A BMX group performed wild tricks at the Timmins Fall Fair on Saturday.

The Craz-E-Crew stunt team was one of the entertainment acts outside the Mountjoy Arena. They have toured across Canada and performed internationally in the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, Oman, India and Nigeria.

“I’m not that nervous. I am a bit but I’m just having fun and riding our bikes with our friends,” said Maxime Chalifour.

“They’re pretty good. It’s always fun to ride with them because I’m from Montreal. When I come here, they’re from Toronto so we have a good session.”

Chalifour performed with Jaden Chipman, Matt Konnings, Conor Rainford and Paul Hoerdt for the Timmins show.

“They’re young, they’re hungry to ride and eager to be riding whether it’s in a show, outside of the show, anytime really,” said Paul Hoerdt, manager of the the Craz-E-Crew.

The group warms up 10 to 15 minutes before the show. They do not plan what kind of tricks they do in the show.

“We just improvise. Some days we feel better, some days we don’t. We let it known how we feel,” said Chalifour.

When not performing shows, the group spends a fair amount of time practising their stunts for the next show.

“Max is from Quebec. There’s Le Taz Skate Park in Montreal. There’s also another training facility in Markham, Ontario called Joyride 150 that’s an indoor bike park. There’s also Inflow on Dundas and a lot of other places around Ontario,” said Hoerdt.

Hoerdt feels confident in his group’s talents and skills in being able to perform their stunts throughout the show.

“They are calculated risk but the crowd definitely helps with the energy and momentum of the show. They’re happy to be going upside down and we’re happy to put on a good show,” said Hoerdt.

“We’ve been doing it for quite a while so we have that interactive vibe. We really cater to the whole family and want to make it the best that we can. We just do what we know how to do and what works and hopefully everyone responses to that.”

The Daily Press emailed all three Ward 3 candidates, asked them to answer two questions as an introduction to their candidacy and limited them to 200 words for each response.

Each candidate responded by email. These are their unedited replies, presented here in alphabetical order.

Joe Campbell

What track record, experience or qualities do you have that make you a good choice as a city councillor for Ward 3?

I am completing my first council term and combined with my 43-year career in accounting, many holding various senior positions, I believe that I am the best candidate to continue to represent the citizens of Ward 3. The city is a business and needs to be run as a business in the best interest of taxpayers.

Since elected to council, I have been appointed, and served, as Vice-chair Golden Manor, Board member Timmins Economic Development Committee, Council member Audit Committee, Board Member Municipal Housing, Board Member Cochrane District Social Services Board and Council member Municipal Accessibility Advisory Council. This experience is invaluable.

I have made a lifetime commitment to make my community a better place. I have a 50-year history of volunteering for kids, and other causes, in our city. I am most proud of my 32 years with Camp Bickell. Since 1994, I have raised over $500,000 for 2,104 underprivilege kids to attend camp free of charge. Today, I continue to be involved to advance our community as co-chair of the Schumacher Revitalization Committee.

Electing a councillor, whose track record is one of not being afraid to speak up for all the taxpayers by being honest, transparent and accountable will be critical to our city achieving its goals in the future. That’s what I have done the last four years by being that voice. My experience will allow me to continue in that role.

What do you feel is a key priority for city council over the next term and what ideas or policies would you put forth to help address that priority?

During my first term, I have reached the conclusion that the city does not have a revenue problem but rather a spending problem. If council is going to address its huge monetary shortfall with respect to being able to maintain and improve our infrastructure and rebuild our reserves, it will have to commit to prioritize where money is most wisely spent. Nice-to-have projects will need to be put on the back burner and not proceed without a comprehensive needs study and risk assessment with respect to affordability.

Our mandate as council is to ensure that good jobs, affordable housing, reduced taxes, safe streets, good roads, and well-maintained infrastructure are the focus.

This can be achieved by continuing to work at attracting businesses to diversify our economy and broaden our tax base while being prudent with our spending.

Keeping Schumacher school, revitalizing the McIntyre Arena, developing a comprehensive plan for dealing with absentee landlords and derelict buildings and working towards expanded fire protection in the backroad communities are priorities that I will continue to work on in Ward 3.

City-wide, there are many pressing issues but the condition of our roads and the #4 east end pumping station are high on the list of projects that must be addressed quickly.

Donna Dorrington

What track record, experience or qualities do you have that make you a good choice as a city councillor for Ward 3?

My education, work history and community involvement make me an ideal councillor for Ward 3.

