Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Fire at historic Notre Dame cathedral:
One of the world's most recognizable pieces of architecture, an iconic piece of Catholic history and and one of the most famous buildings in the world was on fire Monday. Reports of smoke billowing from the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France began trickling out at the end of the noon hour Eastern Standard Time. It wasn't long before flames were shooting from the roof of the 676-year-old building. Within in the hour, the iconic spire on the roof collapsed. According to reports, it wasn't just the roof that was on fire. Officials told media that the blaze had spread throughout the building, consuming pews, ancient tapestries and priceless works of art. Four hundred firefighters were battling the blaze. Construction of the church began in 1163 and lasted nearly 200 years, finishing in 1345. More on this story, including video, can be found here.
Blame GreenOn, not me, for unfinished jobs, embattled EcoLife owner says:
It has been more than a month since a group of Sudburians took to the streets to voice their displeasure with a Sudbury home improvement company. Protestors gathered March 7 at the corner of Paris and Brady Street to speak out against EcoLife Home Improvements and its owner Dave Murray, while calling on the Greater Sudbury Police Service to look into fraud charges against Murray. Aside from his written statement, sent via email to Sudbury.com on the day of the protest, Murray had remained mostly silent, until recently when he sat down for an interview with Sudbury.com. The embattled contractor says that it's time for people to hear his side of the story, and that the fallout from online complaints in a closed Facebook group along with the March 7 protest, have been detrimental to his business. According to Murray, EcoLife does roughly $1 million worth of contract work in a year. On average, Murray says he would have close to $250,000 worth of contracts lined up by this point in the year, but between January and April of 2019, he's looking at closer to $40,000 in jobs. More on this story can be found here.
It's official! First cannabis store in Sudbury opens 4/20:
The cannabis dispensary at the Four Corners says it has received its licence from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and confirmed that it will be opening for businesses on April 20, this Saturday, which, fittingly, is 4/20, which has become the day of the year cannabis users celebrate recreational and medicinal marijuana, a date which is a nod to the time of day, 4:20 p.m., when cannabis users partake. Canna Cabana opens at 9 a.m. It is located in the Four Corners Plaza at 2019 Long Lake Road. Get the full story here.
April 16 is National Day of Action on Overdose Crisis:
The staff at Réseau ACCESS Network in Sudbury will be holding an official launch for the National Day of Action on Overdose Crisis on April 16 at 11 a.m. The aim of the event is to spread a better understanding of the importance of safe spaces for all members of the community, particularly people who use drugs. Speaking at the launch will be Lisa Toner, Terry-Lynn Jenkins, and Amber Fritz. The event gets underway at 11 a.m. at Réseau's office at 111 Larch St. Check back later today for a full story.
Fire services investigating fatal apartment fire:
There is an investigation into the cause of a fire in a a three-unit apartment at 325 Montague Ave. on Saturday morning, that claimed the life of a woman and sent a man to a Toronto hospital in critical condition. Greater Sudbury Fire Services responded to the call around 12:08 a.m. Saturday morning and were able to quickly contain the flames, but not before the building sustained more than $80,000 worth of damage. A tenant who made the intial call to 911, Amanda Savard, described the two victims, ages 27 and 40, as "really nice people...best friends," who lived there with five cats, all of whom she believed died in the fire. Savard, an expectant mother, had just moved into the building on April 1. There are no details as to the cause of the fire or the names of the victims at this time.
SISU Ball Drop Lottery takes place at Finlandia May 11:
The second annual SISU Ball Drop Lottery takes place during Mayfair at Finlandia Village May 11. During the ball drop, which takes place at 1:30 p.m., one lucky golf ball will drop into the golf hole, winning the grand prize of $10,000 cash. Tickets for the SISU Ball Drop Lottery are $50 each with a one in 1,000 odds of winning the grand prize of $10,000 cash. They are now available for purchase from Ramakko’s Source for Adventure and Finlandia Village or by emailing [email protected].
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.
Tuesday Weather:
Mainly sunny to start the day, becoming a mix of sun and cloud this afternoon. Tuesday's high will be around 8. Clear skies expected heading into the evening with the temperature dropping as the sun goes down. Overnight low will be -4, feeling like -8. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
