Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
NDP MP Charlie Angus joins Sudbury candidate Jamie West to talk party's 'Fair Deal' for First Nations:
Sudbury NDP candidate Jamie West was joined by Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus and Beausoleil First Nation Chief Mary King at Laurentian University on May 17 to discuss the party's Indigenous platform. The NDP's Fair Deal for First Nations is one of the planks of the party's platform, and fittingly Thursday's meeting was held at the Apology Cairn, the site of the first official apology made by the United Church of Canada to First Peoples in 1986. "When (Ontario NDP Leader) Andrea Horwath was here in the winter, I asked if we could meet with some of the volunteers and Indigienous community leaders and learn from them," said West. "We just wanted to talk about their concerns and gather information and I'm very pleased that the information we gathered has become a leg of our northern platform, called the Fair Deal for First Nations." Included in the deal are commitments from the NDP to establish a true government-to-government relationship with Ontario's First Nations, to work with First Nations leaders to sign a co-operative government-to-government accord. There is also plan to guarantee access to clean, safe drinking water and to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Find the full story here.
Sudbury's finest honoured at Police Gala:
Greater Sudbury Police Services celebrated their community partner organizations and community members during their annual police awards gala on May 17. The awards were presented to individuals and organizations who have demonstrated leadership during incidents that required immediate intervention and those who have supported initiatives dedicated to enhancing community safety here in Greater Sudbury. Check out the full list of winners here.
Police seek bikers who fled scenes this week:
Greater Sudbury Police are asking for the public's assistance to locate two drivers — one is a motorcycle driver who fled the scene of an accident and the other the driver of a dirt bike who failed to stop for officers. Although both incidents involve the drivers of two-wheeled vehicles, they are not related, say police. In the first incident, which occurred at around 9:20 p.m. May 12, a motorcycle and a vehicle collided on Second Avenue just north of Donna Drive. A man driving a yellow sport-style motorcycle lost control and collided with a Jeep Renegade that was travelling south on Second Avenue. The driver of the motorcycle did not remain at the scene after the collision, instead fleeing north towards The Kingsway. The man driving the motorcycle is described as being around 35 to 45 years of age. The motorcycle would have damage consistent with being dropped on a roadway and the rider may be experiencing some injuries as a result of the collision. The second incident, which took place at 5:52 p.m. May 16, involved police attempting to pull over a dirt bike on Drummond Street after noticing the vehicle had no licence plate. The dirt bike failed to stop for police and accelerated away at a high rate of speed. The rider turned the bike around, heading east on Lasalle Boulevard, then back onto Drummond Street and made his way to the walking trail off of Grandview Boulevard, where officers lost sight of the vehicle. The bike is described as having a bright yellow body with purple front and rear fenders. The rider was wearing a motocross style helmet with goggles. He had a backpack on and appeared to be wearing camouflage clothing. Anyone with information about either incident is asked to phone the police's traffic management unit at 705-675-9171, ext. 2413.
Seniors' groups holding all-candidates meeting May 22:
The Parkside Older Adult Centre and the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) are teaming up to hold an all-candidates meeting at the Parkside centre May 22 starting at 7 p.m. The event is for candidates in the ridings of both Sudbury and Nickel Belt. CARP – Sudbury President Hugh Kruzel said the meeting is particularly those who have not made up their mind as to who to support. Candidates from both ridings have been invited and will be given the opportunity to present two-minute opening and closing statements and answer questions from those citizens attending.
Gentili: Ontario has a $300B debt that no candidate is really talking about:
Sudbury.com managing editor writes this week about promises of massive new spending and years of budget deficits, while Ontario’s gargantuan debt of more than $300 billion grows larger and larger. "Because of three main parties, only Conservative leader Doug Ford has mentioned Ontario’s massive debt, and he’s only talking about it in vague terms, but at least he seems aware there’s a problem. The same can’t be said for his counterparts," writes Gentili. "This is a problem. This province’s fiscal hole is so big you could drive an aircraft carrier through it, let alone a Mack truck — the debt is estimated to be somewhere between $311 billion and $350 billion (I’ve seen several figures in that range)." Find the full column here.
Kivi Park sets the scene for this year's Miner's Mayhem:
The organizers of the Miner's Mayhem event are jumping on the Kivi Park bandwagon. For the seventh event, taking place June 23, the venue has changed from Adanac Ski Hill to what is fast becoming a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. More than 400 participants are expected to run, dig, crawl and laugh their way through the five- to six-kilometre course, with 18 obstacles to challenge anyone's mettle. “Kivi Park is so new and so popular right now,” said race director Jessica Sheppard-Baxter, during the media launch on Thursday. “There are so many possibilities, and Kivi Park has a lot of potential.” By bringing Miner's Mayhem to a new area of the city, organizers are hoping to draw in new participants, too. In partnership with Adventure365, Miner's Mayhem provides athletes of all levels the opportunity to challenge themselves while having fun. Find out how to register for the event here.
Sudbury's Andrew Hyatt vying for SiriusXM's Top of the Country title:
Taking a bit of time out of planning a hectic summer schedule full of festival performances, Andrew Hyatt is asking Greater Sudbury for its support once again. Hyatt, who is currently signed to 604 Records, distributed by Sony Music Canada, is one of nine semi-finalists in SiriusXM's Top of the Country competition. He's putting up his latest single, "Habit,” against some of the best country music musicians in Canada. It's not just for fun, either. If he wins, he'll get $25,000, as well as being able to play at Canada’s biggest country music festivals, industry mentorship programs, a SOCAN songwriting camp in Nashville, TN, and a SOCAN songwriting camp in Pender Island, BC. The overall winner will play at the Canadian Country Music Awards in some capacity.
Friday Weather:
A beautiful sunny day on tap as we head into the long weekend. Mainly clear skies today with a high of 19. A few clouds this evening with the low dipping to around 7. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
