Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your weekend.
Video: Vigil for missing councillor ‘a beacon to light his way’
It was a bittersweet evening for hundreds of Sudburians as the opening evening of the Walden Winter Carnival gave way to a candlelight vigil for Ward 2. Coun. Michael Vagnini, who’s been missing for nearly two weeks. With Vagnini normally the star of the annual event, fur hat and all, his community came together to light his way home Thursday night. Family, friends, neighbours, community members and city council colleagues took part in the vigil next to T.M. Davies Community Centre in Lively. Held beside the carnival’s annual bonfire and just after the fireworks, there was joy tinged with sadness. Karen Makela, Vagnini’s longtime friend, spoke on behalf of his family. His partner and daughters stood nearby, the light of their candles flickering against the sequins of Vagnini’s trademark blazers, which they brought to the vigil
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Plea date set for Sudbury man charged with child porn, bestiality
A plea date has been set for a Sudbury man facing charges of accessing child pornography, possessing child pornography, bestiality and compelling the commission of bestiality. James McGuire, 37, who is in custody, was set to have a judge and jury trial beginning on Jan. 8, but it was abruptly put over when he decided instead to plead guilty to the charges instead. A new date was set for McGuire to plead, as his lawyer, George Fournier, was unavailable due to a family matter. After a Feb. 6 appearance in assignment court, McGuire will now plead on March 25 in Superior court. McGuire was charged on March 27, 2021 as part of an “extensive” 13-month investigation by the Greater Sudbury Police Internet Child Exploitation Unit. The investigation resulted in similar charges against three other people, including Raymond Stargratt, who last month was sentenced to 20 months in a correctional treatment centre after pleading guilty to charges.
Sudbury hospital joins new province-wide cash lottery
There's a new hospital lottery in town and the Health Sciences North Foundations is part of it. From February 8 through to March 21, the new Split The Pot lottery supports several hospital partners and offers players 13 more chances to win early bird prizes, said a news release. "Split The Pot is a relatively new initiative, but it has quickly become the largest partnered fundraising initiative in Ontario. We saw it as a good opportunity to join forces with dozens of other health-care leaders in the province. These draws run concurrently with the HSN 50/50," said Shane Gordon, Manager, Lottery and Websites for the Foundations at Health Sciences North. Gordon said the licensee for the new lottery is the Grand River Hospital Foundation in Kitchener but added that the HSN Foundations is happy to be part of the initiative which has more than 50 hospital and health agency partners across Ontario. To give players more chances to win, the Split the Pot Lottery jackpot will be divided among 13 grand prize winners, and there will be 26 chances to win a total of $76,000 in early bird prizes. And, of course, Ontario patients win big too, with a portion of proceeds from every ticket purchased going directly to support partnering hospitals through their foundations, said the news release.
Union official: Back-to-basics kindergarten ‘not a bad thing’
The province’s plan to update the kindergarten curriculum with emphasis on “back-to-basics learning” is “not a bad thing,” said a Sudbury union official representing English public elementary school teachers. “Education always has some kind of full circle,” said Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) Rainbow Local president Liana Holm. “Things change, we go back to things we used to do, we add new things.” In January, the province announced it would bring in a new kindergarten curriculum by September 2025. This curriculum, the press release said, will include “clear and direct instruction in reading, writing and math for kindergarten students.” These concepts will still be combined with hands-on and play-based learning, which were more emphasized in the previous iteration of the kindergarten curriculum, a program developed eight years ago. In play-based learning, educators use play as the vehicle for learning, building on children’s natural curiosity.
Sudbury kindergarteners spread some Valentine’s love
Valentine's Day is traditionally a celebration of love and friendship. But this year, the junior and senior kindergarten students at École St-Dominique (Sudbury) wanted to spread a little more warmth and happiness by celebrating this special day with a touch of generosity. Through a creative project, the students produced Valentine's Day cards that they then delivered to the neighbouring LaSalle Retirement Residence to share joyful messages with residents. This wonderful sharing of the Valentine's Day project, produced by small loving hands, showed that even the smallest gestures can have a significant impact, said a press release from the school board. By bringing colour and joy into the lives of the retirees, the young École St-Dominique students demonstrated that love and friendship help bring generations together.
