Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Bigger focuses on downtown in inaugural speech
Developing downtown was a major theme of Mayor Brian Bigger's inaugural address Tuesday, as he and the rest of city council were sworn in for another four-year term. While touting the need for more police downtown, particularly at the Rainbow Centre, Bigger pointed to $160 million in investments ongoing or planned in the city's core, which includes the Place des Arts and a new library, art gallery and convention centre. He made a veiled reference to the Downtown BIA's involvement in a legal fight aimed at stopping the Kingsway Entertainment District, which includes a new casino and moving the arena from downtown the new site. “We need a new direction for our downtown and those who advocate for businesses there,” Bigger said in his speech. “The BIA owners and members I’m speaking with tell me they want to see community and business improvement ideas and initiatives, not political action and pettiness that is divisive, counterproductive and has done so much damage to our downtown and our community.”
Overwhelming support: Do Sudburians want a cannabis shop? Yes, yes they do:
An online survey conducted by Greater Sudbury found slightly more than 90 per cent of respondents wanted cannabis stores to be allowed in the city, rather than online sales only. The Progressive Conservative government announced shortly after its June election win that the private sector will handle marijuana sales in Ontario, rather than going through the cannabis version of the LCBO. Because of tight timeframes, when legalization became law in October, Ontario went with an online model only, with an eye on allowing private stores to open in April 2019 to serve the public. Municipalities were given a choice whether to opt in to the new private model, or restrict local sales online. A decision for Sudbury is expected at city council's Dec. 11 meeting, with a January deadline from the province looming. The private stores will be regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which will establish processes for the stores to open and operate in cities where they are permitted.
New routes, times for Sudbury transit to be unveiled in February:
The public should get its first look at a major revision of Greater Sudbury Transit in February, included revised routes and the location of new bus stops, says a report headed to city council next week. The ideal time to implement the changes are in the fall, the report says, when students return to school and new travel patterns are set in the city, giving Transit its best chance “to capture the largest possible share in ridership growth,” the report said. The $1.24 million study includes $290,000 for the Greater Sudbury Transit Action Plan study; $20,000 to buy and and install bike racks; $200,000 for wayfinding tools based on the new network service and route structure; $600,000 to buy and install contactless smart card technology; and, $130,000 for the project manager's position. This is the first time a complete overhaul of the city's bus service has been complete since amalgamation 18 years ago. Not only has ridership been flat or declining in recent years, users have long complained about the lack of service to communities outside the old City of Sudbury, and the reduction in service on weekends and holidays. In addition to route changes, security hours have been doubled at the downtown transit station, and the area has been redesigned with security features in mind.
Arrest made in connection to string of robberies in New Sudbury:
Greater Sudbury Police Services arrested and charged a 26-year-old man on Nov. 30 in connection with three robberies in New Sudbury. Over a two week period, it is believed that three convenience store robberies in New Sudbury were committed by a 26-year old man from Greater Sudbury. On Sunday, Oct. 28, a man with a mask covering his entire face entered a convenience store on Lasalle Boulevard. He approached the employee, displayed a knife and demanded money. The employee complied and gave the man an undisclosed amount of cash. At 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 13, a man wearing a gorilla mask entered a confectionary on Madison Avenue, jumped over the counter while displaying a knife and demanded that the employee give him cash and cigarettes. The man made off with an undetermined amount of cash and a number of cigarette cartons valued at more than $1,300. The man fled the area on foot. Shortly after 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24, a man wearing a bandana and sunglasses to conceal his face entered the same store on Madison Avenue, jumped the counter and once again demanded money and cigarettes. This time the man left with more than $1,400 in cigarettes and some cash. The man fled the store on foot and was later seen getting on a bicycle. Through ongoing investigations into each of these incidents by detectives in the GSPS Break Enter and Robbery (B.E.A.R.) Unit, it was determined that the same man was believed to be responsible for all three of the robberies. Just before 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 30, 26-year old Alain Paradis was seen riding a bicycle on King Street where he was arrested by members of the BEAR Unit. He has been charged with three counts of robbery, three counts of disguise with intent, two counts of possession of a schedule I substance, and fail to comply with recognizance of bail.
