Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Thursday morning.
Laurentian president’s home has been sold
The historic six-bedroom John Street home traditionally occupied by Laurentian University’s presidents was sold last month. The university’s new president, Lynn Wells, announced the sale of the 179 John St. property in her written report to Laurentian’s senate on April 16. “The sale of the former residence of Laurentian University presidents was completed in March 2024,” Wells wrote. “The buyer of the home will take possession at the end of May and at that point the transaction will be complete.” The property was put up for sale in February for $899,000. Wells did not reveal in her report who the buyer of the home is, or its final purchase price. She said once the transaction is complete later this spring, “we will be able to provide more information about the sale price and proceeds of the sale.”
Day parole extended for man convicted in murder of Sudbury cop
A man convicted for the 1993 murder of Sudbury Police Const. Joe MacDonald has seen his day parole extended. Granted day parole in October, 2023, the Parole Board of Canada opted to extend that day parole on April 8. Additionally, Pennett may also be eligible for pre-release leave privileges. Peter Pennet, 59, is one of two men convicted of murdering Const. Joe MacDonald, a young officer making a routine traffic stop in New Sudbury on Oct. 7, 1993. Also charged and convicted was Clinton Suzack. The Correctional Service of Canada confirmed to Sudbury.com that Suzack, who was also serving a life sentence for MacDonald's murder, died of apparent natural causes on Feb. 18. Together, Pennett and Suzack ambushed, pistol-whipped and fatally shot MacDonald. They were convicted of first-degree murder in 1995 and sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 25 years.
Sudbury schools treated ‘fairly’ on foreign student allocations
Sudbury’s three post-secondary schools say they were treated fairly when it came to the allocation of a now limited number of foreign study permits. In January, the federal government announced it is making several changes to stem the explosive growth of international students being brought into Canada by post-secondary institutions, which has caused issues that include pressure on housing. The federal government said it will set an intake cap on international student study permit applications to stabilize new growth for a period of two years. Ontario student study permits were expected to go down by 50 per cent. Post-secondary institutions had been waiting for the Ontario government to allocate study permit applications following the announcement of the feds’ new rules, something it did at the end of March.
Memory Lane: Remembering Sudbury’s iconic Nickel Range Hotel
The auctioneer’s gavel slammed down on the podium. “Sold! Your number, sir? Thank you.” And, with that, the last item from the 60-year-old Nickel Range Hotel had been purchased by a buyer looking to own a piece of Sudbury’s history. Now you’re probably asking yourself, “What brought us to this point?” In this article we’re going to trace the final few months in the life of the Nickel Range Hotel. And, I’m sure more than a few readers will see certain similarities with recent city purchases in the downtown core. The Nickel Range on Elm Street underwent many changes and even changed hands many times since it was first established as the White House in 1886. The original frame building was then the centre of town and became a place where a growing economy spread good times. When advancing technology forced renovations within the hotel industry, the Nickel Range brick building was constructed in 1915, replacing the White House. The new name bestowed upon it was as Sudbury as one could ever imagine. After all, we were the Nickel Capital of the world (the original owner, D.M. Morin had found his riches through mining). The Nickel Range was the cornerstone for a growing and bustling downtown.
Seismic event at Nickel Rim Mine Tuesday evening
If you felt the ground shake over the supper hour Tuesday evening, it wasn’t your imagination. Earthquakes Canada has confirmed there was a 3.0 magnitude seismic event at 6:07 p.m. April 16. A spokesperson for the federal agency said the seismic event was “a mining related event at Nickel Rim Mine.” Sudbury.com has reached out to Glencore, which owns Nickel Rim Mine, for more information.
Neighbours issue in-depth objection to nine-storey proposal
Sunrise Ridge residents came prepared to oppose the proposed next phase of their neighbourhood’s development during Monday’s planning committee meeting of city council. It was an unusual meeting, with area residents spending a couple of hours taking turns reading from a 120-page PowerPoint presentation, maximizing each of their 10-minute time limits. At issue is developer SalDan Construction Group’s proposal to build three nine-storey residential buildings with 108 one- and two-bedroom units each. The buildings would be located at the ends of North Field Crescent, Fieldstone Drive and Kingsview Drive, which stem from Sunrise Ridge Drive at the top of a hill to the northeast of Downtown Sudbury. Residents’ opposition centred on traffic concerns, the buildings’ height and the potential impacts on water pressure.
