Skip to content

Good morning, Sudbury! Here are seven stories to start your day

040820_hsn_5050
Sirpa Ducharme is the winner of the July HSN 50/50 Cash Lottery for the North. (File)

Good morning, Greater Sudbury.

Here are some stories to start your day.

Sudbury's Sirpa Ducharme wins more than $38,000 in July HSN 50/50 draw:

Health Sciences North Foundation, HSN Volunteer Association, NEO Kids Foundation and Northern Cancer Foundation have announced that Sirpa Ducharme is the winner of the July HSN 50/50 Cash Lottery for the North. Ducharme of Sudbury takes home $38,695 thanks to her winning ticket. Sirpa recently purchased a trailer in June and plans on using her winnings to pay off the new purchase and possibly buying a sauna for the lake. Don’t miss your chance to win this month’s jackpot. The August 50/50 cash lottery is now live. The guaranteed minimum prize is $5,000 for the winning individual. Tickets can be purchased online at www.HSN5050.ca from the comforts of home for 10 for $10, 30 for $20 and 100 for $40. The jackpot will be updated online in real-time for each month’s draw and will continue to grow as more people participate. Full story here.

Virtual program helps older adults in LGBTQ+ community left isolated by pandemic:

A new social media connection is being set up in Sudbury for older adults (55+) who identify with the LGBTQ+ community. The new program is through the Réseau ACCESS Network and is called Virtual 2S-LGBTQ+ Coffee and Chats. It will begin on Thursday, Aug. 6 and will run every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Seniors Program co-ordinator Adrienne Moreau said the program was developed by a community centre in Simcoe County in Southern Ontario to help promote healthy relationships, and increase access to health and social services. “Thanks to funding from the New Horizon Program, Réseau ACCESS Network is excited to bring this program to the Sudbury and Manitoulin area in partnership with the Gilbert Centre in Simcoe County and the AIDS Committee of North Bay and Area,” she said. Participants will be invited to log in to the virtual coffee and chat sessions through any smartphone, tablet or computer equipped with a camera and microphone. The sessions will be held via Zoom. More on this story can be found here.

Sudbury man dies after canoe overturns in Halfway Lake:

On Aug. 2 at 7:10 p.m., officers from the Nipissing West (Sudbury) Detachment of the OPP and Sudbury Emergency Medical Services responded to a report of a possible drowning in Halfway Lake at the Halfway Lake Provincial Park, Antrim Township. Investigation revealed a group of seven people went out on Halfway Lake at approximately 6 p.m. Three men were in one canoe, two men in another canoe and two kayaks had sole occupants. Approximately one hour later, one of the kayaks capsized. At this time, one of the three men in the canoe jumped in the water to assist his friend. As he jumped out, the canoe overturned, sending the other two people into the water. One of the men went under water and was subsequently located by one of his friends in a semi-conscious state. The victim was taken to shore and then transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead. The deceased has been identified as 23-year-old Rishabh Shah from Sudbury. All seven individuals were not wearing a life jacket nor did they have any life jackets or life saving equipment on board. Alcohol was not involved.

Drowning investigation: Little Current man dies on fishing trip:

A 28-year-old Little Current man has been pronounced dead after he went fishing on Pike Lake on Manitoulin Island Saturday. Emergency responders with the Manitoulin OPP and the Sudbury-Manitoulin Emergency Medical Services responded to a report of a possible drowning at 9:15 p.m. Aug. 1. Investigation revealed the man had been observed fishing. A short time later, witnesses saw the boat drifting and subsequently found the man floating. He was not wearing a lifejacket. The individual was transported to hospital by ambulance, where he was pronounced deceased. He has been identified as Bradley Alston, 28, of Little Current. A post mortem examination has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death. The investigation is ongoing under the direction of the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service. Foul play is not suspected. 

Province investing $2 million to support tech to sanitize PPE:

The Ontario government is providing Clean Works Medical and Pure Life Machinery with $2 million from the Ontario Together Fund to help manufacture a one-of-a-kind, sanitizing device called the Clean Flow Healthcare Mini. This Ontario-made device can decontaminate up to 800 N95 masks per hour along with other personal protective equipment. The announcement was made Tuesday by Premier Doug Ford and Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. "This is an incredible success story about an Ontario apple farmer taking technology used to decontaminate produce and converting it into a device that can decontaminate personal protective equipment," said Ford. "By making targeted investments and supporting these homegrown innovative trailblazers, we are not only supporting our economic recovery, we are also making sure we are ready with the necessary PPE and equipment should the need arise in the future." With Ontario's support, the company will scale up the production of its Clean Flow Healthcare Mini portable disinfectant device to nearly triple its current capacity. The device is a Health Canada-approved innovation based on existing technology designed to disinfect fresh produce. The technology uses UV light, hydrogen peroxide and ozone to decontaminate surfaces. The technology can destroy up to 99.99 per cent of pathogens and viruses on surfaces, making them as sterile as an operating room. Full story here.

