Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Vagnini confirms he resigned from Emergency Services committee:
Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini has stepped down from his seat on the city's emergency services committee, stating that he feels his voice has not been heard. The committee's former chair, Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier resigned from his role on March 9 after city council voted to add eight career firefighters at a cost of $1.07 million in order to allow Station 16 in Val Therese to be staffed with four career firefighters on each shift. Vagnini told Sudbury.com that the decision was a tipping point for him as well and that he felt he added no value to the committee at this point in time. "I would come to the table with what I thought were good ideas and nobody implemented or looked at them," said Vagnini. "I realized that I shouldn't be on the board because I really have no value added to it." Vagnini and Montpellier were at the centre of the controversial fire optimization process in 2017 that saw harassment complaints filed against the two councillors on behalf of former GSFS chief Trevor Bain, who was dismissed in October 2017. While Vagnini speaks highly of the city's firefighters, both career and volunteer, he feels that the fire optimization plan that was proposed by Bain is slowly being implemented in bits and pieces. The plan would have harmonized fire response times across the city, but involved reducing the number of volunteer firefighters and hiring dozens more full-time firefighters. "We're seeing optimization not come back all at once with all of the different things that cost $90 million, we're seeing chunks of it coming back," said Vagnini. "When they did the optimization it was public in town hall meetings; today they're taking little chunks. They moved the fire halls over to assets, now the next thing is they're looking at the consolidation of fire halls. It's all pieces, but if you reflect back and look at optimization it's all pieces out of optimization." Get the full story here.
Sudbury Health Unit reporting 19 new cases of COVID-19 for Monday March 29:
Sudbury's health unit is reporting 19 new cases of COVID-19 for March 29. Public Health also said there are now 340 active cases being monitored. Also, since the health unit began tracking COVID-19 cases just over one year ago, there have been 1,397 total COVID-19 cases confirmed locally. PHSD also said 1,057 of those cases have been resolved. Public Health Sudbury also reported on Monday that there were three new COVID-19 related deaths in the district. This brings the local death toll up to 19. PHSD did not reveal whether the deaths were connected to an incident or an outbreak. With respect to where the new cases might have occurred, the Public Health Sudbury and Districts (PHSD) daily update page reported that all 19 of the new cases were found to have occurred within the Greater Sudbury Area. With respect to possible causes of the new cases, PHSD reported 17 of the new cases as close contact of a confirmed case. Eight new cases were associated with an outbreak and five new cases had no known epidemiological link, and six cases were listed as under investigation. On the provincial COVID-19 register Monday, the Ontario government daily website reported 2,094 new confirmed COVID-19 cases across the province.
EcoLife fraud trial: Client paid more than $50,000 in 2018 for job that still hasn't been completed:
Day 10 of the trial for EcoLife Home Improvements owner David Murray got underway on Monday, with yet another witness testimony of a less than satisfactory experience with the contractor. Cheryl Crossman took the virtual witness stand on March 29 via Zoom conference, recounting the months of back and forth with Murray and the frustration of an unfinished home improvement project that set her back more than $50,000. Crossman and her husband were shopping around for a contractor in 2018 to do a large-scale upgrade to the outside of their home, she told the court. The couple were looking to have new siding installed, new windows and doors, along with a new porch at the front of the home that would include a roof and stairs. After receiving quotes from a few different local contractors, the couple landed on EcoLife and signed on with Murray in July. As has been testified by a number of witnesses over the course of the trial, the business dealings began with Murray backdating a contract in order to allow the couple to qualify for the GreenOn energy rebate program that would see them receive a $3,000 rebate. "It made it more enticing for us, hearing that we'll get $3,000 back," Crossman told the court on Monday. "I e-transferred him $3,000 that night (in July) in order to secure us a spot in the GreenOn program." The contract that Crossman signed, however, had been backdated to April 2018. Crossman entered into a second contract with Murray a short time after signing the first contract, this time for a renovation of her kitchen and mud room. According to Crossman, Murray had offered to knock $1,000 off the price of the job if she paid up front. Crossman testified that Murray went with her to the bank so that she could acquire bank drafts. Crossman made payments of roughly $21,000 and $15,000 initially, and another payment of $17,000 late in July of 2018. More on this story here.
