Greater Sudbury community gathers for Ward 2 Coun. Vagnini’s funeral
Family and friends of the late Sudbury Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini along with members of the community he served gathered on Saturday at St. Pius X Church in the Greater Sudbury community of Lively for a traditional Roman Catholic funeral.
The church was at capacity for the March 2 mass, which was also attended by numerous emergency services personnel and local politicians – including several other city councillors, Mayor Paul Lefebvre and Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe.
The funeral featured an honour guard of firefighters that lined the entrance of the church before the ceremony began.
Vagnini was located deceased on Reserve Camp Road in Atikiameksheng Anishnawbek First Nation near the city on Feb. 13 at the age of 62 after being reported missing by family at the end of January and an extensive police and community search efforts.
Police said the councillor had died of “medical causes” following a post-mortem on Feb. 20, while his obituary states he passed “due to natural causes.”
Vagnini served on three terms on Greater Sudbury’s city council – he was acclaimed in one of the elections. Locals who attended the service said he will be remembered for his advocacy for Ward 2 – especially the community of Walden.
In Roman Catholic tradition, remarks were only delivered by Rev. Bob Bourgon. The officiant said he has known the family for many years and Vagnini since he was "in diapers."
Bourgon called Vagnini a "really, really good man" who "did what he thought was right, no matter what was going on" while remarking on his often sparkly and colourful clothing. The reverend said there was more going on behind the councillor’s flashiness – describing Vagnini as often insecure in the face of public criticism but always standing behind his faults or failings.
He said while people saw the councillor’s public persona, they did not always see the price he paid. Bourgon pointed out that many attendees at the funeral were also those who serve their community in the public spotlight and that politicians and emergency personnel may feel the same way – taken for granted or often misunderstood.
Vagnini’s obituary described him as a man "dedicated to making an impact on his community."
"This was demonstrated by his many leadership roles such as serving as chair and vice-chair on the Greater Sudbury Police Services Board, advocating for volunteer firefighter services, but most notably through a personal endeavour called ‘No One Eats Alone,'" reads the obituary.
"Michael was known for his advocacy. He championed forcefully for the Maison McCulloch Hospice and was instrumental in the expansion to provide more care to the local community. He devoted much of his life to meeting the individual needs of others as he would often personally take it upon himself to conduct snow removal by shovelling driveways and sidewalks, inspecting road concerns, or distributing meals on a Saturday night in downtown Sudbury."
His obituary called him a "beloved father, mentor and best friend to daughters Alison Vagnini and Erin Vagnini (Michael), and the proud Nonno to his beautiful granddaughter Adora." He is "deeply missed" by Leslie Vagnini, with whom he shared these two daughters and "lovingly missed" by his partner Janie Galipeau and her daughters Peyton and Paige.
Mayor Paul Lefebvre and city council have invited all residents of Greater Sudbury to sign a book of condolences for the family of the late Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini.
"On behalf of city council, my heart goes out to Michael’s partner, children, family and many friends, and to all those who have been helped in some way by him throughout his lifetime," Lefebvre said in a social media post on Feb. 14.
"His generosity and passion for his community were unmatched. He will be greatly missed."
Residents can sign the book of condolences until March 15 at the following locations:
- Tom Davies Square – One Stop Services, 200 Brady St., Sudbury.
- McClelland Community Centre and Arena, 37 Veterans Rd., Copper Cliff.
- Lively Library and Citizen Service Centre, 15 Kin Dr., Lively.
- T.M. Davies Community Centre and Arena, 325 Anderson Dr., Lively.
An online book of condolences is also available here for those who wish to send messages or submit photos.
A celebration of life for Vagnini will also take place at the T.M. Davies Community Centre on March 23 in the upstairs hall. The 'Michael’s Way' gathering will feature remarks from family and friends along with music.
Due to the limited seating in the arena hall, the celebration will also be livestreamed for any to be able to watch.
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
February was a difficult month for Greater Sudbury city council as Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier died at Health Sciences North on Feb. 21 at the age of 69 following a recent health issue. Montpellier’s funeral was held on Feb. 24 at Paroisse St. Joseph in Chelmsford.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6978852.1722008165!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before Jasper can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes "for several weeks."
'He was just gone': Police ramp up search for vulnerable 3-year-old boy in Mississauga, Ont.
Police in Mississauga are conducting a full-scale search of the city’s biggest park for a non-verbal toddler who went missing Thursday evening. Sgt. Jennifer Trimble told reporters Friday morning that there has been no trace of three-year-old Zaid Abdullah since 6:20 p.m., when he was last seen with his parents in Erindale Park, near Dundas Street West and Mississauga Road.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Paris Olympics kicks off with ambitious but rainy opening ceremony on the Seine River
Celebrating its reputation as a cradle of revolution, Paris kicked off its first Summer Olympics in a century on Friday with a rain-soaked, rule-breaking opening ceremony studded with stars and fantasy along the Seine River.
Canada's Christine Sinclair: 'We were never shown drone footage'
Canada soccer great Christine Sinclair said on Friday national team players were never shown drone footage during the more than two decades she was on the team, following a spying scandal that cast a shadow over the Canadians at the Paris Games.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn $146,000 for water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six figure water bill.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O’Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
At least 4 buildings burned at Jasper Park Lodge, others damaged: Fairmont memo
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge said Thursday afternoon most of its structures are 'standing and intact,' including its iconic main lodge.
Major Canadian bank experiences direct deposit outage on payday
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.