Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Thursday morning.
Public Health Sudbury announces new medical officer of health
A new medical officer of health (MOH) has been appointed to Public Health Sudbury & Districts (PHSD). The Sudbury board of health announced Dec. 13 that Dr. Mustafa Hirji will be succeeding Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, the current MOH, on March 18, 2024. He will be the MOH and CEO of the Sudbury health unit. Hirji is the former associate medical officer of health for Niagara Region Public Health. "Consistent with provincial legislation, Dr. Hirji will be Acting Medical Officer of Health until the Minister of Health approves the Board’s appointment," said the news release from PHSD. “We are excited to welcome Dr. Hirji and are confident that his years of senior leadership experience with Niagara Region Public Health and his professionalism will ensure that Public Health Sudbury & Districts continues as a strong, stable, and locally responsive agency,” said Board of Health Chair, René Lapierre.
City holds out hope for Python 5000 pothole machine
The City of Greater Sudbury hasn’t given up on the Python 5000 automated pothole patching machine just yet. Although the pilot program’s inaugural report noted it’s more than twice as expensive to operate than a manual crew ($1,500 per metric tonne of asphalt versus $700), things will improve. “While the report notes that the cost to repair a pothole with this unit is greater than that of a manual crew, these growing pains are expected when incorporating new equipment or technologies into our fleet,” city acting director of Linear Infrastructure Services Joe Rocca said during the Dec. 11 operations committee meeting of city council. The city plans on hiring dedicated officers and using the machine more frequently in order to improve its operations from a cost perspective. “I think we’re going to see better results going forward, of course it is weather dependent and dependent on the machine’s reliability,” city operations engineer Tony De Silva told the city’s elected officials on Dec. 11.
Robert Steven Wright faces new investigation
Sudbury.com has learned that North Bay Police Service is actively investigating new charges against Robert Steven Wright. Wright was convicted of second-degree murder March 29 for the stabbing death of Renée Sweeney, who was killed in her workplace on Jan. 27, 1998. He has been incarcerated since his arrest in 2018. Though North Bay Police Cst. Merv Shantz could not comment on the nature of it, he confirmed that there is an active investigation ongoing. Born in Sudbury, Wright lived in North Bay and worked as an ER laboratory technician at North Bay Regional Health Centre. On June 29, he was sentenced to 12 years of a life sentence before he will be eligible for parole.
Memory Lane: Recalling Sudbury Christmases of years past
It may be the first day of the 12 days of Christmas, but instead of a partridge in a pear tree, we would like to gift to you some of our readers’ favourite memories and traditions of Christmas over the years (all wrapped up inside one of the ubiquitous Eatons clothing boxes we always found under the tree). Now, of course, “everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe will help to make the season bright”, or so Nat King Cole told us, which jives with memories shared by readers, most of which centre on traditional foods, family dinners and decorations as the season’s centrepieces. Karen Laidley-Linley remembers the magic of the season in her household revolved around the Christmas tree. “The tree had to be just right,” she noted. “It remained empty of presents until Christmas morning. What a huge surprise for our family of five children. It never ceased to amaze me. Then add in Santa gifts. The day was just so magical.”
Incoming Laurentian president to be paid $286K per year
Laurentian University’s incoming president and vice-chancellor, Dr. Lynn Wells, will be paid an annual base salary of $286,815. This according to her Dec. 1 employment agreement, of which Sudbury.com has obtained a copy. Earlier this month, Laurentian announced that Wells has been appointed as the university's 12th president and vice-chancellor. Her employment contract is for a term beginning April 1, 2024 and running through until March 31, 2029. At the end of her five-year term, Wells is entitled to signal to be renewed as the president and vice-chancellor. Upon the expiry of her term as president, Wells also has the “option of assuming her duties as a full professor or voluntarily retiring from her employment with the university.”
No evidence backing contractor’s allegations against the city: Auditor
In his second report responding to complaints against the city by Frank Crupi of Road Surface Recycling, city auditor general Ron Foster has again noted a lack of evidence. The previous report was in response to a formal complaint Crupi filed with Foster’s office, at which time every point was accompanied by the conclusion, “Not supported by the available evidence.” Foster’s second report, released to the audit committee of city council on Dec. 12, was in response to an email Crupi sent to members of city council and media on Sept. 22 alleging corruption within both the city and Engineering Services in particular. “Being that it was such a significant allegation, some discussions took place and my office felt that it was appropriate to address the allegations rather than leave them out in the media to fester, since they are a reflection of the city’s business processes, the integrity of staff, and competencies, capabilities and our business ethics as a whole as an organization,” Foster told the committee on Dec. 12. Road Surface Recycling was working on an asphalt recycling pilot project on The Kingsway this summer, until the city issued a stop work order due to their repeated failures to meet specifications. The company, through Crupi (vice-president technology and research), has publicly argued against the city’s findings and decision to issue a stop work order ever since.
