Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Wednesday morning.
Vale trying out biodiesel in Sudbury smelter locomotives
Vale Base Metals is taking a serious look at reducing the use of traditional fossil fuels in Sudbury, specifically in the case of diesel rail locomotives used at the Copper Cliff smelter. The company recently kicked off a trial using biofuel blends in one of the company locomotives to get a better understanding of how different biofuel blends perform, especially during Sudbury's winter months, said a recent social media posting. "We will be trialing a variety of clean fuel blends in the form of both the bio and renewable diesel, with fuel blend ratios modified to suit outdoor temperatures based on the time of year," said Alex Mulloy, a low-carbon specialist at Vale Base Metals. Vale said the goal of the Sudbury trial is "to successfully demonstrate use of biofuel blends in locomotive engines with an eye to reducing carbon emissions from surface mobile equipment in support of companywide decarbonization efforts."
Sudbury trial for man charged with trafficking comes to a close
The trial of a Sudbury man charged with human trafficking came to an end in provincial court on Feb. 26, with closing submissions following the testimony of one final Crown witness. A decision date has yet to be set. There is a publication ban on testimony from the alleged victims, as well as their identities and any details that point to their identity. Paul Castonguay is charged with trafficking in persons under the age of 18; receiving a financial or other material benefits – derived directly or indirectly from the trafficking of a person; procuring; material benefit from sexual services; assault causing bodily harm: chokes, suffocates or strangles; two counts of assault; indecent acts; possession of property obtained by crime (under $5000) and breach of undertaking. At trial today, defence attorney Dennis Michel told Justice Pierre Bradley that his client wished to concede guilt on the charge of indecent acts. A video showing Castonguay exposing himself to the public was offered as evidence at his last appearance on Jan. 3.
Sub-tenants scramble after The Workplace closes suddenly
The Workplace, a work centre on Lansing Avenue catering to small businesses, has closed, allegedly without giving its sub-tenants any notice before the building owner changed the locks. Financial advisor Dave Copeland has been working out of the offices since 2017, and learned from a fellow sub-tenant last week that the centre that housed his business had closed. “On Monday, Feb. 19, I received a phone call from another tenant who rents office space from The Workplace to tell me that the locks have been changed,” he told Sudbury.com. “The owner of The Workplace, Maxime Caldwell, has ignored emails from me and I haven't seen her in at least five years.” Caldwell owns The Workplace alongside her husband, Jeff, but do not own the building. The Caldwells are the chief tenants at 1191 Lansing Ave. Units 1, 2 and 5.
Laurentian having difficulty filling senior leadership jobs
With the provost’s position just one of several vacant senior roles Laurentian University has been unable to fill in recent months, the secondment contract for the school’s interim provost has officially been extended. Brenda Brouwer, who was seconded from Queen’s University to take on the interim provost position, began her post at Laurentian on Jan. 1, 2023, and was supposed to be at Laurentian for a period of 15 months. At the Feb. 16 closed meeting of Laurentian’s board of governors, her secondment was extended until June 30 of this year. Like Brouwer, Laurentian’s interim president, Sheila Embleton, also started her role on Jan. 1, 2023. She was seconded from York University. But Laurentian was able to successfully recruit a new president. Lynn Wells was named Laurentian’s incoming president in December, with a starting date of April 1. Embleton will continue in the interim role until Wells arrives.
A decade after taming Dragons, Sudbury workwear creator eyes global expansion
Alicia Woods has come full circle. Ten years after first appearing on Dragons’ Den, the founder and CEO of Covergalls has made her third appearance on the CBC business pitch-style show to share just how far her women’s workwear company has come. “It’s pretty exciting, because for us it was an opportunity, almost like coming full circle, to be able to come back and show the progress that we've made since being in the den,” she said of being asked to appear on the Feb. 1 episode. “But also, two Dragons in particular had given us advice, so it was an opportunity to also thank them for giving that advice… and what impact it had on our business.” Woods first pitched the Dragons in Season 9.
St. Andrew’s bids fond farewell to beloved 40-year-old ash tree
St. Andrew's Place in Sudbury held a special event Feb. 26 to acknowledge change and say thank you and goodbye to a longstanding feature of its outdoor garden, a beloved tree that has been part of life at 111 Larch Street for roughly 40 years. As part of the rejuvenation of the courtyard space, the prominent mountain ash will be removed as the roots of the tree were found to be encroaching on the surface water drain beneath the garden beds, as well as growing under the paving stones. The renovation work had to be stopped to deal with repairing concrete and brickwork, said a news release from the garden team at the One-Eleven Seniors Centre. There is also a concern that spring rains will soften the frozen soil that currently supports the ash tree. For safety reasons, said the release, the tree must be removed. "Due to the restricted location, it is not possible to relocate the live tree," said the release.
