Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Friday morning.
Extendicare ‘temporarily shelved’ 320-resident Minnow Lake build
With Extendicare Countryside slated to open early next year, the organization behind the project is already looking at their next project: a 320-resident home in the Minnow Lake neighbourhood. Projected to cost approximately $100 million, senior government relations consultant Zane Colt described the project is “temporarily shelved” due to local challenges. Colt aired Extendicare’s challenges during the Nov. 29 Future-Ready Development Ad-Hoc Committee of city council, at which industry insiders were asked to share their experiences.The goal, Mayor Paul Lefebvre clarified, is to “ensure we do the best we can with the processes and systems to ensure as we grow our community that we make it easier and a welcoming community when it comes to business development and growth.” Extendicare operates two long-term care homes in Sudbury, including Extendicare York (333 York St.) and Extendicare Falconbridge (281 Falconbridge Rd.)
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Bike cop busts suspected fentanyl deal
A bike patrol officer with Greater Sudbury Police Service busted what is believed to be a fentanyl drug deal in Greater Sudbury’s downtown Nov. 29. Just before 2 p.m., a member of the Community Response Unit (CRU) was on a bike patrol in the downtown core, when the officer witnessed an individual selling what were believed to be illicit drugs to another person. The officer was able to approach the two individuals without being detected and witnessed the exchange of cash for drugs. Having witnessed the exchange, the officer called for additional units and stopped the two parties. The officer placed the individual selling the drugs under arrest. Upon searching the individual, officers located additional drugs believed to be fentanyl, a notebook, packaging materials and $160 in cash. In total, officers seized close to 17 grams of drugs with an estimated street value of $5,600. A 53-year-old man has been charged with the following offences under the Criminal Code of Canada and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA): Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking and Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Under $5,000. He was held in custody overnight and was to attend bail court today (Nov. 30) on these charges.
Video: Downtown party greets Holiday Train’s Sudbury stop
In another signal the Christmas season is once again upon us, the brightly lit CPKC Holiday Train rolled through Sudbury on Nov. 29. Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Sudbury to take in the festivities and to view a brief performance by Anyway Gang. The rock band performed Christmas staples alongside a handful of upbeat originals. During its stop in Sudbury, CP Rail made a $10,000 donation to the Sudbury Food Bank, and staff and volunteers from the local organization collected donations from the crowd. By the end of the evening, they estimated that they’d gathered three-quarters of a tonne of food and a pile of monetary donations they’d yet to count.The CPKC Holiday Train’s day began at 10 a.m. in Vaughan, with several performances taking place between then and the 9:15 p.m. show in Sudbury. Their westbound trip was scheduled to pick back up the following morning, with a 10:45 a.m. performance in Cartier. Its travels began on Nov. 20 and will continue until Dec. 19.
Watch our video of the event
Ten years later, Northern Ontario Film Studios still an industry leader
When David Anselmo was in school in Sudbury, filmmaker was not on the list of options his guidance counsellor could give him. Anselmo is now the president of production for Hideaway Pictures, Northern Ontario’s first film production company, and head of strategic development for Northern Ontario Film Studios (NOFS), the area’s largest film studio. “Growing up in Sudbury, we never really had an opportunity to be filmmakers, in a professional sense of the word,” Anselmo told Sudbury.com. And so, he decided to change that. His passion for making movies first led him to the audio-visual club at school, making movies on camcorders and as he grew, dedication to the art of film and television kept borders from stopping him.“I was forced to go abroad to pursue a career and the options were to go to Los Angeles, Toronto or Vancouver,” he said. “But things led me overseas to Europe and South Korea, and that’s where I spent about seven years in the film industry.” Honing his craft meant learning on set, and making vital connections. It also doesn't hurt that he was able to work on his acting chops, with a role in The Host, one of South Korea’s highest grossing films, directed by Oscar-award winning director, Bong Joon Ho.
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Women & Girls: Hanmer student takes on Parliament
Hanmer native Émilie Denis-Plante is getting an up-close look at Canada’s parliamentary system this school year through the House of Commons Page Program. Each year, 40 students are selected from across Canada to participate in the Page Program. Pages are first-year students registered at one of the eligible post-secondary institutions in the national capital region. They work on a part-time basis for one year. In the chamber and around Parliament Hill, pages support parliamentary democracy by providing a range of services to members of Parliament. Denis-Plante is an 18-year-old recent graduate of École secondaire catholique l’Horizon. She is studying political science with a juris doctor at the University of Ottawa. The six-year university program will give her the qualifications to become a lawyer. “Politics has always been interesting to me,” she said. “Ever since I was little I wanted to work in the parliament or to be in politics or to do something in politics. So when I found out about the page program a few years ago, I felt like it was an amazing opportunity. I definitely wanted to apply for it. “You can only apply in your first year of university or college when you are in the region of Ottawa. So I had my eye on this for a very long time. As soon as I was eligible to apply, I applied and I'm so happy and excited to be working as a page in the Parliament this year.”
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OPP echoes call to guard against Robinson Huron Treaty scams
The Manitoulin Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is echoing the call for caution from the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund (RHTLF) team in the face of a fraud targeting its members. RHTLF reported to the OPP that beneficiaries have been receiving letters with the Government of Canada, Province of Ontario and RHTLF logos. The letters request personal and banking information to confirm the individual's eligibility for settlement funds and promises that money will be sent either by direct deposit or cheque once the information is received. The Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund (RHTLF) issued a warning to members late Tuesday, Nov. 21.
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Laurentian University marks milestone in PhD program
Laurentian University recently marked a milestone with the 40th graduate from its PhD in Rural and Northern Health program. The program, now under the guidance of Dr. Elizabeth Wenghofer, has seen its graduates take on critical roles in education and health care since its first graduate in 2009. With a focus on increasing research capacity in the realm of rural and northern health, the program has not only met but exceeded its objectives. Wenghofer emphasizes the importance of the graduates as "Champions for the North,” representing and addressing the unique health issues faced by Northern Ontario communities. "The PhD in Rural and Northern Health allowed me to expand my understanding of health care in Northern Ontario and provided me with the skills to advocate for small communities,” said David McNeil, a graduate of the program and now CEO of Health Sciences North. Cindy Peltier, another program graduate and now professor at Nipissing University, echoes these sentiments.“The program prepared me to further explore topics in Indigenous Health and greatly influenced my research today,” she said. “I am fortunate to now guide PhD students interested in similar topics and prepare them to work with Indigenous communities in meaningful ways.”
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