Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
City revokes home improvement company's business licence:
The City of Greater Sudbury has revoked the business license of EcoLife Home Improvements after it says a thorough investigation was conducted into a number complaints made against the contractor. EcoLife was in the crosshairs of a protest held by citizens on March 7 who said they were scammed out of thousands of dollars by EcoLife and its owner, Dave Murray. "When a business is operating contrary to licensing agreement, we have the option to refuse, revoke and/or suspend their business license," said an email from the city of Greater Sudbury. "In the case of EcoLife Home Improvements, a thorough investigation has found the company in contravention of the licensing agreement and so we have revoked their business license. Due to the nature of the many complaints received by the public, the case has been referred to the Greater Sudbury Police Service."
Court date for teen with alleged kill list adjourned to April 24:
The court date for the 18-year-old College Notre Dame student charged with threats against staff and students of the school has been adjourned to April 24. Zachary Pilon was released on bail on March 20 under a strict set of conditions, including a curfew that mandates he must remain in his father or mother's home between school hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Pilon was given a few exceptions to the curfew, including medical emergencies, going to and from work, while in the presence of his surety or his mother. Pilon was also given a no contact order for all of the people whose names appeared in an Instagram post from the account ‘cnd_is_sus’ titled ‘CND KILL LIST.’ He is not to possess any weapons, apply to own weapons, or reside where weapons are kept. Pilon is not to attend or be within 200 metres of any school, and is not to attend College Notre Dame or be within 250 metres of the school.
Robberies make neighbourhood feel unsafe, Madison Confectionary owner says:
The owner of a convenience store that was the target of a violent robbery on April 9 lauded the response of Greater Sudbury Police Service, but expressed disappointment that incidents like this seem to be on the rise. Jim Lanzo has owned Madison Confectionary on Madison Avenue in New Sudbury for 57 years, and his store was robbed by three suspects on Tuesday night, who used a conducted energy weapon to immobilize the store clerk before making off with a sum of money, cigarettes, and other goods. The employee sustained minor injuries during the robbery, police said. Lanzo was not in the store at the time of the incident. "(Robberies) seem to be on the rise in Sudbury. It's not as prevalent in this area, but in Sudbury as a whole, it seems to be happening more often," said Lanzo. "In 56 years, there were only two robberies at this store." As a small business owner, Lanzo says it's not really within his means to hire security for his store, though he has considered beefing up some of the security measures such as surveillance equipment. "I've thought about putting in outdoor cameras, or a buzz-in system," said Lanzo. "But again, these things all come at an additional cost." The response by the Greater Sudbury Police Service was prompt, according to Lanzo, who says he was appreciative of police officers showing up to the scene so quickly. Full story here.
Tourism minister says tourism now one of seven key industries:
The federal government has identified tourism as one of the seven key industries to target for economic growth to create jobs for the middle class, said the Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie. This seventh economic strategy table gives tourism the same stature as other key parts of the Canadian economy, like digital, health, bio-sciences and advanced manufacturing, said Melanie Joly, who was speaking at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Friday. She highlighted Budget 2019, which proposes to create a Canadian Experiences Fund to help communities across Canada create or improve their tourism-related infrastructure, products or experiences, including with a focus on rural communities. More on this story here.
Video: We get the inside scoop on Sudbury's Pothole Patrol:
On average, the City of Greater Sudbury repairs between 50,000 to 60,000 potholes a year. That's a tall order even for 10 to 15 crews, made up of city employees as well as contractors, working each day during pothole season. With so many potholes, how does the city decide which get filled first? Can these patches withstand the current freeze-thaw conditions until more permanent repairs can be done in the summer? Check out our video here as Sudbury.com new media reporter got the inside scoop on what the City of Greater Sudbury is doing to return our roads to working order.
Grow with Google: 'Pop the hood' on your website to understand it better:
It may come as a surprise, especially in today's digital environment, but only about 50 per cent of businesses in Canada have an online presence. Aaron Brindle, head of communications for Google Canada, said those businesses that can only benefit from getting online and making sure they can be discovered by markets around the world. It would only serve them well to learn the fundamentals around analytics, so they can get a better understanding of potential markets for their product. Enter Grow with Google, an initiative that aims to help Canadians create economic opportunity through digital skills training across the country. Google hosted a free, one-day event at Science North, featuring Google-led workshops, one-on-one coaching sessions and hands-on help for attendees. Sudbury is the seventh community in Canada to host Grow with Google workshops. It was a sold-out event on Friday. Full story can be found here.
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.
