Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
'We need to find solutions beyond picking up needles': Council asks province to step up on opioids:
Greater Sudbury voted this week to increase the amount of money available to pick up discarded needles left behind by addicts, many of whom are addicted to opioids. And council voted to add two bylaw officers to work around the downtown transit terminal, and to add more security staff working in the terminal on weekends. All of those measures, however, are not solutions to the opioid crisis, said Ward 6 Coun. Rene Lapierre. “This is a Band-Aid,” Lapierre said. “We need to find solutions beyond picking up needles. We need to find a better plan.” Ward 10 Coun. Fern Cormier said at the municipal level, the best they can hope for is to treat the symptoms of the crisis, even as they watch it get worse. “What we cannot do is deal with the underlying cause,” Cormier said. Specifically, he said more rehab beds are needed in the city, and addicts trying to recover need quicker access to them. He has dealt with families trying to get loved ones into rehab who face a six-week wait. “That doesn’t work,” Cormier said. “Provincial and federal governments, they need to step up ... And we are not alone. Every (city) is dealing with this.” Find more on this story here.
Hate speech trial adjourned until Jan. 17:
Final submissions in the trial for perennial fringe candidate David Popescu will happen in the New Year. The trial will resume Jan. 17 at the Ontario Court of Justice at 159 Cedar St. at 10 a.m. Popescu asked for an adjournment on Dec. 12, saying he needs more time for biblical research for his defence. He is charged with wilfully promoting hatred against an identifiable group, the LGBTQ community, during the 2018 provincial election. Greater Sudbury Police say he also stated former Ontario Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne should be put to death because she's a lesbian. He is representing himself in the trial, which started Nov. 4. The second day of trial happened Nov. 7. Popescu told the court he's already put in a lot of work prepping his defence, which is “intertwined” with reasons from a biblical perspective. “I have spent a lot of time working on it, but I realized it's a more complicated response,” Popescu said. Assistant Crown attorney Leonard Kim said he's disappointed with the request, but reluctantly agreed to it. Full story here.
Greater Sudbury Police agree to trim 2020 budget:
Meeting on Wednesday, the Greater Sudbury Police Board agreed to cut its 2020 budget by $250,000 following a request from city council. While only half of the $500,000 the city was hoping for, Ward 6 Coun. René Lapierre said it was a show of good faith balancing the needs of both parties. “I told council I would bring their voice (to the board) and I was hoping that (the $5000,000 reduction) is what it would be,” Lapierre said. During city budget talks last week, councillors passed a motion asking police to delay plans to set aside money for the construction of a $65 million headquarters. Police have so far set aside $900,000 and plan to increase that amount by $500,000 each year until 2024, when they would have $3,400,000 available to pay the mortgage on the new headquarters. More on this story here.
'A Holi-Yay Extravaganza' for Joan Mantle Music Trust at Sudbury Sec Dec. 13:
The Sudbury Secondary School Sheridan Auditorium will come alive with the sound of music Dec. 13. Sudbury Secondary School and Princess Anne Public School are joining together to present “A Holi-Yay Extravaganza” in support of the Joan Mantle Music Trust, which provides new musical instruments for Rainbow board schools. The concert starts at 7 p.m. this evening. This concert of Christmas and holiday music will feature a number of groups from Sudbury Secondary School, including the Mega Concert Band, the Senior Jazz group "The Flavourz", the Saxophone Ensemble, the Senior Vocal Class and "The Northern Lights" Choir. Special guests from Princess Anne Public School include the Grade 7/8 Class and the Grade 8 Class. The audience can expect a variety of styles and genres of music from the talented students under the direction of music teachers Stéphane Ostrander, Mitch McIntyre and Scott Mitchell. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students/seniors.
Race to replace Scheer as federal Conservative leader could be crowded:
Moments after Andrew Scheer announced Thursday his intention to resign as Conservative party leader, speculation turned to who will replace him. Two of his prominent rivals in the 2017 leadership contest, Maxime Bernier and Kevin O'Leary, quickly ruled themselves out. As did Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, all leaders of conservative provincial parties. But there are plenty of others who could yet toss their hats in the ring. And that means the coming race could turn out to be every bit as crowded as 2017, when 13 contenders vied for the Tory crown. Scheer ultimately edged out Bernier by less than two per cent of the vote on the 13th and final ballot.
Wolves look to get back in the win column at home tonight:
The Sudbury Wolves return home tonight after a 6-3 loss to the Soo Greyhounds Wednesday night. The boys will return to the friendly confines of the Sudbury Arena to host the Erie Otters on Friday and Owen Sound Attack on Saturday. Both home games are set for a 7:05 p.m. puck drop. Friday’s game marks the annual Teddy Bear Toss in support of the TD Toy Bank and Salvation Army. Fans are encouraged to throw a new or gently used stuffed animal on the ice following the Wolves first goal of the game. Join the Pack for a Sudbury Saturday Night on Dec. 14 with Dave McNab on the MIC Queen’s Stage and Porketta sandwiches will be available in the club area for purchase.
12 Days of Kindness: Vickie gets a new 'do and fresh start:
Despite her personal struggles, Vickie Kesek continues to take care for others, never asking for anything in return. Vickie has been battling a recurring illness for years and recently started treatments that caused her to lose her hair. Her daughter, Jessica, reached out to us for help because she fears this recent diagnosis may have broken her mom's spirit. Her one wish is to see her mom smile again. Watch as we fulfil that wish with help from Jo-Anne at the Wig Boutique. Check out day four of our 12 Days of Kindness here.
Friday Weather:
Flurries to start the day with risk of freezing drizzle. We could get up to 5 cm of snow by the afternoon. Friday's high will be zero, feeling like -7 with the wind chill. Flurries ending early in the evening then cloudy with 60 per cent chance of flurries. Risk of freezing drizzle in the evening and after midnight. Overnight low will be -3, feeling like -7. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
