Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Crime increased in Sudbury in 2017:
With the exception of arson, the number of crimes increased in Greater Sudbury in 2017, rising 18.5 per cent compared to a year earlier. “Crime is going up,” Police Chief Paul Pedersen told members of the police services board Thursday. But Petersen said when you drill down into the numbers, a big part of the increase is due to more people using an online tool to report thefts from cars. Online crime reporting was up more than 50 per cent, and property thefts – which includes thefts from cars -- account for 87.7 per cent of the overall increase in crime last year. Other factors include more efforts to catch online child predators that has yielded arrests, but likely reflects offences that were already happening in previous years. And there was a 300 per cent increase in drugged driving offences – usually involving marijuana – something officers weren't trained to detect in previous years. More on this story here.
Winter road maintenance pushed city slightly over budget in 2017:
Greater Sudbury spent $1.4 million more than budgeted in 2017, out of a total budget of more than $500 million, members of the finance committee were told this week. Reserve funds will be used to make up the shortfall, since it's illegal for municipalities to run a deficit. A number of departments were overbudget, but underexpenditures in other areas kept the final figure at $1.4 million. The main culprit in the budget overruns was the roads department, which spent $2 million more than forecast, mainly in winter road plowing and maintenance. In contrast, a surge in applications for building permits meant that department brought in $1.9 million more in revenue than budgeted.
Nicole Everest to finish time on HSN board as chair:
Nicole Everest will spend her ninth and final year on the Health Sciences North board of directors in the role she has held for the past three years. The board voted unanimously to keep Everest on as chair for a fourth year at their annual general meeting on June 21, after changes to their bylaw a year ago allowed Everest to take on a second term as chair. That decision was made when Dr. Denis Roy sat down at his final AGM as the hospital's president and CEO in 2017, making way for his successor, Dominic Giroux, to take over the role in October 2017. "Our policies and bylaws indicate that the chair can serve a two-year term with an option to renew another two years," said Everest. "Because we had a transition with the CEO and Dominic has not even completed his first year and we have a lot of major projects in play. It was proposed at the governance meeting that I stay on for an additional year for the completion of those major initiatives." Find the full story here.
Bell Park alive with the sights and sounds of National Indigenous Peoples' Day:
The sounds of drums and song echoed around Bell Park as National Indigenous Peoples' Day celebrations kicked off Thursday afternoon. Celebrations opened with the singing of O Canada in Ojibwa, followed by a pow wow and grand entry. Dozens of people dressed in regalia took part in traditional dances as the Black Bull Moose Singers filled the air with rhythmic drum beats. The day featured a full slate of food, music and traditional teachings that kept Bell Park buzzing well into the evening. Live music kicked off at 4:30 p.m. with folk/country musician Lisa Marie Naponse, followed by rising star Niibishens Trudeau. Country musican Matt James took the stage to open up for Elijah and the Backburners. Some local flavour hit the stage at 5:30 p.m. with Jo Po & the Rize performing. R&B soul singer Jace Martin performed for one hour before handing off the spotlight to the evening's headliner, Susan Aglukark. Check out photos from the celebration here.
City has made concrete progress in the last four years: Bigger:
Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger said he and his fellow councillors have delivered the change residents were demanding in the 2014 municipal election. In making his last State of the City address before the October vote, Bigger said he and council were elected to change the way city council operated. “You wanted change and, together with council, we’ve delivered so much change in how the city runs,” he told the crowd at the Caruso Club on Thursday. “We’ve gotten many things done that had been priorities for years. We’ve built relationships and we’ve advocated strongly for our community, making sure that we are and will continue to be at the table with other levels of government.” You can check out Bigger's full address here.
'No excuse' for leaving pets in a hot vehicle, says SPCA:
With summer upon us, the Ontario SPCA is reminding the public about the danger of leaving pets unattended in vehicles. “I left the window down for him” and “I wasn’t going to be gone long” are just a few of the excuses the Ontario SPCA has heard. There is no excuse for leaving a pet unattended in a vehicle, a press release said. The Ontario SPCA has a zero tolerance policy and charges will be laid if animals are found by an Ontario SPCA agent or inspector to be in distress inside a vehicle. The Ontario SPCA is asking the public to share the dangers of leaving pets in vehicles using the hashtag #nohotpets on social media. You can also help make a difference by going online to nohotpets.ca to take the pledge never to leave an animal in a vehicle and to report it if you see it happen. Those who pledge will receive a free No Hot Pets window decal for their vehicles, while supplies last.
Friday Weather:
A sunny and warm day ahead to wrap up the work week. Mainly sunny skies today with the high soaring up to 27. A few clouds expected in the evening with increasing cloudiness overnight. Low will drop down to around 14 with a chance of showers by Saturday morning. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
