By Stew Kernan

The leader of the provincial NDP wants the government to do more to ensure our natural resources stay in Canada.

Andrea Horwath has been questioning the Premier and Sudbury’s M-P-P Rick Bartolucci about the possibility of Cliff’s Natural Resources mining chromite in northern Ontario and then shipping it to China for processing.

Horwath says if that happens it’s the north that loses out on good paying jobs.

She says the premier has said the Ring of Fire is the most promising mining opportunity in Canada in a hundred years…but you would never know it by his lack of action.

Cliffs is considering setting up a processing facility with a site north of Capreol under consideration.

By Stew Kernan

Police stressing safety in light of two serious incidents involving vehicles and pedestrians.

Police are still looking for the driver a forest green Chev pick-up truck with a black rear bumper and possible damage to the hood and windshield.

It’s alleged the truck hit a 16-year old girl on Lasalle Blvd late Monday afternoon.

Last Friday a teenage boy was hit on Notre Dame Avenue and was sent to hospital with serious injuries.

There were no charges in that incident.

Sudbury Police Constable Meghan O’Malley says pedestrians have to be careful, but so do motorists.

By Angela Gemmill

The CP Holiday Train chugs its way into Greater Sudbury tonight, helping raise donations for the local food bank.

Sudbury is one of 150 stops for the locomotive covered in Christmas lights.

It began its journey on Friday in Quebec and will make its way across the country finally stopping in British Columbia December 17th.

The Holiday Train is expected to roll into the Elgin Street station at 9:20pm tonight.

Spectators are asked to bring a donation of money or non-perishable food.

All donations stay in the community for the Greater Sudbury Food Bank.

There will be entertainment as well.

www.cpr.ca

By Angela Gemmill

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a life-long disorder that is colour-blind.

It’s not just an aboriginal problem.

But several key aboriginal groups are joining forces to call on the government to fund specialized services, medical treatment and prevention programs for the defects which develop when a new mom drinks during pregnancy.

Anishinabek Nation Deputy Grand Council Chief, Glen Hare, says looking after those with FASD is expensive on the education, legal and judicial systems.

He pleads with the government to invest funding, claiming with the right leadership and right commitments to focus on the problem they can reduce the number of youth in jail, on welfare or dropping out of school.

Around 200 front-line workers, reps from local organizations and family members were at a three-day conference in Sudbury, focusing on caring for those with FASD.

Angela Recollet with Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre says there needs to be investments in programs for adults, since most government funding is for children up to the age of six.

She says the government needs to start partnering with experts in the field to put extended prevention and intervention resources in place.

Lawyer David Boulding, who was a guest speaker at the conference, has seen too many legal cases involving individuals with FASD.

He says these individuals, who he says have missing brain parts, need supervision for the rest of their lives whether its a probation officer, grandmother or a teacher.

The Anishinabek G7, FASD: Caring for a New Generation Conference is a joint event by the Union of Ontario Indians, Noojmowin Teg Health Centre, Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre and the North Shore Tribal Council FASD Programs.

(Guest Speaker, Lawyer David Boulding, Anishinabek Nation deputy Grand Council Chief Glen Hare, Executive Director of Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre Angela Recollet and Conference Co-Chair Dan Garcia)

By Stew Kernan

Another winning month for the Sudbury Wolves.

A 2-1 overtime win over the Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds last night gave the local juniors a 6-and-4 record for November and moves them into 8th place in the Eastern Conference, just 7 points out of 1st.

Matt Campagna was the hero last night with the game winning goal 44 seconds into O-T.

The Wolves have won three in a row and look to extend their winning streak when they host Brampton Friday night.

By Angela Gemmill

There are bus cancellations this morning in our region.

Due to the poor weather conditions certain bus routes in Alban, Noelville and St Charles are cancelled.

No other areas are effected.

Go to www.businfo.ca for a complete list.

A caller to our newsroom told us these places got freezing rain, ice pellets and 2-3 centimetres of snow overnight.

Anyone traveling through these affected areas should drive with caution.

By Angela Gemmill

You may not recognize Greater Sudbury’s Chief of Police today.

That’s because Frank Elsner is ‘stache-less’.

His moustache was shaved off yesterday for charity in a reverse “Movember” event.

Close to three thousand dollars was raised towards Prostrate Cancer research.

Elsner, who admitted to being was nervous before the shave, says his two daughters, ages 10 and 18, have never seen him without his moustache.

