Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
M’Chigeeng First Nation calls out OPP, Rainbow board after high school brawl:
M’Chigeeng First Nation is calling out both the Rainbow District School Board and the OPP after a racially charged brawl broke out at Manitoulin Secondary School Sept. 14. The First Nation held a rally to protest the situation at the M’Chigeeng First Nation Administration Office early Thursday morning. In a press release, M’Chigeeng First Nation said it has learned that this situation originated between two non-Indigenous students from Little Current and later escalated to involve youth members of M’Chigeeng and other First Nation members in a very "demoralizing and demeaning" way. Videos have been circulating that clearly show non-Indigenous students and Indigenous students who were involved in the brawl committing acts of assault and violence. M’Chigeeng First Nation chief and council do not condone violence in any way, the press release said. “Having said this, the M’Chigeeng Chief and Council is concerned that this incident is an indicator of a deeper, more disturbing reality, which is underlying racism that has now reared its ugly head yet again,” said the press release. “This is a situation that must be acknowledged and tackled head-on or it will keep reoccurring as we have seen over the last few decades.”
Batten down the hatches: Wind gusts up to 90 km/h possible Friday:
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Greater Sudbury and vicinity, as there's a chance for some damaging winds on Friday, Sept. 21. Westerly winds with gusts of 70 to 90 km/h are forecast to develop in association with a frontal passage Friday. The strongest gusts are expected from late morning into the afternoon. Wind warnings may be required. Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to [email protected].
Election roundup from Sept. 20:
Mayoral candidate Bill Crumplin says after hearing Patricia Mills' platform launch earlier this week, he has found that, contrary to what he first thought, there is very little that is similar between their two campaigns. The mayoral candidate said after speaking with Mills several times, he felt optimistic because they had some similar ideas. However, now that she has went into greater detail, he said there are big differences in their vision for the City of Greater Sudbury. Mayoral candidate Jeff Huska will target development charges if elected. “Development in Greater Sudbury is essential for this community to succeed and is imperative for the prosperity of our municipality,” Huska said in a news release. He said he would begin by freezing the ever-increasing development charges that continue to slow down the much-needed progress needed in this city. Ward 11 candidate Derek Young says he would like Greater Sudbury to be destination for film and creative industries, Young said millions of dollars have been spent by film companies shooting scenes in the city. "The film industry is very important to Greater Sudbury's economy and complementary to a number of other economic activities such as Cinéfest, Northern Ontario Film Studios and the proposed Downtown Independent Cinema," he said in a news release. Young said he fully supports the current location of Northern Ontario Film Studios in his ward. Ward 5 Coun. Bob Kirwan is rejecting the conclusions of a staff report that recommended against allowing residents in urban areas to raise animals in their back yards. The report raised a number of concerns with the idea, including predators such as bears being drawn to the yards, concerns they would attract rats and other vermin and the added demands for bylaw enforcement. But Kirwan points to a part of the report that says “Experiences in other communities would indicate a generally positive impact to the quality of life. The Official Plan, as well as the Earth Care Action Plan and Greater Sudbury Food Charter, would support the practice of raising backyard hens as a valuable practice for sustainability, food security and food equity.” As long as the right rules are in place, Kirwan said there's “no reason to deny residents the opportunity to enjoy this activity in their own back yard. Get all of your election news at Sudbury.com's election page.
Breast assessment service remains in limbo after meeting between management, surgeons:
The future of the Breast Screening and Assessment Service at Health Sciences North, as it operates today, is in limbo after a meeting between hospital management and breast surgeons did not produce anything definitive about planned cuts to the service. HSN officials declined to be interviewed about the meeting, which was called after Dr. Rachelle Paradis spoke out about how changes to the BSAS could increase the wait time for surgical consultation when women are diagnosed with breast abnormalities. The BSAS houses the Ontario Breast Screening Program, where women have mammograms, diagnostic imaging such as breast ultrasound and biopsies. Those services are not expected to change. What is to be eliminated are on-site consultations with surgeons about patients’ care and treatment. Paradis and women who have spoken out about the cuts say they don’t want to lose that component because it offers a quick turnaround time for women to meet with surgeons, allaying many fears. Paradis said last week the time from diagnosis to surgical consultation could increase because medical results would go from BSAS to a patient’s family physician, who would then refer women to a surgeon. As part of efforts to erase an $11-million deficit, HSN plans to cut the surgical consultation service, and save about $270,000, and refer patients to surgeons in their private offices for consultation. More on this story here.
