Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Friday morning.
Laurentian enrolment down 4% year-over-year
Laurentian University avoided a potentially worse backslide in its enrolment figures this school year thanks to strong uptake of its graduate programs - most especially among international students - as well as domestic students taking fully online programs. In November, Laurentian finally exited insolvency restructuring under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) after 22 months under creditor protection, a process that has damaged LU’s enrolment, among many other impacts. In 2021, Laurentian’s enrolment dropped 14 per cent year over year. Shauna Lehtimaki, LU’s director of institutional planning, shared an update on Laurentian’s enrolment figures as of November 2022 at the university’s Jan. 17 senate meeting. She said there was a year-over-year drop of four per cent in both Laurentian’s full-time equivalent (or FTE) student enrolment (which stands at 5,729) and its student headcount, which stands at 7,711 students. Read the full story on Sudbury.com's home page.
Eight constables sworn into GSPS, including two couples
Eight new constables were sworn into the Greater Sudbury Police Service during Wednesday’s police board meeting, including two couples. The two couples include Kairene Alisappi and her partner Jeremiah Cooper, and Stephanie Sparks and her husband Michael Sparks. All four are experienced police officers from other jurisdictions. “We talk about Greater Sudbury Police Service as a family, but we also recognize that outside of the police service are families as well, and when we can bring families into the family, it just makes us all feel better,” police Chief Paul Pedersen said. The chief noted the new slate of eight candidates come from a diverse background, which he’s always enthused to see. “It’s always an exciting time to bring new people into the organization, new energy, new ideas,” he said. “We look forward to having them help us serve our community.” The Greater Sudbury Police Service authorized strength remains 272 sworn members. An additional two positions have been funded temporarily to increase their strength to 274. The eight new members sworn in on Wednesday replace outgoing members. Read the full story.
Northern Ontario man wins benefits battle over insurance company
A Northern Ontario man who suffered serious injuries when he fell off his recreational vehicle has won a court battle over his insurance company, which had denied his claim. Clayton Madore of St. Charles, Ontario, southeast of Sudbury, was cleaning the top of a fifth-wheel trailer in the driveway of his home in 2019, when the fall happened. Madore said he heard his wife calling to him from inside the house. After that he doesn't remember much, he told the court. Somehow Madore lost his footing. He fell 3.5 metres to the ground. He suffered a fractured skull, a brain injury, several broken bones, hearing loss and vision loss. Court was told there were no witnesses to the fall. He was hospitalized for several weeks. Subsequently, Madore contacted Intact Insurance for benefits related to his injuries. Intact brands itself as Canada's "most trusted home and auto insurance brand.” Learn more here.
No Northern Ontario locations in Zellers relaunch
Zellers is back, but Northern Ontario didn't make the list of locations for a brick-and-mortar store. The iconic Canadian brand has revealed the 25 launch locations it will be opening this year. While there are eight Ontario locations, there are no stores in Northern Ontario. The Ontario locations are in Mississauga, Burlington, London, Scarborough, St. Catherines, Cambridge and Ottawa. There will also be stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec and Nova Scotia. "Opening in communities across the country, the brick-and-mortar locations will complement the first-ever Zellers.ca ecommerce site, ultimately bringing Zellers to nearly every community in Canada," reads the Hudson Bay news release announcing the launch locations. The company says Zellers will offer a selection of "design-led" products for home decor, toys, baby, clothes and pets. "At launch, the Zellers experience within Hudson's Bay will be between 8,000-10,000 square feet, depending on location. The Zellers in-store experience and Zellers.ca are planned to launch simultaneously," says The Bay. Sudhury.com sister site TimminsToday has reached out to Zellers to confirm if a store will be opening in Timmins or another Northern Ontario location. The company said there are no details to share beyond what's in the press release.
We Live Up Here hires ‘top banana’ to lead festival
We Live Up Here, a non-profit urban arts organization and the presenter of Up Here urban art and music festival, has announced it has hired Jaymie Lathem as its first general manager and “top banana,” as the festival describes her. "I am so excited to join the team at We Live Up Here and contribute to the growth and success of this inspiring organization," said Lathem. "I believe in the power of the arts to bring people together and make positive, substantial impacts in our communities, and I can't wait to see what we can accomplish together." "We are beyond stoked to have Jaymie join our team at We Live Up Here," said co-founder and president of the board of directors, Christian Pelletier. "Her passion for the arts, for the north, and her commitment to community engagement and partnership building make her the perfect fit for this role." Lathem brings a wealth of experience as an arts administrator and will draw on her extensive history of working in community-based and non-profit based sectors. She studied drawing and painting at the Ontario College of Art and Design and the Alberta College of Art and Design, and she received her BFA from Nipissing University in 2011. Prior to joining We Live Up Here, Lathem served as the executive director of Creative Industries, an art service organization serving North Bay/Nipissing since 2017. Read the full story on Sudbury.com's home page.
Snow flurries possible Friday morning
Friday will be cloudy with a 60 per cent chance of flurries in the morning and early in the afternoon with risk of freezing drizzle. Wind north 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light late in the afternoon. High of -5 C. Wind chill of -14 C in the morning and -9 C in the afternoon. UV index 1 or low. Friday night there will be cloudy periods with a low of -12 C.
