Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
First decision on Kingsway arena/casino appeals still weeks away:
While the goal of the province's Local Planning Appeals Tribunal is to take 30 days to conduct initial reviews of appeals, in the case of the Kingsway Entertainment District, things are likely going to take a little longer. The LPAT received the appeals in the third week of May, seeking to stop the rezoning needed to build a new arena and parking lot. A proposal to amend the city's Official Plan to allow the casino to proceed on the site is also being appealed. The body, set up late last year to replace the Ontario Municipal Board, aims to make decisions sooner and give more weight to decisions by local councils. Unlike the OMB, the LPATs won't start from scratch when hearing a case, but instead will look for mistakes in the planning decision. The goal is to get a decision within 12 months at a maximum. Find more on this story here.
Sudburians invited to weigh in on Kingsway Entertainment District:
Residents are invited to share ideas on the Festival Square public space of the proposed Kingsway Entertainment District at an information drop-in session on June 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. in Centre Court at the New Sudbury Centre. An information booth will also be set up on Thursday, July 5 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Market on York St., across from Bell Park. Comments gathered will provide valuable input from the community to help shape the design and functions of the Kingsway Entertainment District and Arena/Event Centre Festival Square. Residents are invited to share their thoughts and ideas about what features, including programming, they envision for the space. In addition to the in-person sessions, residents can provide their comments online from Monday, June 18, to Friday, July 6 at overtoyou.greatersudbury.ca. For more information on the Kingsway Entertainment District and Arena/Event Centre project, visit www.discoverkingsway.ca.
Can you help a Sudbury toddler fighting leukemia?
Addylin Stacey isn't even two years old yet, but she's already going through the biggest fight of her life. The 19-month-old was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and is currently at Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa (CHEO) undergoing chemotherapy. Mom and dad, Gabrielle Myllymaki and Alex Stacey, first noticed something was amiss June 4 when Addylin started holding her breath. They went to their family doctor on June 7, who scheduled blood work for the next day. After the blood work, their doctor called them, telling them to bring their daughter to the ER, because her red and white blood cells were critically low. On June 17, after a week-long stay in the hospital, Addilyn was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A Go Fund Me account has been set up in Addylin's name to help the family with the financial costs of staying in Ottawa while Addylin fights cancer. The goal is to raise $5,000. To contribute, or for more information, visit www.gofundme.com/help-for-baby-addy.
Renaming Lively road to honour Meagan Duhamel turns out to be a bit complicated:
Honouring an Olympic medallist from Sudbury is turning out to be a bit more complicated than renaming a road in her honour. Meagan Duhamel was feted June 8 at Lively District Secondary School after she won a gold and bronze medal at the Pyeongchang Olympic Games. At the ceremony, Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini announced that the street that she grew up on will be renamed Meagan Duhamel Drive. "It's going to be a bit awkward sending mail now," Duhamel said June 8. "Writing from Meagan Duhamel and sending it to Meagan Duhamel Drive." Formerly Turner Drive, approval to rename the street heads to the planning committee June 25. While a report on the plan endorses the name change, it says it could cause some confusion. “There already exists a Duhamel Drive in the community of Lively,” the report says. “There is a risk that Duhamel Drive could be confused with Meagan Duhamel Drive.” To get around this problem the report recommends that the road be renamed Meagan Duhamel Street. That distinction, along with the fact numbering on Turner Drive currently begins at 455 and ends at 471, and street numbering along Duhamel Drive currently begins at 10 and ends at 92, should help avoid confusion, the report said.
Gentili: The North deserves more than to fight over the scraps:
We don’t yet know exactly what a Doug Ford government will look like, but we — Sudbury, that is — know it likely won’t be as favourable to the Nickel City as were the Liberals, says Sudbury.com managing editor Mark Gentili in his latest column. Gentili says that rivalries and competition between northern communities and ridings isn’t good for any of us and weakens the north as a whole. Check out this week's column here.
Wild in the city: 11 hikes you can take without leaving Sudbury:
Forget long drives and day trips: take a stroll in your neighbourhood green space this summer. One of the best parts about living in Northern Ontario is how easy it is to access the great outdoors. That said, some of the more popular hiking spots in the region (the Laurentian Conservation Area, Killarney…) require a car and/or a full day to enjoy. Fortunately, Sudbury’s sprawl means there are quite a few hidden pockets of nature, even in the most densely populated neighbourhoods. Whether all you have time for is a few minutes of fresh air or an hour-long exploration: there’s probably a green space within walking distance of your house. Sure, you could have a perfectly pleasant walk through many of the city’s neighbourhoods themselves, but sometimes you just need to get away from it all. Check out an interactive map of some of Sudbury's best hiking trails here.
