Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Wednesday morning.
Former Laurentian leaders named in $3M settlement over benefit fund depletion
A proposed $3-million settlement has been reached against several former “directors and officers” at Laurentian University for the “alleged misuse and depletion” of the university’s retiree health benefit funds, leading to their cancellation during Laurentian’s insolvency. The directors and officers in question include several former presidents and senior administrators at Laurentian, including several who weren’t even around during Laurentian’s 2021-2022 insolvency restructuring, as well as some former board of governors members. The former Laurentian presidents named include Robert Haché (2019-2022), Dominic Giroux (2009-2017) and Judith Woodsworth (2002-2008), along with former interim president Pierre Zundel (2017-2019), and former senior administrators Carol McCaulay and Lorella Hayes. Also included are former board members Floyd Laughren, Michael Atkins (the former owner of Northern Life and Sudbury.com, who died in 2024), Jennifer Witty, Claude Lacroix (who notably chaired LU’s board when it declared insolvency), Ian Wood and John Pollesel.
Photos: Thousands attend Remembrance Day service at Sudbury Arena
The stands at Sudbury Arena were close to full during this morning Nov. 11 ceremony as hundreds of Sudbury residents joined armed forces veterans, active military members, Royal Canadian Legion members and young cadets to mark the annual Remembrance Day observance. And while ceremonies were underway at the arena, similar events took place across the city in communities such as Capreol, Chelmsford, Coniston, Falconbridge, Lively, Onaping Falls and also at Lockerby Royal Canadian Legion Branch 564. The downtown event saw hundreds of spectators in the stands rise to their feet as the participants marched into the arena with a musical escort provided by the Greater Sudbury Police Pipe Band. They watched as the main floor of the arena soon became crowded as Royal Canadian Legion honour guard members stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Greater Sudbury police officers, firefighters, paramedics and uniformed members of the Second Battalion of the Irish Regiment of Canada military reserve.
‘Pit bull’ Ronald Bradley, past Rayside-Balfour councillor, dies at 90
One of Chelmsford’s leading community stewards has died. Perhaps best known as councillor in both Rayside-Balfour and the then-freshly amalgamated City of Greater Sudbury until 2006, Ronald Bradley died on Nov. 3 at 90 years of age. “The best way I could describe it is, he was like a little pit bull,” nephew Claude Gravelle told Sudbury.com. “When he got onto a subject or matter, he wouldn't let go until it was resolved. He would keep going, keep going, keep going until it was resolved to his satisfaction." After having served as a council member and deputy mayor for Rayside-Balfour, Bradley’s last stint as a politician stretched from the 2003-06 civic term, when he was elected as one of two ward council members in what was then Ward 2 in the City of Greater Sudbury.
Region’s third seismic event in 21 days described as ‘minor’
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) said it has not received any formal notification from Sudbury area mines with respect to a seismic incident felt by some residents in the city on Sunday. "We have so far not received confirmation of the event being associated with a specific mine or quarry. However, given the event characteristics and proximity to operations, we do suspect it is a blast or mining event," said seismic analyst Chris Boucher at Natural Resources Canada. The information provided was that a magnitude 1.6 surface event occurred at 4:05 p.m. Sunday at 46.53 north latitude and -81.03 west longitude, in Sudbury. An attached map reference showed a marker on a map close to the Frood Mine, a surface open pit mining operation owned and operated by Vale Base Metals. An inquiry by email to Vale Base Metals returned a non-specific reply.
Sudbury couple's nuptials raise $12,000 for NEO Kids
A Sudbury couple who married back in August found a unique way of celebrating their nuptials. Anita McKee and Allain Labelle, described as long-time supporters of the Health Sciences North, celebrated their marriage by asking guests to skip giving them gifts, and instead to make donations to the hospital foundation in support of NEO Kids, Health Sciences North Foundation said in a news release. Their generous guests responded in admirable fashion, such that the couple were able to make a $12,000 donation to support pediatric care in Northern Ontario. The couple has known each other for several years. Allain proposed to Anita earlier this year on Valentine's Day. Their wedding took place in August. It was 10 years ago, in 2015, that Allain and Anita were both widowed. They met a year later and quickly bonded over shared values and an appreciation for giving back to the community.
Sudbury ready to kick off largest hockey tournament in the North
With thousands of young hockey players and hundreds of games, the largest hockey tournament in Northern Ontario is about to hit the ice this coming weekend in Sudbury. It's the annual Sudbury Silver Stick hockey tournament, which kicks off at noon Thursday, at the Countryside No.1 arena with the U10A division Sudbury Wolves taking on the North Bay Trappers. The action will be underway for the next four days and then it takes a break until the closing weekend in November when more players hit the ice on Nov. 27 with the final games happening on Sunday, Nov. 30. Tournament director Peter Michelutti said it makes this November likely the most exciting month of hockey in the city so far this year. He was presiding at a kickoff luncheon for the tournament held in Sudbury on Tuesday. "This is so important for Sudbury,” Michelutti said. “There are 4,400 hotel rooms that are rented out over two weekends. The restaurants are just jam packed. The city tells me it's about $11 million of tourism revenue coming into the city over these two weekends," said Michelutti.
