Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Friday morning.
Winter storm watch in effect
A winter storm watch is in effect for the region. Snow will begin Friday morning into the late afternoon, bringing between five and 10 cm. This will be followed by a winter storm overnight on Friday and into Saturday afternoon. This storm system is expected to bring 20 to 30 cm of snow and ice pellet accumulation. Heavy and blowing snow will lead to reduced visibility, with gusts up to 60 km/h. To top it off, freezing rain is also expected with ice accretion of between two and three centimetres.
Greater Sudbury Airport joins northern push for federal funding
Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has been slow-going at Northern Ontario airports, prompting their leadership to band together by drafting an open letter to three federal ministers. The letter has been signed by Greater Sudbury Airport CEO Giovanna Verrilli and leadership from fellow Northern Ontario airports in Timmins, North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie. “The regional sector is continuing to face significant current and future uncertainties as well as ruinous challenges; we are glad to see the demand for travel is not one of them,” according to the letter, which estimates the four airports contribute a GDP of $300 million. In the letter, the Northern Ontario airport leaders request the federal government reinstate the Regional Air Transportation Initiative, or a similar such program to “prioritize support for regional airports and directly invest in the critical operations of these airports.” They request a minimum federal investment of $1 million per airport annually for the next four years.
Vale fined for 2020 worker injuries at Garson Mine
Vale Canada has been fined $175,000 for health and safety violations after two workers were injured, one of them critically, following a 2020 rock burst at Garson Mine. The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development issued a news release on March 29 detailing the activities that led to the incident. According to the ministry, two Vale employees were working on the construction of a ramp underground at Garson Mine on Aug. 21, 2020. They had been bolting a large steel screen to a section of rock face and were in the process of unloading additional screening to finish the task when a seismic event occurred in the rock pillar behind the rock face. The rock burst ejected rock, striking and injuring both workers, one of them critically. Following an investigation, the ministry found the rock burst was caused by an undiscoverable angular plant in the rock that could not have been detected by Vale or its ground control engineers.
Warning issued about unexpected drug overdoses in Sudbury
Sudbury's health unit and the Community Drug Strategy has issued a warning notice about reports of an increased number of drug overdoses and unexpected reactions from the use of toxic substances in the community. "While we cannot confirm the substance(s) causing the overdoses, this situation serves as an important reminder to the community that street drugs, including stimulants, may be cut or mixed with substances such as benzos (benzodiazepines), xylazine, fentanyl, or carfentanil," said a warning from on the drug strategy webpage. "Frontline workers warn that substances with greater toxicity than usual may be circulating locally. There has also been an increase in reports of individuals having abnormal reactions after using white powdered substances," said the warning statement. The statement went on to say that an overdose can occur when a person uses a substance, and their body is unable to handle the effects. As a result, the brain is unable to control basic life functions. The person might pass out, stop breathing, or experience a seizure. Overdoses can be both fatal and non-fatal.
Sudbury Music Festival running at St. Andrew’s this week
The Sudbury Music Festival is underway at St. Andrew’s Place in downtown Sudbury this week, running until April 1. Competition classes are open to the public ($3 at the door). Audience members can enjoy classical music performed by competitors ages six through 60 in piano, guitar, school bands, school choirs, voice, music theatre, strings, brass and woodwind along with classes for original composition. Classes generally run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Check the detailed schedule and program at SudburyMusicFestival.ca for exact times on each day. Sudbury Music Festival’s board of directors dedicate hours of fundraising throughout the year to provide this annual event to classical musicians and their teachers. The competitors may be studying with private music teachers or participating as part of a school group.
Lively firm, area First Nations ink new partnership
Three First Nations in and near Greater Sudbury have entered into a partnership with Technica Mining of Lively, a well-known mining contractor. The new partnership involves Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, Sagamok Anishnawbek and Wahnapitae First Nation. The partnership is a new business entity called Akieh Dibinwewziwin which means “to be owned by the earth”, said a joint news release. The company name was generated by language holders from each of the first nations. Through the new partnership – called Aki-eh Dibinwewziwin – will now provide world-class mine contracting services for their partners and meaningfully participate in the economic benefits in their territorial lands within the Robinson Huron Treaty Territory, said the release. Gimaa Craig Nootchtai of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek located 20 kilometres west of the City of Greater Sudbury was pleased with the agreement. “Atikameksheng Anishnawbek recognizes this partnership as a major step forward for our Debendaagziwaad on the path to true sovereignty and independence. The cooperative we establish now will benefit our people for generations by creating high-value careers and lucrative business opportunities for our community," he said.
Study finds toxic chemicals in fast food packaging
A newly published study in the Environmental Science & Technology Letters journal has discovered trace amounts of toxic compounds in several fast food packaging materials from food dispensing sources in Toronto. Although the report was sourced from Toronto, researchers said the findings would apply to specific food packaging materials across Canada. The packaging may be familiar to consumers as the compostable packaging (plant-fibre packaging) used for such things as burrito bowls, paper popcorn bags and pastry containers that are coated with PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Part of the concern arises from the fact the Government of Canada has decided to limit the use of single-use plastics to the point that it might increase the usage of plant-fibre based packaging. Exposure to PFAS could increase cholesterol levels, increase the risk of kidney cancer, testicular cancer, cause low birth weight, decreased fertility and endocrine disruption.
The forecast for today: Snow, ice pellets, freezing rain
Expect a cloudy day for your Friday with a high of 1. Periods of snow will begin in the morning, bringing between five and 10 centimetres before it ends. The wind will blow at 15 km/h, bringing a -8 wind chill in the morning. The UV index today is one, or low. Tonight, periods of snow will end in the evening, then the skies will be cloudy. Snow mixed with ice pellets and freezing rain will begin sometime after midnight. Northeast winds at 30 km/h, gusting to 50, will bring local blowing snow as well. The overnight low is -1 with a -9 wind chill.
