Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Sudbury couple swindled by roadside scammer:
Another iteration of roadside scams has made its way to the Greater Sudbury area. One Sudbury couple was scammed on Saturday, April 28 when they thought they were helping a driver in distress on Long Lake Road. A post on a Sudbury woman's Facebook described the incident where she and her husband were driving in the city's South End when they came upon a man in his 30's pulled over on the side of the road. "We stopped and now realize that we were duped into giving this 35ish year old guy $20 for apparently 'gas money.' He was quite convincing and deserves an Academy Award," said the woman's Facebook post. "This act has been going on in Toronto recently and targets the generosity of fellow drivers. Beware and report this type of activity to the local police. Unfortunately we did not." The West Parry Sound Detachment of the OPP is warning motorists to be aware of the potential for roadside scams after a pair of complaints of men flagging down vehicles near the Highway 500 off-ramp to Highway 518 in Parry Sound. The suspects were driving dark vehicles and were requesting gas money in exchange for gold jewellery. The complainants in these cases did not lose any money and notified the OPP. The OPP would like to remind the public that if you or someone you know has been a victim of fraud, please contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or your local police service and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or report online at www.antifraudcentre.ca.
Stopping cellphone use while driving focus of police blitz in May:
Greater Sudbury Police's traffic management unit will be focused on cracking down on distracted driving this month, police said in a news release. The unit addresses specific issues each month through education and enforcement strategies, the release said. “The dangers associated with distracted driving can be fatal and the selfish act of texting or talking on a hand-held cellphone while driving puts everyone at risk on our roadways,” the release said. In Ontario, deaths from collisions caused by distracted driving have doubled since 2000. In 2013, data collected in Ontario on collisions show one person is injured every half hour in a collision caused by distracted driving, and that a driver using a phone is four times more likely to crash than a driver focusing on the road. If convicted of distracted driving, a licensed driver could receive a fine of $400, plus a victim surcharge and court fee, for a total of $490, a maximum fine of up to $1,000 and three demerit points applied to your driver’s record on conviction.
$300M suit: Extendicare one of two long-term care providers facing lawsuit alleging serious neglect:
Proposed class-action lawsuits have been filed against a pair of Ontario-based long-term care providers, claiming the companies were "systemically negligent" toward residents in their care. Statements of claim filed in Ontario Superior Court against Extendicare Inc. and Sienna Senior Living Inc., allege the companies breached their fiduciary and contractual responsibilities to patients. The suits allege patients were left with untreated bed sores and claim one patient's wounds were infested with maggots. Extendicare says in a statement on its website that it does "not believe this lawsuit has merit," and it intends "to demonstrate this through the court process." In a statement emailed to The Canadian Press, Sienna Senior Living says it has received the claim and is "currently reviewing it." The lawsuits seek a total of $300 million in damages from the two companies, including $100 million each in "aggravated and punitive damages." None of the allegations have been proven in court.
May 1 skiier: This is the latest anyone's ever skiied at Windy Lake:
Thanks to the winter weather that stuck around in Greater Sudbury well into spring this year, Richard LeBlanc said he was able to go skiing at the Onaping Falls Nordics Cross-Country Ski Club May 1. As far as LeBlanc knows, that's the latest anyone has ever gone spring skiing at the club, which is partially located in Windy Lake Provincial Park. The latest LeBlanc himself has ever skiied before is April 28. LeBlanc, 73, who's married to the club's current president, Lise LeBlanc, said he's been skiing for more than 45 years, and first went skiing at the Onaping Falls club in the late 70s. He said he's been grooming the club's trails for 25 years, and tries to stretch the ski season as much as he can in both the spring and fall because he loves skiing and he loves winter.
Finlandia is all 'fore' renovating its bathing area for residents:
In Finland, June 23 is a major celebration when Finns mark Midsummer. It's a national holiday there, and is often seen as the beginning of warm summer weather. Closer to home, Finlandia Village will be celebrating that day as well, but festivities will include something a little different. For the first time, Finlandia Village is hosting its Nickel Ball Drop. It's a fundraising campaign to help pay for upgrades to the facility's existing bathing area for residents. Executive Director David Munch called the current bathing area “institutional,” and the idea is to replace the four tubs with more modern-looking and less intimidating tubs. The SISU Nickel Ball Drop takes place June 23 at 1:30 p.m. at Bell Park. People purchase a ticket, and each ticket has a corresponding golf ball marked with a number. On the big day, those golf balls will be dropped from a firetruck's ladder, and the ball that goes in the hole will win $15,000.
Green Party names candidate for Nickel Belt:
The Nickel Belt Green Party of Ontario has named Bill Crumplin, a Laurentian University geography professor, as the party's candidate in the June 7 provincial election. Crumplin will be at the Laughing Buddha on Saturday at noon to meet with Greens from Sudbury and Nickel Belt from noon to 1 p.m. “A professor of geography for 26 years, Bill Crumplin has become very aware of human caused environmental problems,” says a biography released by the Greens. “He is extremely concerned about the negative impacts that our fossil fuel-dependent industrial agricultural system has had on the environment. Crumplin has lived in Northern Ontario since 1994, first in Sault Ste. Marie and in Sudbury since 2003. Find out more about Crumplin here.
Need a (free) prom or grad dress? Sudbury Women's Centre can help:
Whether it's graduation or prom, special occasions for abound for young people this time of year. But those special occasions can be expensive, with formal wear sometimes costing hundreds of dollars. This year, Sudbury Women's Centre is stepping in to help girls find the prom or grad dress of their dreams, and at the right price, too — free. The social service agency invites those looking for a formal dress to make an appointment to try on dresses — about 50 have already been donated. They come in all sizes, and some even have the tags still attached. Sudbury Women's Centre also runs the My Sister's Closet program, which provides used women's and children's clothing. Clothing is free of charge for women's centre clients and $1 per item for those who aren't clients (although, as previously stated, there's no charge for the formal dresses). If you've got a formal dress or other clothing you'd like to donate, Sudbury Women's Centre welcomes donations (gently worn or new, clean, and without stains, rips or holes). Sudbury Women's Centre is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 1-5 p.m. and 6-8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Friday Weather:
Spring showers are expected to return Friday. Mainly cloudy today with periods of rain beginning early this morning. Friday's high will only get up to 11. Showers scattered throughout the day, then clearing in the evening. Friday evening low will be 4. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
