A Rayside-Balfour woman has been issued a six-month conditional sentence after stealing lottery tickets from a convenience store in the community where she worked as a clerk We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentNicole Fex, 62, also received a stand-alone restitution order for $7,000, a one-year probation order and a DNA order after pleading guilty to theft over $5,000 in the Ontario Court of Justice in Sudbury. The court heard G&P Confectionery in Chelmsford lost $19,600. Before coming to court, Fex had repaid $1,000 to the store owner. The Crown and defence lawyer Denis Michel suggested the sentence. The Ontario Provincial Police Investigation and Enforcement Bureau laid the charge. In a news release issued in 2023, the OPP said the charge was laid “in relation to an Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation suspicious activity investigation.” On July 23, 2024, bureau members, attached to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, received information from the OLG Forensic Investigations Unit about suspicious transactions involving lottery tickets at a retail outlet in Sudbury. transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Northern OntarioNewsFamily announces death of longtime Sudbury politician Lionel Lalonde, 89By Darren MacDonaldPublished: March 24, 2025 at 6:56PM EDT Twitter feed ©2025 BellMedia All Rights Reserved school board trustee and teacher dies at the age of 89 Lionel Lalone was a ‘champion for progress in our region’ who will be missed We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentLefebvre offered his condolences as news of Lalonde’s death began to circulate on Monday died Sunday at McCulloch Hospice in Sudbury but was best known as a regional councillor for the former Regional Municipality of Sudbury and as mayor of the Town of Rayside-Balfour from 1988 to 2000 He also served as a councillor for the City of Greater Sudbury when it was created in 2000 following amalgamation serving one term before retiring from politics in 2003 Lalonde was known for his passionate advocacy for Rayside-Balfour Start your days with the latest local news By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Sudbury Star Morning Briefing will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. “I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Lionel Lalonde a dedicated public servant and longtime former mayor of Rayside-Balfour,” Lefebvre said in a release a leader who cared deeply for the people he served “His legacy is one of commitment and service always striving to make Rayside-Balfour and Greater Sudbury a better place for all particularly in shaping local governance and strengthening our community “On behalf of city council and the residents of Greater Sudbury I extend my heartfelt condolences to Lionel’s family and all those who were fortunate enough to know him His impact will be felt for generations to come.” Friends and colleagues took to social media to honour Lalonde “An excellent human being who did so much for the community,” wrote Jack MacLellan “He was not only a great leader but also a wonderful person and he ensured that everything and everyone was aligned to help our community thrive.” a former city councillor and Greater Sudbury mayor called Lalone “a true community builder and leader “It is so sad to hear about the passing of Lionel E “Lionel will be remembered as one of our community’s greatest leaders He will be sadly missed by thousands and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family Lalonde is survived by his wife of 68 years He is the son of the late Napoléon Lalonde and the late Irène (née Moncion) and the brother of Roger (late Eugénie) and the late Germain He is survived by children Gisèle Yasko (Michel) who supported Lionel and our family throughout his battle with cancer.” A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, March 28, at 10 a.m. at Notre Dame du Rosaire Parish in Blezard Valley. Donations by cheque or online to the Maison McCulloch Hospice – maisonsudburyhospice.org/donate – would be appreciated. A Rayside-Balfour is facing impaired driving charges after a crash early Sunday on Highway 144 We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentIn a release, the OPP in Sudbury said officers were called just after 7 a.m. about a vehicle in a ditch. “No injuries were reported when police attended the scene and arrested the driver for impaired driving, then transported the driver to the OPP detachment for further testing,” police said. As a result, Jordan Desilets, 30, was charged with impaired driving and failing a breath test, or blowing over 80. The accused was released and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice on Oct. 16. The driver lost his licence for 90 days and his vehicle seven. