Another cold night outside as Sudbury grapples with acute homeless
An extreme cold warning remains in place for much of the region and for at least 15 people in Greater Sudbury living outside, it could be downright deadly.
Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc said Friday the city currently has space in each of its shelters. Leduc said there are still more than a dozen people who will choose to spend the evening outdoors.
"They are outright refusing help from our agencies, we do have capacity to get them into a safe space, we have capacity at the warming shelter," he said.
Leduc said he, his city council colleagues and city staff are extremely concerned and are doing what they can to help. He said the fire department and other agencies have been conducting individual checks on a regular basis.
"Over the next couple of weeks, I think we're going to have this park fairly cleaned up," he said. "All of these individuals, I think the citizens of Greater Sudbury will be happy to know, will be placed in a warm setting."
It's not just the weather posing a danger to those living outside. Across the way in Tom Davies Square, fire crews were called to a tent outside the Bell building that erupted into flames.
The occupant's belongings were destroyed and staff are working with him to help him get back to his hometown in the Niagara area.
"It's very dangerous," said Pastor Amanda Robichaud of the Elgin Street Mission.
"They're trying to stay warm, doing whatever they can and then you have fires and issues of loss of life that way and things like that -- it's a dangerous situation."
Robichaud knows a few of the individuals who are living outside. She's hoping Sudbury, as a collective, will do more to help those who can't or won't help themselves.
"People are tired of being outside," she said. "They don't have the resources they used to have before COVID-19, such as eating indoors."
Another dangerous situation occurred earlier in the park when Greater Sudbury Utilities discovered their hydro boxes had been tampered with.
Crews have since visited the area and cut any transmission to the cabinets that the city has installed there.
"Someone had broken the locks, pried open the doors and connected to electricity inside the cabinets," said GSU spokesperson Wendy Watson.
"It was obviously an unsafe situation so our crews removed the meter and capped the service, which effectively shut off the power to those boxes."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Security guard shot, critically injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.