Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Thursday morning.
OMA calls for concerted effort to fix Northern doctor shortage
The shortage of medical doctors in Northern Ontario has reached the point that action is needed on several fronts not only to attract more doctors, but to find ways of keeping them in the North. Inaction will mean the overall level of health care in this part of Ontario will continue to decline. This was the message delivered today during an online news conference hosted by Ontario Medical Association President Dr. Andrew Park, along with NOSM University President and CEO Dr. Sarita Verma, Marathon family physician and NOSM Assistant Dean of Physician Workforce Strategy Dr. Sarah Newbury, and Meno Ya Win Health Centre (Sioux Lookout) Chief of Staff Dr. Laurel Laakso. Newbury said Northern Ontario, with a population of fewer than one million people, is spread out over a huge geographical area of 800,000 square kilometres. "That creates challenges for delivery of care and for patients to access care," she said. "We know, too, that our population has a lower life expectancy than the rest of the Province of Ontario by two-and-a-half to three years.”
Multiple bomb threats against Northern Ontario schools
Provincial police are investigating multiple bomb threats at schools across Northern Ontario that occurred yesterday. The threats targeted multiple schools under multiple school boards across the North East and North West Regions, demanding payment. As a precaution, the majority of the targeted schools have been closed while the investigation continues. All schools in the Timmins area were closed yesterday. Sudbury.com reached out to the four local school boards operating in the Greater Sudbury area.
Teen charged after Halloween candy robbery with replica gun
Two youths carrying Halloween candy were robbed by two other youths dressed in black, wearing tactical-style vests and masks, according to Greater Sudbury Police Service. In a media release, they note that the incident took place at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Metcalfe Avenue in Garson, when two masked youths grabbed the bag of candy and ran. The victims attempted to chase the two masked youths, but the two alleged thieves shot at them with an airsoft pistol, which shoots non-lethal plastic pellets. Officers were dispatched to the area, where they found the two masked youths walking through a property off Falconbridge Road. The two ran away. GSPS reported catching one of the youths, but the other one was able to evade police.
NOSM University employees will be in strike position Sunday
Unionized workers at NOSM University, formerly the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, will be in a legal strike position on Nov. 5. This is based on the No-Board report that was issued by the Ontario Ministry of Labour on Oct. 19 at the request of the union. The NOSM U Faculty and Staff Association (NUFSA), OPSEU Local 677, representing medical education faculty, librarians and professional staff, had been in provincially mediated conciliation with the NOSM University administration since Sept. 22, but the union was dissatisfied with the negotiations. The union requested the report on Oct. 10. Following the issuance of the no-board report, a legal strike or lock-out may begin on the 17th day after the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development releases the notice to the employer and the union, said the Ontario labour ministry website. A notice with bargaining updates on the NOSM U website said the union is legally allowed to take action as of 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 5.
Jeno Tihanyi Pool floor ‘requires significant remediation’
Laurentian University said the concrete pool floor of the long-shuttered Jeno Tihanyi Pool “requires significant remediation.” The university continues to assess the extent of repairs needed to reopen the pool. The Jeno Tihanyi pool, which was built in 1972, was shut down in the spring of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and never reopened. The pool eventually started to leak, and repairs are required before it reopens. While Laurentian was subject to expenditure control while it was operating under creditor protection in 2021 and 2022, there was limited funding available to perform what it termed “non-critical repairs.” Following Laurentian’s late-2022 exit from the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), LU’s board of governors approved a little more than $300,000 from its 2023-24 budget to investigate and repair the pool leaks.
Vale Sudbury squeaks into Q3 with positive nickel production
Vale's third-quarter production report, ending Sept. 30, shows nickel production in Sudbury squeaked into a positive 1.1-per-cent increase despite declines in nickel production and sales figures in other company operations in Canada and around the world. The Q3 report with various production highlights was published on the company's website. This included year-over-year (y/y) comparisons of production figures in 2023 compared with 2022. The company said copper production overall increased by 10 per cent, year over year, mostly due to the continued ramp-up of Salobo III with the Salobo complex reaching in September, the highest monthly production level since July 2019. Considering performance to date and the expected volume for Q4, Vale said it is now forecasting a full year production of 315-325 kilo-tonnes. Copper sales increased by eight per cent y/y, following higher production volumes, said the company. Vale said copper finished-production in Canada so far this year has decreased by six per cent when compared to Q3 in 2022.
