Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Monday morning.
Fire Station 3 reopening delayed by positive asbestos tests
Fire Station 3 on Leon Street in New Sudbury will be closed a little while longer due to ongoing issues with traces of asbestos being found, linked to the ongoing renovations in the 49-year-old building. A Facebook post Friday evening by the Sudbury Professional Fire Fighters Association (SPFFA) highlighted the discovery of asbestos and also stated the closure of Station 3 to accommodate the renovations means a 10-minute delay in responding to emergencies in the New Sudbury area. “We want to keep you informed about a critical update regarding Station 3 in New Sudbury. The station is still unavailable for staff, meaning there is no immediate fire response from that location,” the post states in part. “Engine 3 is still co-located in Minnow Lake, resulting in potential delays of up to 10 minutes in responding to the New Sudbury area. This unavailability is due to the discovery of asbestos on surface swabs taken within the station.” The issue with asbestos in the building is not new and is related to the building materials used at the time of the station’s construction in 1974. Both drywall compound and some of the floor tiles used contain asbestos, and deconstruction work that is part of the renovation can potentially cause asbestos particles to become airborne.
Laurentian president suspects gov’t ‘stalling’ on tuition fee increases, funding
The good news is that the blue-ribbon on post-secondary education in Ontario has recognized that Northern Ontario institutions — as well as those serving Francophone and Indigenous students — require special support. The bad news is that the government has not provided any indication as to when the panel’s recommendations will actually be implemented. Laurentian University president Sheila Embleton made these comments during the Nov. 21 LU senate meeting in the wake of the report’s release earlier this month. “One of the good things in the report is that they do explicitly mention the institutions which serve the north, those providing French or bilingual education, those that serve a larger proportion than others of Indigenous students,” she said. “Those that are small do tend to inevitably have higher running costs. So at least that's been recognized. Whether this translates into anything of any significance, I guess we'll wait to see.”
'Severe issues' with northern highway safety, truckers group says
Travis McDougall, co-founder of Truckers for Safer Highways, slammed the Province today saying "severe issues" continue to affect northern highway safety. "Without clear and immediate action from the Ministry of Transportation, more lives WILL be needlessly lost on our highways," he said in a morning news conference. "In Ontario, the mandated training time of 103.5 hours is woefully inadequate, with too little emphasis on practical experience. Our proposal is straightforward: trainees should spend 80 per cent of their training time behind the wheel, mastering skills for confident highway navigation.” McDougall was part of a joint news conference with NDP MPPs Lise Vaugeois (Thunder Bay—Superior North) and Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk—James Bay). "These issues are not new to the Ministry of Transportation," said Vaugeois. "For years, we've been telling them about the critical need for improved highway safety, particularly in northern Ontario. The Ford Conservatives are not prioritizing the lives of northern Ontarians."
Navigator program for youth justice system receives funding
For 20 years, Sudbury District Restorative Justice has been offering tools and resources for youth involved in the justice system. With a recent grant from the Law Foundation of Ontario, the staff can offer one-to-one navigation for youth and their families. The $45,512 grant will establish and launch the Youth and Family Legal Navigation Program, said Meagan Curley, the communications co-ordinator who created the program concept and secured the grant. The program aims to address the complex legal issues faced by local youth and their families, offering guidance and education so they may better understand their legal rights, obligations, and options. In addition to one-to-one consultations with client navigators addressing individual legal issues, the grant will aid in creating a library of legal materials and resources tailored to the specific needs of youth and families, as well as organizing information sessions on various legal topics.
Economic reconciliation can be Canada's 'competitive edge,' says Indigenous business leader
For generations, Indigenous people have been bystanders to natural resource development on their traditional lands. The dynamic has changed. Court-enforced land and treaty rights put Indigenous people at the centre of a mineral resources exploration boom in Canada. First Nations can make or break a project. There’s a sense of urgency by government and industry today to extract and send to market critical minerals such as nickel, cobalt and lithium, which are used for electric vehicle batteries, green energy and defence applications, and the high-tech sectors. “The world is needing these critical minerals, and they are in our backyards,” said JP Gladu, a nationally known Indigenous consultant and strategist as principal of Mokwateh. To restore trust with Indigenous people, the onus is placed on the resource industry to engage with First Nation communities, a dialogue that should have happened a long time ago, he said.
Video: Nickel City Strongman hosts friendly event at World Gym
Nickel City Strongman and World Gym in the Elm Place Mall teamed up on Nov. 25 for a strongman competition aimed at attracting newcomers to what they say is a growing sport in the region. The event drew about 25 competitors. Larger local events can attract around 100 people. The event was organized by Nickel City Strongman in conjunction with Strongman Canada Corp. (SCC). One of the founders of SCC, Simon Lafontant of Calgary, was on hand for the event. He describes the strongman community as one of the most tight-knit athletic communities around. “It’s the most encouraging community you’ll ever find and people are just seeing what their bodies can actually do when they’re pushing their limits,” Lafontant, a graduate of Collège Boréal and Laurentian University said. “Get out and try it. It’s such a beautiful community to be a part of, everybody is is incredibly supportive and I bet you will surprise yourself.”
