Good morning, Nickel City! Here are stories to start your day
New CEO said Sudbury Hospital is working hard for Sudburians
Health Sciences North CEO David McNeil told the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce audience that aside from the business impact of the hospital in Sudbury, there is a significant role played by the hospital in keeping more Northern Ontario people alive and healthier because of the innovations in medicine.
"And I think one of the things we need to celebrate is the quality of service and the innovation that happens here at Health Sciences North," said McNeil.
He remarked that improved technology means improved health care in many ways. He presented a brief video depicting the story of a man who suffered a stroke at home. He was rushed to HSN where they performed diagnostic imaging with a CAT scan. A large clot was found blocking part of his brain. Physicians at HSN were quickly able to perform appropriate surgery.
After the video McNeil remarked it would be hard to imagine what the outcome would have been without the technology and the specific surgical procedure that saved the man's life.
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Sudbury politicians were NOT in hot water on Sunday
Dozens of Azilda residents jumped at the chance to help two local fundraising causes on the weekend. And they got cold and wet by helping out. Several members of the City of Greater Sudbury City Council were more than pleased to help out.
Organizer Lindsay Laur said the event was a polar plunge where participants got to jump into a swimming pool of freezing water and floating ice cubes. The event was organized by the Azilda Community Action Network.
Laur said Sunday's big splash at the Azilda waterfront park by Whitewater Lake was about helping two distinct organizations.
"We have the Rayside Balfour Youth Centre in Chelmsford. They are in desperate need of funding right now and we are trying our best to keep it open for the kids. And then we are also fundraising for Gauthier Park in Azilda on the other side of the tracks and it is the only park that particular area of Azilda has access to," said Laur.
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Drug addiction problem in Sudbury is too serious to ignore
In the past month, the Sudbury health unit has issued no less than three new drug warnings to say that there are increasing reports of the number of overdoses -- drug poisonings -- taking place in the local jurisdiction.
And while the warnings might seem like a rehash of old news, it is really anything but said public health nurse Sam Mortimer, a member of the Mental Health and Substance Use Team at Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD).
Mortimer said the key reason for sending out the new warnings is to keep the message top-of-mind for the front line workers and for the people with addictions; the message being there are more and more incidents of poison (illicit drugs) being distributed at the street level and more cases of people overdosing; far too many to ignore.
She said putting the warnings out there through word of mouth is vital.
"And really the important piece with sending these out and having healthcare providers and frontline service workers like harm reduction, workers, get the notices and have communication with us because then that sparks those conversations with people who use drugs, on the front lines as they're accessing services," said Mortimer.
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Policing Act changes ‘transformational,’ says GSPS Chief
Complaints against police will soon be investigated with a greater arms-length separation from police, meaning police will no longer be investigating police.
This is one highlight of what Greater Sudbury Police Service Chief Paul Pedersen described as a “transformational change” in legislation soon taking effect.
The Community Safety and Policing Act was passed by the Government of Ontario on March 19, 2019, and finally comes into play on April 1 following several years of public consultation.
The Community Safety and Policing Act takes effect on April 1, affecting police organizations throughout the province..
The Act’s wide-reaching changes will affect approximately 60 Greater Sudbury Police Service procedures, Pedersen told Sudbury.com this week, describing them as a means of improving public trust in police and modernizing language.
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St. John Ambulance honours Sudbury community volunteers
Wherever you go in Sudbury, or in most Northern Ontario towns for that matter, you might not notice them but the invisible guardians are always there.
It's a name that was applied many years ago to the huge corps of volunteers that make up the St. John Ambulance volunteer group and takes part in so many public events. Many people never seem to notice them, but if there is an injury or an illness, a St. John Ambulance volunteer is always there to help out.
The Sudbury branch took some time Saturday to pay tribute to their volunteers and workers with an awards event held at the Albert Street training and administrative centre.
"It's an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of our many volunteers. Those individuals are in the community at events, ensuring safety and security for individuals, and also engaged in public education about the importance of first aid. So we're going to celebrate those individuals today," said Kevin McCormick, Honourary Commissioner of St. John Ambulance for Northeastern Ontario.
"The need for first aid happens everywhere; it could be a cut at home, it could be a heart attack in a public arena, it could be a small accident that happens on the road," said McCormick.
He said the St. John volunteers know the important first steps to take until medical professionals arrive on the scene.
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Labour community plans to celebrate Day of Mourning on April 28
Sudbury's labour community will stand together soon with workers and labour representatives everywhere in honour of the annual Day of Mourning on April 28.
That Sunday is the 40th anniversary of the first year (1984) the Canadian Labour Congress had called for a day to mark the anniversary of the first time the Ontario Worker's Compensation Act was approved by the Legislature in 1914.
This was to formally become a day to “mourn for the dead and fight for the living". The idea was immediately embraced by the labour community in Sudbury which became the first region in Canada to declare April 28 as the Day of Mourning.
In towns and cities and workplaces across Canada, people will observe a moment of silence to honour the memory of co-workers killed in the workplace or of those who died from work-related sickness.
The Day of Mourning, also known as Workers' Memorial Day, is officially recognized in about 100 countries worldwide, said the WSIB website.
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