Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
The women who fought for a breast health clinic are now fighting to keep it:
Women fought long and hard to have the Breast Screening and Assessment Service established at Health Sciences North and they are picking up the torch again to make sure that service is not dismantled. HSN senior leaders have announced plans to eliminate the assessment or surgical part of the service to save $270,000 a year as they struggle to reduce an $11-million deficit. Every program, service and treatment in the Sudbury hospital system is being put under a microscope to determine if it can be eliminated, trimmed or its services transferred to an organization in the community. Anne Matte gets that hospital leaders have to make tough decisions to balance the books. But she is blunt about how they are doing it in at least this instance. “Unfortunately they picked the wrong (program),” said Matte, the first registered nurse to work with the hospital’s breast health program, the precursor to the Breast Screening and Assessment Service. Matte explained the assessment or surgical part of the service is where women are referred if screening shows they have breast abnormalities. Sudbury’s three breast surgeons work in a clinic at the BSAS and women are quickly booked for a consultation with them by the service’s nurse navigator. Hospital officials have been clear that the screening part of the program, which costs $1.6 million to run annually, is not being cut and that women will still have mammograms, ultrasounds or other screening tests at the service located on the fifth floor of the Sudbury Outpatient Centre. But breast surgeons, nurses who have worked for the service and women who have been treated there say eliminating on-site surgical consultations is gutting the program, and will result in longer wait times to see a surgeon and poorer health outcomes. More on this story can be found here.
Bigger vows to reduce red tape for business:
Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger says if re-elected Oct. 22, he'll create a new position of facilitator to resolve disputes between developers and city staff. Bigger said the role wouldn't be full-time, and the cost would be shared between businesses and the city. "It's a new initiative that I think will make our city more efficient, make it more developer friendly ... and make us a city where more people will want to invest and build and grow and make a life for themselves," Bigger said Monday. "This is how you save time and eliminate red tape." Speaking at a news conference on Kelly Lake Road, Bigger was eager to push the message that the city's economic growth is strong and, as a result, there are several businesses who want to invest in the city. "There are many eager investors right now, as we speak,” he told reporters. “We're seeing so much investment happening, but there could be much more." Find the full story here.
Election roundup for Sept. 24:
More from the campaign trail on Monday as election day is less than a month away. Mayoral candidate Bill Crumplin says the Ontario government under Premier Doug Ford is turning its back on patients, their families and on nurses. Crumplin defended nursing and nurses by sharing two personal stories about his own experiences with the health-care system. In particular, he highlighted the care his late wife received after contracting a rare, incurable disease that ultimately took her life, and his own treatment for Stage 3 throat cancer. “The nurses who cared for my wife and me were wonderful. They were always professional and concerned. They provided care. They listened. They advocated for us. They shared our pain and worries. And, above all, they gave us needed hope,” Crumplin said. “So, it pains me to see the Ford Government turn its back on patients, their families and nurses in particular," Crumplin said. For the second time in just over a week, ward 9 candidate Paul Stopciati has the downtown Sudbury Ribfest in his crosshairs, questioning its value to downtown businesses. Stopciati says the Downtown Sudbury BIA could be doing more for local businesses during Ribfest. The annual Labour Day weekend event draws tens of thousands of people to the core of the city. Stopciati said in a news release this week that local vendors are barred from participating in the event, but should be getting more support from the Downtown Sudbury organization. “I actually received feedback from outside of Sudbury and learned that many other cities are experiencing similar problems. Why are they not speaking out for Sudbury business?” he said. “I was appalled to find that the BIA was not supportive of my position. They should be doing more to promote the local businesses they are supposed to be representing.” Ward 11 candidate Terry Kett says Premier Doug Ford’s determination to cut the size of Toronto’s city council should concern people in Greater Sudbury. Kett, who represented Ward 11 from 2010-2014 (and Ward 1 from 2003-2006, as well as being mayor of the Town of Walden from 1991-1997), said the Ford government has “declared war” against Ontario’s municipalities. “Make no mistake, this government has declared war against the province’s municipalities. Sudbury is a progressive city with immense potential; it’s only a matter of time until we are in the crosshairs of the current provincial government,” he wrote in a news release. For this reason, Kett argued voters need to consider who to cast their ballot for and ensure they do so for “experienced, strong, determined officials” Ward 7 candidate Frank Mazzuca says the communities surrounding the core of Greater Sudbury feel left out of the decision-making process when it comes to the large projects like the Kingsway Entertainment District. In a news release, Mazzuca said the only interest the City of Greater Sudbury seems to have in communities like Capreol is come tax time. Beyond that, the needs of the outlying communities are not taken into consideration. “Many of us feel left out of the decision-making — it seems the city only includes Capreol and the other formerly independent towns at tax time!” Mazzuca said. “How, exactly, will the people of Garson benefit from a new art gallery? What good will a downtown