Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Coronavirus risk in Sudbury low, but city says 'we are ready and prepared to respond:
As the outbreak in China of a new strain of coronavirus continues to draw worldwide attention, the City of Greater Sudbury said it has convened its Emergency Preparedness Team to ensure local readiness. The meeting included Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger and Public Health Sudbury & Districts’ medical officer of health, Dr. Penny Sutcliffe. The risk of the novel coronavirus to Greater Sudbury is low, however, as part of emergency preparedness, meeting participants discussed proactive communications and public education strategies, and emergency response protocols in the event of changes to the current state, said a press release. “In these types of situations, it’s important that we are proactive in our approach,” said Bigger, in the press release. “We will continue to work closely with our partners in public health and the health-care sector to take appropriate steps to prepare and to inform the public. I am confident in the expertise of Dr. Sutcliffe, and public health and city staff to lead us through this. Residents can be assured that, although the risk remains low, we are ready and prepared to respond.” The group will continue to meet regularly to reassess and determine actions, as needed.
'White supremacist group' targeting them with doxing, threats, say members of LGBTQ+ community:
A recent wave on online harassment of members of Sudbury's LGBTQ+ community has left individuals fearful of going out in public and feeling as though their cries for help are not being heard. That was the message that was delivered at a press conference Jan. 29 at a downtown Sudbury coffee shop. Sudbury MPP Jamie West and Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas hosted the press conference and were joined by fellow MPPs Chris Glover (Spadina-Fort York) and Terence Kernaghan (London North Centre) at Kuppajo in the city's downtown where they stood firmly with the city's LGBTQ+ community while condemning those who have been espousing hate online. Outspoken members of the city's LGBTQ+ community say they've been targeted online by what they described as a local white supremacist group. No details were provided about this group. Find the full story here.
Man sentenced to 15 months after failed suicide attempt left innocent woman dead:
A Sudbury man has been sent to jail for 15 months after his attempt at suicide left a woman dead, and her son and husband seriously injured. The tragedy took place May 28, 2018, on Highway 17 near Walden. The court transcript says the man's uncle had killed himself 10 years earlier in the same way. It appears to have inspired the man, who texted his former girlfriend just before the crash telling her what he was going to do. “It is clear from the accused’s suicide note ... that he was totally despondent about his life and the unacceptable manner in which he had treated those close to him in the past,” the transcript says. “Unfortunately, the response of his former girlfriend, his sister, his best friend and close family members to his threat to commit suicide was too late to prevent the collision which occurred between his truck and an oncoming tractor-trailer.” Full story here.
Ontario Liberal leadership debate set for Jan. 30:
After being postponed earlier this month because of bad weather, candidates to become the next leader of Ontario's Liberal Party will be in town for a debate Jan. 30. It will be the fourth debate for the leadership hopefuls, who include Michael Coteau, Steven Del Duca, Kate Graham, Brenda Hollingsworth, Mitzie Hunter and Alvin Tedjo. Del Duca has the support of former Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci. “This event will offer each candidate an opportunity to share their vision for the future of our province and to outline their plan to get there,” the party said in a news release. At the debate, each candidate will respond to questions from party members collected beforehand, particularly as they relate to Northern Ontario. “Following the formal program, there will be an opportunity for one-on-one media availabilities at the discretion of each leadership campaign,” the release said. The debate will be moderated by Glenn Thibeault, former NDP MP and Liberal MPP for Sudbury, who was Energy Minister during the government of former Premier Kathleen Wynne. The debate takes place at the Holiday Inn on Regent Street. Registration opens at 6 p.m. and the formal program will begin at 7 p.m.
Cannabis edibles, topicals and oils, now available at a dispensary near you:
Dispensaries across Ontario were given the 'green' light on three new varieties of cannabis products in December, giving patrons a new smoke-free alternative to the dried flower legalized in 2018. Cannabis 2.0 products, which are edibles, topicals and extracts, were legalized Oct. 17, 2019. Although it wasn't until Dec. 13, 2019, that dispensaries were able to order the products from licensed producers. For stores such as Sudbury's Canna Cabana, which generally receive their shipments after those in Southern Ontario, that meant products didn't reach the shelves until early-January. Their first shipment came on Jan. 10 said Erik Snow, Canna Cabana general manager, but this is just a taste of the variety to come. Find more on this story here.
Five Sudbury rinks vying for a spot in Canadian championships:
The Northern Ontario Curling Association (NOCA) hosts the final leg of the journey to the Tim Hortons Brier and Scotties Tournament of Hearts with the provincial championships this week. The Don Shepherdson Memorial Arena in Temiskaming Shores, home to the Horne Granite Curling Club, will welcome 15 rinks from around Northern Ontario, seven women's rinks and eight men's, and Sudbury is well-represented with five rinks taking part, including four on the women's side. Action got underway Jan. 29, with all eight men's teams hitting the ice at 1:30 p.m. A pair of Sudbury women's rinks went head to head in draw one, with Krysta Burns' Idylwylde rink taking on her club mate Bella Crosier, whose rink also curls out of Idylwylde. More on this story here.
Life expectancy drops for Ontario men: opioid crisis blamed as likely cause:
Life expectancy of Ontario males has dropped, a Statistics Canada report stated Tuesday. The reported reduction in life expectancy from 2017 to 2018 is slight, less than one month. But it's significant because projected lifespans have lengthened almost every year since Canada began compiling information on deaths in 1921, and the report points to opioids as the reversal's probable cause. "For the first time in decades, a slight decrease (-0.1 year) in life expectancy at birth among males living in Ontario was... observed from 2017 to 2018," the national statistics agency said. "This decrease was also related to higher mortality among adults around the ages of 25 to 50 compared with previous years." A child born in Ontario today can now anticipate a lifespan of 80.3 years. Get the full story here.
Thursday Weather:
Mainly cloudy today with a 30 per cent chance of flurries late in the morning and in the afternoon. Thursday's high will be sitting at around -5, feeling like -7 with the wind chill. Mainly cloudy into the evening with 30 per cent chance of flurries. Overnight low will be -10, feeling like -15. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
