Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Opponents to release study on impact of Kingsway economic district:
Opponents of plans to build a new community arena and casino on The Kingsway are holding a news conference Tuesday morning to release an economic impact study they commissioned to gauge the effects of the project. Entitled, 'The Kingsway Entertainment District and Arena- Economic and Financial Analysis,' the report was prepared by urbanMetrics Inc., a Toronto-based firm that has 35 years experience in providing custom analyses of the impact of municipal investment strategies. More on this story can be found here. Sudbury.com will bring you coverage of this morning's presser so be sure to check back with us.
Province to repair road, culvert at Hwy. 537 at Jumbo Creek:
A stretch of highway in Greater Sudbury that is often closed due to flooding is finally scheduled for replacement. The Ministry of Transportation will hold a public meeting March 22 to go over its plans to replace one kilometre of Highway 537 at Jumbo Creek. The highway is south of Wahnapitae and serves as a cutoff route south of Sudbury. It frequently floods – most recently in November -- closing the roadway and forcing drivers to find ways around it. A provincially-maintained roadway, the province announced plans two years ago to fix the area by 2020. The March 22 meeting will run from 4-7 p.m. at the Wahnapitae Community Centre.
Councillor says he's being 'mis-scripted' in position on chromite smelter:
Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini penned a letter to the editor recently, stating that he is being "mis-scripted" by the media in respect to his position on a chromite smelter. "I have never said I do not want to have the chromite smelter in the Greater City of Sudbury. Certainly, a project like this would be good for the economy," said Vagnini in his letter. "What I have said is, 'Based on everything I have had access to in recent weeks, I must declare that I am totally against the current promotion of Coniston as a site for a chromite smelter.'" You can find Vagnini's letter here.
Architecture school continues their quest for accreditation:
Laurentian University's McEwen School of Architecture hosted a handful of members of the Canadian Architecture Certification Board (CACB) on March 12 as they continue their push for accreditation. Last year, the school received eligibility for CACB candidacy and are in the second stage of the second step in the accreditation process. The CACB has administered the accreditation program since 1991. It is the sole organization recognized by the architectural profession in Canada to accredit professional degree programs in architecture offered by Canadian universities. Look for more on this story later today on Sudbury.com.
Look, ma, spring! The sap's running early on Manitoulin Island:
Manitoulin Island maple syrup producers are welcoming the early start to their season. It's "the earliest I’ve seen for tapping trees,” said Lee Hayden, of Gordon/Barrie Island township. “It has been a very unusual winter; extra cold at times, then a thaw in January. And one day last week the television station was reporting there were record high temperatures in the Gore Bay area.” He pointed out March 2 marked his first day of boiling the sap. According to Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association, “Ontario producers make 4.5 percent of the maple syrup in Canada, with the largest Ontario producer located on St. Joseph Island, Gilbertson Maple Products. Currently, about 40 per cent of syrup used in Ontario is produced within the province, and 60 per cent is imported.”
Fedeli welcomes Ford into the fold:
Nipissing MPP and Interim PC leader Vic Fedeli congratulated Doug Ford on his win Monday morning. "Congratulations Doug @FordNation on being elected leader of the @OntarioPCParty! Looking forward to working with you to bring hope + relief to the people of Ontario," Fedeli tweeted. Ford tweeted, "To the people of Ontario....I say relief is on its way....And to Kathleen Wynne I say....Your days as Premier are numbered." Party president Jag Badwal announced the results seven hours later than scheduled, saying the former Toronto city councillor had narrowly eked out a win over former provincial legislator Christine Elliott on the third ballot.
Tuesday Weather:
A few flurries to start the day, ending near noon then cloudy with 60 per cent chance of flurries. Tuesday's high will be -2. Mainly cloudy this evening with 30 per cent chance of flurries. Low will drop down to -9 overnight. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