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Full Screen is not supported on this browser version. You may use a different browser or device to view this in full screen. Northern Ontario WatchLionel Lalonde passes away at 89Lionel Lalonde, who was mayor of Rayside-Balfour, then a city councillor in Greater Sudbury after amalgamation in 2001, has died, his family said Monday. Productions Café-Musique de Rayside-Balfour (CMRB) received more than $15,000 in federal funding to support French-language arts and culture programming in Greater Sudbury. The non-profit organization, which was incorporated in 2010, stages live music concerts, festivals, and other theatrical productions that promote history, culture, and performing arts in the community. Article contentA release the money will be used to support Café festival Noël, which will be held exclusively online. The show was designed so that participants could experience “the arts and culture of how French Canadians, Métis, and Acadians celebrated their respective Christmas seasons.” The funding will also be used to develop new community productions in the future. “When the world gives you a lemon, you make lemonade, and this is what CMRB has done and continues to do,” Café Heritage Rayside-Balfour executive director Gary Michalak said in a relase. “COVID-19 has not been kind to the arts, culture, and heritage industries.” Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré lauded CMRB for delivering “valuable projects that promote local talent in the region. Through arts and teachings, we can celebrate and honour our local culture and longstanding traditions,” he said.  For more information, visit www.cafeheritage.ca/. With the arrival of the Jolly Old Elf only days away it’s clear that things are becoming a little more quiet on the Sudbury sports scene these days anyone expecting the action to grind to a complete halt might be in for a surprise — well except perhaps for next Monday and Tuesday Article contentA number of athletes and teams continue to post notable accomplishments as the holiday season arrives with countless others still hard at work in training mode preparing to start the new year off with a bang Few have enjoyed a more successful start to the winter of 2023-24 than local curler Tracy Fleury skip Rachel Homan and their rink that also features second Emma Miskew and lead Sarah Wilkes Winners of 32 of the 36 games they have played thus far the Team Homan members have now captured three Grand Slam of Curling events and also made it to the finals of the KIOTI National the second-ranked team in the world won six of seven games (they suffered an 8-6 setback to Eunjung Kim in their final preliminary encounter) bouncing Isabella Wrana of Sweden 8-3 in the quarter-finals doubling Manitoban Jennifer Jones 8-4 in the semis before taking down Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland (No 1 in the world) by that same score in the final OHL news and expert analysis from Postmedia reporters across the province The next issue of Ryan "Pucks" Pyette on the OHL will soon be in your inbox This marked the third time that Fleury took home hardware from the event, finishing on top in both 2019 and 2021 with teammates Selena Njegovan, Liz Fyfe and Kristin MacCuish while Homan has now reached that pinnacle four times, although her previous triumphs date back to 2012, 2013 and 2015. Fleury and company will soon turn their attention to the 2024 Ontario men’s and women’s curling championships, set for Jan. 22 to 28 in Dorchester Ont., at the same time as a new NOCA women’s champion will be crowned in Little Current. There will be some very cool hockey experiences on the horizon for a trio of players with local ties, starting with the news that Sudbury goaltender Mateo Beites has been named to the roster of 18 that will represent Canada at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in South Korea at the end of January. A member of the Sudbury Wolves U16 AAA squad one year ago as an underager, Beites made the move this past fall to join forces with the Barrie Junior Colts, one of the top-ranked teams in the province, as he works hard in anticipation of the upcoming OHL draft in April. Still with hockey, word is another local puck-stopper is in for a very interesting Christmas vacation. Former Dallas Stars draft pick and longtime Valley East native Tyler Beskorowany has been invited to participate as part of the Team Canada roster that will compete at the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland. While the Hockey Canada website, at the time of this writing, had confirmed only team staff and coaching staff, including the likes of Joe Thornton as co-general manager and Bruce Boudreau as head coach, we have received confirmation that family members of the Beskorowany clan have already made plans for travel and such to the holiday mainstay on the hockey calendar in Europe. Finally, OHL