Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Nominations for local elections open May 1:
Ontario's busy election year is heating up, with candidates for local elections able to file nomination papers beginning May 1. A news release from the city Monday said candidates for mayor, ward councillor, and school board trustee can file to run beginning May 1, and have until July 27 at 2 p.m. to file. Application forms can be found online at www.greatersudbury.ca/elections. As long as candidates meet requirements set out in the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, anyone who wants to run must first file a nomination paper and submit a form with at least 25 signatures from voters who endorse the candidate. “Individuals who endorse candidates will be required to sign a declaration stating that they meet voter eligibility requirements on the day the endorsement is signed,” the release said. “Nomination papers and endorsement of nomination forms must be filed along with prescribed fee with the city clerk. Find out more about qualifications that must be met by candidates here.
Doug Ford back in Sudbury this week:
Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford will be in Sudbury this week, stopping at College Boreal's gymnasium for a rally. Ford will be in town Thursday, two days after Sudbury candidate Troy Crowder opens his campaign office. On his Facebook page, Crowder urged Sudburians to come out to meet the leader. “Come on down and let's show the media and the other parties that this town is turning PC on June 7!” the post said. Ford, 53, a former Toronto city councillor, was also in Sudbury last month for a rally at Cambrian College. He made his first trip here in February when he was running for the leadership, which he won in March.
Sudbury had three reported hate crimes in three years: What were they?
Last week, Sudbury.com reported on hate crime statistics released by Statistics Canada. The report found between 2014 and 2016 only three hate crimes were reported in Greater Sudbury, compared to the 53 that were reported in Thunder Bay during that same period. The report, however, didn’t provide any details on the three hate crimes reported in Sudbury. In order for a crime investigation to proceed as a hate crime, special consent must be given by the Ontario attorney general’s office. The first reported incident occurred Feb. 3, 2015, when GSPS received a called that a man was distributing material that advocated hatred against the LGBT community. Investigation revealed that a 67-year old man had been distributing homemade pamphlets and DVDs at various locations in Greater Sudbury that did a bit more than promote hate towards LGBTQ people. The second incident occurred July, 22, 2016. Local police were called to an alleged assault on Dryden Road East, off Hill Street in Wahnapitae. A 23-year-old man of Afro-Caribbean descent, according to police, was working when he was approached by a 41-year-old man. For a reason that is unclear in the information provided by police, the older man began making derogatory racial slurs against the younger man. And finally, the third incident occurred on Sept. 6, 2016. Police were called to a business on Second Avenue regarding some material (decals or stickers) being sold by the store the caller felt was racist. Officers went to the business and found the decal in question, which police said was anti-Muslim and could be interpreted as promoting hatred against the religion or its believers.
Chelmsford's Maya Brunet takes Miss North Ontario crown:
The Sheridan Auditorium of Sudbury Secondary was packed for the 2018 Miss North Ontario Regional Canada Pageant on Saturday, April 28. Volunteer work and community service, scholastic, public speaking, interview, and personal presence were the determining factors that led to Maya Brunet of Chelmsford being crowned as Miss North Ontario Regional Canada 2018. Brunet was awarded more than $10,000 in cash and prizes for her accomplishment and will now move on to the Miss Teenage Canada Pageant in Toronto this summer. The title of Miss Teenage Canada in 2017 was won by the Miss North Ontario Regional Canada 2017 from Chapleau, Emma Morrison. Participants raised awareness by hosting a fundraiser in their community of representation as well as the Miss North Ontario Regional Canada Pageant. Their efforts culminated in a donation of $15,000 to NOFCC (Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer) bringing their total donations since 2006 to $262,000.
There’s a watch on South Bay ice pack as Chi-Cheemaun’s season draws near:
The Chi-Cheemaun’s first official sail of the 2018 season is scheduled for Friday, May 4 — just days away — but the Owen Sound Transportation Company (OSTC), the ferry’s parent company, is keeping a close eye on the remaining ice in Lake Huron. “The Environment Canada ice chart shows fast ice up inside South Bay, but our dock cameras show it clear at the South Baymouth dock and at the entrance from the lake,” said OSTC President and CEO Susan Schrempf in an email to The Expositor recently. (‘Fast ice’ refers to ice that remains fastened to the shoreline.) “If the ice north of us is broken up and the wind shifts from southwest to north, the ice will blow down to the dock and entrance, and that will be a problem. We cannot operate the Chi-Cheemaun in ice, broken or otherwise.” Ms. Schrempf did go on to note that “much change can happen in two weeks, and no one is able to predict it with any accuracy. “Best case scenario for the ferry is for the ice to deteriorate in the north end of South Bay without being broken up by an ice breaker.”
Have a slice of cake May 1 and help Salute on Elm celebrate its 1st birthday:
Sudbury's Salute Coffee Company is celebrating the first birthday of its Elm Street location on May 1 and it's inviting you over for a slice of cake. The brainchild of entrepreneur Tania Renelli, Salute first opened in the South End three years ago, expanding to downtown (at 73 Elm St.) in 2017. "We do our best as an organization to support other local businesses by purchasing our ingredients from local farms and other small organizations," Renelli said of Salute's made-from-scratch food offerings. "When you buy something at Salute, you are absolutely supporting the local economy, and you’re getting a quality product. We owe our success to our loyal customers and we want you to celebrate with us by coming by for a slice of cake." If you want to help Salute celebrate (and if you want a slice of cake), show up for 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 1 at the Elm Street location.
Cancer Centre Walk/Run/Bike for Hope takes place at Kivi Park May 27:
The Northern Cancer Foundation's fourth annual Cancer Centre Walk/Run/Bike for Hope takes place at Kivi Park May 27. Registration takes place at 10 a.m., with the Walk/Run/Bike starting at 11 a.m. The 2018 Cancer Centre Walk/Run/Bike for Hope is the third of six events in MOVE – The Kivi Park Fitness Series. The event will offer four different distances — one, three, five and 10 kilometres, with all routes running through scenic trails at Kivi Park. Registration fee is $35, which includes a t-shirt and lunch. Participants are encouraged to raise funds by collecting pledges and participants who raise $100 or more will have their registration fee waived. Children ages 12 and under can take part in the one kilometre race for free. Registration will be open at the event for any last-minute participants. One hundred per cent of the money raised will support the Northeast Cancer Centre.
Tuesday Weather:
Mainly sunny again today with a few clouds in the morning. Tuesday's high will be 17. Increasing cloudiness this evening with a 60 per cent chance of showers. Evening low will be around 11. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