SIU clears slain OPP officer in fatal Gore Bay shooting:
The province’s Special Investigations Unit has determined there is no reasonable grounds to believe slain Ontario Provincial Police Const. Marc Hovingh committed a criminal offence when he shot and killed Gary Brohman in self defence on Nov. 19, 2020 during a call for service on Manitoulin Island. “Notwithstanding the fact that (Const.) Hovingh had succumbed to his wounds, the SIU commenced an investigation as the incident included a death at the hands of a police officer,” said the report. “The director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has determined there are no reasonable grounds to believe that (Const.) Hovingh committed a criminal offence in connection with Mr. Brohman’s death.” The SIU interviewed four officers in its investigation, as well as two civilian witnesses and notes from a third civilian witness. Full story can be found here.
Pandemic or no, Sudbury Catholic board welcoming Japanese international students next month:
It may seem like odd timing, but a group of Japanese students will be coming to Greater Sudbury next month to study at local high schools. This is amid the global COVID-19 pandemic and a situation where local coronavirus levels have risen to the point that local elementary and secondary schools have been closed for the past two weeks, with students studying online instead. A company called MLI Homestay International recently sent local media a notice saying it needs Sudbury families to billet international students who will be studying at Sudbury Catholic District School Board high schools for the next year. According to its website dedicated to recruiting international students, the Sudbury Catholic District charges international secondary school students $13,000 in tuition per year. The board says international students pay a standard tuition rate that is regulated by the province. Full story here.
LU Voyageurs women’s hockey team adds 7 new recruits ahead of next season:
Seven new recruits will lace up for the Laurentian Voyageurs women’s hockey team for the 2021-22 season. Stacey Colarossi, head coach of the team, said all seven new players join the program out of the Provincial Women’s Hockey League, the highest level of junior women’s amateur hockey in Ontario. The class begins up front with a trio of forwards donning the blue and gold. Juli Davidson heads to Laurentian by way of the Whitby Jr. Wolves. Joining Davidson up front is Tess McKerrow out of the Barrie Jr. Sharks program. Rounding out the forward group is Abigail Warriner out of the Central York Panthers organization. Moving to the blue-line, Marisa Freeman leads a trio of new additions. Olivia Parkinson joins the Voyageurs alongside her teammate Davidson, coming out of the Whitby Jr. Wolves and Durham West Lightning programs. Jessica Pollard is the final rearguard joining the fold. The Milton, ON native played last season for the Leaside Wildcats in the PWHL before joining the Stoney Creek Sabres U18 AA team this season. Rounding out the incoming class is goaltender Kristen Mrozewski. The 5'2" puck stopper is a local product who rose through the Sudbury Lady Wolves ranks before making the jump to the PWHL this season with the Central York Panthers. Learn more about the incoming Voyageurs athletes here.
Let’s eat! Salty Dog bagels are practically perfection:
More than a roll with a hole, bagels are sometimes chewy, dense and even crispy. They are not bread ... well, not the good ones. There are aficionados who say that they have to be hand-shaped and never steam cooked. Tradition evolves given time and even the size of a bagel has increased significantly over the decades. Is the ideal bagel true to its boiled and baked origins? Would someone from 17th century Kraków, Poland recognize it? Does it matter? Plain, flavoured or sliced and served open faced or as a sandwich the combinations are vast. At most delis, lox (cured salmon) cream cheese, raw onions, tomatoes and capers make this a metropolitan grab-and-go balanced meal. Who hasn’t loved bagels toasted or sporting a coat of poppy of sesame seeds, garlic and onion, garlic, incorporating cheddar cheese, or the popular ‘everything’ bagel. It seems every city has its own version: Chicago, New York, Montreal, London, Halifax and yes, even Sudbury. Read up on Salty Dog Bagels here.
Tuesday Weather:
Mild weather returns today with chances of some rain showers. Mix of sun and cloud today with a 40 per cent chance of showers late in the afternoon. Daytime high will get up to 10 on Tuesday. Showers expected this evening with chances of some snow flurries. Low will drop to -1 overnight. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