draft-eligible defenceman Kohyn Eshkawkogan has been selected among the group of 40 GTHL U16 AAA players who will compete in a Prospects Game at the Herb H. Carnegie Centennial Centre on Jan.17. A Manitoulin Island product from M’Chigeeng First Nation, the smooth-skating 15-year-old rearguard spent a handful of years with the Nickel City Sons before heading south to play with the Mississauga Reps, then the North York Rangers. Sudbury Laurentian Swim Club swimmers will now enjoy at least a few well-deserved days off. In their final weekend of competition on two different fronts, SLSC representatives closed out the year in style. The only local who qualified for the Ontario Junior International at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre from Dec. 14 to 17, James Bertrim recorded five new personal best times, all while competing in that same number of events. In lowering his time below the four-minute plateau in the 400-metre freestyle event, the Lockerby Composite senior became the first local product to accomplish the feat since Olympic double gold-winner Alex Baumann some 50 years ago. Meanwhile, the balance of the SLSC crew found themselves in Brantford for the Team Showdown on those same dates. While we have already noted previously the ongoing progress of the early teen grouping of Dax Hester, Jacob Smith and Hunter Green, coach Dean Henze was thrilled for that troika to welcome more fast-rising swimmers to their level — or close to it. In particular, he noted the performances of Ewan Duncan (fifth in 200 freestyle and 200 backstroke) and James Ford (four top 10s) and Blake Gough (bronze in 100 and 200 freestyle). Finally, a shout-out to the Rayside-Balfour U18 Icecats who reeled off five straight wins to take home the banner at the Sensplex Holiday Houseleague Tournament in Nepean. With victories over the Aylmer Gladiateurs, Leitrim Hawks and Kanata Mustangs, the local NEHL representatives earned a bye to the semifinals. There, they met the HRS Hawks from Quebec, their defensive acumen coming in handy as they carved out a 3-0 win, marking their second of three straight shutouts to close out tournament play. That run saw the Cats score twice in a 19-second span near the end of the second period, the goals making all of the difference in a 2-0 gold-medal-winning effort against the Kawartha Coyotes. Randy Pascal’s Treasure Trove column runs once a month in The Sudbury Star. part reunion when Rayside-Balfour kicks off 125th-anniversary celebrations with a community extravaganza at Chelmsford Arena on Thursday "We have basically transformed the arena into a cabaret," said Gary Michalak co-ordinator for Cafe Musique and chair of Rayside-Balfour 125 festivities A full roster of entertainers including Stef Paquette Christian Berthiaume and Heritage Nord will entertain guests as well as current and former community leaders "We have 15-20 former members of the old Azilda and what we're also doing is different groups will purchase tables and over the course of the evening we're going to be recognizing the individual tables to stand and take a deserved bow for helping us build the community we haven't seen a lot of these folks in a while Packages that include admission to other festivities this week including Country Fest on Friday night and the Rock and Roll Party on Saturday The Main Street Block Party and parade begin on Saturday at 10 a.m Main Street in Chelmsford will be blocked off for the event and two stages will be set up for a variety of local entertainers The homecoming theme will carry over for some acts "We have everything from Irish to French to bluegrass to country to rock and roll," Michalak said Anyone wishing to take part in the parade can still do so Events downtown include an antique car show Firefighters will bring equipment and set up activities for kids and teach about fire prevention I think we're going to get sprayed on," Michalak said Full musical lineups for Country Fest and the Rock and Roll Party can be found on the event website Rayside-Balfour 125 celebrations later this summer include Hockey Night in Rayside-Balfour and the Cafe Heritage Festival at Whitewater Park bleeson@postmedia.com Twitter: @ben_leeson There will be some familiar faces behind the Rayside-Balfour Canadians bench this coming season — both to the Rayside faithful and to many others in the Greater Sudbury hockey community Canadians general manager Jeff Forsyth named Vagelli Sakellaris as the team’s new head coach Article contentA pair of former major-junior standouts while Rayside alumnus Eric Navarro will step in as goalie coach Sakellaris and Beljo both served as assistant coaches last season Chaumont will make his debut as a full-time coach after 14 years as a professional player All four coaches are from the Sudbury area “We are extremely excited to announce our new coaching staff and build