Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Friday morning.
Sunshine List: Here are the 64 people in the $200K+ club
There are 64 people in Greater Sudbury paid from the public purse making more than $200,000 a year. The annual list of public sector salary disclosures — more commonly known as the Sunshine List — was released today. Since 1996, Ontario has released a list of publicly paid employees earning more than $100,000 a year. The idea behind the release of information, the province says, is to ensure openness and accountability to taxpayers in regards to public salaries. And so, since then, the province has released the annual disclosure. The disclosure must be made prior to March 31. The act applies to organizations, including the Government of Ontario, Crown agencies, municipalities, hospitals, boards of public health, school boards, universities and colleges, Ontario Power Generation and other public sector employers who receive a significant level of funding from the provincial government.
Sunshine List: Here are the top local earners in three sectors
Sudbury.com has gone through this year's public sector salary disclosures and broken down the top local earners by sector. Below, you will find three sections, highlighting the top earners at city hall, and in the education and health care fields. We have also included a table searchable by name of the top earners at city hall. We did not include tables for the education and health-care fields, but instead teased out the top earners from those sectors and compiled them for you to read. The province’s latest annual Sunshine List was made public today, listing 688 City of Greater Sudbury employees with wages of at least $100,000. The annual list of public salary disclosures includes those who earn more than $100,000 per year, and the 2023 list of City of Greater Sudbury employees is an 11.5-per-cent increase from the previous year’s total of 617. The 2022 disclosure was a 17.4-per-cent increase from the 540 people listed in 2021.
Arson triple homicide: Witness heard accused order ‘firebomb’
Sudbury court heard from a witness on March 27 who spent the night of the fire at the home of Liam Stinson, the man accused of ordering the firebombing of a home that resulted in the deaths of three people in April, 2021. The witness, who’s name and identifying details are covered by a publication ban, testified they saw plastic bottles filled with gasoline, and heard the accused, Liam Stinson, order the men to “firebomb” a home. About 20 minutes after the men left, the witness testified Stinson looked at his phone, and announced, “It’s done.” Further, the witness testified Stinson “had a big smile on his face when he said it.” Stinson is currently on trial in Sudbury for his alleged role in the April 11, 2021, fire that killed three people: Jamie-Lyn Rose, Guy Henri and Jasmine Somers, and severely injured another. Stinson is facing an arson charge, as well as three counts of first-degree murder.
Sudbury police chief is moving on
Greater Sudbury Police Chief Paul Pedersen is moving on, as of June 22. During an in camera meeting this morning of the Police Services Board, Pedersen announced he has accepted a position as the executive director of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police. “It has been an honour to represent the people in this service who, day in and day out, serve this community with nobility, pride, and professionalism,” Pedersen said in a news release. “I want to thank this community for welcoming me and for the ongoing support of the Police Services Board over the years. It is with mixed feelings that I bring this chapter of my life to a close.” Pedersen has served as chief of Greater Sudbury Police Service since May 4, 2014, taking over from predecessor Frank Elsner. Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer, who chairs the PSB, praised Pedersen in the news release. “Chief Pedersen has served this community and this police service admirably for over a decade and has made an everlasting impact with his professional dedication to community safety and well-being,” he said.
Sudbury mine developer signs milling agreement with Vale
Sudbury mine developer Magna Mining expects to start test mining nickel and copper at its Crean Hill Project before the end of 2024. And a good chunk of this early production will be headed to Vale for processing. Magna announced March 27 that it’s signed an ore-selling agreement — known as an off-take — with mining giant Vale Base Metals, the former owners of Crean Hill. Magna acquired Crean Hill from Vale in November 2022 and are wasting little time in making preparations to put it back into production in gathering permits, carrying out economic and technical studies, and carrying out more than 19,000 metres of resource drilling on the property last year. Crean Hill, a former INCO mine (now Vale), is situated in the southwest corner of the Sudbury basin. It operated from 1900 to 2002. Magna sees both open-pit and underground mining opportunities on the property.
How bad are Sudbury's roads? Voting open for annual CAA campaign
CAA is once again looking for Canada’s worst roads and voting starts today. Although Greater Sudbury didn’t crack the top 10 worst roads in Ontario in 2023, it did manage three of five worst roads in Northern Ontario. CAA’s Worst Roads campaign has measured public sentiment on the state of highways and non-highways since 2003. In Ontario, the campaign allows consumers to vote daily at caaworstroads.com. Voters also have the option to upload photos and explain why the road doesn't meet their standards. Nominations for the worst road can be cast until April 19. "Our research shows that 65 per cent of members don't feel enough is being done to fix the roads," said Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice president government and community relations, CAA SCO, in a news release.
