Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Saturday morning.
Province gives Greater Sudbury $2.9M for GOVA Transit
GOVA Transit received an almost $3-million boost on Thursday, with the province pledging the funds during a media conference at the city’s transit depot. The $2,917,835, Ontario Transportation Associate Minister Stan Cho told Sudbury.com, isn’t earmarked for anything specific beyond “public transit.” “We're not in the business of telling governments and agencies how to run. They know their local communities the best,” he said, adding the funds could go toward such efforts as creating new or more frequent routes, or whatever else transit-related the city can dream up. Coming out of a pandemic in which ridership dropped alongside its associated revenues, he said the funds are also intended to help transit agencies recover. It’s part of a government investment of more than $379.5 million in gas tax funding “to help 107 municipalities operate and improve local transits.”
Bold: Take a ride on the Budd Car in new TVO documentary
Anyone who lives or works in downtown Sudbury, Ontario is familiar with the Budd Car. That's the unofficial moniker for what has become something of a legendary train service for railfans in Canada. The Budd Car is the Via Rail passenger train that runs three times a week out of Sudbury and up the line to White River. Railfans are also likely going to be pleased to see the latest offering from TVO Original Tripping series which focuses on Train 185, the Via Rail designation for the diesel-powered Budd Car. The three-hour documentary, fittingly titled ‘Tripping: Train 185’, airs April 7 from 7-10 p.m. on TVO and will be available for streaming at TVO.org and the TVO YouTube channel. The documentary was produced by Good Earth Productions for TVO Ontario.
GSPS receiving 31 automated licence plate readers
Capable of scanning thousands of licence plates per hour, Greater Sudbury Police Service is getting 31 automated licence plate readers. Though Chief Paul Pedersen said it’s unclear when they’ll be in operation, the police board approved the purchase at a cost of $612,433 during this week’s meeting. The province is covering the bill through a grant that encourages the purchase of the devices. “It's a camera that allows automatically, the police vehicle to read the licence plate in front of it,” Pedersen told local media following this week’s meeting. The cameras are mounted to the dashboard of police cruisers and automatically scan licence plates. They automatically plug information into a Ministry of Transportation database to flag problem vehicles, which can spur police to take action. This can include things like unregistered vehicles, whether the vehicle was reported stolen and any outstanding warrants affecting the driver. The system is also capable of flagging vehicles of interest in relation to things such as Amber Alerts.
Success: The Sudbury couple operating some 20 local businesses
One half of the the successful entrepreneurial couple that owns Lot 88 Steakhouse and numerous other restaurants and businesses in Greater Sudbury started with nothing but valuable life lessons his parents taught him. John Law, who was 10 years old at the time, learned about taking risks from his parents when they immigrated to Canada in 1976 from Vietnam. Growing up in Winnipeg, Law said he witnessed his mom and dad's optimism, perseverance and hard work. He watched them adapt to life in a cold country and overcome obstacles to open a restaurant. Fast-forward to 2023. Law and Jolie Nguyen, his wife and business partner, own Law Enterprises, which operates Lot 88, as well as the Swiss Chalet, Montana’s, Kelsey’s, Cora’s Breakfast and barBurrito franchises, as well as the Overtime Sports Bars in Sudbury. Beyond food service, the company has diversified and also owns Northern Climate, Wellness Studio, Nauss Plumbing, Flooring & More Superstore, Big Deal Furniture & Appliance and Windows Unlimited. Another Law business, Happy Life Cannabis, has stores in Sudbury, Chelmsford, Val Caron, North Bay, Espanola and Thunder Bay. Later this month, Law and Nguyen are planning to open Poké Bar, which serves sushi bowls, sushi burritos and bubble tea. It will be located next to barBurrito on The Kingsway. Poké, incidentally, is an Hawaiian dish that features raw, diced fish tossed with rice, vegetables and sauces.
Transport crashes through two homes in Beardmore
A transport crashed into two homes in Beardmore. The incident happened in the early morning hours of Friday, with the wreckage remaining hours later. Provincial police said the incident happened just before 1 a.m. Nobody inside the homes had reported injuries, police said. The occupants of the vehicle were taken to hospital in Nipigon by paramedics for treatment of undetermined injuries. Highway 11 had been closed in Beardmore between McKenzie and John Streets, but the roadway has since been reopened. Police said the investigation remains ongoing.
Leading up to graduations, MPP offers commissioner’s service
As secondary and post-secondary graduation ceremonies are upcoming, Sudbury MPP Jamie West is reminding the public that staff at his Sudbury Constituency Office are commissioners for Taking Affidavits, and able to take affidavits and administer oaths, affirmations, or declarations. For international students graduating this year and looking to invite their family and friends to celebrate their special day here in Sudbury, West states in a release that his office can help with “invitation letters for a visitor’s visa,” as well. If you require the services of a commissioner for taking affidavits, West’s office is located at Unit 4B-555 rue Barrydowne Road and are open from Mondays to Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. No appointment is necessary.
Flurries, mix of sun and cloud in the forecast
Expect a mix of sun and cloud for your Saturday with a 60-per-cent chance of flurries. The wind will be southwesterly at 30 km/h, gusting to 50, bringing at -19 wind chill in the morning and a -11 wind chill in the afternoon. The UV index today is three, or moderate. Tonight, the skies will be cloudy with a 60-per-cent chance of flurries and a low of -16. Things will be more mild and dry on Sunday. Expect a mix of sun and cloud with a 30-per-cent chance of flurries and a high of -1. For Sunday night, expect cloudy periods and a 40-per-cent chance of flurries and a low of -8.