on the success that our team enjoyed last year,” Forsyth said in a release “Vagelli is very excited to be named a head coach for the first time in the NOJHL and I know he will do a great job for us Having Jadran return from last year’s staff provides continuity and adding Bobby to our coaching staff with his extensive experience as a player will prove to be invaluable to our players Eric will provide our goaltenders with the experience that he gained leading the Rayside Canadians to the CJHL championship.” joined Cuomo behind the bench midway through the 2019-20 campaign helping the locals to a 40-11-3-2 record and first place in the West He previously served Rayside as an assistant in 2016-17 and 2017-18 and was part of Dave Clancy’s staff in Espanola in 2018-19 mostly with the Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats and Sudbury Northern Wolves was an assistant coach for the Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves of the Great North Midget League before joining the Canadians last season he collected 221 points in 267 games with Peterborough Mississauga and London before embarking on a university career with Lakehead Chaumont is certainly no stranger to Nickel City hockey fans 272-game OHL career with the Sudbury Wolves He played professionally in the United States France and Germany before retiring this past summer The 35-year-old boasts some experience as a player/assistant coach both in the Elite Ice Hockey League in the U.K and the Southern Professional Hockey League in the U.S is a former pick of the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers who backstopped Rayside to a berth in the RBC Cup national final in 2001 While the Canadians are still awaiting word on when the 2020-21 season will begin staff are preparing for a skill development and conditioning camp with returning players and recruits next week The camp will open at Walden Arena on Monday with additional sessions to follow on Wednesday and Friday bleeson@postmedia.com RAYSIDE-BALFOUR— Mathieu Dokis-Dupuis is playing a much bigger role this season with the Rayside-Balfour Canadians. In fact, Dokis-Dupuis, a member of Dokis First Nation, is now one of the go-to players for the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) squad. Dokis-Dupuis, a 19-year-old forward, has already surpassed the 34 points he earned in his rookie season with the Canadians last year. After his first 39 matches this season, Dokis-Dupuis had collected 43 points (16 goals and 27 assists). The Canadians have 11 regular season outings remaining for him to add to his totals. Dokis-Dupuis entered the week as one of six Rayside-Balfour players engaged in a serious battle for the team scoring lead. Four of his teammates — Nicholas DeGrazia, Mitchell Martin, Brady Maltais and Benjamin Hatanaka— were tied in points, all having racked up 44 points apiece. Another teammate, Matthew Belanger, was right on their tails having picked up 40 points. “It’s a confidence booster,” Dokis-Dupuis said. “It’s nice to be one of the top guys on the team.” Dokis-Dupuis added it is positive for the Canadians to have a large number of offensive weapons instead of just a few players the squad relies on. “I think our team is a well-balanced team,” he said. “I think it’s a very good thing to have, especially moving forward into the playoffs.” The Canadians are enjoying their share of successes this season. After 45 games, the Rayside-Balfour squad had posted a 31-10-3-1 record. With their 66 points, the Canadians were tied for top spot in the league’s six-team West Division with the Blind River Beavers. “We’re a very skilled team,” Dokis-Dupuis said. “Whenever we go to work hard, we’re a tough team to beat.” He added he believes the Canadians are one of four squads that would be considered serious contenders to win the NOJHL championship this season. Dokis-Dupuis is hoping Rayside-Balfour not only accomplishes this feat but also has some additional success after that. The NOJHL champs will advance to the Dudley Hewitt Cup, which begins Apr. 28 in Fort Frances. That four-squad tournament will be hosted by the Fort Frances Lakers, members of the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL). The tourney will also include the SIJHL champs (or league finalists if the Lakers win) and the playoff champions from the Ontario Junior Hockey League. The squad that captures the Dudley Hewitt Cup will advance to May’s national Junior A tournament. That event, which will be staged in the Manitoba city of Portage la Prairie, was dubbed the RBC Cup in recent years but has rebranded to the Centennial Cup in 2020. “I think we can get to [the national tournament],” Dokis-Dupuis said. Canadians’ general manager Jeff Forsyth was well acquainted with Dokis-Dupuis even before he joined the Rayside-Balfour squad. That’s because during the 2017-18 season, the