Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Suspect sought after early morning armed robbery in New Sudbury:
Greater Sudbury Police are on the hunt for an armed robbery suspect who allegedly pulled a gun on the clerk of a New Sudbury Esso station this morning. GSPS spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn said the call came in around 5:15 a.m. today from the Esso at the corner of Notre Dame Avenue and Lasalle Boulevard. “Around 5:15, we received a call regarding a robbery after a man entered the gas station, displayed what was believed to be a hand gun and demanded cash,” Dunn told Sudbury.com this morning. She said the man had fled on foot before police reached the scene. He is described as being of medium build and wearing a black hoodie and dark jeans. The K9 unit was brought in to try to track the man down, but he was not located. There is surveillance footage of the incident, which police are reviewing. Anyone with information is asked to phone Greater Sudbury Police at 705-675-9171.
Some northern police services think they have a better way of responding to mental health crises:
Police agencies in several parts of Northern Ontario are forming partnerships with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) to have specially trained crisis workers respond to emergency calls. One example is the creation of the joint mobile crisis response team in Thunder Bay, where mental health workers respond daily to crisis calls to assist the Thunder Bay Police Service "This is successful, this is highly successful," said Jennifer Hyslop, the CEO of CMHA in Thunder Bay. She explained that the program in her city was developed in 2019 after working with police inspector (now chief) Sylvie Hauth to create a new way for responding to emergency calls where people were in crisis. "She and I did a number of proposals, researched best practices and put a proposal into the Northwest LHIN to fund a pilot project," said Hyslop. "We called it the joint mobile crisis response project. We were eventually granted some funding in 2019," Hyslop explained. She added that a model was developed to include the police, CMHA and the Emergency Department at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. The program was launched in June 2019. Get the full story here.
Virtual tours to murder mysteries: Seven COVID-safe ways to have fun this Halloween:
At the moment, Halloween is still a go in Greater Sudbury. But if you’ve decided not to partake in the traditional festivities this year, Sudbury.com has come up with a list of ways you can still have fun this Halloween without leaving the house. Sudbury.com has compiled a list of seven COVID-safe ways to enjoy the spookiest night of the year - from virtual murder mysteries, to a spookfest at the drive-in, to a virtual tour of Transylvania. Check out our list and plan out your Halloween here.
Safe Ride Home Sudbury suspends 2020 campaign due to pandemic:
Safe Ride Home Sudbury won’t be happening this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the past 21 years, the service has ensured thousands of Sudburians and their vehicles received a safe ride home to prevent impaired driving. “With deep regret, we have decided to suspend our service for the 2020 holiday season,” said Lesli Green, president and founder of Safe Ride Home Sudbury. “The safety of our volunteers and clients is paramount during the current pandemic.” Green said the organization’s mission is greater than the driving service volunteers provide, and an important component of Safe Ride Home Sudbury has always been educating and promoting awareness about the prevention of impaired driving. “Because the impaired driving issue is as important as ever, we will continue our community education initiatives,” Green said in a press release. “With the support of our community partners, we will deliver our important message throughout the 2020 holiday season.” The message is really quite simple, Green said: Plan for a designated driver, call someone you know or take public transportation. Whatever it takes, don’t drive impaired.
YMCA launches new programs to benefit girls and seniors:
The Sudbury YMCA is launching two new programs that will benefit girls and seniors. These two programs are called Amazing Me and the Digital Inclusion, Social Connections and Opportunities Hub (DISCO). Amazing Me is a program designed to empower girls to participate in sport in a healthy and positive way. The curriculum has a focus on confidence, positive self-esteem, healthy participation, coaching and more. The program will be taught in person with physical distancing. The program begins Oct. 29 and costs $10 for members, $25 for public. Find out more about these programs here.
Announcement on OHL return expected on Thursday:
The Ontario Hockey League is expected to make an announcement on Thursday morning regarding the 2020-21 regular season. The speculation is that the league will announce a start date of Feb. 4, 2021 for regular season action with training camps beginning on Jan. 25. OHL general managers met virtually on Wednesday morning where the start date was discussed and details regarding the regular season and playoff structure were discussed. The OHL had initially announced a plan to begin regular season play on Dec. 1 with training camps opening on Nov. 15. A rise in COVID-19 cases in the province and the continued closure of the Canadian border with the United States, which will remain closed until at least Nov. 21, looks to have forced the league to push back the OHL start date well into the new year. Get the full story here.
Helpers: When it comes to helping, put your passion to good use, volunteer says:
In life, it’s important to do what you love. For Denise Hyde, that’s volunteering with senior citizens. Retired from a rewarding career as a public health nurse, she now has more time to dedicate to her community work. The third of four children born to Yvon (Rolly) and Irene Michaud, Hyde grew up in Val Caron. In order to send her and her siblings to university, Hyde’s father launched a secondary career in the entertainment business. His company, DJ Dancing, was well-known around the Sudbury area for several years. He did very well, earning enough to cover the cost of his kids’ post-secondary education. Hyde and her husband, Shayne, met when she was a student at Laurentian University and he was a technician working in their engineering lab. After his retirement, Shayne did contract work for a local business that conducts non-destructive testing of metals, and he worked with manufacturing companies to test their mine ropes. Hyde’s career, on the other hand, was devoted entirely to health care. The latest in Sudbury.com's Helpers series can be found here.
Thursday Weather:
Mainly sunny today with some cool temperatures settling in. Thursday's high won't break the freezing mark, sitting at -2. It's going to feel like -12 with the wind chill today. Clear skies into the evening with the temperatures dropping to -12. Feeling like -18 with the wind chill overnight. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
