Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Friday morning.
Developer inches forward with 347-unit downtown seniors building
A 347-unit seniors independent living residential development is proceeding in downtown Sudbury. Located on land bordering Brady Street, Van Horne Street, Saint Raphael Street and Lourdes Street, this is phase one of an 826-unit residential development city council approved in 2019. “Right now, we are working with the city to get through our site plan control agreement, all of the comprehensive studies, reports, inspections and planning that will lead to the building permit being issued,” consultant Todd Robson told Sudbury.com, representing developer Jack Wolofski of Kaymic Developments. “The city and mayor's office have been very diligent, co-operative and positive to ensure this project succeeds.”
Paralegal’s licence revoked for ‘serious lapses of integrity’
A paralegal based in Sudbury and North Bay has had her licence revoked for falsifying documents, failing to properly advise her clients and showing “a concerning dishonesty and lack of integrity.” This is the key result of a Law Society of Ontario tribunal hearing division decision of Dec. 14, in which sanctions against Cheryl Lisa MacKinnon were affirmed. Her licence was revoked immediately, and she was ordered to pay $6,000 in costs to the Law Society. The decision hinged on agreed statements of facts surrounding interactions with nine clients and one staff member, which all dealt with violations of the Paralegal Rules of Conduct. MacKinnon got a licence to provide paralegal services in Ontario in 2009, and opened a sole practice in Sudbury in 2012, employing a junior paralegal and two assistants.
Edgar Burton Food Drive brings in nearly 100 tons of food
The 36th annual Edgar Burton Christmas Food Drive was another rousing success, organizers said this week. “This year’s campaign ran from November through December and is expected to provide the food bank with close to 100 tons of food through both food and monetary donations,” the Sudbury Food Bank said in a news release. “Over $110,000 in monetary donations were collected, of which nearly half came from the Rainbow District School Board and over $10,000 came from Vale employees.” Edgar Burton was a Vale Divisional Shops employee for 36 years. He started the annual food drive more than three decades ago in his workplace and the campaign snowballed into a community-wide event that includes businesses and schools. It is now “one of the largest per capita food drives in Canada,” the food bank said. As part of its commitment to the drive, Vale donates the time of two full-time United Steelworkers (USW) Local 6500 members, Owen Marcotte and Garrett Lloyd, for approximately two months to organize the initiative. “The Edgar Burton Christmas Food Drive is a great opportunity for Vale to contribute to the Sudbury Food Bank,” said Gord Gilpin, director of Vale Base Metals’ Ontario Operations. “We are proud to support this incredible campaign every year to help feed those in need."
New Sudbury emergency services station to reopen in early 2024
Temporarily relocated crews are slated to return to Station 3, the New Sudbury Fire and Paramedic Station, in early 2024. Crews left the Leon Avenue building on Oct. 3, with firefighters temporarily stationed at the Minnow Lake station and paramedics shifting to a temporary location at 1617 Havenbrook Dr. The closure was to accommodate renovations to washroom, change room and shower facilities, during which asbestos was stirred up. “The city has been working diligently with our contractor to develop a plan to remove the asbestos and return our firefighters and paramedics to the station safely,” according to a media release issued by the city on Dec. 20. “Our contractor has made every effort to minimize delays; they recognize the urgency to complete the project while ensuring the safety of all personnel and maintaining a high quality of workmanship.”
Sudbury Five ready to zap London in home opener
The Sudbury Five are ready to welcome the London Lightning on Dec. 28 to kick off the team’s new season. Tip off for the game is 7 p.m. “Five fans can look forward to new, exciting faces, such as Sam Daniel, former Portland Trailblazer Keljin Blevins, and former G-League player Landon Kirkwood, along with returning players such as Evan Harris, AJ Mosby Jr., Duane Notice, and Haroun Mohamed,” said a press release. To mark the team’s fifth season, the Five said they plan to celebrate all season long. “Throughout the season, look out for opportunities to re-live the history of the Underground,” the team said in a news release.
Occupational safety advocates raise alarm on sector-related disease risks
Workplace Safety North (HSN), in partnership with the Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC), is drawing attention to the top occupational disease risks in the mining, forestry, and pulp and paper sectors. The partners have developed a new series of informational posters designed to educate and raise awareness about the risks of occupational disease that are associated with specific work environments. According to numbers from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, there were 40,185 allowed occupational disease claims in 2022, with occupational illness claims totalling $82.5 million. “These risks are based on data from the Occupational Disease Surveillance System, which monitors disease outcomes among over two million workers in Ontario,” Dr. Paul Demers, OCRC’s director, said in a news release.
