Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Thibeault: Meeting with health minister ‘productive’ but mum on details:
Glenn Thibeault has not yet revealed details of his meeting Monday with Health Minister Dr. Helena Jaczek, but said he had a very productive conversation with the minister. Having reliable, accessible, quality health care is a priority for the Liberal government and for him as Sudbury MPP, said Thibeault. That is why he met with Jaczek to discuss how some of the extra $822 million his government has promised hospitals might help Sudbury’s deficit-plagued hospital system. Health Sciences North is facing a $10-million deficit for 2018-2019, more than twice the $4.9-million approved by its board of directors. HSN president and chief executive officer Dominic Giroux has warned that cuts to front-line personnel and to programs are inevitable if the hospital does not receive more funding. Full story here.
Enviro commish: Updating Ontario's power grid cost billions, but system now 96% emissions-free:
Ontarians may feel they’ve been hosed with high power bills but the province’s environmental commissioner said the switch from a fossil fuel-powered grid to a more clean-and-green network was worth the cost and the pain. In an April 10 news release, Dianne Saxe gave the government credit for cleaning up Ontario’s electricity system and air by ending coal-fired power. By replacing coal with low-carbon electricity sources such as hydro, solar, wind and nuclear power, Saxe said the system was 96-per-cent emission-free in 2017. She said the “cost to clean up the system led to higher electricity bills, but overall, it was worth it.” “Electricity was cheap, but it came at a very high cost to our environment and health,” said Saxe. Find more on this story here.
Blizzards for Broncos: Dairy Queen, Canadians team up in fundraiser:
The Rayside Balfour hockey community is a tight-knit group. Hundreds of people turn out to each Rayside Balfour Canadians game. For the staff and management, it's like one big family. So, it comes as no surprise that the Humboldt Broncos tragedy has had a tremendous effect on the team and its extended family. Julie Dubois, assistant general manager, said she can't put into words how people are feeling at the loss of 16 lives in that fatality. The entire country and parts of the U.S. are in grieving. On Thursday, April 12, the Canadians will join the staff at the Dairy Queen in Chelmsford for a fundraising event in support of the entire community of Humboldt. Jennifer Mallette, co-owner of Dairy Queen, said she needed to do something to support a community that is more than 2,000 km away. That need gave way to Blizzards for Broncos, where every cent of every Blizzard sold at the Chelmsford location will go to help support Humboldt. The Canadians will be at the store starting at noon. Players will wear green ribbons, while staff are encouraged to dress in hockey jerseys or green clothing. Dairy Queen is located at 3360 Hwy. 144 in Chelmsford.
Nominees for 2018 Mayor's Celebration of the Arts Awards have been revealed:
Iona Reed-Pukara is a common sight at many events in Greater Sudbury, playing the accordion or accompanying other musicians on piano. Having moved to Greater Sudbury in 1957, she's been teaching the two instruments locally for more than six decades. “I know what I want to be when I grow up,” she laughs. Reed-Pukara will receive a special award honouring her lifetime contributions to the arts community — the Sudbury Arts Council President's Award of Distinction — during the 2018 Mayor's Celebration of the Arts Awards. The awards will be handed out June 8 at a gala celebration at Sudbury Theatre Centre. Several other Sudburians were also revealed as finalists for the fifth annual edition of the awards during an April 11 press conference. YES Theatre founder Alessandro Costantini, author and artist Danielle Daniel and Northern Lights Festival Boréal artistic executive director and rap artist Max Merrifield are the finalists in the emerging artist category. Francophone musician Edouard Landry, former poet laureate and budding playwright Kim Fahner and director, actor and playwright Miriam Cusson are nominated in the mid-career artist category. Finally, musician, Townehouse Tavern manager and sometimes-political hopeful Paul Loewenberg, musician, composer and sound designer Dan Bedard and Prise de Parole publisher Denise Truax are the finalists in the exceptional achievement in the arts category (for careers spanning more than 25 years).
Today is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day!
Today is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day! To celebrate, Sudbury.com cooked up some cheesy gouda-ness with La Fromagerie cook Michael Collings Moore. Check out the mouth-watering video later today to see how it's done! You can enjoy a Smoked Porter Grilled Cheese sandwich today at La Fromagerie.
These kids are ready to rock, are you?
It's time to bust out of this long winter, Greater Sudbury. The kids at Churchill Public School are ready to rock -- and it's time for you to get ready, too. Gathering in the school's gym to hear a presentation from Diabetes Canada and Sudbury Rocks!!! Race, Run, Walk for Diabetes, Churchill Public School is one of the first to sign up for Sudbury's largest running event. Registration officially opened and fundraising has begun. As always, there are many ways to participate; the plethora of races and walks offered by Sudbury Rocks makes the marathon unique within the province. Whether you'd rather run as a team, or hit the pavement solo for the full Boston qualifier race, there are the eight events you could take part in this Mother's Day which falls on Sunday, May 13 this year. Check out the list of races here.
Thursday Weather:
Cloudy skies overhead today with some snow beginning late in the morning. Snow mixed with rain late in the afternoon. Expect between 2-4 cm today. Thursday's high will be 2. Partly cloudy this evening with a 40 per cent chance of flurries or rain showers. Overnight low will drop to -4. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