teen played for the Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves’ Midget AAA team. Forsyth was an assistant coach for that squad. “Now that he’s in his second year, he’s more comfortable and more confident,” Forsyth said. “And he’s relied upon a bit more.” Prior to this season, the Canadians’ brass made Dokis-Dupuis one of the team’s assistant captains. “It’s definitely nice to be looked on to be a leader on the team,” he said. Dokis-Dupuis has one season of junior hockey eligibility remaining after this year. He believes he would like to continue his career after that by playing for a college or university team. “There’s a future for him in the game,” Forsyth said. “We’re hoping to get him back next year. And then on to university hockey after that.” Dokis-Dupuis is currently taking some part-time business courses at Sudbury’s Laurentian University. He’s not sure if he will continue his studies next season as he has applied for the powerline technician program at Cambrian College, also in Sudbury. Marois solid in 5-1 victory over Blind River Jake Marois made some big saves late in Sunday’s game but the first stop he made may have been the most important The Rayside-Balfour Canadians’ rookie goaltender was a deserving first star in his first NOJHL win a 5-1 triumph over the Blind River Beavers at Chelmsford Arena Article content“I felt comfortable as soon as I got my first shot,” said the 17-year-old Sudburian and then as soon as we got that first goal I was super pumped and I knew we were going to win this one.” That power-play marker by Brady Maltais was one of two by Rayside’s captain in his return from a two-game suspension which helped to send the hosts into the new year on a winning note and gave them a split in their four-game series against a very game Blind River sextet Owen Perala and Michael Campbell also scored while Nick DeGrazia collected three assists and Marois made a total of 33 saves as Rayside improved to 3-6-0-1 “It was a huge win before the holidays,” Marois said it was just a good game and we played really well defensively Meguire Naughton scored and Wyatt Courchaine made 31 saves for Blind River which finished the 2020 side of its schedule with a 5-3-1-0 record who has recorded points in all but two of the Canadians’ games this season slotted once more between DeGrazia and Perala “We’re a better hockey team than we have been showing lately,” said the 20-year-old centreman from Dowling a fourth-year member of the local junior A squad “The coaches had a talk with us before this game We were getting a little too riled up after the losses settled us down and we went out and executed today “We needed to get the energy going and to play with a desire to win That’s something we have been struggling with in the last couple of games so we needed to play to win — being first on pucks doing little things right and capitalizing on chances when we get them.” Special teams were central in Sunday’s contest due to Rayside’s success in scoring three times with the man advantage as well as Blind River’s inability to convert when the Canadians got into penalty trouble late Maltais’ first goal came at 5:51 of the first stanza as the veteran deflected Gio Biondi’s shot over the shoulder of Courchaine and into his net finishing off a sharp passing play with Mitchell Martin at Joel Mongeon at 11:17 of the opening period The Beavers certainly had their moments during the first 20 minutes and enjoyed some extended stays in the offensive zone “He did awesome,” Maltais said of the freshman netminder “He was communicating with our guys out there We need him to have some big games like that so it was nice to see him stepping up to the plate.” Naughton spoiled any hope of a shutout when he chipped a puck over Marois at 5:32 of the second but Maltais answered with his team’s only even-strength tally burying a rebound on a shot by Avery Chisholm at the 13:30 mark Courchaine made a couple of big stops in the third first turning aside the hard-shooting Martin with a highlight-reel stick save then shutting the door on DeGrazia after an impressive individual effort by the speedy Rayside winger Blind River’s goalie had little chance to stop a deflection by Perala on a point shot by Carter Geoffroy at 12:58 DeGrazia picked up his third helper on the power-play goal A steady stream to the sin bin may have bolstered Blind River’s comeback hopes with a pair of five-on-three advantages in the final frame “I was totally in the zone — I actually liked it,” he said with a smile A graduate of the Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves and the reigning Great North Under-18 League goalie of the year 175-pounder admitted to needing at adjustment period in his first year as a junior but felt he was making good progress as of Sunday “It’s definitely different this year,” Marois said so you have to