Sudbury convention centre do for the businesses of Skead? “These big projects are pork barrel politics for the old city, at our expense!” Mayoral candidate Cody Cacciotti says the city could be doing more to make Sudbury Transit more senior-friendly, thereby increasing ridership for the service. In a release sent out on Monday, the candidate from Capreol said with an aging population, the city should be doing all it can to ensure seniors have the ability to get around the city efficiently. Cacciotti also resurrected a campaign promise that other candidates have used in the past: promising to push for free rides for senior citizens on city buses. “As mayor, I would advocate for council to consider free senior transit fares during non-peak hours and a review that ensures routes are indeed senior friendly,” Cacciotti said. “This decision could have several significant benefits to our existing transit program.” One of those benefits would be to increase ridership. “In 2015, a study showed that increasing ridership by 100,000 users would result in an extra $26,000 in funding,” he said. “The returns may be modest, but empty buses running throughout the city are not generating income if no one is riding them.” And finally, mayoral candidate Patricia Mills says now is the time to recapture the momentum the city had when it attracted such developments as the medical school, cancer centre and SNOLab. “These gains brought prestige and recognition to the city,” a release from Mills' campaign said. “But the momentum created by these initiatives seems to have turned into inertia, with no clear plan to move forward with projects that harness the great potential of this community. “People worked hard to get us to where we are today. They created the opportunities for work and play in our community that we cherish today. These are the things that help attract and keep young people here.” Mills was critical of the city’s actions so far to get more dollars from upper levels of government to pay for infrastructure costs. “The city has either raised taxes or cut services,” she's quoted as saying in the release. “But no one is looking at building a bigger pie. By that I mean bringing new revenue sources to the city.” You can stay up to date will election releases from all candidates at Sudbury.com's election page.
Smart cards could soon be in use on city buses:
The city's ongoing overhaul of Greater Sudbury Transit is rolling on with a plan to offer reloadable smart cards to users to replace the swipe passes currently in use. A report headed to city council Sept. 25 says the switch costs $600,000 and will be funded through grants from the federal Public Transit Infrastructure Fund. “Contactless smart card technology is growing in popularity as it delivers improved ease of use, security and reliability versus the traditional magnetic stripe tickets or cards currently used by Greater Sudbury Transit,” the report says. “The use of contactless smart card technology, along with an easy to understand and well balanced fare structure, increases a transit customer’s confidence in the system and provides a convenient payment option. This in turn increases ridership.” Passengers can load up the cards themselves, and then hold them up to a scanner on the bus as they board. Unlike the paper swipes now in use, the cards read quickly and reliably. The system removes the need to provide proof to get rider discounts, the report says, since all the cards look the same. They also reduce the chances of drivers and passengers arguing over the validity of their fare.
New technology will let you feel when an ambulance is coming:
As of last week, not only will you see and hear an ambulance in Greater Sudbury coming, but you'll feel it. That's because the ambulances are now equipped with a new siren that drivers will not only hear but also feel through low frequency sound vibrations emitted by the siren. They're also furnished with blue flashing lights in addition to the current red flashing lights. “We call it the howler, and it allows us to not only be seen and heard, but felt, as well,” said Shawn-Eric Poulin, commander, Paramedic Services. Traditionally only found on police vehicles, on July 1, 2018, the Ontario Highway Traffic Act was amended to allow ambulances and fire vehicles to use blue flashing lights. These measures are designed to get the attention of motorists and improve safety for the general public, patients, paramedics and firefighters. The human eye sees blue more brightly at night and there will be a contrast with the taillights of other vehicles, said Poulin. Full story here.
Numbers looking solid for River Valley platinum group mine project:
New Age Metals' River Valley project could be a historic mine site, according to its developers, so long as investor confidence and the markets remain strong enough to see it become a reality. Investors, First Nations partners, geologists and curious members of the public were invited on Sept. 12 to take a site tour of the proposed open pit mine, located approximately 100 kilometres northeast of Sudbury. Visitors were first taken to a core shack in the town of River Valley, 22 kilometres south of the site, to examine samples, and then brought to the 16,000-acre, 16-kilometre-long site itself, to examine outcroppings and drill hole locations. Company representatives also fielded questions on the history of the region, potential economic benefits and recent developments. The tour was part of the North America Mining Expo, which was being held Sept. 12 and 13 at the Centennial Arena in the Sudbury community of Hanmer. New Age Metals gave two presentations and had an information booth at the expo as well. The tour is an annual event designed to keep the public, government and stakeholders informed of developments, said Harry Barr, chairman and CEO of New Age Metals.
Tuesday Weather:
Foul weather in the Tuesday forecast with showers expected throughout the day. Mainly cloudy with 60 per cent chance of showers and risk of a thunderstorm today. High will get up to 20, feeling like 26 with the humidity. Overcast skies into the evening with some showers and a chance of a thunderstorm overnight. Evening low will be around 14. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
