Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Fixing local roads: pay more or expect less:
City council is facing a time crunch when it comes to its plans for maintaining city infrastructure, members of the audit committee were told Tuesday. Residents have heard for years about the widening gap between what the city should be spending maintaining infrastructure and what the city actually spends. According to the 2019 budget, that gap will grow to $3.1 billion over the next 10 years, far more than the city is currently putting aside to fund the work. Get the full story here.
"Do not stop fighting" MPPs tell parents battling against changes to autism program:
The message to parents fighting against changes to the Ontario Autism Program was loud and clear on Tuesday evening; "do not stop fighting". The Northern Ontario Autism Alliance held a town hall meeting at the Garson Community Arena on April 16, and were joined by Hamilton MPP and NDP child and youth services critic, Monique Taylor. "When this government brought forward their plan, it wasn't based on kids, it was based on numbers, so right off the bat it was wrong," said Taylor, speaking about the changes to the Ontario Autism Program. When Children, Community and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod announced changes to the OAP on Feb. 6, the response from parents was swift and strident, as rallies began forming here in Sudbury and across the province. Parents scrambled to figure out how they would provide much-needed services like ABA (applied behavioural analysis) and IBI (intensive behavioural intervention) to their children under a new funding model that was based on age and household income, and allowed for a maximum of $140,000 for a child in treatment from the ages two to 18. More on this story here.
Rainfall warning: Environment Canada says localized flooding possible:
Some April showers are on the way and Greater Sudbury and vicinity are under a rainfall warning. Environment Canada isseud a rainfall warning early Wednesday. Rain will develop this evening or overnight and continue into Friday morning. The heaviest rain is expected Thursday morning and afternoon.Total rainfall amounts of 20 to 40 mm are possible by Friday morning. Rain will taper to scattered showers or flurries Friday morning. Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible, and Evironment Canada is advising people to stay away from washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts and to keep children and pets away from creeks and river banks.
Coroner’s inquest into 2017 fatality at Vale:
Ontario's Ministry of the Solicitor General announced Wednesday there will be a coroner's inquest in the 2017 death of Ronald Charles Lepage. Mr. Lepage, 59, died in hospital on April 6, 2017, from injuries sustained while operating a dumptruck at the Copper Cliff Refinery in Sudbury, the ministry said in a news release. An inquest is mandatory under the Coroners Act. Dr. David Cameron, Regional Supervising Coroner for Inquests, said in the release the inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding Lepage's death. The jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing future deaths. Details regarding the date and location will be provided at a later date when the information becomes available, the release said. Dr. Geoffrey Bond will preside as inquest coroner and Sandra Town will be counsel to the coroner. Lepage worked for Cecchetto and Sons, a contractor for Vale, when he was killed while working in the central tailings area for the Clean AER project.
Science North receives $350,000 to take exhibit across Northern Ontario:
Local MPs Paul Lefebvre and Marc Serré visited Science North on April 17 to make a significant funding announcement that will help the science centre take one of its exhibits around the northern part of the province. A FedNor funding announcement in the amount of $350,000 will enable Science North to develop and tour a customized version of its Beyond Human Limits travelling exhibit and create new economic opportunities across Northern Ontario. Beyond Human Limits is a high-energy exhibit that highlights the stories, experiences and motivation of extreme athletes through numerous interactive and hands-on displays. This investment will enable Science North to develop and exhibit Beyond Human Limits during the summer of 2019 in various communities across the region in venues such as the Thunder Bay Museum, Kenora Discovery Centre, Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, Science Timmins and North Bay Discovery Museum.
Sudbury health unit imposes hiring freeze in response to Ontario budget:
Public Health Sudbury and Districts responded to the Ontario government's budget and its plans to change how public health services are structured in the province. Effective immediately, Public Health Sudbury and Districts has implemented several strategies in response to the provincial budget. These include a hiring freeze and the cancellation of all non-essential spending. “We are mobilizing within the northeast and are working with our four neighbouring public health units to get ready for change,” said Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Sudbury and Districts Medical Officer of Health. More on this story 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.
Thursday Weather:
April showers expected for Thursday. Cloudy today with rain showers throughout the day. Thursday's high will get up to around 7. There's a 60 per cent chance of showers tonight, changing to a chance of flurries. Overnight low will be 1. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
