Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Sudbury ranks No. 116 on list of best places to live in Canada:
Greater Sudbury ranks at No. 116 in Maclean's list of Canada's Best Communities in 2019. The ranking lists the top 415 communities across the country, using such features as wealth and economy, affordability, taxes, crime rate and culture and community. Burlington, Ont., made the top of the list. In fact, Ontario took the top five spots on the list, with Grimsby, Ottawa, Oakville and New Tecumseth following, respectively. Ontario claimed 28 of the top 50 communities across Canada in which to live, according to Maclean's. British Columbia was second, with 16 communities. Maclean's said those two provinces have an advantage because of their strong economies and good weather compared to the rest of the country. Ontario also has Canada’s lowest health care wait times and its small towns have the least crime in the country, while B.C. benefits from low income tax and low sales tax. More on this story here.
Drug shortage won't impact patients receiving treatment, cancer centre says:
Cancer centres and hospitals across Canada are working their way through a shortage of a trio of cancer treatment drugs. The three intravenous drugs in question are etoposide, vinorelbine and leucovorin, all of which are used at Sudbury's Northeast Cancer Centre on a daily basis. Every cancer diagnosis gets its own recipe and each drug has a specific application depending on the type of cancer. The Northeast Cancer Centre's pharmacy purchasing department and pharmacy department work in collaboration with Cancer Care Ontario and the minute they get wind that there may be a drug shortage they immediately begin work identifying potentially affected patients and ensuring that they have enough supply on hand to treat those patients. "We set aside or squirrel away the amount of drug that it takes for them to finish their complete cycles of chemotherapy," said Dr. Lacey Pitre, Regional Systemic Clinical and Quality Lead LHIN 13, Cancer Care Ontario. "The possibility that a drug shortage would affect somebody in the middle of their treatment is basically zero, because the minute we think something might happen we put the amount of drugs they need to complete their treatment aside immediately." Full story can be found here.
Brief court appearance for man accused of stabbing mother, punching baby:
Alexander Stavropoulos, the man accused of stabbing a mother and injuring her infant in a Marcus Drive parking lot in early June made a brief court appearance this morning via CCTV. Stavropoulos, 25, is charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and one count of breaching probation in connection to the June 3 incident. He allegedly stabbed a 35-year-old mother in the neck. Her nine-month-old infant was not stabbed, but sustained multiple bruises after being struck repeatedly during the attack. A judicial pre-trial is set to take place Aug. 26 between the Crown and Stavropoulos' lawyers, and he will return to court Aug. 29 via video remand from Sudbury Jail.
'Eyesore into eye candy': Up Here excited to turn St. Joe's hospital into Canada's largest mural:
By the time August is out, the former hospital on Paris Street will be completely painted over with a colourful, abstract mural commissioned by Up Here Urban Art and Music Festival, which runs this year Aug. 16-18. And in the opinion of festival organizer Christian Pelletier, the mural by famed Los Angeles, California-based street and graffiti artist RISK (a.k.a. Kelly Graval) will greatly improve the look of the derelict site. “No, it's going to be awesome,” Pelletier said. “It's going to be one of the biggest pieces of contemporary art in Canada. His work is just super colourful and fun. “It'll make us all smile whether you're sailboating on the lake or seeing it from the Laurentian University campus or driving through on Paris Street. It's going to turn an eyesore into eye candy.” The 80,000-square-foot mural will cover every surface of the hospital formerly known at certain points in its history as St. Joseph's Health Centre and Sudbury General Hospital. That includes the windows, which will also be painted over. Once completed, it will be the largest mural in Canada, shattering the record held by Thompson, Man., where there's a 20,000-square-foot mural of a wolf on the Highland Tower. Full story here.
Kids need up-to-date vaccinations before going back to school: health unit:
The kids may not want to hear it, but the 2019 school year is less than a month away. With the school year fast approaching, Public Health Sudbury & Districts is reminding parents that now is the time to make sure that student vaccinations are up-to-date and reported. “Schools and daycares are settings where infectious diseases can be spread easily due to the nature of their environment of playing and eating close together. It is important students are vaccinated to be protected from serious diseases that can be prevented by vaccination,” said Karly McGibbon, public health nurse, Public Health Sudbury & Districts. “In Ontario, children need up-to-date vaccination records to attend school and licensed child care centres. It’s the law”. Each year Public Health Sudbury & Districts reviews the vaccination records of thousands of students enrolled in schools and licensed daycares. Letters are sent to parents or students when records are incomplete. The health unit said it requres that students be vaccinated to continue to attend school and to send their updated vaccine information, so the health unit may update the Ministry of Health records on each child. For questions about vaccines, how to report them, or to book a vaccination click here.
Chilean mining delegation making the rounds in Sudbury:
Delegates from Chilean copper miner Codelco are visiting Sudbury this week to get insight into the city’s growing expertise in the development and use of battery-powered electric vehicles. Representatives from Chile’s state-run mining company arrived in Sudbury on Aug. 5 to begin a five-day tour of operations and suppliers in Sudbury and Kirkland Lake. The Aug. 5-9 visit is being organized by Sudbury and Area Mining Supply and Services Association (SAMSSA). The Chilean tour group includes maintenance, engineering and operations managers from Codelco’s El Teniente Mine – the world’s largest underground copper operation – and the Chuquicamata open-pit mine. Many Sudbury mining service companies already do a great deal of business with Codelco and with other South American mine operators. More on this story here.
Watershed study calls for more stormwater protection for Ramsey Lake:
A multi-year initiative looking at how to protect and improve the watersheds in several key lakes in Greater Sudbury has issued several recommendations, including for Ramsey Lake. Ramsey has become a particular area of concern in recent years, acting both as the source of drinking water for much of the city, and the site of several residential developments that put stress on the water quality. A report headed to city council Aug. 13 recommends the city focus on two areas to protect the lake: retrofitting stormwater management facilities in areas of Ramsey that absorb stormwater during major weather events, and tougher rules for developers wishing to build beside Ramsey. More on this story here.
Friday Weather:
A mix of sun and cloud in the Friday forecast. There's a 30 per cent chance of showers in the afternoon with risk of a thunderstorm. Today's high will get up to 23, feeling like 25. Partly cloudy into the evening with a 30 per cent chance of showers. Overnight low will be sitting at around 10. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
