Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Kingsway Entertainment District appeal dismissed by LPAT:
The Local Planning Appeals Tribunal issued their decision to dismiss all appeals of the Kingsway Entertainment District on Dec. 23. LPAT vice-chair David Lanthier issued the 61-page decision Wednesday afternoon, more than two years after the city approved the KED project. Appeals were filed by Christopher Duncanson-Hales of the Sudbury Business Improvement Area and Sudbury businessman Tom Fortin, whose Superior Court case against the KED was dismissed earlier this year. In its decision, the LPAT stated that the appellants "have failed to meet the onus of establishing inconsistency and non-conformity" and that "the processes and paths by which council achieved consistency with the higher order of the Provincial Policy Statement, and the decisions, have resulted in consistency with the policies of the PPS." The Tribunal ordered that all of the appeals under s. 17(24) and 34(19) of the Planning Act be dismissed. Full details of the decision can be found here.
Mayor and Zulich pleased with LPAT decision to dismiss KED appeals:
The Local Planning Appeals Tribunal issued its decision on the Kingsway Entertainment District on Dec. 23, ruling for all appeals to be dismissed. Greater Sudbury mayor Brian Bigger said that he was pleased with the decision and that it was very much what he expected. "I'm very pleased with the results of the LPAT and of the Superior Court earlier this year," said Bigger. "It's ended up exactly how I felt it would and should end up. In September Superior Court ruled against the appeals and that the approvals for the development were appropriate and today the tribunal dismissed the remaining appeals against the KED. So basically none of the appeals raised against the KED in either Superior Court or the LPAT appeals were valid." The mayor was happy that another hurdle in developing the Kingsway Entertainment District had been cleared, while also lending credit to council's adherence to procedures in making their decisions. "We always do what is appropriate and we have naysayers and people have their various motivations to throw things off track, but I'm really pleased, I know that our partners, the casino and the property owner stand committed to the project," said Bigger. "They continue to invest in the property along with the city and I'm sure that with this new information, it will be brought back to council, it'll be brought back in a public meeting by staff and we'll have the opportunity to discuss the next steps going forward." Get the full story here.
Melissa Sheridan granted bail under ‘extremely restrictive conditions’:
Melissa Sheridan has been granted bail under what Superior Court Justice David Nadeau has called an “extremely restrictive” set of conditions. Sheridan is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her estranged husband, Brant Burke, whose body was discovered on Oct. 25 on a trail in the Point Grondine Reserve off Highway 637, the road that leads to the hamlet of Killarney. Police were responding to what was termed "a sudden death" at the time.
Health unit reports four new cases of COVID-19:
Public Health Sudbury and Districts reported four new cases of COVID-19 on Dec. 23. Four more cases have been resolved, bringing the total active cases to nine. Three of the new cases are in Greater Sudbury, while the fourth case is in Sudbury District. Three of the cases are close contact of a confirmed case, while the fourth is travel related. Provincially, Public Health Ontario reported 2,408 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, which was up from 2,202 new cases reported Tuesday. The province reported 41 deaths in its latest update, 16 of whom were residents of long-term care homes. Three of the deaths reported Wednesday were individuals between 40 and 59 years old, 11 were between 60 and 79 years old, and 27 were over the age of 80.
GSPS crack down on two local businesses for not following COVID-19 rules:
Greater Sudbury Police charged the owner of one local business and ticketed another business owner for failing to comply with the Reopening of Ontario Act. The actions by police were carried out on Dec. 23 in collaboration with City of Greater Sudbury By-law Services, Public Health Sudbury & Districts and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. The owner of a pub on Cedar Street was charged with Fail to Comply and was released on an undertaking with a court date of May 4, 2021, while the manager of a sports bar on Notre Dame Avenue was issued a $750 fine for Fail to Comply. "The decision to charge the owner of the pub rather than issue a fine was based on numerous complaints received by our agencies regarding a complete disregard of the regulations under the Reopening Ontario Act," said GSPS in a news release. Greater Sudbury Police indicated that the owner and staff of the business were educated, spoken to and then warned by various members of the police over the past couple of months. "In collaboration with our partners, we will continue to proactively and reactively inspect businesses in Greater Sudbury in order to ensure COVID-19 safety precautions are in place and that businesses and patrons are following Ontario Regulation 364/20," said GSPS. "We would like to extend our gratitude to the owners and staff of businesses that continue to adapt throughout the pandemic and who are working hard to ensure the health, safety and well-being of our community."
Arenas, pools and more to close during provincial shutdown:
Greater Sudbury will join the rest of Ontario in a provincewide shutdown beginning Saturday, Dec. 26 at 12:01 a.m. The city will be making temporary changes to a number of services and programs, which will remain in place until Saturday, Jan. 9. “While it’s certainly disappointing to learn that we’re going into lockdown after we’ve all worked so hard to limit the local spread of COVID-19, we need to look at the bigger picture,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger. “As we head into the heart of the holiday season, when many people historically travel between cities to visit loved ones, it’s more critical than ever that we all do our part. We still have the ability to successfully work through this pandemic, but it means taking it seriously and making some temporary sacrifices for the greater good – not just for our own community, but for our loved ones across Ontario.” Arenas, ice bookings and all public skating programs will be cancelled during the shutdown, but outdoor activities such as skate paths and neighbourhood rinks will be open, weather permitting. Find out what's closing on Dec. 26, here.
Science North and Dynamic Earth now closed until Jan. 9:
Science North and Dynamic Earth closed as of Wednesday afternoon, with both facilities expected to reopen Jan. 9, after the COVID-19 shutdown is lifted in this part of the province. "As an organization dedicated to science education, Science North is following the recommendations of the provincial government and health officials who have made these difficult decisions to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus," said a news release from Science North and Dynamic Earth. "The health and safety of Science North’s visitors, employees, and volunteers is our top priority." Science North CEO Guy Labine said, “With the recent decision the Ontario government made to temporarily move Northern Ontario into a 14-day lockdown to limit gatherings, we understand and support this decision and will close Science North for this period." During the pandemic, Science North has and continues to engage audiences on their digital platforms, and will continue to do so while providing an online virtual New Year’s Eve segment on Dec. 31 from 3-4 p.m. Find out what virtual events are going on at Science North here.
Thursday Weather:
There's snow in the forecast for Christmas Eve. Periods of rain or flurries to start the day, changing to snow near noon. The temperature will dip below freezing to -4 this afternoon. Mainly cloudy this evening with a 60 per cent chance of snow. Overnight low will drop down to -10, feeling like -19 with the wind chill. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
