Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Saturday morning.
Settlements halt class action filed by Manitoulin abuse survivors
A class action suit brought by sexual abuse survivors on Manitoulin Island has been discontinued, with each of the 29 suit members settling individually. The $100-million suit was filed against the Jesuit Fathers of Upper Canada, also known as the English Canada Province, as well as the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Sault Ste. Marie, the estate of father George Epoch and the estate of Brother O’Meare. The class action, filed by plaintiffs known only as I.P. and M.P. in 2015 was proposed on behalf of “all persons who were abused as children by clergy or staff of the Holy Cross Mission in Wikwemikong, as well as all parents, spouses, children and siblings of the abused persons above.” The individual settlements were not disclosed to the court. The statement of claim was issued at that time, seeking “in excess of $50 million in general damages and special damages in excess of $50 million.” In that statement, another Jesuit priest is included: Brother Hinton. The court documents state his whereabouts, or if he’s even still alive, is unknown.
Unique approach gives mining companies a path to reconciliation
Mining companies are being called on to do more. “Do the right thing because you want to, not because you have to,” said Nicole Charbonneau, a mining development advisor from the Wabun Tribal Council. She presented the Wabun model of working with mining companies and First Nations at the opening day of the Canada Mining Expo today (June 7). “The Wabun model is an interest-based approach versus a rights-based approach,” she explained to the roughly 150 people gathered in the McIntyre Community Centre ballroom. “The best way I can put that is that it’s ‘You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.’” The Wabun Tribal Council has outlined the steps needed to be taken by companies looking to explore and mine on member communities’ traditional land, and the necessary agreements that need to be signed to work with the communities.
Poor air quality expected to persist into the weekend
The Special Air Quality Statement that has been in place all week is expected to continue into the weekend once again. High levels of air pollution continue to blanket the region due to smoke from forest fires. With two new fires detected since Thursday evening, there are currently 34 wildfires burning across the northeast. Chapleau 9 is located 19 kilometres south of Highway 101 and 1 kilometre west of Turner Lake. The 0.3-hectare fire is not under control. Sault Ste Marie 7 is located one kilometre south of Gull Lake and six kilometres north of Goulais Lake, nestled just outside the Algoma Headwater Provincial Park. The 0.7- hectare fire is not under control. Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour, Environment Canada said.
Sudbury 17 fire west of the city remains out of control
The Sudbury 17 fire, which is burning about 96 km west of the city, remains out of control today, and remains at more than 4,200 hectares in size. Fire crews in that area are conducting suppression work and trying as much as possible to protect property. The Emergency Area Order declared on June 5 Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) remains in effected parts of the Sudbury District. The following areas must be evacuated immediately: the Townships of; Olinyk, Plourde (south half), Prescott, Redden (west half), Strain, Teasdale, Poncet, Lehman, Lockeyer, Gerow and Gaiashik, unless authorized by a travel permit issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. You can also view the Implementation Order map. The implementation order also restricts travel on the following roads, unless you're in possession of an authorized travel permit issued by the Sudbury District MNRF office. The Implementation Order map also outlines these travel restrictions.
Laurentian faculty fail to extend recall rights to dean’s job
An arbitrator has determined that recall rights for faculty members laid off by Laurentian University do not apply to positions outside of their union bargaining unit, specifically the position of dean of the faculty of arts. Eli Gedalof, the arbitrator, released his decision on the matter May 19. Jennifer Johnson, who currently serves as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Liberal Arts and as the manager of Laurentian Online with the Centre for Continuing Learning, was recently named as LU’s new dean of arts, effective July 1. Previously, Johnson served as chair of the Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Thorneloe University, one of the universities previously federated with Laurentian, from 2007-2021. The dispute between the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) and Laurentian University relates back to a term sheet mediated between the parties during the university’s insolvency.
Experts advising N95 mask to beat wildfire smoke
Northern Ontario residents worried about the impact of forest fire smoke can take a less-than-glamorous approach to feeling healthier and perhaps safer. Try the N95 face mask. The cellulose, paper and polypropylene-fibre masks were made popular at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but masking appears to have become something no one wants to go back to. That said, the University of Waterloo has issued a health news release to let people know there are actions to take to mitigate the effects of wildfire smoke. UWaterloo Professor Rebecca Saari, who studies the consequences of climate change and climate policy on human health and environmental inequality, commented this week on the immediate and long-term threats to our health from poor air quality of wildfire smoke.
Mostly cloudy weekend in store
Expect a mostly cloudy weekend. For Saturday, expect increasing cloudiness in the morning with a 40-per-cent chance of showers in the afternoon with risk of a thunderstorm. Again, expect smoke from forest fires to make things hazy. Saturday’s high is 23 with a 25 humidex. The UV index today is seven, or high. Tonight, expect cloudy skies with a 30-per-cent chance of showers and a low of 11. For Sunday, expect more clouds with a 30-per-cent chance of showers and a high of just 15. For Sunday night, expect the clouds to stick around with a 40-per-cent chance of showers and a low of 12.
