Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Saturday morning.
U18 Spartans kick off season with narrow victory
The U18 Spartans kicked off their 2023 season with a home-game win against the Sault Sabercats at James Jerome Field on Saturday. “Things went pretty good,” head coach Alex Vendramin told Sudbury.com after the game. “We have a big rivalry with them ... and a lot of time they get the better of us, so it was nice to get out here and get a win.” With Saturday’s event an exhibition game, Vendramin said they’ll wipe the slate clean for their next game on Saturday in York. They’ll next face the Sabercats in a couple weeks.
Every child matters: N’Swakamok hosts walk for Kamloops 215
It was May 22, 2021 when the news of the discovery of the Kamloops 215, the remains that were found at the former site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, near Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation, BC, were announced. On May 26, to acknowledge the second anniversary, N’Swakamok Native Friendship Centre hosted a walk from their downtown 110 Elm Street location to the shores of Ramsey Lake in Bell Park, where a ceremony took place to honour both the survivors of the residential schools, and those who never came home. Attendees tossed orange carnations into the waters of Ramsey Lake at exactly 2:15 p.m. and offered semaa (tobacco) and prayers to the sacred fire, lit at sunrise and kept burning all day.
Defeat Depression walk/run raises at least $70K
“Overwhelmed with gratitude,” the organizers of Saturday’s Defeat Depression walk/run said they consider the event to be a successful fundraiser and a positive way of getting their messaging out. “Mental health challenges hurt us all,” event fundraising co-ordinator Lindsey Chamberland told Sudbury.com as a group of more than 350 people began making their way around the Bell Park area. “Post-COVID, there’s more understanding that mental health impacts everyone,” Northern Initiative for Social Action executive director Martin Boucher said. “That’s always been true, but I think it’s more visible now.” Approximately 250 people registered for Saturday’s event, but Boucher estimated there were an additional 100 people on top of that, plus a healthy collection of their canine companions.
Collection of cats in all colours graced Azilda during the weekend
In their inaugural visit to the Greater Sudbury area, Chats Canada Cats is in Azilda during the weekend to showcase the best of the best when it comes to domestic felines. Members of the Quebec-based organization have come equipped with 52 cats representing 20 breeds, which judges are inspecting to determine which ones have the best traits. Included in the show was Jasper, a four-year-old manx who was named Best Canadian Cat last year. Jasper’s human friend, Caroline Gamache, took a moment to gush about her celebrity feline housemate with Sudbury.com between judiciaries inspecting him. “He’s an excellent specimen of the breed,” she said of the tailless cat. “He’s chubby and he’s got a big ol’ face that looks like a teddy bear.”
Sudbury Rocks back to its former glory after three-year absence
In their first in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic forced everything online three years ago, the Sudbury Rocks Marathon returned to downtown Sudbury on Sunday. Not only did it return, but it came back in full force, race director Brent Walker said, noting they brought in approximately 1,500 racers. This includes approximately 100 kids who ran a one-kilometre race around the block, many of whom with their parents (and in some cases, carried by their parents for at least part of the race). “We couldn’t be happier with the turnout, the crowd support,” Walker told Sudbury.com. “The energy is electrifying.” “It is incredibly exciting to be back on the streets of Sudbury,” he said, adding that while the virtual events were nice to have, “you can’t match the energy and enthusiasm and excitement and music and people cheering and clapping, and people walking around with a smile on their faces.”
Read the full story at Sudbury.com.
Hot and sunny Monday in the forecast
It'll be a hot and sunny Monday, according to Environment Canada. They forecast a high of 27 C, with wind east at 20 km/h becoming light in the morning. The UV index will be eight or very high. Overnight, it will cool down to a low of 12, and the sky will remain clear.
