Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Saturday morning.
In Laurentian’s wake, post-secondary now barred from declaring insolvency
The president of the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) said it’s a “relief” that public post-secondary institutions in Canada no longer have the option of entering court-supervised insolvency restructuring. “On one hand, it's a huge victory for us, for the sector, and a relief after everything we went through,” said Fabrice Colin. “But on the other hand, it's sad it took the Laurentian crisis and the suffering of so many faculty members, employees and students for the government to realize how inappropriate these corporate procedures are for public institutions.” Changes to federal legislation were inspired by the case of Laurentian University, which, as is well known by now, declared insolvency under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) in February 2021. Massive cuts to its employees and programs followed, and Laurentian did not exit insolvency until Nov. 28, 2022.
Longtime advocate has high hopes for city’s plan to end homelessness
While the City of Greater Sudbury now has a roadmap to end homelessness, it may still be a long journey to the final destination, said Raymond Landry, co-ordinator of Housing Services for the Homelessness Network. But while the journey is long, he’s hopeful about the process. The Homelessness Network of Sudbury was consulted as part of the creation of the roadmap, said Landry, and added their boots-on-the-ground knowledge to the process. Spurred by a motion from Ward. 5 Coun. Mike Parent, the roadmap was presented to council on May 28. It is heavily reliant on an influx of funding from all three levels of government, with a cost of $350 million: $322 million in capital and start-up costs, $13.6 million annually in operating costs and $11 million annually in additional rent supplements. The Roadmap’s aim is for Sudbury to be at what’s known as “functional zero” homelessness by 2030. Functional zero does not mean the complete absence of homelessness, but rather, a system that ensures homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring. That, and the number of people experiencing homelessness (as denoted by the by-name list) is three or fewer for a period of three months.
Thirty-five-count Ecolife fraud trial finally resumes in Sudbury
In the ongoing fraud trial of Sudbury contractor David Murray, Sudbury court heard June 20 from Det. Andrew Williams of Greater Sudbury Police, who spoke of financial records he obtained in his pursuit of criminal charges against Murray. Murray is facing 35 counts of fraud over $5,000 dating back to May 7, 2016, and continuing through March 28, 2019. Police say the total of the alleged frauds is estimated at $800,000. You can find Sudbury.com’s full timeline of the case here. The trial resumed June 20 after a hiatus that began March 8, 2021. Before the court for three years, and now featuring Murray’s fourth attorney, Toronto-based Stefan Peters, the case has suffered a number of setbacks, including three different defense attorneys and significant delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gala will celebrate 100 years of Sudbury competitive soccer league
Possibly one of the oldest soccer leagues in Ontario, the Sudbury Regional Competitive Soccer League’s Premier Division turns 100 this year and an August gala will celebrate that milestone anniversary. On Aug. 17, the upper hall of the Caruso Club will be the place to be to mark the anniversary. The event starts at 5 p.m. “There is a remarkable history here which goes back much further than most people realize,” said Cody Cacciotti, vice-president and league historian for the SRSCL, in a news release. “The history of this league is in lockstep with that of the city as it celebrates the industrial growth of the early 1900s with the rise of company teams as well as the successes of the ethnic clubs that organized in the post-war era, many of whom are still in existence today.” The SRCSL dates back to 1907 when the first trophy, the Anderson Cup, was donated to the league by Copper Cliff businessman John Anderson. “The first official season would take place in 1911 with Sudbury capturing the league title competing against the likes of Mond, Copper Cliff, Espanola and Garson,” the release states. “By the 1920s, the beautiful game had established itself as a popular pastime in the Nickel City and the sport flourished during the Depression years of the 1930s, capturing a slew of provincial titles.
Bold: Reaching new heights with Climb Sudbury
If your idea of fun is hanging out there by your fingertips several metres above the ground, you might find a friend with the Climb Sudbury. If you meet Marco Foladore of Sudbury, you will find he, too, is passionate about rock climbing, but he's not any sort of wild adrenaline junkie looking for a new fix. "Everybody thinks we're thrill seekers, but thrill seeking is as far from climbing as you can get," said Foladore. "When you're climbing and the adrenaline starts kicking in, that means something has gone wrong. You should not be feeling adrenaline. It should be very calm, cool and methodical. And no adrenaline.” Foladore is passionate about the sport. And as much as there is an obvious physical aspect to rock climbing, Foladore said it also requires mental strength.
Journeys: At 89, Joan Jeanne Hart is still ‘Queen of the Pageants’
This September, the many admirers of Joan Jeanne Hart will toast the 89-year-old dynamo at a celebration soirée. The "red carpet" gala will celebrate Hart's 50-year involvement in organizing beauty pageants and thank her for the work she has done to encourage young women to pursue their dreams. And while there are perks to her decades of effort, such as the opportunity to travel, Hart, a former teacher, has never been paid as a pageant organizer, coach, chaperone, judge, translator or communications liaison. Known as the "queen of the pageants" before retiring, she still remains involved as a delegate liaison for Miss Universe Canada, is president of NSEW Canada Pageant Management Strategy, and is a supporter for the Miss Ontario Regional Canada and Miss Ontario Teen Regional Canada Scholarship Pageants, which are produced by Cheryl Kozera. Fifty years ago, organizer Yves St-Jacques asked Hart, who was living in North Bay at the time, to enter a contestant in the first Miss Northern Ontario Pageant in Timmins.
