Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
City expands debt limit, approves long-term financial plan:
Greater Sudbury city council gave themselves more fiscal room Tuesday, voting to expand the limit of how much they can borrow to 10 per cent of net city revenues, up from five per cent. Under provincial rules, the city can borrow up to 25 per cent, which amounts to $97 million out of annual revenues of $388 million. But a city policy passed in 2013 restricted borrowing to five per cent of net revenue, or $19 million. By expanding it to 10 per cent -- about $39 million – it allows councillors to issue 20 or 30 year bonds to finance some of the big projects they have supported, most notably a $80 million to $100 million arena/events centre. Read more on this story here.
Controversial fire plan goes to a vote tonight:
City council will hold a special meeting on its controversial fire optimization plan April 26, where councillors will vote on eight recommendations on the future of the service. Some recommendations are fairly straightforward – such as stating support for volunteer firefighters and recognizing the work of paramedics – but some of them will be controversial. One includes plans to permanently close the Red Deer Lake volunteer station, which is currently closed anyway because of problems with the building. Other recommendations include having staff come up with appropriate response times for communities across the city, which will be reviewed regularly, and a plan to implement those response times. Sudbury.com will bring you coverage from tonight's meeting so be sure to check back with us this evening.
Meet Sudbury's newest NDP candidate: Jamie West:
Sudbury and District Labour Council president Jamie West announced that he is officially joining the race to be the Sudbury NDP candidate. Surrounded by family and friends at the Labour Council offices on April 25, West made the announcement that he will seek nomination to be the Sudbury NDP candidate in the 2018 provincial election. West has been on the labour council's executive since 2010, having gotten involved with the organization during USW Local 6500's year-long strike against Vale. A smelter flash furnace operator by trade, he was an activist during the labour dispute, working with a group called Building Power, which organized protests and communication with the union's membership. Find the full story here.
LCBO staff vote on giving union strike mandate:
More than 7,500 unionized workers at 659 Liquor Control Board of Ontario stores across the province have been voting the last two days whether to give their union a strike mandate in ongoing contract talks with the province. Voting in Sudbury took place Monday at OPSEU's regional office on Newgate Avenue. The LCBO operates 13 stores in Greater Sudbury. Other locals voted on April, although officials were unsure Tuesday whether results would be available that evening. Find out more here.
Students going door to door for NCF:
Collège Notre-Dame students will be knocking for hope with their annual door-to-door campaign. The students will be canvassing the city on Wednesday, April 26 raising money for the Northern Cancer Foundation. The students will be on the streets from 5 p.m. until approximately 8 p.m. To date, the Collège Notre-Dame students have raised more than $724,000.
Buffy Sainte-Marie, A Tribe Called Red headlining this summer's NLFB:
The music of Aboriginal artists will shine at this year's Northern Lights Festival Boréal, which runs July 6-9 at Bell Park. None other than Buffy Sainte-Marie, the Academy Award-winning veteran of the music business, has been booked. Sainte-Marie headlines on Thursday, July 6. For the first time in years, the festival features a Thursday show. Opening for Sainte-Marie will be Nunavut alt-folk stars The Jerry Cans and Northern Ontario band No Reservations, who are reuniting for the occasion. The Saturday headliner is A Tribe Called Red, a Canadian electronic music group blending hip-hop and other musical styles with elements of First Nations music, particularly chanting and drumming. Find out more about this year's NLFB lineup here.
NOSM grad makes latest cut in Canadian astronaut program:
Northern Ontario School of Medicine graduate Jesse Zroback has survived the latest cut as he attempts to become one of two new astronauts with the Canadian Space Agency. More than 3,700 people applied for the two coveted positions, and in August the space agency will name the successful candidates. The field was narrowed down to just 17 candidates on Monday. Find more on this story here.
HSN promoting immunization this week and beyond:
Health Sciences North is promoting immunization this week in conjunction with Immunization Awareness Week. National Immunization Awareness Week (NIAW) is an annual event held in the last week of April to highlight and recognize the importance of immunization. Canada’s NIAW coincides with Vaccination Week in the Americas and World Immunization Week. HSN Patient Advisor Nick Dominelli says immunization protects you and your community by preventing the spread of disease. It’s also an effective way to promote a healthy lifestyle. During NIAW, you will see increased publicity about the importance of immunization and the success and impact that immunization has had in protecting and saving lives.
Wednesday weather:
Showers in the Wednesday forecast but the warm weather will continue. Mainly cloudy today with a 40 per cent chance of rain. Today's high will get up to 17 and will only drop to a low of 12 in the evening. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