make sure you cover everything I have definitely improved my reflexes over the last few weeks Another late power play encouraged the Beavers to pull Courchaine in favour of an extra attacker but Campbell connected on a long try for the empty net only seconds later to round out the scoring at 17:24 so this is a big victory for us,” Maltais said we can come back after a nice win like this and keep the momentum going —  keep positive and get some wins and start rolling.” Bobby Chaumont may be taking on a new role but he’s certainly familiar with many of his castmates Having wrapped up a 14-year pro hockey career with stops all over North America and Europe the 35-year-old Sudbury native has moved behind the bench as a member of the Rayside-Balfour Canadians’ new coaching staff Article contentChaumont joined the NOJHL team on the ice Monday and Wednesday for a conditioning and skills development camp at Walden Arena Another session is scheduled for Friday afternoon playing pro for many years and now being on this side of things shortly before heading on the ice on Wednesday and it lifts myself and the coaching staff up “I’m looking forward to getting things going Well-remembered by many local hockey fans for his starring run with the Sudbury Wolves during which he racked up 214 points in 272 OHL games from 2001 to 2005 Chaumont played professionally in the United States but always kept one foot in the Nickel City He’s old friends and former teammates with head coach Vagelli Sakellaris going back to their own NOJHL days with the now-defunct Sudbury Northern Wolves and is also well-acquainted with fellow assistant Jadran Beljo having faced him several times as an OHLer Rayside general manager Jeff Forsyth is another familiar face having coached Chaumont’s son in minor hockey while senior advisor Blaine Smith and owner Mark Burgess were running the OHL’s Wolves throughout Chaumont’s entire run in that league I have always gone away for the winters and come back in summers,” Chaumont said so I was always back in the summers and I enjoy my time here I always knew I was going to be settling back here and it’s nice to be back This will be my first full year here in a long time and I hope everything gets going and we have a season.” he got involved in the burgeoning Northern Ontario film industry and played several small parts in locally shot films — police officer before landing his first credited speaking role as a caroller in Pride and Prejudice and Christmas a Hallmark movie starring Mean Girls alumna Lacey Chabert and then everything kind of came to a halt,” Chaumont said “It looks like things are going to start back up A lot of things are up in the air for me and it was a bit of a weird transition but I tried to take it day by day and this is a good start as far as coaching Chaumont gained key experience as a player/coach with both the Dundee Stars in Elite Ice Hockey League and the Fayetteville FireAntz of the Southern Professional Hockey League but didn’t necessarily expect to make the change so soon “Jeff had approached me to see if I was interested in this and I knew I wanted to stay involved in the game so coaching was definitely something that interested me I think this is a good level for me to start and to get my feet wet Having recently played the game at a high level he hopes to provide insight for Rayside’s returnees and recruits alike as to what will be required of them if they want to advance their own careers “I’m looking forward to getting to know these guys and getting to know what their aspirations are with hockey whether it’s finishing up here or to move on and explore other avenues,” Chaumont said things didn’t work out as far as playing in the NHL but there’s always different avenues you can take if you have that passion for the sport There’s definitely things you can do and places you can go so I’m looking forward to getting to know them and to helping them in any way I can.” Day 4: Breaking down Carney's $2B plan to bolster the auto sectorVideo1:04 nowFeatured Video - 10 videosVideo3:28 Canadians retrace their fathers’ footsteps in the NetherlandsThe National |May 5Video2:23 Air Canada flight credit stolen, used for stranger’s luxury trip | Go PublicThe National |6 hours agoVideo4:45 Trump repeats 51st state taunt as Carney prepares for White House visitThe National |4 hours agoVideo1:59 How GM job cuts could impact OshawaCBC News |May 4Video2:31 It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem The Rayside-Balfour Canadians haven’t hit the ice in more than three months but they’re still making their presence felt in the community — much to the relief of Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer of the charity game against the Blind River Beavers “We only had 300 or so people in the building all contributed to this event and made it a huge success for a Tier II team