500 Sudbury students KNOW MORE about opioids this week: Is your child one of them?
Hundreds of youth in Greater Sudbury increased their awareness of the risks associated with opioid use this week. On Dec. 3 and 4, approximately 500 students from across all four school boards participated in Health Canada's KNOW MORE Awareness Tour at Collège Boréal. The KNOW MORE Awareness Tour educates young Canadians between the ages of 13 to 18 about the harms of opioid use through interactive stations. In Sudbury, nurses, police and teachers answered questions and engaged in meaningful conversations about risks and resources associated with what has become a crisis in many cities. According to Public Health Sudbury and Districts, opioids are among the most commonly misused and life threatening substances for Ontario youth. While many teenagers know that opioids are harmful, they may not know what to do if they become exposed or what to do if someone else is in danger. Get the full story here.
Chicken chat: Most cluck 'Yes' to allowing backyard hens in Sudbury, survey finds:
A public consultation on whether Greater Sudbury should allow residents to keep backyard hens showed the majority – 64 per cent – are in favour of the idea. But a report on the proposal headed to city council Dec. 11 also says the decision would put a strain on the city's busy bylaw department, and a new full-time staffer would be required at a cost of $94,000. The debate over backyard chickens began in earnest last June, when councillors received a 500-name petition in favour of the idea. Public consultations were held last month, both through an online survey and nine “chicken chat” public meetings. “In total, 131 residents attended the in-person community engagement sessions held across the community,” the staff report said. “The highest attendance was registered in Capreol (60 visitors) and the South End of Sudbury (20 visitors).” Staff also received 14 handwritten comments, which were divided equally among supporters and opponents, as well as four emails from residents who wanted “to further express their opposition to the possibility of hens being permitted on residential properties.” A total of 3,189 English and 18 French surveys were completed during the public consultations, with 63 per cent in favour and 34 per cent opposed.
Accessing mental health services in the North is tough — these online tools can help:
When Emily Zanini was a new student at the University of Western Ontario, living away from home for the first time became a trigger for an anxiety diagnosis. Today, Zanini is a health promotion educator with the Canadian Mental Health Association Sudbury-Manitoulin branch, a career choice she said was directly influenced by her experience with anxiety. She was one of the speakers at a Dec. 4 press conference at Cambrian College where a pair of provincially funded online services to help youth and adults experiencing anxiety and depression were launched. One of the services is Big White Wall, a 24/7 online peer support service for people 16 years of age or older with symptoms of mild to moderate anxiety or depression. No referral from a health care provider is required. Once logged in, people are free to interact with peers also experiencing anxiety or depression. BounceBack is also an online program, in this case for people aged 15 and older experiencing low mood, depression and anxiety that is not crisis in nature. It offers online videos to provide practical tips on how to do things such as build confidence and manage moods, as well as telephone coaching to guide participants through a series of workbooks. Find more information on these new services here.
Here’s how to keep your pooch (and your kitty) safe from holiday danger:
At its very base level, a holiday celebration is a time when we get together with those we love, and well, eat. We laugh, we share stories, we take the time to enjoy those who have brought joy to our lives, and thank them for it. For many, these loved ones include pets, those devoted family members whose unconditional love can enrich life itself. But for their enrichment, we need to celebrate our pets very differently than we do our human friends. Dr. Courtney Andrews, associate veterinarian at Lockerby Animal Hospital, says that keeping our pets safe this time of year means checking in with your vet before the holidays hit, being mindful of how we decorate, and keeping our plates to ourselves – no matter how cute those begging eyes may be. Find Dr. Andrews' tips here.
Wednesday Weather:
Snow flurries in the forecast throughout the day Wednesday. Mainly cloudy today with a 40 per cent chance of flurries this morning. Around 2 cm of snow is expected this afternoon and the high will be sitting around zero. More snow in the forecast heading into the evening with a low of -4, feeling like -8 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.
