Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Watch Mayor Brian Bigger's state of the city address:
The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce hosted Mayor Brian Bigger's 2019 state of the city speech on Thursday, June 27. The annual address is “a platform for municipal leadership to shine a spotlight on issues of key importance to our city." Sudbury.com livestreamed the mayor's address, and you can watch the full video here.
Fireworks, food fair and free Science North and Capreol railroad museum tix: Your Greater Sudbury Canada Day guide:
If you're going to be in town on Canada Day this Monday, there's plenty to do to celebrate the country's 152nd birthday. The Sudbury Multicultural and Folk Arts Association, in partnership with the City of Greater Sudbury, presents the annual multicultural food fair at the Sudbury Arena. Festivities kick off just before 10 a.m. July 1, with a parade from Tom Davies Square to the Sudbury Arena. Free cupcakes are distributed at 10:50 a.m., food and craft vendors open at 11 a.m., and performances by local cultural groups begin at 11:10 a.m. The food fair remains open until 4 p.m. The other main Canada Day celebration here in Greater Sudbury is on the grounds on Science North starting at 12 p.m. Enjoy live entertainment, kids’ activities, arts and crafts, a stunning fireworks display and a whole lot more. Get the full schedule of events happening on Canada Day here.
Franco-Ontarian flag finally gets a home at city hall, in the place where it was born:
It's easy to forget today, but at one time, there was considerable animosity between French and English communities in Canada, including right here in Greater Sudbury, where one-third of residents list French as their mother tongue. As late as 2003, Joanne Gervais said members of city council in Greater Sudbury were reluctant to give the Franco-Ontario flag a permanent spot outside Tom Davies Square, even though it was designed here in 1975 by Gaétan Gervais and Michel Dupuis at Laurentian University. “The mayor at the time (Jim Gordon) decided to bring it to council, and the vote was no by 6-5,” Gervais said. The flag was first raised at the University of Sudbury and was officially recognized as the emblem of the Franco-Ontarian community in the Franco-Ontarian Emblem Act of 2001. It has been raised in different part of the city each year over the last five years on Saint-Jean Baptiste Day, held June 24 this year. Gervais found out when she received a phone call from city staff casually telling her the flag was going up outside Tom Davies Square, with literally no fuss. The city is nearing the completion of a major renovation of the courtyard outside city hall, and decided it was a good time for the flag to fly there permanently. More on this story here.
New water meters will cost $17M but save taxpayers $700K a year:
City council has approved a plan to replace Greater Sudbury's aging stock of water meters with a new generation of meters the city says offer advantages to both customers and the municipality. While the city normally replaces about 1,000 metres a year, the plan approved Tuesday will see all 48,000 replaced over the next three-and-a-half years at a cost of $17.189 million. Once installed, the city expects to save $684,000 in annual operating costs. The new meters transmit information via radio signals and can be read remotely, saving $360,000 a year by eliminating the cost of manually reading the meters. Customers will receive monthly bills based on actual consumption, rather than estimates, and will get access to an online portal that allows them to track their water usage in real time. They can even set it up so they get automatic alerts if their consumption spikes or if the meters detect a leak.
Law Enforcement Torch Run returns to Sudbury:
The Law Enforcement Torch Run, which involved a run from Science North to Memorial Park, took place in Greater Sudbury Thursday. The fundraising event for Special Olympics involves police officers running with the Flame of Hope. It is the largest public awareness and grassroots fundraising organization for Special Olympics globally. The Law Enforcement Torch Run has raised more than $63 million in Canada since its inception. Check out photos from the event here.
Mining group urging gender diversity in the workplace:
The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) has launched a new document aimed at encouraging gender diversity and inclusion amongst junior exploration and mining companies. Announced on June 17, the Gender Diversity and Inclusion Guidance is a multi-page document with practical strategies on boosting inclusivity and diversity in both the companies and the communities with which they engage. “There is often an assumption that improving gender diversity and inclusion is a resource-intensive pursuit,” said PDAC’s executive director, Lisa McDonald, in a news release. “This guidance document challenges that assumption and demonstrates how small actions can have a tremendous impact on diversity and inclusion.” PDAC notes that, although the mining sector employs roughly 630,000 workers in Canada, only 17 per cent are comprised of women. Full story here.
Sudbury's Hideaway Pictures builds an entire Western town near Powassan:
It feels like you entered a time machine when you walk onto the set of the Hallmark TV series “When Hope Calls.” The set depicts the early 1900s town of Brookfield. The media got a glimpse of the rustic "Wild West" town set, built literally in the middle of a secluded farm field in Powassan. Hideaway Pictures received $3 million in provincial funding which was part of a larger funding announcement made by Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing, about the investment of over $12.8 million at the Northern Ontario Film Studios western-themed location in Powassan. Check out the full story here.
We visited the world's largest log-built structure: Canada House in Killarney:
On June 22, Killarney Mountain Lodge (KML) hosted a celebration for the grand opening of Canada House - billed as not only the largest the largest log-built convention centre in the world but also the largest log structure on the planet. In addition to the hundreds who were able to include the celebration in their stay at the lodge, the event attracted quite a few residents of Killarney and beyond, eager to get a look at the newest addition to the historic property. The three-day party included performances from local artists, outdoor activities, games for the whole family and of course, plenty of food. The 34,000-square-foot Canada House is the latest element of an $18-million renovation project that is the brainchild of KML's owner, Holden Rhodes, who purchased the property back in 2015 from Maury and Annabelle East. The building includes a spacious main entrance, ballroom-sized dining hall, waterfront patio, steakhouse, fitness centre, mini bar and conference rooms. More than 500 people were involved in the design and construction of the building, and an incredible assortment of materials: 1,000 logs, 2,500 truckloads of gravel, 15,000 hours of masonry, 2,500 trees and shrubs to decorate the landscape, and three years to complete. Take a video tour of Canada House here.
Friday Weather:
Mainly cloudy today with a 60 per cent chance of showers late in the morning. Chances of rain in the afternoon with risk of a thunderstorm. Today's high is only expected to get up to 20. Mainly cloudy into the evening with 40 per cent chance of showers early in the evening. Skies clearing near midnight with the overnight low sitting around 14. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
