Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
OPP confirms a caller believed B.C. murder suspects drove through Kapuskasing:
OPP Acting Staff Sgt. Shona Camirand has offered some additional information regarding a suspicious vehicle in Kapuskasing that may be connected to Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, and Kam McLeod, 19, the two young B.C. men who are the subjects of a massive national manhunt in connection to three murders in British Columbia. Camirand initially would not connect the report of a suspicious vehicle to the young men, but in a brief email to Sudbury.com around 5 p.m. Wednesday, she confirmed that the person who reported the vehicle believed the occupants to be Schmegelsky and McLeod. No make nor model was supplied, nor a location where the vehicle was spotted or the direction it was headed were provided.
Teachers' union rep: Job losses 'sidestepped', at least for this school year:
A local Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation rep said job losses among his members due to provincial education reforms have been “sidestepped,” at least for the 2019-2020 school year. “It seems that the school board has done a pretty good job trying to mitigate job losses,” said James Clyke, outgoing president of OSSTF District 3, which represents secondary school teachers working for the Rainbow District School Board. “It doesn't seem that it's going to be an unorthodox year for us. It seems that it's going to be pretty much business as usual until we get further down the road with the Ford plan.” The Progressive Conservative provincial government announced earlier this year the average class size requirement for high school classes will be raised by six students, from 22 to 28. Class size averages for kindergarten and primary grades are not being changed, but in Grades 4 to 8, the average will increase by less than one student, from 23.84 to 24.5. As well, the province will also require that all high school students take four e-learning credits out of the 30 required for graduation. Clyke said if Premier Doug Ford follows through on these plans, the Rainbow board will lose about 90 teachers over a four-year period. Provincewide, those numbers could be in the thousands. Full story here.
Drinking water advisory issued for Killarney:
Public Health Sudbury & Districts has issued a drinking water advisory effective immediately for the residents of Killarney. A drinking water advisory means that people who take their water from the municipal system should not use it for drinking; making juice, infant formula, or ice; cooking; washing uncooked fruits and vegetables; or brushing teeth. Boiling the water may not make it safe for drinking. For these purposes, water from an alternate source such as bottled water should be used. Bottled water used for making infant formula must still be boiled. For information on how to properly prepare infant formula using bottled water, please call Public Health’s Health Information Line at 705-522-9200, ext. 342 (toll-free 1-866-522-9200). The water can be used for laundry and bathing (excluding small children who could swallow the water).
Huge group of cyclists — 145 to be exact — rolling into Nickel City Thursday:
Mayor Brian Bigger will get to show off his cycling skills this week when he joins a group of 145 cyclists on the final leg of their 308-kilometre journey from Sault Ste. Marie to Greater Sudbury. The event is the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure, which began July 28 in the Sault, and involves a cycling journey along the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail. The 145 participants, ranging in age from 23 to 81, signed on to "find new local wines, hidden treasures, and unique communities. Feel the wind, water, and earth in a new way. Experience the freedom of slowing down, stopping, and trying something new," according to material on the Trail website. On Thursday morning, the group will leave Espanola and break for lunch at Centennial Park in Whitefish. From there, they will head to Sudbury, arriving at Stack Brewing on Kelly Lake Road for a water break at around noon. The group will visit My Mother's Place, Crosscut Distillery, L. May Manufacturing and 46 North Brewing while on Kelly Lake Road. They will also meet up with Mayor Brian Bigger there, who will be joining the group for the final leg of the journey from Stack to Science North. The group of cyclists includes participants from Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick and five American states. To make it from the Sault to Greater Sudbury in just five days, they will ride 65 to 107 kilometres per day. Check back with Sudbury.com later today for coverage of the group cycling through town.
'It's always good to get tested': Hep C event aims to break stigma:
It is estimated that one out of 100 Canadians have had Hepatitis C in their lifetime, and many are unaware they have it. In an effort to raise awareness about viral hepatitis, Réseau ACCESS Network offered on-the-spot screening for Hepatitis C as part of World Hepatitis Day on July 30. More than 200 people stopped by the event, which was held at Memorial Park. Réseau ACCESS Network outreach testing nurse Dominica Anderson said 25 Hepatitis C tests were conducted by 1 p.m. "It's just a finger poke, it's super easy," Anderson said. "If the test does come back as positive, we book a follow-up appointment for a full-length discussion in our office and set them up with a treatment plan." Anderson said treatment is much easier now. "On average, it's one pill a day for 12 weeks." If gone untreated, Hepatitis C can lead to liver failure and liver cancer. More on this story here.
IAMGOLD close to initial size estimate of gold deposit near Gogama:
IAMGOLD is working to complete a geologic model at its Côté Gold Project near Gogama. On July 30, the company reported initial results from an ongoing drill program at the property’s new Gosselin Zone, where 14 drill holes were completed for 4,848 metres drilled. "The results from the 2019 exploration program continue to confirm the potential of the new Gosselin discovery,” Craig MacDougall, IAMGOLD’s senior vice-president of exploration, said in a news release. “We are particularly encouraged by the continued intersection of wide intervals of intrusion-hosted mineralization, now confirmed to extend to near surface as well as along strike to the southwest towards the Young-Shannon zone. These results will be used to help design future drilling campaigns aimed at further evaluating the resource potential of this new discovery." IAMGOLD said it would incorporate the drill results and the following metals analysis into a geologic model for the Gosselin and Young-Shannon zones. The company also said mapping and surface channel sampling are underway, and eventually it will use the results of its efforts to develop an initial resource estimate for the property. Located 125 kilometres southwest of Timmins and 175 kilometres north of Sudbury, the Côté Gold Project is a joint venture with Sumimoto Metal Mining Co. Ltd. IAMGOLD has continued exploration work at the property, despite an announcement last January it had put on hold plans for a $1-billion open-pit mine at the Côté Lake property, pending “improved market conditions.”
Ribfest needs volunteers for Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 event:
Downtown Sudbury Ribfest, which runs Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 in downtown Sudbury, is looking for volunteers. Volunteers are needed for the following areas: event setup, event tear down, first aid, children’s area, green team/maintenance, site patrol and beverage sales and servers (Smart Serve required). Various shifts are available throughout the three days, and co-ordinators will work with your schedule if you would like to donate your time. Downtown Sudbury Ribfest, happening on Minto Street and in the Sudbury Arena Parking Lot, is in support of the Sudbury YMCA Strong Kids Campaign. The Sudbury YMCA has also taken on the task of co-ordinating Ribfest volunteers. Interested volunteers may fill out the registration form at the Downtown Sudbury Office at 115 Larch Street at YMCA Sudbury at 140 Durham Street, or online at www.downtownsudbury.com/ribfest.
Thursday Weather:
A beautiful day on tap as we start the final month of summer. Thursday is going to be mainly sunny with a few clouds. High will get up to 27, feeling more like 28 with the humidity. Clear skies into the evening with an overnight low of 14. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