Teen missing from Sudbury since Aug. 1 believed to be in Southern Ont.:

Greater Sudbury Police are looking for 15-year-old missing girl Brianna Dickson, who was last seen on Montague Avenue at around 8:30 p.m. Aug. 1. Police say she is believed to be in Southern Ontario. The teen is described as 5’3”, 135 pounds, with long black hair and blue eyes. She was wearing black jogging pants, a blue shirt and black and white Air Jordan shoes, and carrying a blue backpack. Anyone with information is asked to contact Greater Sudbury Police at 705-675-9171 or Crime Stoppers at 705-222-TIPS (8477) or www.sudburycrimestoppers.com.

A pastime like no other: Sudbury man scours DNA platforms to help solve family mysteries:

Sudburian Roch Vaillancourt isn’t a private investigator. He isn’t a police detective, trained to follow trails of clues, leave no stone unturned, until he finds his suspect. No, Vaillancourt is an engineer, and it’s a job he said he enjoys very much. It’s his pastime that might take you by surprise, and while he hasn’t caught bad guys wanted for heinous crimes, he has helped reunite a number of people he doesn’t even know with their birth families through online DNA platforms. Many of the people he has helped have been adopted, but he is more than willing to help out others looking to make connections. “This is more for adoptees,” he said. “I want to give them a voice. It turns out a lot of people who test on DNA sites like Ancestry do so because they have mysteries in their family. It's not all people like me, who are just curious and having fun with it.” Find more on this story here.

Wednesday Weather:

Mainly cloudy Wednesday with 30 per cent chance of showers. The sun will poke through the clouds here and there and the high will be 21. Skies clearing in the evening with some cooler temperatures tonight. Overnight low will get down to 10. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.

Current Weather

Mostly Cloudy

Mostly Cloudy

-3.9°C

Pressure
101.5 falling
Visibility
24.1 km
Dewpoint
-7.2 °C
Humidity
78%
Wind
WSW 11 km/h

Radar Satellite


Hourly Forecast

Today
6 AM
-6°C
Cloudy
Today
7 AM
-7°C
Chance of flurries
Today
8 AM
-7°C
Chance of flurries
Today
9 AM
-6°C
Chance of flurries
Today
10 AM
-4°C
Chance of flurries
Today
11 AM
-3°C
Chance of flurries
Today
12 PM
-2°C
Cloudy
Today
1 PM
-1°C
Cloudy
Today
2 PM
0°C
Cloudy
Today
3 PM
0°C
Cloudy
Today
4 PM
1°C
Cloudy
Today
5 PM
1°C
Cloudy

7 Day Forecast

Chance of flurries

Today

1 °C

Cloudy. 30 percent chance of flurries this morning. Wind becoming west 20 km/h late this morning. High plus 1. Wind chill minus 12 this morning. UV index 3 or moderate.


Mainly cloudy

Tonight

-9 °C

Cloudy. Becoming partly cloudy after midnight. Wind up to 15 km/h. Low minus 9. Wind chill minus 13 overnight.


Periods of snow

Saturday

4 °C

Mainly sunny. Increasing cloudiness in the afternoon then 40 percent chance of snow late in the afternoon. Wind up to 15 km/h. High plus 4. Wind chill minus 14 in the morning. UV index 4 or moderate.


Chance of flurries

Saturday night

-6 °C

Cloudy with 40 percent chance of flurries. Low minus 6.


Sunny

Sunday

6 °C

Sunny. High 6.


Clear

Sunday night

-4 °C

Clear. Low minus 4.


Sunny

Monday

9 °C

Sunny. High 9.


Cloudy

Monday night

-3 °C

Cloudy. Low minus 3.


A mix of sun and cloud

Tuesday

4 °C

A mix of sun and cloud. High plus 4.


Chance of flurries or rain showers

Tuesday night

-3 °C

Cloudy periods with 30 percent chance of flurries or rain showers. Low minus 3.


Chance of flurries or rain showers

Wednesday

5 °C

A mix of sun and cloud with 40 percent chance of flurries or rain showers. High plus 5.


Cloudy periods

Wednesday night

-5 °C

Cloudy periods. Low minus 5.


A mix of sun and cloud

Thursday

7 °C

A mix of sun and cloud. High 7.


Yesterday

Low
-4.4 °C
High
1.6 °C
Precipitation
1.2 mm

Normals

Low
-7.1 °C
High
3.2 °C
Average
-2.0 °C

Sunrise and Sunset

Sunrise
7:08 AM
Sunset
7:50 PM

Record Values

Type Year Value
Max 1977 14.7 C
Min 1970 -22.2 C
Rainfall 2009 26.6 mm
Snowfall 1975 8.1 cm
Precipitation 2009 27.2 mm
Snow On Ground 1959 94.0 cm

Based on Environment Canada data