Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this November Monday morning.
Police find a second body in wooded area of Sudbury
Greater Sudbury Police Service (GSPS) delivered an entirely new development in their search for evidence connected to the homicide investigation for murder victim Carol Fournier. GSPS said a second body was discovered in the wooded area near McNeil Boulevard, which is west of Beatty Street in Sudbury. "Around 10:30 a.m. this morning, November 11, 2023, members of our Search and Rescue Unit located 47-year-old Rick Jones deceased in the wooded area West of McNeil Boulevard, North of the railway tracks while conducting an evidence search in relation to the murder of Carol Fournier," said the police news release. A post-mortem will be conducted through the Coroner’s Office on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, to assist in determining the cause of death, however at this time foul play is not suspected, said the police statement. "In consultation with Carol’s family, we can confirm that prior to her being murdered, she was in a relationship with Rick Jones and both outstanding arrest warrants for Rick were for Intimate Partner Violence incidents involving Carol. We continue to ask that you respect the privacy of Carol’s family during this tragic time," said the police statement. No information was provided by the police statement with respect to the possible cause of death for Jones, when he might have died or how long his body has been in the wooded area where the search was carried out.
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Remembrance Day observed by hundreds at Sudbury Arena
Hundreds of Sudburians crowded into the Sudbury Community Arena Saturday morning to join with other Canadians observing the traditional moment of silence and Act of Remembrance at 11 a.m. It included some poignant words from a Christian church minister pleading for peace in the world. The annual event brought together scores of Royal Canadian Legion members, community leaders, members of the Canadian Forces in reserves and cadet corps, first responders and other community groups. Among them was Silver Cross Mother Jane Byers of Espanola. She is the mother of Pte. David Robert James Byers, who was a member of the Second Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, who was killed in Afghanistan on September 19, 2006. While he was based at Shilo, Manitoba, his home was Espanola. The Silver Cross Mother is honoured at Legion ceremonies in Ottawa and in cities and towns across Canada every November 11 in tribute to the loss suffered by mothers whose children have died in uniform. Byers laid a wreath at the ceremony in Sudbury, something she has done several times in the past at Legion ceremonies in Espanola.
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Sudbury MPP Jamie West pushing for anti-scab legislation
Sudbury MPP and NDP labour critic Jamie West is preparing to take another run at trying to get anti-scab legislation approved in Ontario. This follows the recent move by federal Liberals and New Democrats to support a bill for an anti-scab law for federally-regulated employees. “This is a milestone for workers across the country,” said West, in a news release issued Thursday. “Workers across the country are feeling hopeful, thanks to the NDP’s persistence and commitment to ensure that the federal government brought forward this key legislation. Anti-scab legislation is usually a ban on hiring replacement workers to undermine the bargaining leverage of a work stoppage during a legal labour dispute. Ontario’s first and only NDP government under Premier Bob Rae tabled passed a scab-labour ban back in 1992. When Conservative Mike Harris rose to power the Ontario anti-scab law was repealed in 1995.
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NOSM University and unionized workers ratify that new contract
NOSM University, formerly the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and its unionized workers have voted to ratify the new three-year collective agreement.
It was last Sunday that both sides revealed they had reached a last minute tentative agreement and that ratification would take place during the week.
Both the unionized workers and NOSM University's Board of Governors voted in favour of ratifying the new collective agreement on November 8, 2023, said a news release from the medical school. The new deal applies to OPSEU/SEFPO Local 677 (Unit 1) and the NOSM University Faculty & Staff Association (NUFSA) covering full-time faculty, librarians, and professional staff at NOSM. The medical school has campuses located in Thunder Bay and Sudbury.
On behalf of the NOSM University’s Board of Governors, Joy Warkentin, chair, expressed thanks to the members of both negotiating teams for their hard work in reaching an agreement that will ultimately benefit learners and communities across the North. NOSM University and its Board of Governors look forward to the continuation of a strong professional and productive partnership with OPSEU/SEFPO Local 677, Unit 1 over the next three years and are appreciative of their members' contributions to the University's vision of Innovative Education and Research for a Healthier North, said the news release.
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Lockerby Composite students and staff raise more than $1 million
A special tribute has been granted to students and staff of Lockerby Composite School in Sudbury for their outstanding fundraising effort in support of cancer research. The Lockerby Kids Caring for Kids Cancer Drive was honoured recently for having reached a major milestone in 2022 by raising more than $1 million for pediatric cancer research and care programs in partnership with the Northern Cancer Foundation (NCF) at Health Sciences North. Lockerby Composite students and staff gathered at the Shirley and Jim Fielding Northeast Cancer Centre to witness the unveiling of a cabinet and a plaque commemorating their achievement. The cabinet filled with memories of Lockerby’s fundraising efforts now stands in the Cancer Centre lobby. The new plaque hangs in the pediatric chemotherapy waiting room to acknowledge the generations of students and staff who have made a difference in cancer care, said a news release from the NCF. "We were thrilled to have reached this milestone, but more than that, we are proud of the impact we've been able to make for children in our community," said Principal Ryan Lafraniere. "We know that every dollar raised has made a difference, and families across the North will benefit for years to come," he added.
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Indie Sudbury rock band Ox releases new album
With several of its partially finished songs kicking around for more than a decade, local roots rock band Ox has finally released their latest album, Ktel, on digital platforms. Band leader Mark Browning took his time crafting the album, which is their first since 2011. The end result? It sounds like the country-twinged Ox albums of yore, but “a little bit tighter than some of my other stuff,” Browning told Sudbury.com the day after releasing “Ktel” earlier this month. “I’m really happy with it,” he added. “It was exorcising the demon.” Ox formed in Vancouver more than 20 years ago, and released their first album, Dust Bowl Revival, in 2003.
A few albums followed, capped by Tuco, the soundtrack for a movie never released, in 2011. A few years after their debut album, Browning relocated to his hometown of Sudbury, tired of spending all his money on a basement apartment in Vancouver he barely spent time in. He started a family, opened a record shop (Cosmic Dave’s Vinyl Emporium on Kathleen Street) and Tuco’s Taco Lounge across the street (named after the Ox album), and maintains a recording studio on Elgin Street. Ox has kept at it with occasional performances headed by a current lineup of Browning (guitars, vocals), Ryan Levecque (guitar, piano, backing vocals), Chris “Pepper” Peplinski (bass) and Mark “Dutch” Koetsier (drums), with honourable mention going to drummer Spencer Jose, who recently stepped back to pursue solo projects. The band started work on a follow-up album to Tuco shortly after its 2011 release, but shelved it.
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