Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Friday morning.
A look at stun gun use by GSPS in wake of man's death
Greater Sudbury police used conducted energy weapons 29 times in 2022. These weapons are the same as the one used by police in Chelmsford on Tuesday before a 46-year-old man died in police custody. Perhaps best known by the brand name Taser, or its “stun gun” nickname, conducted energy weapons (CEW) are either fired (a pair of metal darts are shot into the person) or used in a drive stun (the device is pressed directly on a person). The weapons are used to dispense an electrical charge intended to induce pain and immobilize/incapacitate a person. The 29-use count in 2022 is a jump from the previous year, when Greater Sudbury police used conducted energy weapons 17 times. There was a total of 128 use-of-force incidents in 2022, which was a 34.7-per-cent jump from the previous year. In 2022, conducted energy weapons were taken out but not used 62 times, and they were taken out and not used 50 times in 2021.
Tender opens for library/art gallery architectural work
The Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square project is inching forward, with a tender recently opening for its architectural and engineering work. The project is slated to take up the bottom two floors of 199 Larch St. (known as the provincial building), and much of 200 Brady St. (Tom Davies Square/city hall) to its immediate north. The buildings are attached and owned by the city. A new central library is expected to occupy much of 200 Brady St., and a new space for the Art Gallery of Sudbury will occupy the bottom two storeys of 199 Larch St. The Sudbury Multicultural and Folk Arts Association will also occupy space on the main floor of 200 Brady St. Most municipal services which currently occupy 200 Brady St. will shift to the upper storeys of 199 Larch St. Notable exceptions are the One-Stop Services centre and council chambers, which will remain in place at Tom Davies Square. As of mid-day Thursday, there were 41 plan takers for the project’s architectural and engineering work, which has a closing date of Feb. 1.
Pedestrian struck, killed on Hwy. 17 in Massey area
A pedestrian has died after being struck by a commercial motor vehicle on Highway 17 in the Massey area overnight. Shortly before 2 a.m. Jan. 4, the Manitoulin Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a motor vehicle collision on Highway 17 at Birch Lake Road. An investigation revealed a commercial motor vehicle struck a pedestrian. A 33-year-old from Sables-Spanish Rivers Township (which is the Massey area) was pronounced deceased at the scene. The highway was closed for approximately seven hours, and has now been reopened. The investigation is ongoing with the assistance of the OPP Traffic Incident Management Enforcement (T.I.M.E.) team.
Japan Festival organizer prays for victims of Jan. 1 earthquake
While noting her own family is safe following a devastating New Year’s Day earthquake in Japan, the organizer of Sudbury’s annual Japan Festival said she’s praying for those who are affected. With the death toll from Japan’s Jan. 1 earthquake continuing to rise, and more earthquakes and possible tsunamis predicted, Sudbury.com spoke with Takako Shoji Boyle to get her take on what she’s hearing about the event from friends and family. The 7.6 magnitude quake’s epicentre was on the Noto Peninsula, inside the Ishikawa Prefecture. A prefecture is similar to a province and Japan is divided into 47 prefectures. Ishikawa prefecture has a population of more than 1.14 million and covers 4.186 square kilometres on the western coast of the island of Honshu. More than 73 people have died. The Japan Meteorological Agency said dozens of quakes of at least magnitude 3.5 hit the region on Jan. 1 between 4 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. They initially issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of Honshu, as well as the northernmost of Japan’s main islands, Hokkaido. The warning was downgraded to a regular tsunami several hours later, meaning the waters could still reach up to 3 metres (10 feet).
Northern and Copperfin credit unions aim for Jan. 2025 merger
The boards of two Northern Ontario credit unions have established January 2025 as the tentative date for a potential merger of the two organizations. Northwestern Ontario-based Copperfin Credit Union and Sault Ste. Marie-based Northern Credit Union first announced plans to explore a union last February. After a joint committee conducted initial discussions, in October the two boards unanimously approved proceeding with what they describe as the critical work that's required to bring the organizations together. In a statement last week, they said "we are close to finalizing the due diligence phase, which is a crucial element in ensuring a thorough understanding of each organization's strengths and opportunities for synergy" but added that "Northern Credit Union and Copperfin Credit Union envision an official merger date of January 1, 2025." Assuming regulatory approvals are received, members will then be required to vote on the merger.
Someone in Manitoulin District is holding an $80K lotto ticket
Someone in the Manitoulin District is holding onto a winning Lotto Max ticket worth $80,754.80, but they only have two weeks left to claim it. The winning ticket was from the Jan. 17, 2023, draw. The winning selection for this prize was 01– 02 – 05 – 06 – 16 – 30 – 45 and Bonus Number 19. “If you believe you bought the winning ticket, or lost it, please be prepared to provide specific details including where and when your ticket was purchased when calling OLG Customer Care at 1-800-387-0098,” OLG said.
Vale’s Cutifani named Commander of the Order of the British Empire
A well-known mining executive, Mark Cutifani of Vale Base Metals, has been named as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the British New Year Honours list. It was last summer that Cutifani was named as chair of the newly formed Energy Transition Metals Board with Vale Base Metals. Previously he had spent several years in Sudbury as chief operating officer (COO) at CVRD Inco, but he left Sudbury in 2007 to become chief executive officer (CEO) of AngloGold Ashanti, and then became CEO of mining giant Anglo American, one of the largest mining companies on the planet. He’s since returned to Vale, and is currently chair of the Energy Transition Metals Board with Vale Base Metals. On Monday, Cutifani was named in the New Year Honours List (page 13) which is published to recognize "the achievements and service of extraordinary people across the U.K." The document said Cutifani was being honoured for services to investment in the global mining industry.
