Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Tuesday morning.
Quarry threatens ‘honey pot’ for Blanding's turtles: Opponents
A contested quarry in Township of the North Shore is threatening a dense collection of threatened Blanding's turtles, according to a group of environmentalists and researchers. Student researchers have referred to the wetlands that surround the proposed quarry as “the honey pot” when it comes to threatened/endangered Blanding's turtles. “Almost every time we come here, you’re guaranteed to catch a turtle, which is pretty unheard of for Blanding's turtles,” student researcher Heather Van Den Diepstraten said in a video produced by the Wilderness Committee highlighting their opposition to the quarry. “Although the wetlands surround the quarry site, the rock and forested area is still part of their nesting area,” Wilderness Committee Ontario campaigner Katie Krelove told Sudbury.com, noting that researchers have found nesting sites on the proposed quarry site. Including buffers around known nesting sites, she said much if not all of the quarry site is “critical habitat” for the turtles.
Poll: 58% of Northern hospital workers ‘dread going to work’ due to staffing
More and more Ontario hospital workers say they "dread going to work" because of an ongoing shortage of staff across the province, but particularly in Northern Ontario. That was some of the information that was shared Monday by union officials who are members of CUPE and the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU). The survey of Northern Ontario hospital workers was part of a province-wide poll by Nanos Research of more than 750 staff represented by CUPE and OCHU. The details were presented by Dave Verch, first vice president of OCHU/CUPE and Sharon Richer, secretary-treasurer of OCHU/CUPE at a news conference in Sudbury on Jan. 8. Provincial hospital unions are currently involved in contract negotiations with Ontario hospitals that are members of the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA). Richer said the purpose of the survey was to poll unionized hospital employees about their working conditions, their mental health, as well as their confidence in the public hospital system.
Fire and Ice charity game pits fire services against GSPS
The annual police vs. fire services charity hockey game will hit the ice once again this Feb. 1, after a long hiatus left the teams raring to play. This year, the Fire and Ice – Police vs Fire Charity Hockey Game is in support of the NEO Kids Foundation. “Over the past decade, the Police vs Fire Charity Hockey Game was put on ice, but we are ready to reignite the rivalry,” reads a release from GSPS, noting that when officers and firefighters lace up their skates, it promises to be a fast-paced, fun-filled game. “The Fire and Ice Charity Hockey Game is about community engagement and uniting for a cause greater than a game, a way to support and uplift families and children in need,” said Chief Paul Pederson of Greater Sudbury Police. “Together with Fire Services, we play for a purpose, embodying the true spirit of community with a side of healthy competition. This initiative provides us with the opportunity to have positive interactions with community members while giving back to a very worthy cause. You won’t want to miss this family-friendly, community-supported game.”
GOVA Transit boost aims to address at-capacity bus issue
With public transit numbers reaching record-setting heights in recent months, some users have been left waiting for the next bus due to passengers being packed like sardines. The city is reportedly working to address the issue, with service levels increasing to allocate more buses to affected routes during peak times and other options being investigated this year. Late last year, Sudbury.com published a letter to this effect by user Anne Cropper, in which she noted that she’d had buses pass her by on three occasions due to them being at capacity. “This always happens after I’ve finished work and just want to get home safely,” she wrote. “Luckily, I had the means for a cab, but most of the others waiting were students and I doubt they have money to spare.” Although city Transit Services director Brendan Adair told Sudbury.com they don’t keep track of how many times buses turn people away as a result of being at capacity, it has only been reported to have happened on Route 1 and Route 2.
Five take first loss, dropping a double OT thriller to Toundra
The Sudbury Five were back on the court in Montreal for the second game in as many nights against the Montreal Toundra. AJ Mosby Jr. and company were looking to keep their undefeated streak alive and improve to 4-0 on the season. Both teams were very evenly matched in this contest and played hard to try to get the win for their respective clubs. Players such as Jalen Hayes and Mosby Jr. would put up big numbers throughout the game with 29 points and 16 points, respectively, and after the first quarter of play the Sudbury Five held a three-point lead, with a score of 26-23. The even play continued in the second quarter, and once again both teams traded baskets, namely Antoine Mason for Montreal, who scored 28 points in the game, along with Landon Kirkwood scoring 15 points. Both teams scored 25 points apiece in the second quarter and went into the dressing room at halftime with the Five maintaining their three-point lead on the road, 51-48.
Let’s eat! Vegan Ready is ready to serve you now
You can call it a vegan awakening. That’s what happened to Trent Falldien in October 2019 after watching a series of documentaries on the food industry. “One of the movies was ‘The Game Changers’ and it became just that for me,” Falldien said. A lawyer by day, Falldien is the owner of Vegan Ready on Notre Dame Boulevard. Housed in the former Greyhound bus station that most recently the location of Space Craft Brewing, Falldien is hoping to give people options that he was not afforded when he started his whole foods and plant-based transformation journey. “I wanted oil-free, sugar-free, process-free with low salt because when you commit to being a vegan, there are few options in the Sudbury market,” he said. Falldien took possession of the building in September and opened the doors early last month for take out only.