Several other members of the Greater Sudbury Police Services also shaved off their moustaches for the event.

(Picture from Police Chief Frank Elsner’s Twitter Feed)

By Angela Gemmill

The new ice pad at Countryside Arena, that just opened last month, had to be temporarily closed over the weekend.

A rep for the Sudbury’s Leisure Services says water from the heavy rain leaked in from the older building and traveled across steel roof beams onto the ice surface.

Crews are working on a long term solution to the problem.

The ice pad was closed most of Sunday.

By Stew Kernan

It may not seem like it some times…but Greater Sudbury is one of Ontario’s safest places to drive.

45 communities were rated by Allstate Insurance on their collision rates between 2009 and 2011 and Sudbury placed 10th lowest.

Two other Northern Ontario cities placed in the Ontario Safe Driving Study Top 10…Thunder Bay at 6 and the Soo at number 9.

North Bay dropped from 14th spot down to 32nd.

According to the survey, Brockville is the safest place to drive in Ontario while Bolton, Markham, Toronto, Thornhill and Brampton  had the highest collision rates.

Here is the entire list…..

Collision frequency rates per 100 cars for 2009-11 from Allstate Canada Ontario Safe Driving Study:

1. – Brockville (2.48)

2. – Welland (2.95)

3. – Chatham (3.26)

4. – Amherstburg (3.50)

5. – St. Thomas (3.55)

6. – Thunder Bay (3.66)

7. – Kingston (3.72)

8. – Georgetown (3.81)

9. – Sault Ste. Marie (3.82)

10. – Greater Sudbury (3.91)

11. – Guelph (4.00 tie)

11. – Sarnia (4.00 tie)

13. – Belleville (4.01)

14. – St. Catharines (4.08)

15. – Niagara Falls (4.10)

16. – Kitchener (4.11)

17. – Peterborough (4.12)

18. – Stouffville (4.28)

19. – Windsor (4.40)

20. – Bowmanville (4.46)

21. – Cornwall (4.65 tie)

21. – Oakville (4.65 tie)

23. – Cambridge (4.71)

24. – Burlington (4.74 tie)

24. – Hamilton (4.74 tie)

26. – Brantford (4.78)

27. – Milton (4.84)

28. – Newmarket (4.93)

29. – Barrie (5.03)

30. – Oshawa (5.15)

31. – Aurora (5.16)

32. – North Bay (5.31)

33. – Woodbridge (5.33)

34. – Ottawa (5.45)

35. – Richmond Hill (5.66)

36. – London (5.70)

37. – Mississauga (5.88 tie)

37. – Pickering (5.88 tie)

39. – Ajax (5.93)

40. – Maple (5.94)

41. – Bolton (5.96)

42. – Markham (6.13)

43. – Toronto (6.16)

44. – Thornhill (6.24)

45. – Brampton (6.78)

By Angela Gemmill

It’s just one piece of a much bigger picture.

A 400-metre section of the Junction Creek Waterway Park officially opened today connecting the trail between Aurthur Street and Attlee Avenue in New Sudbury.

Brian Smith, with Connect the Creek Partnership, says this is the first portion of the trail completed since the committee was put together.

The Junction Creek Waterway Park is a partnership between Rainbow Routes Association, the Junction Creek Stewardship Committee, the Nickel District Conservation Authority and the City of Greater Sudbury.

The latest construction took roughly a week to finish with help from numerous volunteers.

The next seven kilometres of trail will be be finished by 2015, but will be done in pieces because some areas require land acquisitions.

Once done the finished trail will provide 18-kilometres of non-motorized walkway from Kelly Lake Road in the South to Maley Drive in the North.

Judy Courtemanche with Rainbow Routes Association says the finished park trail will be monumental for the city, will help attract visitors and will keep children safe while they walk or cycle throughout the city.

Ward 11 Councillor Terry Kett says developing our walking areas is a big step to changing our cultural outlook on travel throughout the city -moving residents from highways and busy streets to walking/cycling trails.

Sudbury City Council gave money towards the development of this latest trail and Kett says he will continue to make sure the project is funded until its finished.

Several of the speakers at today’s opening spoke about the need for safe walking areas particularly after news of two separate pedestrian-vehicle collisions in the city.

(Judy Courtemanche, Terry Kett, Brian Smith and Dave Courtemanche at opening of section of Junction Creek Waterway Park)