I have a degree in political science as well as a law degree. I understand how each level of government operates. It is important to recognize what a municipality can and can’t do should you wish to make municipal decisions.

In my role as a lawyer since 2004 I have gained the ability to be fair and objective by listening to all sides of an issue. Being a good advocate means being able to appreciate opposing views and realizing your own weaknesses.

I have set and met achievable goals over the years such as opening law offices in Timmins, North Bay and Sudbury, Ontario, realizing that reasonable and achievable goals are directed towards long-term results.

As a business owner, Treasurer of the BIA, board member of Timmins Chamber of Commerce and various other boards I have learned that it isn’t enough to sit by and be idle.  Instead, one must be decisive and demand outcomes.

I remain calm and level headed in all situations, am respectful to those who share differing opinions and speak with integrity and honesty even when the truth isn’t popular.

What do you feel is a key priority for city council over the next term and what ideas or policies would you put forth to help address that priority?

If elected I intend to create a Community Plan that will focus on the following priorities: Safety; Economic Viability and Quality of Life.

Increased police presence, dedicated patrols, fire hydrants/water supply in proximity to housing, clean roads and sidewalks free of debris and snow are areas of concerns. I will seek solutions on all issues of safety in our community.

I believe economic viability can be achieved through arts and culture. I will advocate to re-purpose abandoned buildings to bring in markets, vendors, crafters, artists etc. and to beautify the neighbourhood through programs like the Community Improvement Program. To show my commitment to this, I will donate my honourium to a fund to assist with these projects.

The residents of Ward 3 deserve a quality of life that aligns with their values. I hope to bring together the community through inclusive community events such as family potlucks where residents get to know each other and can bring their suggestions to me. I will hold monthly meetings to discuss the Community Plan to ensure our shared goals are met.

Should you wish to learn more about me visit my Facebook page Elect Donna Dorrington in Ward 3.

Carter Lucyk

What track record, experience or qualities do you have that make you a good choice as a city councillor for Ward 3?

I was born and raised in Schumacher. I am a volunteer Firefighter for 15 years. We assist with our local food bank annually. The Schumacher Fire Department administers the Mr. Schumacher Christmas gift to every elementary school child living in Schumacher. We purchase, wrap, and hand them out. For the last 6 years I fly children 7 to 17 in the Young Eagles program introducing possible careers in aviation whether in piloting or ground services. My career started with the family business. I pursued a trade in the equipment field that brought me through to Project Manager for one of the largest equipment dealers in Canada. I assisted with equipment procurement and maintenance requirements for the Dome Pit, DeBeers, Detour Lake, Baker Lake Nunavut and Brigus mine projects. Budgeting of these projects from initial start up to annual operating costs far exceed the costs of the City of Timmins. These operations have hundreds of employees that work 7/24/365 with some of these operations valued at over billion dollar start-up costs, from pre-feasibility to final budget approvals. Being semi-retired allows time to focus on a vision of helping the city grow in a more political role, with a polite, positive demeanor.

What do you feel is a key priority for city council over the next term and what ideas or policies would you put forth to help address that priority?

Ward 3 and the City of Timmins have many priorities in need of change. First issue is for council to become a team getting away from direct attacks. Next issue having all costs audited. If we have to reduce expenses from lowest to highest, we need to do the unpopular and reduce unnecessary spending. Hiring needs to be frozen and assessed. With hundreds of municipal workers we hire more contractors. We need to attract new employers that hire people and increase tax revenues. We need to work closely with both governments to assist with revitalization of our infrastructure. Would a rail service help attract more business in the Timmins and surrounding areas possibly reducing heavy traffic through the city? Entertainment that provides pride and relaxation needs attention. Have multiple venues that are affordable and plentiful bringing pride and revenues instead of huge losses costing millions. Homelessness, crime and drug issues need to be addressed. Our infrastructure needs an overhaul. The Porcupine Lake should be prioritized for all residents in the East end. I would like to see our main highway corridor become more scenic looking over the Mac and 11 Shaft. Building new housing complexes with scenic views.

A popular social program that was set up to inspire Timmins children to do more healthy things is coming to an end after a successful two and a half year run.

The Timmins-Misiway Healthy Kids Community Challenge is over at the end of this month because the provincial money that supported the program is no longer available.

Timmins was one of 45 communities across the province that took part in the program. As it stands now, no other funding is available for any of the communities across the province.

The funding was provided as the result of a joint application submitted by Misiway and the City of Timmins back in 2016. When the funding was approved, it was decided to have Misiway operate as the lead organization.

