Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Tuesday morning.
Sudbury’s oldest flower shop still blooming
When Pat Ptaszynski began at Rosery Florist, it was for one day, Mother’s Day, and just to help out. That was 73 years ago, in 1950. Today, she is the owner, and on the eve of her 90th birthday, which is coming up in December. But she told Sudbury.com what she tells her staff every five years: “I’ll give it another five years.” Now Sudbury’s oldest floral shop, Rosery Florist initially opened up just down the street, at 78 Larch St., before moving down the street to No. 74 just 10 years later. It all began in 1938 when accountant and businessman, Bill Kramer, decided to open a flower shop. In 1950, Kramer needed more help.
Alleged thief caught in the act was wanted on dozens of warrants
Greater Sudbury Police say an alleged thief made things easy for them when officers responded to a break and enter in progress at a business on Regent Street on Oct. 20. When officers arrived just after 8:15 p.m., they reported finding a back window of the business smashed out and the thief in the process of attempting to flee the scene. “Officers quickly took the individual into custody,” GSPS said. The man faces five charges from the Regent street incident. But police also discovered he was wanted on an outstanding bench warrant in relation to more than 30 property-related crimes, as well as an additional four arrest warrants for break and enter and seven charges for failing to comply with a release order.
Let’s eat! Cathy Warega makes us Kenyan mahamri and chai
To say Cathy Warega is an inspiration puts it mildly. She fled Kenya in 2019 with her husband and three children. Many of her family members and friends have perished in tribe and clan wars back home. Despite this though, she continues to spread love, joy and welcome strangers to her home for tea here in Sudbury any chance she gets. This month, Warega invited me to help make “mahamri”, an authentic donut-style snack that is always accompanied with chai, or Kenyan masala tea. The delicacy originated in the Swahili culture of the coastal regions of Kenya and Tanzania. The lightly sweetened dessert is often paired with a Kenyan chai for its bold flavours. As Warega explained, Kenya is a world leader in the production of black tea, with a lot of it grown in the fertile, red soils of the Kericho region.
Sudden resignation of Robinson Huron justice leaves questions
Was Justice Harry LaForme fired or did he resign? These are but two questions swirling around the $10-billion Robinson Huron Treaty settlement. Justice Harry LaForme resigned from the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund’s (RHTLF) Office of the Mizhinawe last month, shortly after he submitted an interim report. It is unclear if or how the contents of that report created the circumstances that led to LaForme’s resignation, which was the result of community information sessions detailing the recently announced $10-billion RHT settlement. Now, the previously confidential interim report has been leaked to Sudbury.com. We have independently verified the report we received is the actual report filed by LaForme. LaForme submitted this interim report detailing his community information sessions on Aug. 25 and sent his resignation letter to RHTLF Sept. 9. But did he resign?
Laurentian approves 2022-23 financials, with $52.6M surplus
Laurentian University is reporting a surplus of $52.6 million for the financial year 2022-2023, a year which the university still spent partially in insolvency. The university’s board of governors approved LU’s 2022-23 financial statements, audited by the financial firm BDO, at their Oct. 20 meeting. (You can view those statements beginning at page 119 of the board package). Universities must submit their financial statements from the previous fiscal year to the province and post them publicly by the end of this month. Laurentian exited insolvency under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (or CCAA) Nov. 28, 2022, after nearly 22 months under creditor protection. The university posted a deficit of $66.7 million in 2020-21 and a surplus of $16.8 million in 2021-22.
Sudbury’s Club Richelieu celebrates 75 years
Le Club Richelieu in Sudbury celebrated a major milestone this past weekend — the group’s 75 anniversary. Some 180 people, including members and their spouses, gathered at the Northbury Hotel on Brady Street on Oct. 21 to break bread together, enjoy the music of well-known Franco-Ontarian musician Chuck Labelle, and celebrate the club’s longevity. Mayor Paul Lefebvre was on hand for the event, as was Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe. Bernard Landreville, the president of the Fondation Richelieu Internationale, was also on hand. Monique Banville, the president of Richelieu Internationale, was to be on hand but vehicle trouble stranded her in Pembroke, Ont., so she couldn’t make the event. Like many local service clubs, Richelieu Sudbury raises funds for local causes, but few clubs can say they raise as much money as Richelieu members. In his address, Landreville, the international foundation president, said over the past 20 years, the Sudbury club has raised some $20 million.
