Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Teachers' strikes impact Sudbury students two days this week:
Teachers strikes mean thousands of Sudbury students will be out of school one or two days this week thanks to the ongoing labour strife between teachers' unions and the provincial government. The Elementary Teachers' Association of Ontario (ETFO) is holding one-day, rotating strikes at all boards across the province this week, affecting the Rainbow District School Board Tuesday, Feb. 4. The union is also holding a provincewide strike Thursday, Feb. 6. The Rainbow board has cancelled classes for all elementary students on both Tuesday and Thursday. The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association has also announced its members are holding a provincewide, one-day strike Tuesday, Feb. 4. The Sudbury Catholic District School Board has cancelled all classes that day. Full story can be found here.
CMHA withdraws from Home for Good project on Lourdes Street:
After needing a $2.2 million bailout for phase 1 of a plan to help the city's homeless, the Sudbury/Manitoulin branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association has withdrawn from phase 2 of the project — a five-storey, 38-unit apartment building on Lourdes Street. Ownership of the property on Lourdes was transferred to the CMHA in 2018, as part of the city's contribution to the Home for Good initiative, a $100 million provincial fund to support municipal efforts to combat homelessness announced in 2017. The province has put up $5.7 million for construction of the low-cost apartments, which is aimed at getting homeless people off the street and into dwellings they can afford. Phase 1 of the plan was the $7 million Off the Street Emergency Shelter at 200 Larch St., which opened in November. The low-barrier facility is aimed at those experiencing “chronic homelessness, substance use disorders and mental illness.” But the CMHA experienced severe funding issues with that project, and needed a $2.2 million interest-free loan from the city to complete the work. Days after city council approved the emergency funding last August, the CMHA told the city they didn't have the capacity to complete the Lourdes Street build. Full story here.
Agreement clears the path for Cambrian students to earn degrees at Algoma U:
Cambrian College in Sudbury and Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie have signed five new transfer credit agreements allowing Cambrian graduates to complete a university degree sooner. The five pathway agreements will apply to any Cambrian student who has graduated from any of the respective programs dating back to 2017. “This is a historic day for both schools and especially for students in the region,” says Cambrian president Bill Best, in a press release. “These agreements strengthen the partnership between our two institutions, and it’s the students who benefit by having more options to stay in the north to pursue a university education. These agreements are the ideal combination of higher education, and make students that much more valuable to employers.” More on this story here.
Calling entertainers: Time to apply for the 2020 Peter Schneider Concert Series:
Greater Sudbury is once again issuing a call to local entertainers to submit applications for the 2020 Peter Schneider Concer Series in Bell Park. "For close to 20 years, new and seasoned musicians have delighted crowds from June to August with free concerts in Bell Park every Sunday evening from 7 to 8:15 p.m.," the city said in a release. Performing groups will receive a small honorarium as compensation. The deadline to submit applications is March 31. Application forms are available at GreaterSudbury.ca/ConcertSeries or by phoning 705-674-4455, ext. 2453.
Senate committee urges renewed suspension for Ontario Sen. Lynn Beyak:
Sen. Lynn Beyak should be suspended again without pay, the Senate's ethics committee recommended Friday. Beyak's colleagues ousted her from the upper chamber temporarily last spring after condemning as racist several letters she had posted to her website. The Ontario senator had published letters supporting her view that some Indigenous people had had positive experiences in residential schools, which the Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded caused generations of First Nations, Metis and Inuit children to suffer abuse and alienation. Some of the letters went beyond that, suggesting Indigenous people or their cultures are inferior. Beyak's suspension ended automatically when Parliament was dissolved for the federal election last fall. Attempts to reach Beyak through her lawyer and her Senate office weren't immediately successful Friday. In November, Beyak said she had met all the conditions to return to work.
10 'hiemal' (wintry) words you probably never heard of:
If you live in the north chances are you've wiped out while skiing, snowboarding or skating. Even more seasoned enthusiasts have left depressions of their backside in the snow. But did you know there's a word for those marks we leave behind with our, uh, behinds? Merriam-Webster Dictionary published a list of rare words relating to winter. Check out the list of winter words you've probably never heard before here.
Tuesday Weather:
Cloudy to start the day, becoming a mix of sun and cloud near noon. Tuesday's high will be sitting at -4, feeling like -12 with the wind chill. A few clouds overhead tonight and the temperature is going to drop right off. Overnight low will be -16, feeling like -22. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
