Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Friday morning.
Video: Huge stinky ‘corpse flower’ blooms in Val Caron
One room of Colette Theriault’s house in Val Caron was stinky last weekend. This isn’t a judgment, but a reflection of the fact her Amorphophallus konjac finally bloomed last weekend. The plant, also known as a voodoo lily, is known for its pungent smell. That’s why some people have nicknamed it and similar flowers a corpse flower. Walking into the room housing the flower last weekend, an odour reminiscent of rotting meat hits hard. “I was hoping it would be closer to spring so I could put her outside,” Theriault said with a chuckle.
City non-union managers’ pay boost ‘reprehensible’: CUPE
Last year’s wage hikes for City of Greater Sudbury upper management was “outrageous,” a CUPE spokesperson told Sudbury.com, and “dealt a severe blow to the trust between the employer and our union.” Last month, Sudbury.com received confidential city documents from an anonymous source that revealed wage hikes of eight per cent for pay groups 16-18 (city directors and other senior managers) and six per cent for pay group 15 (senior managers) were granted in 2023. The decision carried a total annual cost of $520,000, and was made by city CAO Ed Archer using the delegated authority city council granted him, under council-approved parameters. In the wake of this revelation, a unanimous city council passed a motion calling for the city’s 20-year-old Salary Administration Policy to be reviewed. Subsequent information Sudbury.com received from the city highlighted the fact non-union salaries have closely followed unionized rates in general wage increases since 2010.
City ‘prioritizes cybersecurity’ in wake of cyber attacks
In the wake of recent cyber attacks, the City of Greater Sudbury clarified they undergo regular reviews of cybersecurity strategies. Sudbury.com’s request for a phone interview with a city staff member regarding city cybersecurity measures was denied, with the city issuing a written statement instead. “To limit risk, any explanation of our cyber security plans are kept confidential,” city spokesperson Kelli Sheppard said. The city’s cybersecurity strategy was last updated with city council on Sept. 26, 2023, during a session closed to the public. “The increasing threat of cyberattacks reinforces the importance of both the city and individuals, remaining vigilant in understanding and mitigating the risks,” according to the City of Greater Sudbury’s written statement.
Arson triple homicide: Party to fatal fire can’t remember much
For the majority of Fern Bolduc’s April 10 testimony in the arson triple homicide trial of Liam Stinson, the jury in Sudbury Superior heard three responses: “I don’t remember”; “I don’t recall”, and; “Can't say.” Bolduc, 51, also known as “Juno”, was with Stinson the night of the April 11, 2021, fatal fire that killed three people and severely injured another. Stinson is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Jamie-Lynn Rose, Guy ‘Popcorn’ Henri and Jasmine Somers. He is also charged with one count of intentionally or recklessly causing damage by fire to a dwelling house causing bodily harm. Bolduc was arrested on April 24, 2021, more than two weeks after the fire, and was charged with three counts of party to first-degree murder for his role in the death of Rose, Henri and Somers, and party to attempted murder for the severe injuries the fire caused to David Cheff. He was also charged with party to arson with disregard for human life and conspiracy to commit murder. His charges were addressed in provincial court in late 2022, the details of which can’t be published. Bolduc repeatedly testified he could not recall or had no memory of a party at Stinson’s on April 10 or the fire itself in the early morning hours of April 11.
Sudbury’s Northbury Hotel sold to new owners
It’s the end of an era for a longstanding Sudbury hotel and conference centre, which will adopt a new name when its new owners take over this spring. In an unsolicited offer, the Northbury Hotel & Conference Centre, located on Brady Street near the city’s downtown, has been purchased by a group of stakeholders and will be rebranded as a Days Inn & Conference Centre by Wyndham, effective Friday, April 12. Norm Grillanda, president at the Northbury, said negotiations for the transaction had been in the works for several months. The hotel has been “unofficially” up for sale for a number of years, Grillanda said, and since he joined the venture as president in 2014, the current group of shareholders has received a number of unsolicited proposals. Though none had come to fruition, the group was “always interested in hearing what someone is willing to offer for the hotel,” he said, and this time, they accepted the offer.
Young offender facing charges following Wahnapitae barricading
A young offender is in custody and facing numerous charges following a barricading incident on Beverley Street in Wahnapitae on April 10. Greater Sudbury Police said officers were dispatched to the home at the corner of Beverley and Glenbower Crescent at around 11:45 a.m. Officers were looking for a person believed to be connected to a robbery that occurred at a business on Lasalle Boulevard in New Sudbury on April 5. “When officers arrived on scene, the individual barricaded himself inside the residence,” GSPS said. “Patrol officers made multiple attempts to establish communications with the individual inside the residence, however the individual would not respond to police.” The GSPS Emergency Response Unit arrived at the scene at approximately 12:35 p.m. on Wednesday and set up containment around the residence.
