Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
City landfill sites will reopen this today:
Effective Friday, May 15, the City of Greater Sudbury will reopen landfill sites to the public. The Sudbury, Azilda and Hanmer landfills will be open Monday to Friday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The sites are closed on certain statutory holidays, such as Victoria Day, Monday, May 18. The Walden Small Vehicle Transfer Station will be open Monday to Friday, from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The site is closed on certain statutory holidays, such as Victoria Day, Monday, May 18. In order to maintain physical distancing, only four to six vehicles will be permitted onsite at a time. Residents should be prepared for longer than usual wait times at all sites. The City has set up a live camera at the Sudbury landfill site so that residents can see how busy it is before they make the trip. Check out the live feed at www.greatersudbury.ca/landfill-livestream. Payment by debit or credit card is preferred. The temporary four-bag garbage bag limit will remain in effect for the time being.
Renée Sweeney’s accused killer denied bail for a second time:
Renée Sweeney’s accused killer has been denied bail for a second time. Superior Court Justice Edward Gareau has released a 10-page written statement on his decision regarding denying bail for Robert Steven Wright. Copies are being made available to the media. There is a publication ban in effect with respect to evidence during the bail review hearing. Wright was arrested in 2018, more than 20 years after Sweeney was killed. Check back with Sudbury.com for more information soon.
Ontario records lowest single-day jump in cases since March 29:
Ontario recorded the lowest single-day jump in new COVID-19 cases since March 29 today. Provincial figures from 32 public health units show 258 new cases of the disease. In total, Ontario has 21,494 total cases, with 16,204 of them resolved. There have been 1,798 deaths to date. Of the 1,026 people hospitalized, 184 are in intensive care units, and of those, 141 on are a ventilator. In Northern Ontario, the only new case reported today was in Thunder Bay; its first new case in five days. Thunder Bay is the northern hotspot, with 79 total cases, 74 of them resolved, and one death. In the Sudbury area, Public Health Sudbury & Districts counts 61 cases of the disease, 59 of which are resolved. Two people have died. The region hasn’t seen a new case since May 10. Porcupine Health Unit in Timmins counts 65 cases, with 52 resolved and five deaths. Algoma Public Health has 17 cases, 13 of which are resolved, while North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit has 20 cases, 18 of which are resolved. There remain three active outbreaks at LTC homes in the area: St. Gabriel’s Villa and Finlandia Nursing Home in Sudbury, and Wikwemikong Nursing Home on Manitoulin Island, each with one case. Northern Ontario health units have confirmed 275 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, of which nearly 90 per cent have recovered.
Golf courses, marinas, private parks and more to open on Saturday:
The Ontario government announced Thursday that golf courses, campgrounds, marinas and additional seasonal services and activities will be permitted to open as early as Saturday May 16 at 12:01 a.m. Premier Doug Ford also announced that retailers, seasonal businesses and health and community service providers who will be permitted to open or expand their services on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 at 12:01 a.m., provided that the general trend on health indicators continues to improve as part of the first stage of the government's reopening framework. The workplaces opening as part this stage are well-positioned to put workplace safety measures in place and get more people back to work, while not overburdening public transit and other services. Full story here.
Golf courses in Sudbury prepped for the season to get going:
When it comes time for golfers to tee off in Greater Sudbury, they should expect the game to be played a bit differently this season, says local course owners and managers. Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Thursday that golf courses would be permitted to open as early as this Saturday. However, Sam Yawney and Tom Arnott said when the courses do open, they know there will be a whole new set of protocols in place for golfers. When the province closed non-essential businesses in March, golf courses were among them. Arnott is the general manager at Idylwylde Golf and Country Club. He’s also past-president of the National Golf Course Owners Association, said it was a fight just to have the ability to prepare the courses for the upcoming season. Find more on this story here.
Essential Worker of the Day: HSN nurse Lisa Chisholm:
It's National Nursing Week in Canada. Sudbury.com's Essential Worker of the Day will be honouring a nurse each day from May 11 to May 17. We recognize the remarkable service all nurses in Greater Sudbury provide, especially during these trying times. For Thursday Sudbury.com is recognizing Lisa Chisholm as today's Essential Worker of the Day. Chisholm was nominated by her sister-in-law Erin Chisholm. "Every day she leaves her home, her three beautiful babies to go to work and take care of other people’s family members," Erin said. "I tease her all the time that she’s like a superhero. Keeping a household running, taking care of a one-year-old, three-year-old and seven-year-old. Being a loving wife, an amazing sister and daughter and most of all heading off to work on the frontlines working as a nurse in these incredibly stressful times. Heart of Gold!" Do you know an essential worker who deserves to be recognized? Say thanks to someone you know who is a front-line health care worker, cashier or truck driver by nominating them for Sudbury.com's Essential Worker of the Day. Email us a photo, their name, their job title and your words of thanks to [email protected]. Please only send photos and information with permission.
When it comes to cancelled surgeries, HSN says don’t call us, we’ll call you
If you’ve had a non-urgent or elective surgery postponed due to COVID-19, Health Sciences North has a message for you: Don’t call us; we’ll call you. In its weekly pandemic bulletin, the hospital said there has been an uptick in the number of people calling the hospital and doctors’ offices wondering when their new surgery date will be. “HSN is asking the public to please avoid calling HSN and physician offices to ask about when non-urgent and elective surgeries and procedures will be rescheduled,” the bulletin reads, adding the influx of calls “has put increased workload on HSN staff and physicians as they care for patients during the pandemic.” Non-urgent and elective surgeries have not resumed at the hospital yet, and no date has been determined as to when that will happen, the hospital said Thursday. More on this story here.
Friday Weather:
Cloudy again today as we head into the long weekend. There's a 40 per cent chance of showers today. Friday's high will get up to 14. Overcast into the evening with the low sitting at around 6. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
