Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Will the vaccine end COVID-19? Northern experts debate the question:
An intense discussion on the value of COVID-19 vaccines took place in Sudbury on Wednesday morning, right around the same time that the federal government through Health Canada was giving formal approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Despite that, the speakers indicated that the pandemic is not over. The webinar event was part of the continuing series; Let's Talk About COVID-19 jointly sponsored by Laurentian University and Science North. The speakers included Dr. Alain Simard, medical sciences associate professor at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Dr. Farukh Jebeen, Laurentian University Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Amy Henson, staff scientist at Science North. As discussion began, Henson asked Simard to explain what happens when a vaccine is administered. "In order to understand how a vaccine works, we have to understand how our immune system works. So typically if our body gets infected by a virus for example, that virus enters our body and our immune cells need to be trained to recognize it," said Simard. "So the first time they recognize it, the immune response is going to be somewhat weak. It's going to be a bit slow because the cells need to multiply to get rid of that virus. So essentially that's what a vaccine does," Simard said. He said a vaccine is usually a dead version of the virus or parts of a virus with some of the protein in it. He said it is just enough to send a signal to the immune cells to essentially say, “this is something to attack and remove from the body.” et the full story here.
‘Not good enough’: Ford gov’t increasing LTC care standards, but not until 2024-25:
Despite the Ford government’s recent attempts to increase standards of care in Ontario’s long-term care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, a co-chair of Pioneer Manor’s Family Council said that while it’s nice, it’s too little too late. “The announcement about increasing personal care to four hours per day is great,” said Terry Martyn, who also sits on Ontario’s Northeast Family Council Network. ”But it’s all of the other details around it that make absolutely no sense. “Nothing will come into effect for another four to five years. That’s not good enough. Residents need more care right now.” On Nov. 2, Ford announced that the provincial government would provide additional funding in the 2020 budget to increase average daily direct care from 2.75 to four hours per resident by 2024-25 in a move that was met with both praise and criticism. “This is a bold step on a big issue,” said Lisa Levin, CEO of AdvantAge Ontario, a non-profit association that represents more than 36,000 long-term care residents and more than 8,000 seniors in housing units across the province. “Almost without exception, any report or study looking at the challenges in providing safe, quality care to seniors living in long-term care has pointed to the need for more staff. There is absolutely nothing that could have a more direct and positive impact on the quality and enjoyment of life for residents than more staff.” The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC), which has been advocating for increased standards of care for more than 20 years, would like to see something more substantial. More on this story here.
Video: Watch the iconic No. 9 headframe at Stobie Mine come down:
Built in 1966, the Stobie Mine headframe stood tall for the final time today, before demolition crews flipped the switch and the structure came Thursday. “The activity was carefully planned by a team of blasting and demolition experts and safely executed as planned,” Vale spokesperson Danica Pagnutti said Thursday. Standing 95 metres tall and made of concrete, the headframe over the No. 9 shaft at Stobie had to be blasted down, Vale said, instead of dismantled. “This activity follows careful demolition of several buildings at the site earlier this year including the sand and crusher plants, the mill and the conveyor trestle,” Pagnutti said. Stobie Mine was placed on care and maintenance in 2017. The company said the demolition of the mine site structures will “reduce maintenance costs and pave the way for potential new development currently being studied.” Watch the video of the headframe coming down here.
Greater Sudbury resident accused of threatening, strangling spouse:
A 48-year-old from Nickel Centre (an area that is part of Greater Sudbury) was charged Dec. 7 in relation to domestic dispute incidents that occurred between August and September in Espanola. The complaint was made to Greater Sudbury Police Service, but the OPP responded to the incident, and both police services were involved in the investigation. The suspect is facing the following charges: Uttering Threats - Cause Death or Bodily Harm - Spousal, Assault - Spousal (three counts), Assault Cause Bodily Harm - Choke, Suffocate or Strangle, and Mischief - Domestic. The accused has been remanded into custody pending a bail hearing, and is scheduled to appear in Sudbury court at a later date. The OPP say they have not released the name of the accused to protect the identity of the victim.
Callam Senyk-O’Flanagan’s next court date in child porn case is Jan. 13:
New disclosure provided by the Crown that needs to be reviewed means the child pornography case against a former reporter in Greater Sudbury has been adjourned until the New Year. Callam Senyk-O’Flanagan (also known as Callam Rodya) has yet to enter any plea before the court. The matter will return Jan. 13, when it is expected some form of date will be set. The accused is charged with possession of child pornography, accessing child pornography, making available child pornography and one count of possession of a Schedule 1 substance (cocaine). He has been out on bail since February 2019 and is living in Guelph. Senyk-O’Flanagan was a former reporter at Sudbury.com and was a reporter with CTV in Sudbury at the time he was arrested and charged. He has been suspended from his duties.
EcoLife owner to pay $3,200 in restitution for theft, trafficking stolen property matter:
The Ontario Court of Justice is giving EcoLife owner David Murray some time to come up with $3,200 he must pay in restitution after he was charged with theft under $5,000 and trafficking stolen property. The court heard on Wednesday this matter has been resolved pending Murray’s ability to come up with the money. He has yet to be able to do so, and the matter will return to court Jan. 13 for an update. The fact the matter has been resolved was news to David Biesel. It was Biesel’s tools that were allegedly stolen and then pawned in North Bay by Murray in December 2018. Murray was charged in April 2019. “It’s about time,” Biesel said, after learning about the resolution from Sudbury.com. “He owes me thousands. I just want this to be done and dealt with, so I can move on. Meanwhile, a confirmation hearing will take place Dec. 15 for the rest of Murray’s matters before the courts. Murray is facing more than 30 counts of fraud over $5,000.
According to new modelling, Ontario could hit 5,000 new COVID-19 cases by January:
Ontario health officials have released new modelling numbers for the COVID-19 pandemic. While the growth in cases has slowed since earlier in November when the modelling suggested that we could be at 3,500 to 6,500 daily cases by this point, it has not yet plateaued. Officials say COVID-19's reproduction number is fluctuating around one, which means that Ontario is at a "critical juncture" where case rates may change quickly, however, infection rates will vary greatly between and within public health units. Currently, infection rates in Ontario are growing at 2.47 per cent, as reported over the last two weeks. Modelling suggests if infections grow at a rate of three per cent over the next month, the province could end up with roughly 5,000 daily cases and nearly 400 people in the ICU by Jan. 8. The worst-case scenario, based on the five-per-cent growth rate that Ontario saw briefly in November prior to reinstating lockdowns in Toronto and Peel, points to nearly 10,000 daily cases by early January. More on this story here.
Friday Weather:
Mostly cloudy Friday with a 60 per cent chance of rain showers or flurries. Fog patches dissipating in the morning. Another mild December day on tap with the high sitting at around 2. Snow is expected in the evening. Overnight low will get down to -7. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
