Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
More Ontarians voting early compared to 2014:
Almost 10,000 people in Sudbury and Nickel Belt have already voted, says information released Tuesday by Elections Ontario. In Sudbury, 4,780 people voted at five advance polling stations, Elections Ontario said. Advance polling was a little busier in Nickel Belt, where 5,148 people cast a ballot at one of the 13 polling stations. There are 80,840 people in the riding of Sudbury, with around 61,000 eligible to vote. Nickel Belt has 84,520 people, with more than 58,000 of them eligible to vote. Across the province, Elections Ontario said 768,895 people voted ahead of the June 7 election day, up from 647,261 who voted during the advanced period in the 2014 election.
Apparently someone really thinks Ward 5 Coun. Bob Kirwan is a 'wanker':
Someone in Sudbury either really doesn't like Ward 5 Coun. Bob Kirwan or is having a good laugh at trolling him. Reader Yvan Cote sent Sudbury.com a photo Tuesday morning, showing yet another banner critical of Kirwan, this one hanging from the railing of a retail plaza at the intersection of Barrydowne Road and the Kingsway. The photo shows a blue and black banner that is a variation of one that appeared Monday, hanging from a high railing behind Chapters on the Kingsway. Monday's red and white banner read "Kirwan = Wank!r". Tuesday's embraces brevity and slams "Kirwan" and "wanker" into the clumsy but somewhat clever portmanteau "Wankirwan".
Sudbury has at least two new millionaires in the past month:
One lucky Hanmer resident is a million dollars richer thanks to the May 11 LOTTO MAX draw. Shelley Palko of Hanmer won the $1 million MAXMILLIONS prize last month. The winning ticket was purchased at Speedy Lotto on Highway 69 in Hanmer. Sudbury will soon have another millionaire, joining Shelley in the exclusive club, as the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLGC) reported that one winning MAXMILLIONS ticket from the June 1 LOTTO MAX draw was sold in Sudbury.
Mayor's Celebration of the Arts goes tonight:
The Mayor's Celebration of the Arts takes place tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Sudbury Theatre Centre. The awards event, now in its fifth year, is a project of the Sudbury Arts Council. In addition to being recognized by their peers, winning artists in each category receive cash bursaries to help them continue to pursue their creative projects. Mayor Brian Bigger said it's an exciting time for the arts in Greater Sudbury, especially with projects such as Place des Arts and the new downtown library and art gallery in the works. The arts contribute greatly to the quality of life in our city, he said. Bigger said he's always thrilled to take part in the awards gala, looking back at the careers of veteran artists in our region, as well as celebrating the achievements of up-and-coming artists. Check out this year's nominees here and be sure to check back with Sudbury.com this evening to find out who the winners are.
Check a mammogram off your to-do list on June 6:
In the spring of 2018 Ontario Breast Screening Program locations across the north east are participating in this year’s Mammothon event with a goal to screen 360 women between the ages of 50 and 74 years of age who have never been or are due to be screened for breast cancer. Breast cancer continues to be the most common cancer diagnosed in Canadian women and the third leading cause of cancer deaths, after lung cancer and colorectal cancer. However, fewer Canadian women are dying from breast cancer today than in the past. Breast cancer deaths have decreased by more than 40 percent due to earlier detection through breast screening and improved treatments. There will be a number of Mammothon events happening around Northern Ontario and in Sudbury on June 6. Mammothon hours will vary from community to community. For a complete list of participating sites click here.
Vale's Clean AER Project nearing completion:
Residents of Greater Sudbury may have noticed that the plume from Vale’s iconic Superstack has been much less frequent lately and that two new stacks are now emerging from the company’s Copper Cliff Smelter Complex. Although the smelter is in full production, a new wet gas cleaning plant has been commissioned and is capturing process gases and sulphur dioxide emissions previously emitted by the Superstack. Vale’s $1 billion Clean AER (Atmospheric Emissions Reduction) Project began construction in 2012. Once fully commissioned in September of this year, the project will reduce current SO2 emissions by 85 per cent and metal particulate emissions by 40 per cent. The two new stacks will require far less energy to operate than the Superstack, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Vale’s Copper Cliff Smelter by approximately 40 per cent.
Duhamel, Virtue and Moir: Canada's best-loved figure skaters hit the ice this fall in Sudbury:
Some of the biggest names in Canadian figure skating will make a stop at the Sudbury Arena this October. Canada has produced a number most talented figure skaters in the history of the sport with household names like Virtue, Moir, Chan, Osmond, Stojko and more who have reached the pinnacle of the sport in the Canadian Nationals, World Titles and Olympic Games. As a ‘thank you’ to their home country, these Canadian greats will embark on The Thank You Canada Tour this fall. The Thank you Canada Tour will be at the Sudbury Community Arena on Friday, Oct. 26. Tickets will go on sale June 8 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased in person at the Sudbury Community Arena Box Office (264 Elgin Street), online at greatersudbury.ca/tickets, and by telephone at 705-671-3000.
Meet Lively's skating sensation Meagan Duhamel this Friday:
Three-time Olympic medallist Meagan Duhamel will be in her hometown of Lively this Friday, June 8 for a meet and greet, and the community is invited to come out and celebrate her achievements. Duhamel is a two-time world champion figure skater and a record seven-time Canadian champion in pairs figure skating with her partner Eric Radford. The pair won gold in the team event at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, along with a bronze medal in the pairs event. At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, the duo won silver in the team event. Residents of Lively and Greater Sudbury are invited to celebrate Meagan's fantastic career, this Friday, June 8 at Lively District Secondary School. The event is being put on by Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini and the Walden Skating Club and gets underway at 1:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to come out and show their support and meet Meagan in person.
Wednesday Weather:
The nice weather returns on Wednesday with a mix of sun and cloud today. Mainly sunny to start the day with some clouds in the afternoon. Wednesday's high will be 20. Mainly cloudy this evening with a 30 per cent chance of showers. Low will get down to around 9 tonight. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
