Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Most victims of opioid crisis in Sudbury are men, data shows:
More than 75 per cent of people who die from opioid overdoses in Sudbury are men, according to information from the Chief Coroner of Ontario, and most of them are between the ages of 25-44. The data is part of a presentation city council will hear Tuesday evening, when they will get an update on the city's response to the crisis from the Medical Officer of Health Penny Sutcliffe and Police Chief Paul Pedersen. The presentation offers a brief outline of the crisis, starting with opioid prescriptions in the 1990s for chronic pain. Canada led the world in per capita opioid consumption by 2003, and a crisis emerged in 2014, a year after Fentanyl hit the market. Between 2016 and 2019, 13,900 Canadians died from overdoses. Ontario has the highest death rate from the crisis in Canada: 937 for every 100,000 people in the province, compared to 551 in British Columbia, which has the second-highest death rate. Those numbers are borne out locally, where staff at Health Sciences North have seen more ER visits and hospitalizations related to overdoses than the Ontario average. Most victims in Sudbury – 80 per cent – are Caucasian males who overdosed at home or at another private residence. Get the full story here.
'Get our message out': Striking Catholic teachers picketing at 3 high-traffic locations Tuesday:
Local English Catholic teachers say they'll be picketing at three high-traffic locations in Greater Sudbury during a one-day strike Jan. 21. Members of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) are engaging in a one-day strike across the province Tuesday as part of a labour dispute with the province. The Sudbury Catholic District School Board has cancelled all classes Jan. 21 in response. The teachers will be picketing from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the following locations: the corner of Regent Street and Long Lake Road (the Four Corners) in the South End, the corner of The Kingsway and Barrydowne Road in New Sudbury, and the corner of Main Street and Highway 69 North in Valley East. More on this story here.
Q’s Kids: Wolves star player Quinton Byfield giving NEO Kids families VIP treatment:
The Sudbury Wolves, in partnership with star player Quinton Byfield, recently announced the launch of Q’s Kids in support of NEO Kids. Early in December, prior to departing for the World Juniors, Byfield welcomed three NEO Kids families to a Sudbury Wolves game as his special guests, with many more families slated to join him during the second half of the season. “It’s important for me to give back to the families in this community who come out and support my teammates and I, night in and night out,” said Byfield, in a press release. “To give these kids a special experience at the game and make them feel special is very gratifying. Some of them may be going through treatments or recovering from treatments, so to give them a night out with their family where they can have fun is important to me.” As part of the program, Byfield invites the families to the game and provides tickets and popcorn to the families as well as special commemorative shirts for the kids. Following the game, Quinton meets with the family, signs autographs and takes them on a tour of the dressing room.
City looking for a few good shovel heroes to keep outdoor rinks open:
Have you ever wished you could be a superhero? Well now is your chance to become a shovel superhero. The City of Greater Sudbury is looking for more volunteers to help maintain its more than 54 outdoor rinks across the city. Outdoor rink volunteers are responsible for shovelling, scraping and flooding the rinks, making sure the field house is open, and may also operate the canteen. At some locations, volunteers can also be involved with special events like carnivals and fundraising events. Volunteers at the outdoor rinks are supported by the city with the funds and equipment necessary to carry out their duties. Neighbourhood rinks would not be possible without the efforts of the countless volunteers who donate their time and energy to keep them running. The City of Greater Sudbury is asking people to consider supporting their community by giving their time to their local neighbourhood rink. For more information on the outdoor rinks or how to get involved, contact the City of Greater Sudbury Leisure Services at 705-674-4455, ext. 2446, email [email protected], or visit greatersudbury.ca.
Serré moving into new digs next week:
Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré’s constituency office is moving to better serve the residents of his riding. The new office will be located at 2914 Hwy 69 North, Unit 5 in Val Caron and will open on Feb. 3. The current constituency office at 2945 Hwy 69 N, suite 203, will be closed from Jan. 27 - 30 to facilitate the move. The new space further prioritizes the confidentiality and comfort of constituents. The site will be fully accessible and will be open Mondays to Thursdays from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Fridays by appointment. These changes will not affect services at the Sturgeon Falls consistency office. It will remain open during the Val Caron office relocation and is located at 94 King St., Suite 1, Sturgeon Falls. Office hours are from Monday to Thursday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Tax scam resurfacing as tax season nears:
Recently, the West Parry Sound OPP detachment received several complaints from local residents who had received phone calls from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) stating that they owed money and that there was an outstanding warrant of arrest if not paid. This scam has been reported in the past, however, the scammers are coinciding this scam with income tax-paying time. Police want you to: Hang up immediately if there's anything suspicious or unprofessional about the call - the CRA will NEVER threaten you with immediate arrest, use abusive language or send police. The CRA will NEVER request payment by Interac e-transfer, online currency such as bitcoin, pre-paid credit cards or pre-paid gift cards such as iTunes, Home Depot, etc. The CRA's accepted methods of payment are online banking, debit card, credit card or PayPal through a third-party service provider and pre-authorized debit. If you or someone you know suspects they have been targeted by a phone call scam, contact your local OPP detachment, nearest police authority, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or p3tips.com.
Sudbury Five weather the Storm for second straight win:
Greater Sudbury weathered a winter storm on Saturday and the Sudbury Five weathered the Island Storm on Sunday, defeating the PEI squad by a score of 139-125. The Five followed up their Friday win over the KW Titans with a 14-point victory on Sunday to improve their record to 5-4 on the season, good enough for second in the Central Division. Jaylen Bland continued his torrid start to the season for the Five, leading his team in scoring with 38 points, including draining 11 three-pointers. Braylon Rayson had another strong outing for the Five on Sunday, chipping in 21 points and 10 assists on the day. Dexter Williams added 21 points of his own, while Marlon Johnson poured in 22 points and grabbing nine rebounds. The Five head back out east this week, with a pair of games Tuesday and Wednesday night against the St. John's Edge. The team returns home this weekend for a Sunday afternoon tilt with the Windsor Express. For tickets and more on the team, visit thefive.ca.
Tuesday Weather:
Mainly cloudy Tuesday with a 40 per cent chance of flurries late in the morning and in the afternoon. Milder out there today with the high sitting at -3. It's going to feel like -16 with the wind chill this morning. Cloudy periods tonight with the low dipping to -9. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