City's KED appeal strategy revealed: Arguing opponents misunderstand planning law:
The people and groups fighting the Kingsway Entertainment District are largely basing their case on matters not related to planning laws, Greater Sudbury is arguing in its official response to the appeal. Documents posted to the city website Wednesday detail the city's position on the appeals. The KED would include a new $100-million arena, a $60-million casino built by Gateway Casinos and a hotel, with Hilton Hotels showing interest in the site. However, people opposed to the casino, to moving the arena out of downtown Sudbury and to a proposed parking lot on the site have filed appeals with the Local Planning Appeals Tribunal. The appeal makes several arguments, including that the city has to hold a referendum to gauge whether residents want a casino. A motion passed in 2012 failed to include proper consultation and follow proper process, the appeal says. In response, the city says that public consultation on gaming and holding a referendum on the matter is outside of the Planning Act, and the LPAT can only deal with appeals that are based on planning law detailed in the Act. Get the full story here.
Breaking up is hard to do: Vagnini motion sounds a lot like a call to de-amalgamate Greater Sudbury:
The issue of breaking up Greater Sudbury hasn't been much of an issue in this election campaign, dominated as it has been by the Kingsway Entertainment District. But a city councillor who was acclaimed to his seat is trying to bring it back with a motion headed to city council next week. Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini's motion calls for city CAO Ed Archer to ask the province for options “to decentralize services to provide autonomy to the towns and cities that existed prior to amalgamation.” Vagnini's motion says that the 2001 amalgamation of the seven former communities “removed access to decision makers to Tom Davies Square, and significantly limited residents’ ability to directly influence events at the local level. “The promised benefits and predicted savings from amalgamation have failed to materialize and disaffection and frustration continue to exist among the city’s citizens,” the motion continues. “Citizens in the former towns and cities want to regain their ability to directly influence events and services at the local level and would like to see essential services decentralized.” Full story can be found here.
The Five signs LU alum Georges Serresse, partners with YMCA:
The Sudbury Five continued to fasten their roots in the community on Sept. 20, announcing the signing of local product Georges Serresse, and life-long Northern Ontario resident Kyle Beers who will be taking on the role of associate head coach. In addition to adding another player and coach to their organization, the Five announced a pair of partnerships, as their parent company Sudbury Wolves Sports and Entertainment (SWSE) will be entering into a community partnership with the YMCA. The team has also partnered with Northern Lights Basketball Academy, which is owned by newly minted associate coach Kyle Beers. The academy is the only full service basketball academy in Northern Ontario and employs several coaches and trainers including a mental performance coach, an athletic therapist, and will soon have a registered dietician who will be working with the team both on and off the court. While the academy will be working to have the Five performing at their peak level throughout the season, it will also be serving as a resource for the city's youth basketball players through camps that will be run by players and coaches from the Five. More on this story here.
Crime Stoppers offering $1,000 reward for tips related to downtown assault:
Crime Stoppers and the Greater Sudbury Police Service are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the persons responsible for an assault that occurred downtown late Friday night. Just before midnight on Sept. 14, a man was assaulted by two men in the parking lot behind Pizza Pizza, near the Rainbow Center. The men responsible for the assault are described as: White male, six feet tall, blonde hair, thin build with no shirt on, and wearing light coloured pants. Male, over six feet tall with a black cap, wearing a black sweater with a white design on the front and jeans. Sudbury Rainbow Crime Stoppers is convinced someone has information on the identity of the suspects and therefore a guaranteed minimum $1,000 reward is being offered for tips received before midnight on Friday, Sept. 28 if the information leads to an arrest (reward money will be divided if many successful tips are received).
#MeToo: Locals applaud film, TV sector campaign against workplace harassment:
When it comes to workplace bullying, harassment, and violence: Ignorance is not bliss. At least not according to members of the local and national film and television industry. After decades of silence and misbehaviour being swept under the rug, this past year has seen the entertainment industry’s behind-the-scenes workplace culture take the spotlight. The industry north of the border hasn’t escaped notice though, and now, a Canadian campaign called So Not Cool is looking to tackle these issues head-on. The campaign — launched by the Directors Guild of Canada this month — aims to empower cast, crew, and bystanders to create safer, more respectful environments on-set. Full story here.
Friday Weather:
Some nasty weather in the Friday forecast with thunderstorms and gusting winds possible. Cloudy today with a 70 per cent chance of showers and a risk of a thunderstorm. Winds will be gusting up to close to 90 km/h this afternoon. Friday's high will reach 21, falling to 17 in the afternoon, but it's going to feel as warm as 28 with the humidity. Mainly cloudy into the evening with a 30 per cent chance of showers. Overnight low will be 5. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
