Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Workers' Memorial Day commemorates 1984 Falconbridge Mine disaster:
On June 20, 1984, a seismic event measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale struck Falconbridge Mine, leading to the deaths of four miners — Sulo Korpela, Richard Chenier, Daniel Lavallee and Wayne St. Michel. Every year since the tragedy, Mine Mill Local 598/Unifor has held a Workers' Memorial Day gathering on June 20. This year's service takes place starting at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday morning at the union's campground on Richard Lake. Although specifically commemorating the 1984 Falconbridge mining disaster, the event also remembers other workers who have died at the company, which, as a result of several buyouts, now goes by the name Glencore.
Human remains identified as Aurora man, 63, who went missing in January:
The human remains found near a truck along the Killarney highway June 15 have been identified. A post-mortem was conducted, and the identity of the deceased has been confirmed as 63-year-old Jack Patrick of Aurora. He had been reported missing from York Region in January and is the registered owner of the truck. Police are also investigating the theft of some of his belongings taken from the vehicle. Patrick's body was found Friday after the Sudbury OPP were called out at around 3 p.m. to investigate a report of an abandoned pickup truck on Highway 637, about eight kilometers west of Highway 69. Police located the human remains in the vehicle's vicinity. The Sudbury OPP is investigating the case under the direction of the office of the chief coroner and forensic pathology service. Any person with information regarding this incident should immediately contact the Ontario Provincial Police at 1-888-310-1122 or their nearest police authority.
Laurentian pitcher makes OUA history:
This fall, 17-year-old Julia Jodouin of St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School will be making history as the first female athlete in Ontario University Athletics’ (OUA) history to play for a men’s varsity baseball team. Julia will be working toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing starting this September. She joins the team as a pitcher. “One of the main reasons I accepted the offer at Laurentian was so that I could continue to play ball,” Jodouin said. “I am excited to begin my journey at Laurentian pursuing two things I love – nursing and baseball. September can’t come soon enough.” Jodouin’s athletic success landed her a spot on the Sudbury Shamrocks peewee travelling team. She then joined the Team Ontario 16U girls’ team for two seasons. She played a summer of both softball and hardball with the Waterloo Ghosts Gold 16U fastpitch team, making it all the way to Nationals. She was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) and All-Star first base player with Team Ontario 21U Women’s team. Julia continues to highlight her exemplary skills at all levels earning as spot on the the Canadian Women’s National team. Last summer she participated in a development series playing for Canada against Team USA. Find the full story here.
Science North recognizes two new honourary lifetime members:
Science North recognized a pair of Sudbury's most distinguished scientists on June 19, as they honoured two more honourary lifetime members. Dr. Douglas Hallman and Dr. Amadeo Parissenti were both honoured on the evening. Hallman was recognized for his work with the Nobel Prize-winning Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Experiment and in supporting Science North in communicating the complex science behind it. Dr. Parissenti was recognized for his cutting edge research specialling in innovating a test that monitors the effectiveness of cance treatments in patients by measuring how well chemotherapy is working. The Honourary Life Member Award was instituted in 1984 by the board of trustees of Science North to recognize individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to science and/or Science North. Check back with Sudbury.com later today for photos and more on this story.
Scam alert: "Netflix" phishing scam making the rounds:
Greater Sudbury Police are advising the public of a phishing scam that has been circulating where cybercriminals are impersonating Netflix to obtain victims' banking information. The fake emails or text messages tell subscribers their Netflix access has been suspended due to a payment issue, and asks them to re-submit their credit card information. Most recently, a man in North Bay fell victim to a similar Netflix email scam. Phishing scams are traditionally associated with misleading and deceptive emails, falsely claiming to be from a legitimate organization such as a financial institution, business or government agency in an attempt to have the recipient surrender private and personal information. "Anyone receiving an email asking you to update your account or payment information should be cautious," said a GSPS Facebook post. "Go to the official site before responding, or call the company directly."
City of Greater Sudbury receives AA credit rating:
The City of Greater Sudbury announced that, in a report released yesterday, Standard and Poor’s (S & P) Global Ratings issued the city a 'AA' credit rating with a “stable outlook.” This rating influences the interest rate paid on any debt the city takes on. “I am very pleased with the City of Greater Sudbury receiving an AA credit rating, a first for our community,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger. “The City of Greater Sudbury continues to invest in our citizen’s quality of life and is working to reduce the infrastructure gap. This rating will allow us to access some of the lowest interest rates available, funding our transformational projects aimed at growing our community and creating jobs.” The “stable outlook” reflects the company’s expectation that the City of Greater Sudbury’s economy will continue to grow throughout the next two years and it will continue to follow its long term financial plan. Full story can be found here.
Expect traffic delays at Hwy. 144 and MR 35 in Chelmsford this summer: OPP
The OPP are asking motorists to be aware of traffic delays at the intersection of Highway 144 and Municipal Road 35 in Chelmsford. “Construction will be ongoing throughout the summer,” the OPP said, in a press release. “During the daylight hours traffic lights will be operational, however, motorists are asked to be extra cautious of the work crews in the area. “During some week nights, the traffic lights will not be functioning and traffic will be controlled by an officer at the intersection. Again, motorists are asked to drive cautiously to ensure the safety of other motorists, the construction crew and the police.”
Eat some BBQ and help these volunteers support the Maison McCulloch Hospice expansion:
What’s better than barbecue? How about barbecue for a good cause or, in this case, two good causes? On June 24, the St. John’s Cemetery Volunteer Improvement Group in Garson is holding its annual barbecue fundraiser. The event, held on the grounds of the cemetery, is a yearly event that raises funds to help the group in its efforts to upkeep the Garson cemetery. For more than 30 years, the dedicated group of volunteers has kept St. John’s Cemetery a pristine place for families and friends to visit deceased loved ones. From noon until 3 p.m. on June 24 (Sunday), the volunteers will be serving up barbecue and collecting funds to help continue their work. The annual barbecue turns five this year. Those who attend will not only be helping the St. John’s volunteers, they will be helping Maison McCulloch Hospice as well. The cemetery volunteers say all proceeds from this Sunday’s barbecue will be donated to the hospice’s expansion project.
Ford orders public sector hiring freeze, excludes essential frontline staff:
Ontario's incoming premier has put the public service under a hiring freeze as part of a series of measures meant to limit spending as he re-examines the province's books, raising concerns among some government workers. A spokesman for Doug Ford said the Progressive Conservative leader has also directed government ministries to cancel "subscription-based services" and to restrict out-of-province travel. "The people of Ontario work hard for their money and they expect their tax dollars to go to the services we all depend on," Simon Jefferies said in a statement. "We are also going to go line by line through the government's books to ensure value of money for the people of Ontario's tax dollars." During the election campaign, Ford promised to launch an audit of government spending and to save billions each year by finding unspecified efficiencies, without cutting any jobs. The exact scope of the hiring freeze remains unclear but a source within the party says essential frontline staff, including those in policing, corrections and fire services, are exempt. Any other hiring, aside from lateral moves within the public service or appointments required to fulfil collective agreements, must be officially approved by cabinet office before going forward.
Wednesday Weather:
Mainly sunny to start the day with increasing cloudiness near noon. There's a 30 per cent chance of showers in the afternoon. Wednesday's high will be 24, feeling like 27 with the humidity. Mainly cloudy with 30 per cent chance of showers early in the evening. Low will get down to 8. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
