Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Study looks into whether pandemic is making opioid crisis worse:
As most Canadians are closely watching the increasing number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Canada, a recent provincial report from Public Health Ontario shows that opioid related deaths in Ontario are trending to be 50 per cent higher than the number of opioid deaths last year. Part of the reason might be due to the pandemic itself. When the pandemic was declared on March 17, there was a spike in the number of opioid deaths in the first 15 weeks of the pandemic. There were 695 deaths. This was an increase of 38 per cent over the opioid fatality rate for the 15 weeks immediately prior to March 17, which documented 503 deaths. If the current trends continue, the PHO report said 2,271 opioid-related deaths are expected to occur in Ontario this year, compared to 1,512 deaths in 2019. That would be the increase of 50.19 per cent. Also among the findings in the report is that the pandemic had an impact on the numbers, methods and places where drug users had overdoses resulting in deaths. More on this story here.
South End development causing safety, privacy concerns for some residents:
Frustrations have been mounting for some residents in the neighbourhood around Countryside Arena, as an ongoing development has removed what was once a large plot of greenspace. Dana Campeau has lived at her home on Greenvalley Drive for 15 years, but construction over the past summer to install a drainage ditch and walking path ahead of the development of a new subdivision has left her and her husband, Ian, feeling disgruntled. "We had sent an email out to probably close to 20 city people, between the city, our MPs, the mayor, the people who are supposed to be overseeing this project, and it was a summary of what's gone on from start to finish,” Campeau said. “We sent that out in early November and the only person we heard back from is you guys (Sudbury.com). "In a nutshell, they've pretty much demolished all of the greenspace that is behind our house, adjacent to it all the way up to the bypass and all the way back to Countryside. If you were to drive down our street right now it used to be all greenspace and now you can see straight through,” she said. “If you're coming down the Walmart hill to go to Countryside Arena, you can see our house on Greenvalley Drive — they've taken everything down." In addition to losing a great deal of greenspace near their home, Campeau has expressed concerns over the safety of those who use the nearby gravel walking path that was installed as part of the project. "One night there was an SUV bombing through back here, if there was anyone on the trail in the dark they wouldn't have a hope in hell," said Campeau. "We've had a snowmachine, several ATVs, a motorbike, cars and trucks." Find the full story here.
Chelmsford Home Hardware fined $55K after worker falls through skylight:
The owner of the Home Hardware Building Centre in Chelmsford has been fined $55,000 under the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker who was removing snow from the roof of a shed fell through a skylight in February 2019. North West Lumber Co. Ltd., which operates the Home Hardware in Chelmsford, pleaded guilty in provincial offences court and was fined $55,000 plus a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge for failing as an employer to ensure measures and procedures were carried out in a workplace. The Ministry of Labour reported that on Feb. 27, 2019, a yard supervisor at the Errington Avenue location assembled two employees of NWL for the purpose of removing the accumulated snow load to prevent further structural damage to the building. Throughout the course of the day, one of the three employees stepped on a skylight on the roof of the shed, broke through and fell about 11 feet to the ground below, suffering injuries as a result. More on this story here.
Province investing $115 million to support home care system:
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Wednesday that the province is investing more than $115 million to support more than 800 patients with high, complex care needs. The funding will give these 850 patients access to services in the comfort of their own homes, while expanding virtual care options for patients across Ontario. This funding is part of the province's COVID-19 fall preparedness plan, Keeping Ontarians Safe: Preparing for Future Waves of COVID-19, which will enable the province to respond to future surges and waves of the virus, while preserving hospital capacity. "With today's modern medical advances and technology, and with the help of our dedicated nurses and personal support workers, we are ready to provide quality care for patients in their own homes and in their communities," said Ford. "This kind of care is not only critical to keeping patients safe and healthy during COVID-19, but also part of our government's ongoing commitment to end hallway health care and ensure our hospitals are not overwhelmed." The new High Intensity Supports at Home program helps patients with high care needs transition from a hospital back to their home or community setting with the right supports, also known as alternate level of care (ALC) patients. Watch Wednesday's press conference here.
Hunger Report 2020: Early in the pandemic, area food banks saw big jump in usage:
Most food banks in Ontario experienced a “rapid surge in demand” during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report published by Feed Ontario. One of the Sudbury Food Bank’s agencies reported a 150-per-cent increase in the number of people accessing emergency food support each day, while Manitoulin Family Resources served 1,500 clients during their busiest month — a significant increase from their regular 300 to 330 clients. “COVID-19 has compounded the already extreme challenges that are being faced by low-income Ontarians, and it has really impacted all communities,” said Carolyn Stewart, executive director of Feed Ontario. “Particularly in terms of food bank use, we are concerned about what’s to come in the winter months.” The 2020 Hunger Report released on Monday looked at data from 130 direct member food banks and 1,100 affiliate services that was gathered between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020. It also included a special feature about the impact of COVID-19 on emergency food assistance services from the onset of the pandemic on March 17 to September 2020. About 1 in 8 Ontarians — or 13 per cent of Ontario households — were considered food insecure in 2018, and 537,575 individuals accessed food bank services in the province between 2019 and 2020. More than 3.2 million visits were made to food banks in Ontario during the same period, and 33 per cent of food bank visits were from children. Get the full story here.
Gélinas bill aims to unfetter Ontario’s chief medical officer from politics:
Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas, the opposition health critic, is continuing in her effort to make Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) an independent officer of the legislature. Ontario is the only province where the CMOH is accountable to both the Minister of Health and the Legislative Assembly, said a Gélinas news release. Gélinas introduced Bill 227, a private member’s bill, back on Nov. 4, when the first reading was approved in the legislature. The bill needs three readings and royal assent to pass, and would make Ontario’s CMOH an independent officer of the legislative assembly and, during a public health emergency, would create a select committee of the legislature for managing the emergency. The committee would allow elected officials to hear directly from the CMOH and allow the CMOH to answer questions without interference. Full story can be found here.
Missing person: Police looking for Tyler Pilon, 21:
Greater Sudbury Police are asking for the public's assistance to locate 21-year-old missing person Tyler Pilon. The man was last heard from at 12 p.m. Dec. 1. There is a concern for Pilon's well-being. He is described as 5'8", 120 pounds, with dirty blonde wavy hair and hazel eyes. No clothing descriptors are available. 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.
Thursday Weather:
Mainly cloudy today with 40 per cent chance of flurries. Thursday's high will be zero, feeling like -8 with the wind chill this morning. Mostly cloudy skies into the evening with periods of snow possible. Low will dip to -1 tonight, feeling like -6. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
