Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Decision on police headquarters delayed again:
The push to renovate or replace Greater Sudbury Police headquarters downtown was delayed again Wednesday, as the police services board voted to hire a consultant to do a detailed review of what police need. The decision comes almost a year after another consultant, KPMG, reviewed police operations as a whole and concluded that a new or renovated building was among the most pressing needs. And another consultant, Yallowega/Belanger/Salach, did an analysis in 2014 of existing and potential sites that could be suitable for police. The current headquarters on Brady Street was converted from office space in the 1990s. Since then, a number of long-term issues and conflicts have emerged. Full story can be found here.
STC board president 'very touched' by city's $200K bailout:
The president of Sudbury Theatre Centre's board of directors said he had tears in his eyes after learning city councillors had voted Tuesday to throw the struggling theatre a $200,000 lifeline. Gerry Copeman said the board was optimistic that the city would help out — this is the first time in its 46-year history STC has asked for a bailout — but is still “very touched” that they did. The city's professional English-language professional theatre company, it was revealed in June, is about $400,000 in debt due to a string of losses over the past three seasons. STC is now working with a consultant specializing in theatre companies' finances to develop a financial recovery plan, and the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation is paying for this consultant. More on this story here.
Janes chicken burgers recalled due to Salmonella risk:
Sofina Foods Inc. is recalling Janes brand frozen uncooked breaded chicken products from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. Both the Janes Pub Style chicken burgers (800 g) and Pub Style popcorn chicken (800 g) are affected by the recall. If you think you became sick from consuming a recalled product, call your doctor. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased. Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick. Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems may contract serious and sometimes deadly infections.
Someone dumped a starved kitten on the side of Hwy. 17, and the SPCA wants to know who:
The Ontario SPCA is seeking information from the public about a kitten that was found on the side of Highway 17 in Wahnapitae. On Oct. 4, a calico-coloured kitten was brought in to the Ontario SPCA Sudbury and District Animal Centre. The animal was found on the side of Highway 17, between Hill Street and Glenbower Crescent in Wahnapitae, located about 15 kilometres east of Sudbury. A veterinary examination revealed the kitten was underweight, lethargic and suffering from a low body temperature and low blood sugar levels, consistent with starvation. She also showed symptoms of upper respiratory disease. It is estimated that the kitten had been outside for several hours. The animal is now receiving the care it requires and is showing signs of improvement.
Why are French students doing so much better on math tests than English kids?
Ontario's French-language boards outperform English-language boards by more than 30 percentage points in some areas of provincial standardized tests. But that doesn't mean the French system is superior, local school board officials say. The provincial pass rate for Grade 6 math Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) tests in English-language boards is 50 per cent, while that rate is 82 per cent for French-language boards. That large gap is also reflected at a local level. Local English-language boards had rather dismal EQAO Grade 6 math results last year. Conversely, scores by their French-language counterparts were pretty decent. Forty-two per cent of Grade 6 Rainbow District School Board students were at or above the provincial EQAO standard for math last year, and 37 per cent at Sudbury Catholic District School Board. That compares to 79 per cent at Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario (CSCNO) and 71 per cent at Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l'Ontario (CSPGNO). More on this story can be found here.
#Canada150: Oct. 18 is the anniversary of the day Canadian women (officially) became people:
In 1916, Emily Murphy became the first female magistrate in Canada and the British Empire. Not long after taking her seat on the bench, however, Murphy encountered resistance from a male lawyer who believed she was unable to preside over the case. He didn’t take issue with her qualifications, rather, he believed Murphy was unfit to sit on the bench because she wasn’t a person. Using the strictest interpretation of the British North America Act, he argued women were not persons in a legal sense because the pronoun “she” was not explicitly used in Canada’s constitutional document. Although Murphy successfully countered this dubious claim, the issue did not go away for her. As long as the archaic wording in the constitution was upheld, men continued to challenge her authority on the grounds that she was a woman. Read more here.
Thursday weather:
A mild fall day in the Thursday forecast. Mainly sunny today with a high of around 14. Clear skies this evening with the low falling to 6. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
