Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Saturday morning.
Catalyst 2025 event highlights Sudbury’s medical research sector
Sudbury's Health Sciences North and the Health Science North Research Institute (HSNRI) showcased local health-care research efforts Thursday evening at the 2025 Catalyst event. The event brought together health-care professionals, researchers and members of the public “to highlight how groundbreaking research is transforming patient care” in the region, a press release about the event states. Held at the Vale Cavern at Science North, the event follows a recent announcement by the HSN Foundation to contribute $300,000 in research funding to support no less than nine innovative projects led by HSNRI. Roughly a dozen research display stations were set up in the cavern where the researchers were able to meet with individual audience members to explain the scope of their work.
Police board bumps budget hike down to 10.21%
Greater Sudbury Police Service’s 2026 budget hike is down to 10.21 per cent from its previously approved 12.66 per cent. This signals a $2,047,047 drop from the budget the board unanimously approved last month. The reduced budget received the board’s unanimous approval during an emergency meeting on Friday which chair Gerry Lougheed called the previous day. An emergency meeting has to be called when the chair is unable to give a full week’s notice, and the board needed the budget changes approved before next Wednesday’s finance and administration committee meeting of city council, at which they’re scheduled to present. Mayor Paul Lefebvre was not in attendance on Friday, but Lougheed joined Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer and members Krista Fortier and Shawn Poland in approving the new budget.
Decision on allowing renewable energy generation deferred to Feb. 8
A proposed zoning and official plan allowance for renewable energy generation as a land use in Greater Sudbury was deferred during this week’s planning committee meeting to Feb. 8. Capping a lengthy discussion on the matter, meeting chair and Ward 10 Coun. Fern Cormier expressed some frustration regarding the matter. Council’s potential opposition to future renewable energy projects “doesn’t matter at the end of the day,” he said, since the province can ultimately push through whatever they want. “There’s a lot of confusion about who’s in charge of what of this stuff and the impact it has, and I’m not discounting that because I share a lot of these same questions,” he said. “We need to be careful as we’re doing this,” Cormier said, cautioning that the kind of blanket exclusions city council members were debating when it came to parkland and hydroelectric power generation are “not, in my opinion, how good planning works.”
Labour Ministry gives Sudbury.com the data it wouldn’t give West
According to the province’s accounting, Scale Hospitality exceeded the targets it set in applying for Skills Development Fund grants. Sudbury NDP MPP Jamie West grilled Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Minister David Piccini earlier this week about provincial grants the company received. It was a follow-up to a similar such inquiry from more than a year ago, when West (who serves as Shadow Minister for Labour) also asked for details regarding what came out of $17 million in grants given to Toronto-based Scale Hospitality. West also told Piccini earlier this week that if he didn’t have specifics on hand, Piccini could email him the details later. Piccini refused to answer West’s repeated requests for specific details and did not address his email request. Piccini similarly avoided answering Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles’ similarly themed questions regarding Scale Hospitality on Nov. 3.
Safe Ride Home to start season on Nov. 28
Safe Ride Home Sudbury will begin dispatching volunteers to drive people home in their own vehicles on Nov. 28, and will continue every Friday and Saturday until the end of the year. Plus, an extra night of service on New Year’s Eve. “The more volunteers we have the more rides we can give, so we’re always looking for more volunteers,” founder Lesli Green told Sudbury.com following their annual program launch at NORCAT on Friday. Organizers host a formal launch a few weeks prior to its start each year to not only celebrate volunteers and sponsors, but also to help drum up volunteers. “It’s a unique opportunity, and you’ll be making a difference in the community,” Green said. “It’s a lot of fun, there’s lots of camaraderie and our volunteers are very well taken care of.”
Safe Ride Home to start season on Nov. 28
Safe Ride Home Sudbury will begin dispatching volunteers to drive people home in their own vehicles on Nov. 28, and will continue every Friday and Saturday until the end of the year. Plus, an extra night of service on New Year’s Eve. “The more volunteers we have the more rides we can give, so we’re always looking for more volunteers,” founder Lesli Green told Sudbury.com following their annual program launch at NORCAT on Friday. Organizers host a formal launch a few weeks prior to its start each year to not only celebrate volunteers and sponsors, but also to help drum up volunteers. “It’s a unique opportunity, and you’ll be making a difference in the community,” Green said. “It’s a lot of fun, there’s lots of camaraderie and our volunteers are very well taken care of.”
