Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Tuesday morning.
Library board votes to eliminate late fees — permanently
Don’t get too stressed out about library items’ due dates, with the Greater Sudbury Public Library board voting to permanently eliminate late fees last week. “We’re excited about this,” library CEO and chief librarian Brian Harding told Sudbury.com, adding that it’s been “tried and tested” by other libraries and will help reduce barriers. “We’ve heard stories of children who aren’t allowed to use the library because their parents are afraid they will accumulate overdue fines,” Harding said, citing this as a common occurrence. “That is the worst thing we can hear. ... It tells us that there’s a problem here, and that we’re doing something wrong.” Coinciding with the city’s public library system doing away with late fees, they’re implementing an auto-renewal program, wherein items not returned on time are automatically renewed for another lending cycle (21 days for books), as long as there isn’t a hold on the item.
‘Light Up Kivi Park’ kicks off holiday season Dec. 2
Kivi Park holds its fundraiser Light Up Kivi Park from 5-8 p.m. Dec. 2. “Join us for a luminous celebration as we transform Kivi Park into a winter wonderland,” said a press release. “Witness the magic as more than 82 trees light up for the first time this season. Families, friends, and the entire community are invited to partake in the seasonal cheer.” The event includes s’more stations, storybook walk, photo booth, a special visit from Santa and a Santa letter writing station. Fill your belly with Beavertails and Local Jerky Plus. Admission is by donation to Kivi’s Accessibility Fund, which is “dedicated to breaking down barriers that hinder access to the park and its myriad offerings.”
Let’s eat! Crunch into Zena’s tasty gourmet popcorn
Buttery popcorn is not that big of a deal in Omobolanle Abajingin’s home country of Nigeria. But here in her new home of Canada, it has made her an entrepreneur all over again. Omobolanle Abajingin, or Mobola for short, moved here six years ago along with her three children due to safety and security concerns in Nigeria. There she ran a haberdashery or sewing shop, and a boutique that sold merchant’s wares. Abajingin missed the business world, and shortly after her move to Canada, she got fully immersed in all things popcorn experience. “During the pandemic lockdowns, we started doing home movie nights as a family. Each week we would season the popcorn differently and experiment with different flavours,” Abajingin said. “I started researching the entire market. The United States has a huge appetite for gourmet popcorn.”
Sudbury woman charged in $712K fraud case at local business
A Sudbury woman has been charged for allegedly orchestrating a major fraud that stole $712,500 from a local business. The investigation by the Greater Sudbury Police Service’s Financial Crime Unit began in February. The business from which the money was stolen is not named in the news release. GSPS said the investigation showed a former employee of the business was processing cheques for for business expenses that weren’t legitimate. “Information provided was that an accounting firm had completed a financial audit for the business, noting multiple cheques being made out to the former employee by the employee,” the police said in a news release. “It is believed that the former employee would then process the cheques as ‘business expenses’, however these expenses were not authorized.” Police said the fraud went one for about seven years, from 2016 to 2023, and defrauded the business of more than $712,500.
Sudbury city councillors give developers ‘hodgepodge’ of exemptions
Coming in at an estimated cost of up to $15,000, test maintenance holes are a municipal requirement some developers haven’t been keen on footing the bill for. The city’s elected officials have lifted the requirement for some, but not others, in what planning committee chair and Ward 10 Coun. Fern Cormier described as a “hodgepodge” approach. Cormier has requested an internal review of the requirement, rather than have the committee continue making decisions on a case-by-case basis. “It seems to be coming up more frequently now as an issue, especially with the increased costs of doing development,” he said. “It’s worth a look.” Test maintenance holes are located at the edge of properties, and serve as an access point to test the content of a specific property’s wastewater.
Plane 'reportedly destroyed' in landing accident at Wawa airport
The only airstrip at the Wawa Municipal Airport will be out of commission until at least Tuesday evening after a landing accident involving a single plane occurred early this morning. The incident involved a Mitsubishi MU-2 aircraft registered to Thunder Airlines Limited out of Thunder Bay. It attempted to land with three people on board at about 7:39 a.m. Monday. Nobody was injured in the incident, said Rebecca Weatherall, assistant director of infrastructure services for the Municipality of Wawa. Weatherall said the airstrip is likely to be out of commission until at least 6 p.m. on Tuesday. “It’s likely to be extended,” she noted.
