Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Tuesday morning.
Toronto police arrest Sudbury man for assault on elderly victim
Metro Toronto Police Service have arrested and charged a Sudbury man in connection with an aggravated assault in which an elderly man was pushed to the ground while exiting a TTC subway train. In a news release issued Monday, Toronto Police said the 33-year-old Sudbury resident was arrested and charged in connection with the incident that occurred March 13. More information is available here from TPS. Greater Sudbury Police said he was arrested by GSPS in Sudbury on March 17. He was picked up by members of Toronto Police Service and transported to Toronto for court. The Toronto Police website earlier reported the victim was a 71-year-old man who was exiting a train at the Don Mills subway station when he was approached by someone who pushed him with both hands. Police said the victim fell to the ground and suffered serious head injuries.
Evading RIDE check in stolen truck nets multiple charges
An attempt to evade a RIDE check in a stolen truck has resulted in multiple charges for a 39-year-old man. Around 10:10 p.m. March 17, officers from the Greater Sudbury Police Traffic Management Unit and Patrol Operations Division were conducting a Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) check on Bancroft Drive in Greater Sudbury when officers saw the driver of a dark pick-up truck intentionally attempt to evade the spot check. Upon seeing the police cruisers and officers, the driver made an abrupt stop by entering a driveway, waiting a short period of time, and then backing out of the driveway to travel in the opposite direction, away from the RIDE check. Officers travelled in the same direction of the truck to conduct a traffic stop. Upon locating the vehicle, officers activated emergency lights and sirens, however, the driver of the vehicle did not pull over and continued to drive erratically, travelling at a high rate of speed, swerving across both lanes of traffic, and bouncing off the curb. In the interest of public safety, officers disengaged the vehicle that was last seen traveling on Howey Drive.
Information Act request needed to get access to top doc’s salary
Following a Freedom of Information Act request from Sudbury.com, Public Health Sudbury & Districts has finally released the details of the employment contract for the region's incoming medical officer of health. Today also happens to be Dr. Mustafa Hirji’s first day on the job. Sudbury.com had first requested details of Hirji's employment contract in December, 2023, but was refused the information. The filing of the Freedom of Information request was filed on Jan. 5 after Public Health refused to share the information freely. The document Sudbury.com received included little redaction. The only information redacted were signatures of those involved in accepting the contract. The document shows Dr. Hirji's annual base salary will be $242,000, which is less than what Hirji earned in 2022, his last known yearly pay period reported by the Ontario Sunshine List. This base salary could be subject to annual increases for non-union employees, as approved by the board.
Support community radio during CKLU’s Pledge Week
Support campus and community radio in Greater Sudbury during CKLU 96.7 FM’s annual Pledge Week, which runs March 18-24 this year. For 40 years, CKLU has been the only campus and community radio station in Northeastern Ontario. It broadcasts from a studio in the McEwen School of Architecture in downtown Sudbury. “CKLU is a not-for-profit, self-supported community radio station with over 30 volunteer DJs representing multiple languages and formats,” the station said in a press release. “From spoken word news & community interest programs to a wide range of music, CKLU gives airtime to emerging Canadian and local artists of all genres.” From hip-hop to EDM, jazz to country, metal to punk and everything in between, CKLU has a show for you. The station is also the official broadcaster of the Sudbury Wolves. During Pledge Week, CKLU lets special guest hosts take over the mic, and this Pledge Week is no different.
Video: Would-be Olympians turn out for RBC Training Ground
More than 60 young athletes turned up at Laurentian University’s gymnasium early Sunday morning to see if they might have what it takes to become an Olympic athlete. For the first time in its nine-year history, the RBC Training Ground came to the Nickel City on March 17. If you’ve never heard of it, the Training Ground is basically a talent search for the next generation of Olympians. A partnership between the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Olympic Foundation, and supported by the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network, RBC Training Ground is a nation-wide talent identification program to find future members of Team Canada. Real-life Olympian Brittany Maclean was on hand for the Sudbury event. She won a bronze medal in the 4x200 metre freestyle relay at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and has worked with RBC Training Ground after retiring from elite athletics.
Sudbury will not be affected by expired locum program
A provincial health program set up during the COVID pandemic to let Northern Ontario hospitals find temporary emergency room doctors is once again coming up against a closure deadline. The Temporary Locum Program that was extended back in September is set to expire on March 31, 2024. While it might be concerning for some smaller rural communities, it is not expected to affect Sudbury's Health Sciences North. The locum program provided additional funding to allow temporary emergency room doctors to step in at smaller community hospitals to keep the ER open at times when other physicians had to leave town for a few weeks or just to take a break. Locums have become a fact of life throughout rural Ontario where hospitals would rely on out-of-town doctors to fill on vacant shifts that could not be filled by local doctors. The Temporary Locum Program would pay the premium to bring temporary doctors into town.
