Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Tuesday morning.
Zulich to push hard for a downtown arena/events centre
Local developer and sports teams owner Dario Zulich said he’s going to push hard for a downtown events centre, as long as it’s a brand new facility. The longtime Kingsway Entertainment District (KED) proponent has also applied to join the Downtown Sudbury Business Improvement Area board, and came together with the latest proposed slate of board members for a meet and greet and photograph last week. “I’m going to go as hard as I can,” Zulich told Sudbury.com about supporting downtown. “I’m going to support the mayor and bring a new events centre downtown.” Mayor Paul Lefebvre has joined a scattering of city council members in pushing for a downtown arena project, though it’s unclear what form it might take. Lefebvre hasn’t ruled out doing something with the existing downtown-based Sudbury Community Arena, at which the Zulich-owned Sudbury Wolves hockey and Sudbury Five basketball teams still play. As he has from the start, Zulich is pushing for a new arena, and not a retrofit, refurbishment or renovation of the existing downtown building. When it comes to what the project should entail, Zulich said there has been some confusion about these terms, which are not interchangeable. Read the full story on Sudbury.com's home page.
Maple Leafs sport work of local Indigenous artists
The Toronto Maple Leafs game on Jan. 7 was a triple “W” for fans, and for Northern Ontario. Not only was it a Leafs win over the Detroit Red Wings, but the warm up featured the design of an artist from Wasauksing First Nation, and the beadwork of six women from Wiikwemkoong Unceded First Nation. Indigenous Celebration Night at the Scotiabank Arena was not just a celebration of culture, but also, for the beaders from Wiikwemkoong, the relief that comes with finishing an enormous project on a tight timeline. In November, Tara Kiwenzie of Tara Kiwenzie Designs and Crystal Kimewon, who sells her work on Instagram under the name inkedbeader13, were approached by Marion Jacko, also of Wiikwemkoong. Currently the president of the Little NHL (Little Native Hockey League) and assistant deputy attorney general for the Indigenous Justice Division at the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, Jacko was recently appointed to the board of Hockey Canada. She approached her community members with an idea, and though trepidatious, the two beaders told Sudbury.com they were thrilled at the idea. In total, they needed to create 30 medallions in 31 days.
Volunteer excited for potential return of Citizens on Patrol
A longtime volunteer for Greater Sudbury’s Citizens on Patrol program is enthused to see the police board consider its reinstatement during 2023 budget deliberations. “I think it’s a good service,” Copper Cliff Citizens on Patrol captain Theo Reed said of the neighbourhood watch program in which volunteers drive around communities in decommissioned police vehicles to patrol streets. “Anything that can restart the program, even if it’s in limited areas like downtown and Copper Cliff” would be a good thing, he said. “Anything is better with nothing as far as I’m concerned.” Reed has been advocating for the program’s return in recent years, after it shut down at the start of the pandemic. Read more here.
Let’s eat! Take a tasty trip on Durham at Oscar’s Grill
You could say that Durham Street is a fancy food lover’s thoroughfare with Respect is Burning right next to Oscar’s Grill. Oscar’s has been downtown for nine years now. Richard Desjardins, the manager of the restaurant, only began there in September, but has already fallen in love with the place. It offers great food, even better ambience, and the magic of a piano bar for patrons on Friday nights.Desjardins said one of the distinguishing factors is the quality of the beef for the burgers and the steaks with prime rib quality. Meat is sourced from Bruce Mines, near Sault Ste. Marie from Penokean Farms. If you like your burger rare or medium rare, you just need to specify the instructions when your order is placed. Read the full story.
Portelance named chair of the GSDC board
Jeff Portelance has been appointed as chair of the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation. Portelance joined the board in 2019, and in a media release issued by the city is credited as bringing experience in business development and sales to the table, as senior manager of corporate development Civiltek Limited. Membership on the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation is unpaid, volunteer work. “I am excited about this new opportunity, and I will continue to support the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation in our efforts to build a more vibrant community and attract new talent,” Portelance said in a media release. “I want to thank our previous chair Lisa Demmer for serving our community and the board of directors with passion and dedication. I look forward to working with our many community partners.” Read the full story on Sudbury.com's home page.
Kim Fahner holding Jan. 14 Sudbury book signing
Past Greater Sudbury poet laureate Kim Fahner will be selling and signing copies of her latest book of poetry, “Emptying the Ocean,” Saturday, Jan. 14. The event takes place at Seasons Pharmacy and Culinaria from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Books cost $20 each. “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.
Chilly start to Tuesday, with a windchill of -22 C
Tuesday the skies will clear in the morning. Wind up to 15 km/h. High of -11 C. Windchill of -22 C in the morning and -14 C in the afternoon. UV index 1 or low. Tuesday night will be cloudy with a low of -12 C.
