Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your weekend.
City receives its first bear call of the season:
And so it begins …The Nickel City’s first bear call of the season was made to Greater Sudbury Police on March 22. A resident of Azilda called the police service to report a bear in a tree. Last year, the number of bear calls to police were down 46 per cent over 2015, when the GSPS received more than 1,300 calls. The police and the city both set up bear reporting systems to track and manage bear-related calls. These measures, Chief Paul Pedersen told the city’s Police Services Board, helped reduce the strain on the police service. In 2015, police responded to 449 calls and had to kill eight of the animals as a result, devoting some 200 staff hours to handling the calls. To report bear problems, phone the Bear Reporting Line at 1-866-514-2327 (TTY 705-945-7641). However, if it’s a life-threatening or emergency situation, phone 911.
Thibeault uses electronic town hall to take pulse of voters:
Glenn Thibeault says he's a little less popular at Queen's Park these days, and that's just fine with him. Nine months into his tenure as energy minister, the Sudbury MPP says his announcement of a summer cut to hydro rates has meant the media and the Opposition parties are less interested in him. These are tough days for Ontario's governing Liberals. Premier Kathleen Wynne has a shocking approval rate of just 12 per cent, and Thibeault himself has been in the cross hairs for critics since he left the federal NDP to run in the February 2015 Sudbury byelection. Read the full story here.
Soaring hydro costs hurting hospitals: NDP
A freedom of information request showing how much more Ontario's hospitals are paying for electricity highlights how the Liberal's bungling of the power system is hurting Ontario, says NDP Leader Andrea Horwath. In Sudbury, she said costs have risen $1 million over the last five years, at a time when hospitals are struggling with their budgets. Full story can be found here.
'Queen of Mean' Lisa Lampanelli headlines LOL Sudbury this Sunday:
Lisa Lampanelli is the headliner for the 2017 edition of the Laugh Out Loud (LOL) Sudbury Comedy Festival. The festival has been running since March 18 and will wrap up this Sunday, March 26 when Lampanelli takes the stage at the Fraser Auditorium at 7 p.m. One of the most high-profile insult comics, Lampanelli is a cross between Don Rickles, Archie Bunker, and a vial of estrogen. She is known for her outrageous pot shots at celebrities, as well as references to her own weight and sexuality. Her acid wit and boisterous delivery has won many fans, and has won her the nickname “Comedy’s Lovable Queen of Mean.”
Sunrise Records to open in New Sudbury Centre:
Sunrise Records will soon be moving into the New Sudbury Centre. The Ontario-based music retail chain has plans to move into 70 retail spaces being vacated by HMV Canada, which is in receivership, with stores expected to close by April 30. Sunrise Records will begin to open in the old HMV locations this spring as part of a massive roll-out of new locations for the 40-year-old chain. Sunrise is opening in dozens of locations across Canada.
Northern Ontario being hit harder by natural gas hike:
The price of natural gas in Northwestern Ontario is going up 5.3 per cent on April 1. Union Gas on Thursday said that represents an increase of about $50 annually. Customers in northeastern Ontario will see their average annual net increase go up by about $41, or 3.9 per cent. Southern Ontario residents will see a $20 yearly hike, a 2.9 per cent increase. The company says it adjusts rates quarterly based on the market price of natural gas. Enbridge Gas received approval from the Ontario Energy Board to increase its rates by one per cent on April 1, an $8 average annual increase.
Echo Bay hen lays enormous egg:
An Echo Bay man says he got more than he expected when he went to pick eggs at his backyard chicken coop earlier this week. Retiree Dennis Goslow and his wife Kirsti began raising chickens and ducks about five years ago and they thought they had seen the hens lay eggs of just about every size — but one egg he found Tuesday left him shell shocked. In Canada, a Large chicken egg is rated at 56 grams, an Extra Large is 63 grams and a Jumbo egg weighs in at 70 grams. The Goslows’ egg weighed in at more than 180 grams. Read the full story here.
Sea sickness: Advisory says restaurant-goers should be told if they’re eating BC oysters:
The Public Health Agency of Canada has issued a public advisory that restaurant-goers should be told whether the oysters they’ve ordered come from British Columbia. The agency said food service operators should be informing customers of the varieties and origin of the raw or lightly cooked oysters that are being sold or served to them. What’s more, dining establishments are being advised that oysters from B.C. should be cooked to an internal temperature of 90 C (194 F) for 90 seconds to kill any possible norovirus. Full story can be found here.
Weekend weather:
It's going to be a damp weekend, but temperatures will be climbing by Sunday. Periods of freezing rain on Saturday with a high of just 1. Sunday will see rain showers throughout the day with the high getting up to 9. For current weather conditions, short-term and long-term forecasts visit Sudbury.com's weather page at www.sudbury.com/weather.
