Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Two overdose-related deaths in the past 72 hours: What does a safe space for drug users look like?
A group of Sudburians got a first look at a service that could help stem the tide of the overdose crisis in the city. Réseau Access Network held a launch event in conjunction with the National Day of Action on the Overdose Crisis on April 16, and set up a mock consumption and treatment services (CTS) facility inside their office at 111 Larch Street. The acronym CTS is new to the vernacular and is in essence a safe consumption site for drug users. At present, Sudbury is without such a site, and Thunder Bay is the home to the only CTS in Northern Ontario. Here in Sudbury, between 2016 and present day, there have been between 90 and 100 people who have died by overdose. In the past week the city has seen a spike, and Réseau community outreach co-ordinator Lisa Toner says that there have been two deaths associated with opioid use in Sudbury in just the last 72 hours. Full story here.
Police confirm identity, but not cause of death, of body found in Junction Creek:
Greater Sudbury Police have confirmed what his family already knew: the body that was pulled from the waters of Junction Creek on April 11 was, in fact, that of Branden Bodson-Gratton. The 25-year-old Sudbury man had been missing since Dec. 3. Police said they used fingerprints to confirm Bodson-Gratton's identity. A post-mortem exam conducted April 15 found there had been no trauma to the body prior to it entering the creek, leading police to the conclusion that there is no indication of foul play in the young man's death. However, police also said the cause of death has yet to be determined "as there are additional tests that are required."
City may boost snow removal spending as deficit balloons into the millions:
Despite boosting the snow removal budget this by $1 million, to $18.5 million, snow removal is already running $2.9 million higher than that amount, following a record-breaking winter season that saw 396 centimetres of snow fall. And years of tough winters have drained a reserve fund used to top-up the snow removal budget. Ward 5 Coun. Bob Kirwan told members of the community services committee Monday that he's concerned the defeicit will snowball and the city will never get ahead, suggesting the city look at adding more snow removal capacity to ensure that residents are getting the service they need. As a first step, the committee approved a report on size and condition of the current snow removal fleet. More on this story can be found here.
Greater Sudbury Utilities prompting customers to go paperless:
Greater Sudbury Utilities has again launched its “Waste Less – Do More” campaign to encourage GSU customers to switch to paperless billing. With each move to paperless from now until May 31, GSU will donate $10 to NEO Kids Foundation. As an added incentive, customers who make the switch will also be entered into a draw to win 1 of 5 Fitbit Charge 3 fitness trackers. “This is a great way to reduce waste while supporting a very worthy local initiative,” said GSU Board Chair Mark Signoretti. Find out how you can switch to paperless billing here.
McIntyre Powder activist calls for overhaul of WSIB:
An advocate for workers’ rights is calling on the province to establish an independent body to adjudicate fair and efficient evaluations on claims associated with work-related illness. Janice Martell of Sudbury believes the current compensation system, overseen by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), is ineffective and should be entirely overhauled. Saying the WSIB is “failing miserably with respect to occupational diseases," Martell said she believes is the organization’s emphasis is on mitigating risk and controlling its public image, rather than focusing on robust policy reviews and scientific research. Martell maintains that an independent body is needed to manage the claims process, led by a scientific team.
The Pothole Reporter: See a hole, report a hole with Sudbury.com:
Pothole season is here and Sudbury.com has partnered with Fuel Media to create an easy and convenient way for you to report potholes to the City of Greater Sudbury, right from your cellphone. You can find the Pothole Reporter by visiting Pothole.Sudbury.com. There you can upload photos and descriptions of the pothole you found, and the app will produce a report that you can send along to Tom Davies Square. Let's help the city not miss any potholes this year. Check with Sudbury.com every week day to find out what our Pothole Crew is up to. Drive safely out there.
Wednesday Weather:
More spring-type weather for Wednesday. Mostly sunny today with a daytime high hitting 10. Some increasing cloudiness this evening with rain beginning near midnight. Overnight low expected to be around 2. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
