Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Fiery meeting at Tom Davies Square as council heads into summer schedule:
Tuesday's meeting of Greater Sudbury city council – the last before summer begins, when meetings switch to once a month in July and August – was loaded with some controversial topics up for discussion. Topping the list is a staff report on a dividend policy for Greater Sudbury Utilities. The GSU is wholly owned by the city, and when it was created in 19 years ago, a policy describing when and under what circumstances the utility was supposed to pay the city a share of profits (a dividend) was supposed to be created. Another hot topic is a motion from Mayor Brian Bigger to replace the board at the Greater Sudbury Development Corp. with a “select cabinet” to be appointed by city council. Bigger says the move is part of his campaign promise to focus on economic development, and follows moves to reduce development charges and appoint a liaison to act as a go-between for developers and city staff. The current board, however, say they were blindsided by the motion, and that it goes in the opposite direction of a consultant's report that concluded the board needed independence from city council to be more effective. Sudbury.com will have coverage of all the issues highlighted at Tuesday's meeting.
Young woman 'believed to have jumped' to her death off Chi-Cheemaun ferry:
The Manitoulin OPP says the young woman who died after falling overboard the Chi-Cheemaun ferry on Lake Huron Friday “is believed to have jumped” from the boat. The detachment's media officer, Const. Marie Ford, also confirmed in an email to Sudbury.com the deceased is a 20-year-old woman from Brampton, and the OPP will not be releasing her name. In a press release put out over the weekend, the Manitoulin OPP said it was investigating the woman's death, which was not being considered suspicious. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) and the Ontario Ministry of Labour are not investigating the fatality.
Sudbury man arrested on child pornography charges:
Greater Sudbury Police arrested and charged a 28-year-old man on child pornography offences on June 25. In April of this year, the Greater Sudbury Police Service Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit identified a Sudbury resident downloading child pornography. On Tuesday, June 25, members of the ICE Unit assisted by members of the Tactical Unit conducted a search warrant at a Greater Sudbury residence where evidence of child pornography was located on computers seized from the home. A 28-year old man from Greater Sudbury was arrested and charged with the following offences: Possession of Child Pornography, Access Child Pornography, Make Available Child Pornography (three counts). The man’s name can't be released at this time as the information has not yet been sworn to through the court process. The man will be held in police custody and will attend bail court on June 26 to answer to the charges.
Editorial: KED politicking now bleeding into economic development:
Sudbury.com managing editor Mark Gentili digs into mayor Brian Bigger's motion brought forward Tuesday night to "launch an attack on the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation (GSDC)."And an attack this is. For reasons we will address momentarily, the mayor is trying to fire the current independent GSDC board members and install political animals — city councillors — in their places. At the same time, he wants to create a cabinet of hand-picked advisers on economic development," writes Gentili in this week's editorial. Read the full editorial here.
Steelworkers activist Julien Dionne passes away:
Julien Dionne, a local union activist whose son tragically passed away in a workplace accident in 2017, died June 21 at the age of 70. Dionne, who retired from the former Inco Ltd. in 2001, was the former president of the Sudbury chapter of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR), which represents retired Steelworkers and their spouses. He was a common sight at rallies during the 2009-2010 Vale-USW strike. Just after the labour dispute ended in 2010, he told Sudbury.com that he estimated SOAR members barbecued 5,000 hot dogs and hamburgers at union events during the strike. His obituary said he was a “devoted union activist” who “spent his career developing, co-ordinating and teaching safety and health.”
Want to go to Science North for free on Canada Day? 500 passes are up for grabs:
While the Doug Ford government is taking some heat over its decision to cancel traditional Canada Day celebrations at Queen's Park in Toronto, some residents in Sudbury will receive a July 1 bonus. The first 500 people to show up at Science North on Canada Day will not only get to take part in the free holiday events on the science centre's grounds, they will get a full-day pass to Science North free of charge, as well.
Sudbury customers of Desjardins affected by data breach:
The actions of an apparently disgruntled employee led to the release of personal information of 2.9 million members of Desjardins, a Quebec-based credit union with members in Ontario, including here in Greater Sudbury. On its website, the institution said a Laval police investigation traced the leak to “an ill-intentioned employee who acted illegally and betrayed the trust of their employer. That person was fired.” In addition to Sudbury, Hanmer and Azilda, Desjardins has affiliates in Ontario in Toronto, Cochrane, Earlton, New Liskeard, Tecumseh and Welland. In an email, Desjardins, whose assets top $300 billion, said it “cannot disclose the number of members affected in Sudbury. Get the full story here.
Expect hot temps up to 29 C rest of week and Canada Day Monday:
Environment Canada predicts hot weather for the rest of the week as well as on Canada Day Monday. The temperature will get up to 26 C Wednesday, 27 C Thursday, and 29 C on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Nighttime temperatures will range from 14 C to 17 C the rest of the week. Predictions of rain also clear up after Wednesday, with mostly sunny skies in store. The average high temperature for this time of year in Greater Sudbury is around 23 C.
Wednesday Weather:
A mix of sun and cloud today with 60 per cent chance of showers. Risk of a thunderstorm late in the afternoon. Wednesday's high will get up to 26. Partly cloudy with 40 per cent chance of showers early in the evening and risk of a thunderstorm. Overnight low will be sitting around 16. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
