Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Thursday morning.
Moonglo search for missing city councillor turns up nothing
A Feb. 6 search of the Moonglo neighbourhood of Greater Sudbury for missing Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini turned up nothing, Greater Sudbury Police said today. “No new information related to Michael’s whereabouts came to light as a result of the search in the Moonglo area,” GSPS spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn told Sudbury.com this morning. That search included GSPS personnel from the Rural Community Response Unit and volunteers with North Shore Search and Rescue. While one group of searchers checked out nature trails behind houses on Nova Street, another group of police officers used an unmanned aerial device (drone) in an area near Moonrock Avenue where several new homes were under construction. “Members of our Search and Rescue Team working in collaboration with North Shore Search and Rescue will be conducting a ground and aerial search in the Moonglo neighbourhood as part of the overall search effort,” GSPS said in a news release. “There is no specific information to suggest that Michael or the vehicle may be in the area, however as part of our due diligence approximately 10 individuals (officers and NSSR volunteers) will be conducting the search with the assistance of the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS).”
Children’s Aid Society launches specialized partner violence team
The Children’s Aid Society of Sudbury and Manitoulin has launched a specialized team dedicated to working solely with families experiencing partner or gender-based violence. In addition, the society has said it is in “full support” of the City of Greater Sudbury’s Nov. 7, 2023, declaration that intimate partner violence is an epidemic. "I stand firmly behind city council's declaration on gender-based violence,” said local Children’s Aid Society (CAS) Executive Director Elaina Groves in a news release. “Our commitment to the safety and well-being of children and families compels us to adapt dynamically to the evolving needs of our community. The establishment of our specialized Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Team not only underscores our commitment, but also reflects our relentless efforts to create a meaningful impact within the constraints of existing resources. “Recognizing the urgency in this epidemic, we have realigned resources to cultivate a more responsive, supportive environment for victims of intimate partner and gender-based violence." CAS said the creation of the intimate partner violence (IPV) team marks the first time in the organization’s 100-year history it has created such a body, and said the city’s declaration is a call to action for the community.
Financial woes lead to Valley Community Theatre shuttering
The Valley Community Theatre group based in Capreol made the difficult decision last month to fold after 25 years and more than 50 theatrical productions. They might not have known it at the time, but their last-ever production ended up being “Dear Santa,” which they staged over the course of six days in December. Although she said they’ve been struggling to attract volunteers, Valley Community Theatre president Patricia Rheault told Sudbury.com the main mitigating factor in their closure was the growing cost of renting theatre space at the city-owned Millennium Resource Centre. Rheault recently sent an open letter to Mayor Paul Lefebvre highlighting this issue. “We are disappointed that our theatre is closing, but we’re also disappointed that the city could not see its way to reconsider our hefty rent increase, especially when they are doling out huge amounts of money for arts and culture in the city core,” she wrote.
Another suspect arrested in December downtown Sudbury assault
Another suspect has been arrested in relation to a Dec. 1 assault. Greater Sudbury Police have arrested and charged 42-year-old Joshua Dominguez of Southern Ontario with assault and forcible confinement. Police continue to request the public’s assistance in locating 41-year-old Daniel Calestagne, also of Southern Ontario. who is wanted in relation to the same assault. Anyone with information related to the whereabouts of Calestagne is asked to contact police at 705-675-9171. According to a media release from GSPS, the original incident was reported to police Dec. 1 at around 1:25 a.m., when officers were dispatched to Durham Street in relation to a weapons complaint.
Ontario NDP leader: Underfunding led to international student situation
Voicing her concern about uncertainty in the post-secondary sector following a federal announcement to stem the rapid growth of international students coming to Canada, the Ontario NDP leader said underfunding of colleges and universities is to blame. “I'm really concerned about the uncertainty that has been created for students both here domestically, and our international students as well,” Marit Stiles said, speaking to reporters during a Feb. 1 press conference in Sudbury. “It’s hard to predict right now how far-reaching the impact of this decision will be. But we do know a couple of things. One is that the (provincial) Conservative government, and the Liberal government before them, underfunded post-secondary education in this province, and that they have also failed over and over again to crack down on the bad actors.” Stiles’ reference to “bad actors” speaks to the term used by several politicians to describe private colleges who have been offering programming to international students in Ontario on behalf of public colleges.
Memory Lane: ‘Nothing beats outdoor hockey’
This past weekend saw many pitched battles for hockey supremacy taking place at three of our local outdoor rinks — Robinson Playground, Delki Dozzi and Algonquin Playground — during the annual Pond Hockey Festival on the Rock. These men and women (both organizers and participants) are continuing a Sudbury outdoor hockey tradition that dates back to our very beginnings. For many of our readers, commenter Andy Beland’s words will definitely strike a note within their collective memory banks. “The sound of the pucks rattling off the boards (and the occasional goal post) are sounds forever etched in my mind.” The first part of this two-part series detailing some of the history of playground hockey in Sudbury brought out a few readers who were ready and willing (after all these years) to represent and defend the honour of their respective playground teams.
