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Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
When does the city become liable for pothole damage?
As you may have heard, Greater Sudbury has a pothole problem, an annual event that seems to be particularly serious this year. With so many drivers reporting damage to their vehicles, you may wonder exactly what guidelines Greater Sudbury – or any Ontario city – has to follow to avoid being held liable in a lawsuit when it comes to this most unwelcome spring tradition. The municipality's responsibility depends on a few things: the size of the pothole, how many cars usually travel the road each day, and when the city was made aware of the hole. This is why it is important to report potholes by phoning 311 or using Sudbury.com's Pothole Reporter app at Pothole.Sudbury.com. Once the municipality is made aware of the pothole, the clock starts ticking. If the pothole exceeds the area and depth found in the regulations set by the Municipal Act, then the city must repair the pothole within the limit. Full story here.
Man charged after woman attacked outside of home:
A 43-year-old man is in custody after an incident Thursday morning where a young woman was seen being attacked outside of a residence on Paquette Street in New Sudbury. Greater Sudbury Police said in a news release that they received a call just after 9 a.m. about a man “hitting a young woman. A passerby stopped to assist the young woman and the man fled on foot, running into a residence. Moments later, officers arrived on scene and secured the perimeter of the home ensuring that the man didn't leave. The two people involved are not known to each other and the young woman sustained minor injuries as a result of the altercation. The GSPS tactical unit entered the residence just before noon Thursday and arrested the man. He has been charged with assault, resist arrest and assault peace officer. His name can't be released at this time as the information has not yet been sworn to through the court process.
Cancer Society is painting the town yellow:
Last year, 83 per cent of high priority cancer research projects never got off the ground due to a lack of funding. Tim Whalen, the volunteer chair of the Canadian Cancer Society's local community advisory committee, said that's unfortunate, because that research can go a long way in developing treatments and better understanding the devastating disease. It's why the Canadian Cancer Society puts so much emphasis on the month of April for its fundraising efforts. April is known as Daffodil Month, and there are dozens of events planned to collect money that will go directly to fund that research. The Canadian Cancer Society has different initiatives being held throughout Greater Sudbury this month including Paint the Downtown Yellow, where downtown businesses that have supported Daffodil Month will have a daffodil and their logo painted on the sidewalk in front of their business. Yellow ribbons have been put up and storefronts will be decorated yellow to show support for the Canadian Cancer Society. Find out what other initiatives are happening during Daffodil Month here.
Growing the gridiron game: SWSE announces launch of Junior Spartans:
It's a big weekend for Sudbury's sports franchises as the Sudbury Wolves kick off their second round playoff series with the Ottawa 67's on Friday and the Sudbury Five play their first playoff game in franchise history the same night when they take on the St. John's Edge. Despite the excitement surrounding the city's hockey and basketball teams, Sudbury Wolves Sports and Entertainment (SWSE) was talking football on Wednesday, as the organization announced the launch of the Junior Varsity Sudbury Spartans.The team will serve as a feeder system to the Sudbury Spartans of the Northern Football Conference (NFC), as well as providing another avenue for young athletes in Greater Sudbury. The Junior Spartans will play in the Ontario Provincial Football League this summer, and SWSE plans to roll out a varsity team by 2020 as they look to fulfill their mantra "Spartans for Life". Full story here.
Laurentian honours their top Voyageurs at year-end banquet:
The Laurentian Voyageurs handed out their annual awards on Thursday night. Leading the way were basketball player, Kadre Gray, and swimmer, Riley Konrad, who were named the Male and Female Athletes of the Year. The Female and Male Rookie of the Year awards went to swimmers Carling Stever and Mitchell Cox while Connor Vande Weghe from the men’s soccer team was presented with the prestigious Voyageur Award. After helping Canada win a pair of World Cup qualifiers in November, Gray was named the OUA and U SPORTS Men’s Basketball Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. Konrad led the charge in the pool for the Voyageurs women this year in her final season. She began the season with four individual gold medals at the Divisional Championships in November before grabbing silver in the 400 IM at the OUA Championships in February. Check back with Sudbury.com later today for a full list of award winners.
One hurt in major house fire in Onaping:
A major fire in an Onaping Falls bungalow early Wednesday morning sent one person to hospital and caused $250,000 in damage. Five stations and 17 firefighters from Greater Sudbury Fire Services responded to the Lakeview Avenue blaze. Five people were displaced from their home. The person who was injured was treated for smoke inhalation at Health Sciences North and released. GSFS Platoon Chief Mike Valiquette said in an email that the fire started in a sauna in the basement and the cause is still under investigation.
The Pothole Reporter: See a hole, report a hole with Sudbury.com:
Pothole season is here and Sudbury.com has partnered with Fuel Media to create an easy and convenient way for you to report potholes to the City of Greater Sudbury, right from your cellphone. You can find the Pothole Reporter by visiting Pothole.Sudbury.com. There you can upload photos and descriptions of the pothole you found, and the app will produce a report that you can send along to Tom Davies Square. Let's help the city not miss any potholes this year. Check with Sudbury.com every week day to find out what our Pothole Crew is up to. Drive safely out there.
Friday Weather:
Periods of snow today with up to 4 cm falling by the afternoon. Friday's high is only expected to hit 1, feeling like -13 with the wind chill this morning. Chances of some snow tonight, then mainly cloudy overnight with a 60 per cent chance of flurries. Overnight low will drop to -2, feeling like -6. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
