicly available. Information provided by the courts reveals that Matthew Saroka, who was 38 years old, was killed in the incident, as was 27-year-old Javon Bryce. The victims’ names have not been released to date by Greater Sudbury Police. Saroka’s obituary said he was the lead guitarist in the local band Harvey King and the Grindstone. “Matt breathed music and will forever consider those in the music community his family,” said his obituary.
Former Rainbow board teacher guilty of professional misconduct
The Ontario College of Teachers has found former Rainbow District School Board teacher Barry David Williams guilty of professional misconduct. A disciplinary hearing for Williams — who was accused of sending inappropriate social media messages of a sexual nature to students in 2019 while employed by the Rainbow District School Board — was held by the Ontario College of Teachers on Dec. 19. The college’s website said Williams was found guilty of professional misconduct at the Dec. 19 hearing. It also said he has been reprimanded, and this information will be published in an official Ontario College of Teachers publication. Williams’ Certificate of Qualification and Registration has also been suspended for 22 months, effective Jan. 3, 2023. Accordingly, his status with the Ontario College of Teachers is currently listed as “suspended.”
Two new COVID-related deaths reported in first week of 2023
In the first COVID-19 summary of the new year from the Sudbury Health unit, two new COVID-related deaths have been reported. It brings the local cumulative death toll since March of 2020 to 196 in the jurisdiction of Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD). It was also reported that while COVID-19 was the underlying cause in one death, this was not the case for the second death. Both deaths were reported to have occurred in Greater Sudbury. Also reported in the year's first summary was an increase of 59 new COVID cases for a total of 21,586 cases in the past two years and 10 months. Of course, in the majority of those cases, 21,453 have been resolved in that same time period. The majority of all the cases occurred in the 20 to 39 year age group, which accounts for 6,966 as of the first week of January.
Hospital won’t release info on birth of a New Year’s baby
It will not be officially revealed if a new baby was born in the New Year in Sudbury. Health Sciences North (HSN) responded to an inquiry saying that because of patient confidentiality, no information could be provided with respect to whether a new citizen had been born. This is in line with the practice from previous years, said the HSN communications office. A similar position was taken by the North Bay Regional Health Centre this year, which said its first priority is to protect the safety and priority of patients. In a break from a long tradition, the NBRHC said it would no longer advise the media of the New Year's first baby, but instead, it would be the responsibility of the parents to inform the media on their own.
Rogers antenna proposed to fill wireless coverage gap in Sudbury
Poised to fill an “identified gap in their wireless service coverage,” a Rogers Communications Inc. antenna system is proposed for construction at 775 Lasalle Boulevard. The city’s planning committee will vote on whether to approve the antenna (a white monopole to be as tall as 35-metres) during their Jan. 9 meeting. According to a report by city senior planner Glen Ferguson, the proponent is seeking to improve wireless service coverage for the “mixed use residential, commercial and institutional uses that exist along both the Lasalle Boulevard and Notre Dame Avenue corridors.” The committee will vote on whether to issue a “position of concurrence” sent to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, which would effectively approve it.
Memory Lane: Remembering Sudbury’s 100th birthday celebrations
Happy New Year, Greater Sudbury, and also Happy 140th birthday to you, dear city! Over the years, the area that is Sudbury transformed from a Jesuit mission at a railway construction camp along the Transcontinental Railway into the crossroads of Northeastern Ontario. For this month’s column, let’s take a look back at the Centennial (no, not the one in 1967), but our city’s centennial year, 40 years ago. Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, I was an elementary school student in Coniston (yes, I am that young) and one day in the school library I discovered a 112-page book, with six short words on its black cover, half in English and half in French: “to our city / à notre ville”. Over multiple rounds of borrowing this book from the library, I poured over the minutiae of what was scheduled for that special year. This book was my second foray into reading about the history of the area (after my hometown “Coniston Story” which I devoured from cover to cover) and led to my lifelong fascination with history.
More snow in the forecast today
Expect periods of snow today to fall on top of the snow that fell last night. About 2 cm of the white stuff is expected. The wind will blow at 15 km/h bringing a wind chill near -14 for the day. Today’s high should be steady around -8. For tonight, the skies will stay cloudy with a 40-per-cent chance of flurries and a low of -9.