to be able to raise the money that was raised in conjunction with the whole community and those who were there.” was previously the longtime owner of the Sudbury Wolves and oversaw that team’s first Superhero Night themed-jersey fundraiser With a total of $7,500 raised at the game on Feb matching what the Wolves raised for NOFCC with their first event in 2016 “It was great to be back involved in junior hockey again and people who have followed us for 30 years know is we’ve always tried to give back to this community,” Burgess said “Whether it’s specific charities or putting money back into minor hockey or sports The donation could not have been more welcome a volunteer-based organization whose aim is to provide “hope advocacy and education to families who have a child with cancer,” including those with a child on active treatment those off treatment or receiving follow-up care The charity has seen its fundraising activities severely curtailed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic “It’s hard to tell you how important it is to receive funds like this at a time like this,” said Caruso “Being a small organization that makes a huge impact across Northern Ontario to 200 families every year although we knew some funds were coming in NOFCC families are already proficient at isolation but have faced even tougher times during the pandemic “A lot of them are stuck in the cities they’re in and they’re even further apart,” Caruso said so it’s particularly difficult for them and they’re in need of emergency funding which is where we’re seeing a lot of our funding go to our organization is in an OK financial position to be able to continue to help these families but if these restrictions go on for a long time it’s going to make things very difficult for us with one staff and a volunteer board of directors so we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this tremendous gift.” A Rayside-Balfour driver is charged with stunt driving after being clocked going more than 50 km over the speed limit on Highway 69 West Parry Sound OPP said an officer observed a northbound vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed shortly after midnight on Saturday We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle content“As a result the West Parry Sound detachment stopped its eighth vehicle in 2019 for stunt driving – travelling more than 50 km over the posted speed limit,” the police service said in a release was charged with racing a motor vehicle (stunt driving) The driver is scheduled to attend the Ontario Court of Justice in Parry Sound on March 26 His licence has been suspended for seven days and the vehicle he was operating has been impounded for seven days The Rayside-Balfour Canadians dipped into the not too distant past to fill its coaching ranks for next season. New team owner Adrian Geyde unveiled the group that will operate behind the bench Wednesday night at the team's home at Chelmsford Arena. Moxam is thrilled to be back behind an NOJHL bench. "There is a ton of history here playing for Ken MacKenzie and getting to coach with him, and I am so happy the team came back out here," he added. "The renovations in the building look great and there is a great group of young men here we are eager to develop into hockey players and great young men." Moxam described the style of team he wants to have. "It doesn't matter the level I coach at, the successful teams are all responsible in their own end of the ice and you build from the back end out," he said. "That said, one of the philosophies we have always shared is the fact we don't want to handcuff anybody. You can't teach great players how to score, that's about being creative and having natural ability, and we want to score a lot of goals in this building and give the fans something to be proud of. "We want everyone to know we are looking for men who want to play at the next level and want to be here and be professional and grow as a family and a group and bring a national championships back here." The general manager title is a new one for Clancy, who is eager to get to work. "It's exciting to come back to league and I am taking on a different role this time as GM, but it is something I want to try out," he said. "The league is exciting and it is strong with 12 teams and I am looking forward to being involved in the league again." Clancy did do some GM work when the franchise was known as the Sudbury Junior Wolves. Sakellaris is eager to move up to the junior ranks. "I am looking forward to working with older players with more experience in a faster-paced game and it will be nice coaching with body contact again, and the intensity and compete of the game at this level will make it a fun year." Geyde, who purchased the team a couple of months ago, was all smiles as he introduced his staff. "Mox is a great leader and great mentor and I am