Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Councillors pour cold water on fire plan:
The controversial fire optimization report failed to receive a single vote in support at a special city council meeting Wednesday, effectively killing for now any plans to hire more permanent firefighters or close any volunteer stations. In front of a packed council chambers, councillor after councillor made it clear the plan has next to no public support. Instead, it has made many residents fearful they would lose their volunteer firefighting station and still pay much higher property taxes. Find the full story here.
New CEO's lack of health care knowledge not a problem, hospital chair says:
Dominic Giroux will officially begin his tenure as the CEO of Health Sciences North on Oct. 2 after being unanimously selected by the HSN board of directors. Sudbury.com spoke both with him and with HSN board chair Nicole Everest on Wednesday afternoon. Everest said the search to replace outgoing CEO Dr. Denis Roy was an extensive one, and despite Giroux's background falling in the education sector rather than health care, he checked all the boxes for the search committee. Read more on this story here.
It's kind of a 'Big Deal': ATV mud run next month:
The inaugural ATV Mud Run is happening May 6 and riders have a chance to win a guaranteed grand prize of $1,000 in cash. Centered on a Poker Fun Run that is expected to draw hundreds of participants, the Big Deal ATV Mud Run promises to be a fun-filled day for all levels of riders with an exciting mix of mapped trails. Hosted by the Station 18 Fire House Bar & Grill in Capreol, the Big Deal ATV Mud Run raises the bar offering a live outdoor concert featuring the music of recording artist Larry Berrio as well as a full dinner. Find out more, including ticket info here.
Tipping fee holiday starts on Monday:
The City of Greater Sudbury is reminding citizens that residential tipping fees will be waived at all Greater Sudbury landfill and waste diversion sites from May 1 - 6. Greater Sudbury residents can deliver discarded household items to local landfill sites free of charge during next week. The residential tipping fee holiday week includes disposal of up to eight passenger/light truck tires (maximum 34 inches with rims removed) each day. There are no limits on other household waste.
LCBO workers vote 93% in favour of striking:
LCBO workers delivered a pretty solid vote of support for their bargaining team this week, voting 93 per cent in favour of a strike. The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) said the vote, held Monday and Tuesday, was called by the bargaining team in late March after what they described as management's "complete lack of respect for workers." The OPSEU bargaining team said with the vote in hand, it can return to the table with a strong message for LCBO management. Find more on this story here.
Reading Town: Here's a lineup of what's happening:
In the spring of 2016, the National Reading Campaign brought its Reading Town initiative to Greater Sudbury. Designed to create an exemplary model of what a reading Canada looks like, the literary festival included multiple events designed to get people reading. Given the success of last year's event, Reading Town returns to Greater Sudbury again from May 1-7. Check out the full list of what's happening at this year's Reading Town here.
City to honour community volunteers tonight:
Mayor Brian Bigger and members of Council will be at Tom Davies Square Thursday evening for the Civic Awards Ceremony. The awards ceremony will be held in the Council Chamber. These awards are to recognize outstanding volunteers in Greater Sudbury. Event starts at 6:30 p.m. Please check back with Sudbury.com later this evening for the list of award winners.
No Name, Great Value pie and tart shells recalled due to E. coli:
Several brands of pie and tart shells manufactured by an Edmonton company and distributed across Canada are being recalled due to contamination with E. coli. Ordered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the recall targets frozen shells produced by Harlan Bakeries under several brand names sold by a variety of retailers. There have been no confirmed illnesses associated with these products, the CFIA reports. The products are Deep Dish Pie Shells, Sweetened Tart Shells and Tart Shells that are sold under the following brands: Great Value, Apple Valley, Western Family and No Name.
Thursday weather:
The spring "heat wave" will continue into Thursday with temperatures soaring up to a high of 22. A mix of sun and clouds with showers starting near noon and a risk of a thunderstorm. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
