Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Thursday morning.
Janice Martell: Fighting for the dead, protecting the living
April 28th is the International Day of Mourning, where we pause each year to remember workers killed on the job or as a result of occupational disease — numbering 1,000 annually based on workers’ compensation statistics from accepted claims. We vow each year to mourn for the dead and fight for the living. For the many worker deaths from occupational disease that go officially unrecognized, however, mourning the dead is a complicated and often unachievable task for the families left behind. “I find that while I am working underground I am continually spitting up blood and other dark substances, which could be a result of silicosis. Would you be kind enough to look into my case, to find out if the Mine has any responsibilities towards me.” It was Dec. 21, 1967 and Andrew Tabaka had already spent 11 years underground at Kerr Addison Mine in Virginiatown, Ontario when he wrote this letter to his Member of Parliament, Arnold Peters. The month prior, Tabaka had left the mines due to a heart condition and after a doctor’s warning that he “could not expect to live more than a year” if he continued mining. He began vocational training through the Manpower Centre in Elliot Lake, but soon left due to family circumstances and financial hardship. Tabaka returned to mining, writing to Peters that “I then was forced to take employment again as a miner at Upper Canada Mines. The Kerr Addison Mine refused to rehire me because of my physical condition.” Tabaka had a family to support as a father of six children. His family reports that he was a lifetime non-smoker. That lifetime was short. Tabaka was 46 years old when he died in August 1970.
City hits the brakes on capital work at municipal ski hills
Despite passing a successful resolution to hit the brakes on capital projects at the city’s two municipal ski hills pending review, Ward 6 Coun. René Lapierre clarified they aren’t closing. At least, not necessarily. “This report doesn’t suggest to close anything, we’re just trying to access the user numbers, what capital assets are required at those sites for renewal, and projections of renewal for the next five to 10 years,” he told Sudbury.com after this week’s community and emergency services committee meeting, at which his motion passed unanimously. “From there, maybe staff will have recommendations for alternate use. ... Maybe it’s a different type of lift we use in one place or another.” During the meeting, Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh also suggested the review determine whether user fees are adequately covering the ski hills’ expenses.
Speed limit on part of Hwy 69 rising to 110 km/h
You’ll soon be able to drive a bit faster (legally, that is) on Highway 69 as the Ontario government expands the number of 400-series highways with a posted speed limit of 110 km/h. Ten additional sections of 400 highways will see the limit increase. Locally, 60 kilometres of Highway 69 from Sudbury to French River will see the speed hike. Ontario said the expansion is justified after testing the increase on six sections of highway starting in 2022. “Most of Ontario’s highways were originally designed to safely accommodate speed limits of 110 km/h and the data from our changes in 2022 shows they do just that,” said Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria. “These evidence-based increases are a common-sense change to make life more convenient for Ontario drivers while bringing our highway speed limits in line with other Canadian provinces.”
Women & Girls: Cycling to Montreal for multiple myeloma awareness
A Sudbury woman is once again leading friends and supporters on a bicycle ride to raise awareness of the disease multiple myeloma, but instead of going on a day-long, 30-km ride around the city, she's preparing to set off on a two-week cycling adventure from Sudbury to Montreal. Ashley Dieks, 38, is joining with a handful of friends to travel to Myeloma Canada headquarters on a joint fundraising and awareness exercise. Dieks, who is a paramedic with the Sudbury Manitoulin EMS, learned a couple of years ago that she had a form of blood cancer. Myeloma Canada says the disease is the second most common form of blood cancer. It results in the abnormal behaviour and uncontrolled growth of plasma, a type of white blood cell that fights infections. Produced in the bone marrow, when they become cancerous, plasma cells begin producing abnormal proteins (called monoclonal protein, monoclonal immunoglobulin, or M-protein), instead of the cells the body uses to fight infections. These abnormal proteins are released into the body and can lead to serious complications in different parts of the body, including the bones and kidneys.
Greater Sudbury police still seeking information on 2022 murder
Greater Sudbury police are still seeking information on an unresolved 2022 murder in which 50-year-old Rohnan Williams was found shot to death. His body was discovered in his apartment on Elm Street on May 31, 2022. At the time, police were contacted by Rohan Williams’ loved ones who had not seen or heard from him for several days prior to his body being found, according to a media release issued by GSPS this week. Evidence collected at the crime scene suggested that he was murdered inside his apartment, according to police. A post-mortem confirmed he died from gunshot wounds.
Magna gets the all-clear to begin test mining in Sudbury
Seventeen months after acquiring a dormant INCO nickel and copper mine in Sudbury, Magna Mining said it’s ready to begin test mining later this year. The hometown mine developer announced April 23 it has all the required approvals and permits in place to begin advanced exploration, both on the surface and underground, at its Crean Hill Mine project located in the southwest corner of the Sudbury basin. Magna has pocketed a key Permit to Take Water from the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks. It's the final permit needed to start pumping water out of the old mine workings at Crean Hill and press forward with the company's plans for first production. Those plans include extracting a huge surface bulk sample later this spring and starting construction of a ramp from surface down into some very promising underground zones to begin the early-stage test mining program.
