Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Lady Wolves on the ice in the medal round today:
The Sudbury Lady Wolves made their way through the round robin at the Esso Cup, winning four of five games and advancing to the semi-finals Friday night. The Wolves will be back on the ice at the Countryside Arena today, playing for a medal. Sudbury.com will bring you coverage from today's game so be sure to check back with us.
Highway 17 may be open this weekend:
The end is in sight for the closure of Highway 17 at Bissett Creek, east of Mattawa. An update from the MTO Thursday morning said crews are working as quickly as possible to make repairs but the highway will only open as soon as it is safe to do so. The MTO said the highway would definitely remain closed Thursday and Friday. A lengthy detour is in place. Northbound traffic on 17 should take Highway 60 to Huntsville, then Highway 11 northbound to North Bay. Southbound detour is Highway 11 to Huntsville, then Highway 60 back to 17. Be careful on the detour, however. Environment Canada has issued a special rainfall statement for the area.
'They're trying to force me to close': Contractor appealing after business licence revoked:
EcoLife Home Improvements owner Dave Murray is appealing Greater Sudbury's decision to revoke his business licence. The embattled business owner has been the focal point of a number of Sudburians who say they were bilked out of thousands of dollars for home improvement projects contracted by Murray and EcoLife that have not yet been completed. During an April 10 interview with Sudbury.com, Murray said he plans to make good on his contracts and finish the work for clients that had incomplete jobs at their homes. That same day, Greater Sudbury revoked Murray's business licence, forbidding him from doing any work in the city, and leaving a number of clients in limbo. When a company's business licence is revoked, the rules are clear: the business must stop operating. In Murray's case, he is not allowed to work on any jobs, even if they had been started before his licence was revoked. In a phone interview Wednesday afternoon, Murray said he is appealing the city's decision, and said he should find out if his appeal was successful by June 5. Full story here.
EcoLife owner charged for theft and trafficking stolen property:
Greater Sudbury Police arrested and charged EcoLife Home Improvements owner Dave Murray on April 23. Murray has been embroiled in a slew of criticism dating back to early March, as frustrated EcoLife clients banded together to speak out about thousands of dollars worth of contracted jobs that had not been completed. The criminal charges levied agaist Murray on Tuesday were not in relation to any of his clients however, as GSPS spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn confirmed that Murray was charged with theft under $5,000 and trafficking stolen property. The property in question allegedly belonged to David Beisel, a former sub-contractor who worked for Murray. According to Beisel's mother, her son had been storing some of his tools in one of Murray's trailers back in December of 2018. In January, 2019, Murray allegedly drove the trailer full of Beisel's tools to North Bay and pawned the trailer — and its contents. David Beisel and his mother made the trip from southern Ontario to Sudbury to meet up with Murray in January, before travelling to North Bay to retrieve the tools. It cost Beisel $860 to buy his tools back from the hock shop as he needed them for work. More on this story can be found here.
Pay tribute to workers killed on the job at Day of Mourning Sunday:
The International Day of Mourning, observed annually April 28, remembers workers who were killed, injured or suffered illness due to workplace-related hazards and incidents. The event began 35 years ago in Sudbury. The Canadian Labour Congress officially declared it an annual day of remembrance the following year. Here in Sudbury, the Day of Mourning will be commemorated by the Sudbury and District Labour Council starting at 10 a.m. Sunday at Laurentian University's Fraser Auditorium. Speeches will be held indoors, and at 11 a.m., participants will gather in the courtyard for a flag-lowering ceremony. Steelworkers Local 6500, the union that originally started the Day of Mourning, is also holding a by-invitation-only event at the Steelworkers Hall starting at 12:45 p.m.
March of Dimes Sudbury gets $1.85M to help people with disabilities find work:
Brett LaForest hopes other people with disabilities get the chances he has had: to find a job and, as he put it Thursday, “start a real life.” “I love my job,” LaForest said at a news conference to announce funding for an employment program that helped him find work. “I'm really nice to everybody and I really love doing my work.” LaForest works at a local grocery store in a position supported partially through the March of Dimes Sudbury Accessible Biz Connections project, which received a $1.85 million boost from the federal government Thursday, which will help 280 people find work. Sudbury MP Paul Lefebvre made the funding announcement on behalf of Carla Qualtrough, the minister of Public Procurement and Accessibility. The money is part of a special federal fund earmarked to help people with disabilities enter the workforce. Full story here.
Acts of Kindness: We surprise Larchwood's Kindness Ninjas at the OSPCA:
Sudbury.com's Acts of Kindness returns with a special group of kindergarteners from Larchwood Public School. They may be small but their hearts are mighty. They call themselves The Kindness Ninjas and their mission is to spread kindness throughout Greater Sudbury. Watch as we meet up with the silence of ninjas at the Sudbury branch OSPCA as they delivered much needed supplies for the animals at the shelter. Sudbury.com was so inspired by these tiny tots' generosity - we decided to surprise them with an act of kindness of own! Watch the video here.
Easter Seals Telethon airs Sunday on Eastlink:
The Easter Seals Ontario will broadcast its annual Telethon on Eastlink channel 10/HD 610 on April 28. Airing live from 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., the show will ask viewers to help reach a fundraising goal of$325,000. The five-hour fundraiser will be hosted by media celebrities including Amanda Zurkowski, Gary Beech, VIP Host Michael Vagnini, and many others. The day will feature interviews with Easter Seals kids, local Ambassadors and families, corporate matches, volunteer phone panels, clips from Easter Seals camp and more. Individuals are encouraged to donate online before, during, or after the show at EasterSealsTelethon.org or by calling in to the show throughout the live broadcast on Sunday, April 28.
