Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are stories to start your day on this Wednesday morning.
Truck linked to Overtime murder, thefts, drugs leads to arrests
A Dodge Ram pickup seized by Greater Sudbury Police during a traffic stop really gets around. GSPS said the truck was not only used to commit the theft of pieces of heavy equipment back in April and was not only used to transport people involved in the Overtime Sports Bar murder, also in April, but was also in the process of transporting more than $205,000 worth of illegal drugs when police pulled it over. Police said they received two complaints in April regarding the same pickup truck being involved in two thefts of heavy equipment. “Information provided was that on April 18, 2023, a flat bed trailer and a Bobcat mini excavator were stolen from a business on O’Neil Drive West in Garson and on April 25, 2023, a generator was stolen from a business on Maley Drive,” GSPS said. “In both situations, it is believed that the same Dodge Ram was used to commit the thefts and remove the pieces of equipment.” The city police service’s Break Enter and Robbery (BEAR) Unit began investigating the two incidents.
Pursuit: What’s next for elite Sudbury swimmer Nina Kucheran
The pool pursuits of Nina Kucheran are not yet done. The local breaststroker ranks among the very best in the country. She has completed her NCAA career, finishing off with the Florida Gators after enjoying three years with the Florida State Seminoles. There are still avenues that Kucheran can pursue, avenues she still feels compelled to pursue. “They have a really wicked pro team here (University of Florida) with Olympians from the US and other countries,” said the 22-year-old Collège Notre-Dame graduate. “The pro swimmers train with the collegiate swimmers. Having a group of people here who are shooting for the same things as me is a really good environment to be in. “I think I owe it to myself.”
Ontario youth plan to appeal climate lawsuit loss
Seven young climate activists from across Ontario — including Sudbury’s own Sophia Mathur — are appealing the dismissal of their climate case to the Court of Appeal for Ontario, their lawyers announced this month. Mathur et. al., which their lawyers call a “historic youth climate case”, was dismissed in April by the Ontario Superior Court. “These courageous youth are determined to continue the fight to protect their generation and future generations from government caused climate harms,” their lawyers, Ecojustice, said in a news release. “They are committed to seeing this through the legal system.” Angered by what they felt as an Ontario government’s decision that significantly weakened the province’s 2030 climate target, the seven youth argued through their lawyers that “Ontario’s decision violates youth and future generations’ rights to life, security of the person, and equality protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.” While it dismissed the case, Ecojustice said the Ontario Superior Court made several positive findings, including that the judge fully endorsed the important science and facts of climate change, found that Ontario’s target is increasing the risk of harm and death to Ontarians, and acknowledged that young people and Indigenous Peoples are disproportionately impacted by climate change.
Health minister provides bilingual health care education money
The federal government is spending more money on bilingual health care education programs to ensure that every person can have access to health services in the official language of their choice. Federal health minister Jean-Yves Duclos was in Sudbury on Tuesday morning to announce that $15.4 million is to be provided over the next five years to the Laurentian University (a.k.a. Université Laurentienne de Sudbury), Collège Boréal, Université de Hearst and the Réseau du mieux-être Francophone du Nord de l'Ontario. The Government of Canada is committed to removing the barriers that continue to exist across official language minority communities (OLMCs), including Francophones outside Quebec and English-speaking communities in Quebec, said a news release from Duclos' office. The funding is all part of Health Canada's Official Languages Health Program (OLHP) works to improve access to health services in the official language of choice for people in OLMCs. Another reason for the funding is to increase the number of people studying for health care programs to address the shortage that arose during the pandemic. "Investing in these areas of common priorities will help repair the damage that was caused by COVID-19 and prepare for the support and future challenges of our healthcare system, not only in support of the system itself, but in support of a healthier, more productive society and increased economic benefits," said Duclos.
Police play basketball with kids in response to noise complaint
In response to a noise complaint regarding youths playing basketball at 7 a.m. on Sunday, police officers attended the scene to join them for a quick game. A complaint was made to the city’s Emergency Communications Centre from someone “disgruntled that children were playing basketball and making too much noise,” according to a Facebook post by Greater Sudbury Police Service. “Officers attended the location to educate the complainant that children are indeed allowed to play outdoors and make reasonable noise while doing so,” the post clarified. One of the youths was celebrating her birthday with siblings by using the new basketball net she’d received as a gift, and officers stuck around to play a quick game with her. The GSPS post regarding the incident concluded with a message: “Happy birthday, Payton!”
City council to finalize 2023 tax rates on May 29
Greater Sudbury city council is slated to approve the municipality’s 2023 tax rates on May 29, which would enact an overall 4.5 per cent residential rate hike. This includes both municipal and education taxes. The due dates for all classes will be set for July 4 and Aug. 4, and taxes are set to bring in $332,322,424. With the tax plan unanimously approved by the finance and administration committee of city council on May 16, despite a concern regarding tax rates in The Valley being flagged, it’s anticipated the rates will be ratified. The tax rate in The Valley was affected by a 2021 decision of city council to add eight career firefighters to Station 16 in Val Therese, which were applied to the city’s area rating model. The model affects tax rates depending on the area of the city to cover fire and transit services. As such, the average residential property owner in The Valley faces a property tax hike of 6.4 per cent against the city’s average of 4.5 per cent
High of 13 today and windy
Expect the skies to clear in the morning for your Wednesday. The wind will be northerly at 30 km/h, gusting to 50. Today’s high is 13 with a UV index of six, or high. Tonight, the skies will stay clear and the temperature will dip to 1.