Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Video: Come along on a pothole tour of Greater Sudbury:
2019 has been called one of the worst years for potholes. Sudbury.com new media reporter Heather Green-Oliver decided to film a car's eye-view of the state of some of the main roads in Greater Sudbury. Check out the video here. You can report a pothole sighting by phoning 311 or email a photo of the pothole to [email protected] and make sure to include the pothole's location as well as your name, address and phone number. Visit Sudbury.com as we continue to roll out our pothole-related news over the next few weeks.
Chamber reveals finalists for Bell Business Excellence Awards:
The president of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce said he doesn't envy the judges of the Bell Business Excellence Awards. Michael Macnamara said those judges certainly have their work cut out for them. “We have some great finalists, chosen from many great nominations,” Macnamara said at Ristortante Verdicchio on Thursday for a VIP luncheon with the finalists. “It's absolutely crucial to recognize businesses in Greater Sudbury. We have a habit in this city to sometimes focus on the negative, when there is so much positive around us, and in particular, with recognizing the great entrepreneurs and great businesses we have in our community.” For the past 22 years, the Chamber has hosted the Bell Business Excellence Awards as an opportunity to not only acknowledge the contributions of business owners, but to also learn from them – and about them. From young entrepreneurs operating out of their home to established owners of international companies, the Bell Business Excellence Awards shine a spotlight on the people who form the backbone of the community, said the chamber in a news release. The chamber received 137 nominations for 10 award categories this year. Check out the list of finalists here.
Sudbury man accused of risking cop's life with fentanyl:
On Dec. 20, 2018 officers with the Crime Suppression unit of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service arrested 36-year-old Steven Savard of Sudbury for possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. At the time of the arrest it’s alleged the accused intentionally broke open a bag of fentanyl which was then spread onto the officer’s vest. Subsequent to the arrest, a search of the accused’s vehicle resulted in the seizure of 18 grams of fentanyl. The street value of the fentanyl seized is estimated to be approximately $10,800. Officers also found packaging material, a digital scale, a shotgun and pepper spray. The accused is charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, one count of unauthorized possession of a firearm, one count of knowingly possessing an unauthorized firearm, one count of possession of a firearm contrary to probation order and one count of assaulting an officer. A swab of the powder on the officer’s vest was sent to Health Canada for analysis. The test results came back as a positive for fentanyl. On March 19, 2019 Steven Savard was further charged with two counts of mischief endangering life.
Check your pockets, people! $11M lottery ticket sold in Sudbury:
If you haven't checked your Lotto 6/49 ticket yet, you might want to do that. Like now. Two winning tickets were sold for the $22 million jackpot from the March 20 draw, the OLG reported today. The winning tickets, worth $11 million each, were sold in the Barrie area and the Sudbury area. Also, two ENCORE tickets, worth $100,000 each, were sold in Hamilton and Kitchener. You can check your numbers on the OLG Lottery App or on the Winning Numbers page on OLG.ca, or at your local lotto retailer. The next LOTTO 6/49 draw is on March 23 for an estimated $5 million jackpot. Purchase a ticket at authorized OLG retailers or buy online at PlayOLG.ca until 10:30 p.m. for the draw that evening.
Jaime Lannister (OK, the actor who plays him) is heading North to shoot a movie:
Next month, when the world will be watching the final season of Game of Thrones – one of the most anticipated TV events ever – one of the show's stars will be right here in Greater Sudbury. Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays the very complicated character Jaime Lannister on the fantasy series, is coming North in April to film The Silencing. Based on a screenplay by U.S. writer Micah Ranum, The Silencing tells the story of a reformed hunter (Coster-Waldau) who now runs a wildlife sanctuary. He's enlisted by a local sheriff to help track down a vicious killer who may have kidnapped his daughter several years ago. Ranum's script, then called A Good Hunter, won him a $30,000 prize from the Don and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the people who run the Oscars). Susannah Grant, a 1992 winner, earned an Oscar nomination in 2000 for her film Erin Brockovich. The film was supposed to be shot in Europe, but a location change last month moved the production to Sudbury. More on this story here.
Yvan gets a makeover: CNIB unveils upgraded eye van:
It’s a quiet Northern Ontario success story that doesn’t see a lot of accolades, but it goes a long way to helping people see well. The CNIB’s Medical Mobile Care Unit has been upgraded and will be soon be hitting the highways to bring ophthalmology services to thousands of people in small communities across the North. The newly upgraded CNIB Eye Van was on display at its home base in Sudbury this week. The eye van will be touring communities through Northeastern Ontario. The van is due to arrive in Englehart on Monday. The $685,000 program is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, along with assistance from community volunteers and service clubs across the North. As the mobile clinic tours through the North, the CNIB has partnered with a group of 25 ophthalmologists to work in the van at various times, along with two dedicated nurses. Full story here.
Friday Weather:
Mainly cloudy to start the day with a 60 per cent chance of flurries in the morning. Clearing up in the afternoon with the high sitting at -2, feeling like -12. Clear skies overnight with the low dropping to -14, feeling like -23 with the wind chill. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.