a big fan, and Clancy won a league championship here, as did Mox, and they know the league and they have had success," he said. "Vagelli is a good coach who has had success everywhere he has gone, and we are really excited to have Barrie Moore with us. He is a former OHL star and NHL player and he will be invaluable for skill development and he will mentor our players." The Canadians are holding fitness testing for potential players on May 13 at RHP, with a spring tryout camp to follow May 14-15 at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex. Sign in Join now, it's FREE! The Soo Thunderbirds regained their winning ways on Sunday night with a 2-1 win over the Rayside Balfour Sabrecats It was the second game in as many nights for the Thunderbirds as the locals dropped a 4-1 decision to the Blind River Beavers on Saturday night in Blind River for their first loss of the season On Sunday night at the John Rhodes Community Centre Adam Kauppi broke a 1-1 tie at 12:43 of the third period to lift the Thunderbirds to the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League win Rayside opened the scoring in the second as Dylan Butterfly beat Thunderbirds goaltender Michael Maulucci Kyle Rodgers scored a short time later on the power play to tie the game at 1-1 Maulucci was solid in net stopping 30 of 31 shots in being named the game's first star Rayside goaltender Paul Pidutti was also strong Mark Thorburn and Billy Griffore each added an assist for the Thunderbirds The win improves the Thunderbirds record to 3-1 for six points and a first place tie with the Manitoulin Wild The Thunderbirds will now enjoy a nine-day break before returning to NOJHL action on Sept Ignace against the Northern Michigan Black Bears October 1 against the Abitibi Eskimos at 7:30 p.m Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines The North Bay Police Association Trappers captured gold in the peewee division of the Rayside Balfour House League Tiger Tournament this past weekend.  the Trappers beat out Valley Outdoor Power by a score of 4-2 to claim the title.  Austin Barnard had two goals for the Trappers while Brody Pharand and Kendall Cosgrove scored the others The North Bay Police Association Trappers are made up of Sam Jones Keiran Bailey and Raine Bradley.  Coaching Staff include Gil Pharand More Spotlight > The Elliot Lake Wildcats got a pair of goals from Shane Woolsey along with a marker and two assists from Josh Armstrong to help lead the visitors to a 6-1 victory over the Rayside-Balfour Canadians on Thursday afternoon in the NOJHL preseason opener at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex. Woolsley staked the Wildcats to an early lead as he connected on the power play at 2:41 beating Rayside-Balfour starting netminder Tyler Szturm. Mike David pulled the Canadians even with a man-advantage marker of his own six minutes later only to hve Armstrong strike unassisted 20 seconds later with the eventual game-winner. Elliot Lake added another before the stanza was complete as Armstrong fed Garrett Russel at 11:42. Brett Jacklin notched the lone marker of the middle stanza to give the Wildcats a 4-1 cushion through 40 minutes as his shot eluded Owen Johannson, who entered the Rayside-Balfour net at 11:43 of the session. Woolsey’s second of the day 5:19 into the third put the visitors up by four while Carson Andrelloi wrapped up the scoring while Elliot Lake was up a man midway through the stanza. Justin Richer stopped 24 of the 25 shots he faced to record the win in goal for Elliot Lake. Szturm handled 16 of 19 in defeat for Rayside-Balfour, while Johannson turned aside 26 of 29 in just more than 28 minutes of relief. The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League announced Wednesday that tonight’s originally scheduled game between the Soo Thunderbirds and Rayside-Balfour Canadians at Essar Centre in Sault Ste. Marie has been postponed. This game has been called off due to the fact that Rayside-Balfour will have insufficient players to ice a complete roster for the contest due to injuries and none of their affiliate players being available due to the high school exams that are taking place across Ontario. “The decision to postpone the Thunderbirds–Canadians game was based on the importance the NOJHL places on both player safety and equally important, education,” stated league Commissioner Robert Mazzuca. “Both teams are impacted, with a number of players on the Thunderbirds also in the midst of studying for their exams, while adding in the time and distance involved for Rayside-Balfour to travel to Sault Ste. Marie and back, it was decided to reschedule the game in the best interests for everyone involved,” added Mazzuca. The NOJHL apologizes for any inconvenience this postponement may cause and the league will announced the make-up date for this contest once it is finalized.