Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Wednesday morning.
Public hearing for contentious Sunrise Ridge mid-rises next week
The first of two public hearings for three nine-storey residential buildings with 108 units apiece at the top of the Sunrise Ridge Drive hill is scheduled to take place on April 15. The SalDan Construction Group proposal has been widely opposed by area residents, many of whom packed a room at the Quality Inn last month to hear from company president Sam Biasucci. The proposed nine-storey residential buildings would take shape at the end of each of the cul-de-sacs which currently close off the streets stemming from Sunrise Ridge Drive at the top of the hill. Several residents appeared irate during last month’s meeting, expressing concern for their property values, traffic congestion, added noise and changes to the character of their neighbourhood. Biasucci’s plan would see to it that 36 units in each building be classified as “affordable,” with rents paid for market units subsidizing their cost.
Arson triple homicide: Publication ban issues cleared up
At the arson triple homicide case against Liam Stinson on April 8, lawyers representing Sudbury media outlets were in court to argue a publication ban imposed on the identity and testimony of two witnesses was too broad and prevented news coverage of important parts of the trial. As the trial progressed over the past couple weeks, Crown attorneys Alayna Jay and Kaely Whillans highlighted reporting by two local media outlets which they believed violated the publication ban. In one instance, Justice R. Dan Cornell made an order that resulted in one media outlet having to unpublish their article. Lawyers Iain MacDonald and Justin Safayeni who represented CBC and CTV on behalf of several Sudbury news media outlets sought clarity on the publication ban that has been in place for three witnesses since the start of trial. The submissions were successful and while the previous publication ban made reporting prohibitive, Sudbury.com can now report on witness testimony so long as it does not reveal the name or identifying information on the witnesses.
Lapointe hosting a passport clinic on April 13
If you have some passport needs to address, Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe is hosting a free passport clinic on April 13. “This clinic will offer public guidance on passport applications, a secure courier service to Passport Canada, and a 20-business day processing time, plus mail time,” a release from Lapointe’s office states. Photo services will not be available on site, so those attending will need to get an official passport photo ahead of time. You can download passport application forms here. The event is Saturday, April 13 fom 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the New Sudbury Public Library, 1346 Lasalle Blvd. First come, first served.
Sudburian flees broken-down limo on Hwy. 400, lands in hot water with OPP
Ontario Provincial Police say pre-flight drinks didn’t end well for a Sudbury man. The 37-year-old was heading to the airport with some friends in a limo before 2 a.m. Sunday. When the southbound vehicle broke down on Highway 400 near Quarry Road, OPP say a passenger tried to thumb a ride. “The clearly intoxicated pedestrian was apprehended by several officers and taken to detachment for a period of time and later released when sober with a ticket in contravention of the Liquor Licence and Control Act,” police said in a news release.
Search warrant yields nearly half a kilogram of cocaine
A search warrant at a residence on Ontario Street in Sudbury yielded nearly half a kilogram of cocaine, cash, drug paraphernalia and six cellphones. The warrant was executed by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)-led Provincial Joint Forces Guns and Gangs Enforcement Team (PGNG) and the Greater Sudbury Police Service (GSPS) Drug Enforcement Team. The release, issued by the OPP, didn’t state when the raid occurred. Seized during the warrant was the cocaine, $2,440 in Canadian currency, six cellphones and drug trafficking paraphernalia. A 23-year-old Etobicoke resident and a 37-year-old Sudbury resident are facing several charges as a result.
Cubs retake lead in playoff series against Blind River
Two first period goals from Oliver Smith helped propel the Greater Sudbury Cubs to a big 5-1 in the team’s best-of-seven playoff series against the Blind River Beavers. The Beavers and the Cubs held the top two spots in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League for the majority of this past season, with Blind River leading the league for much of that time. In Monday’s game on home ice at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex, the Cubs jumped out to an early lead just 57 seconds into the game. Less than a minute after the opening facebook, Cubs’ forward Ethan Larmand swooped down the left side and fired on Beavers’ netminder Noah Tegelaar. Smith scooped up the rebound and buried it. At 14:22 of the first, Nolan Newton interrupted a play in his own zone, rifled a long pass to a speeding Hudson Chitaroni, who slipped into the Beavers’ zone alone and beat Tegelaar on the backhand to make it 2-0 for the Cubs.