The annual funding was $175,000 annually to run the program from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care to promote health eating, healthy physical activities and healthy lifestyles. The funding over two and a half years for the Timmins program was more than $430,000.

Project manager Madison Mizzau said she was sad to see the program wrapping up, but said she was pleased with the results in the sense that hundreds of Timmins children learned to live more healthy lifestyles.

Mizzau added that the ideas and partnerships will continue in a less formal way but there will still be a forum for people to consider future programs and activities that will benefit children.

“Misiway will step in to the role of bringing partners together and it will be a roundtable discussion format,” she said.

She said many of the community partners contributed to the success of local programs and she said she is hopeful that will continue.

Over the course of the challenge, community partners from different sectors across the city, such as public health, education, recreation and local business, came together to collaborate on programs that promoted healthy behaviours for children and families, offering up activities and information to help kids stay active and healthy, Mizzau said.

“We had more than 40 different community partners participate in the Healthy Kids Community Challenge over the past two and a half years,” said Mizzau.

“Because of the incredible support from local partners and the community, we were able to implement a total of 43 initiatives during the four themes of the Challenge and reach over 20,000 participants, which is amazing.”

She said the Healthy Kids Community Challenge was rolled out as a series of four themes, each focusing on a different area of children’s health.

The first theme was “Run. Jump. Play. Every day.” This theme encouraged physical activity through a mix of active play, active transportation, sports and structured physical activity. As part of this theme, outdoor fitness equipment was installed in the north end of Mountjoy Historical Conservation Area (Participark).

The second theme, “Water Does Wonders,” was launched in June 2016, and encouraged kids and families to reach for water when thirsty instead of sugar-sweetened beverages. This theme saw the installation of water bottle refill stations at two local parks, as well as 14 schools and non-profit organizations. Together, these indoor water stations have so far saved over 117,000 single-use plastic water bottles from landfill sites.

The third theme, “Choose to Boost Veggies and Fruit,” was launched in April 2017, and encouraged kids and families to make vegetables and fruit a part of every meal and snack. During this theme, the Timmins-Misiway Healthy Kids Community Challenge hosted Family Cooking Classes, a weekly Farmers Market Scavenger Hunt, and provided 20 local schools with Tower Gardens to get students excited about growing and eating vegetables.

The fourth and final theme was “Power Off and Play!” This theme was launched in January 2018 and encouraged kids and families to build a balanced day, replacing screen time with other activities, such as learning, physical activity, social interaction, and fun activities. As part of this theme, community partners provided many opportunities for families to participate in screen-free activities together at no cost, including the Amazing Race Week, the Power Off and Play Summer Calendar, and Outdoor Reading Kits at the Timmins Public Library.

“We would like to sincerely thank the community for participating in the Challenge and helping to make this program a success,” said Mizzau. “We hope that families were able to take away something positive from the Challenge, and will continue to incorporate the healthy behaviours and activities that the program promoted, into their everyday lives.”

Mizzau added that in a wrap up survey to gather input on the program, there are indications that many children and their families are continuing with healthier lifestyles.

She said many families are spending more time together, eating healthier and spending less time in front of electronic screens.

She said community members are invited to participate in an online wrap-up survey to share their thoughts on the program for a chance to win one of three grand prizes. The survey closes at midnight on September 16 and can be accessed via the Timmins-Misiway Healthy Kids Community Challenge Facebook page.

She said the Facebook page will continue as a source of knowledge and information, but it won’t be active. That said, Mizzau added that the organizers are grateful for the partnerships formed in Timmins.

“We are really happy with the way the community responded,” said Mizzau. “There was a lot of participation and everyone really enjoyed it.”

When she takes part in this year’s Terry Fox Run, Hayley Mae Germain’s thoughts will be on a 15-year-old boy, a former school mate who died earlier this year following a lengthy battle with cancer.

“I am taking part in this to educate more students about the awareness of cancer,” said Germain, a Grade 10 student at Roland Michener Secondary School. “One of my good friends, Noah, sadly passed away from cancer and I want to raise more awareness so people have a better understanding and can actually educate the community more.”

This year’s Terry Fox Run in Timmins takes place at Gillies Lake Conservation Area on Sunday, Sept. 16.

A registration table will be set up at Gillies Lake from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Fun Run begins at noon while the formal walk begins at 1 p.m.

Kennedy Pecore, also in Grade 10 at RMSS, said raising money to fight cancer is a cause which everyone has a shared interest in.

“I think the people who have had family members who’ve had cancer can definitely relate but it also impacts everyone because … we never know if it could ever happen to someone we are close to.”

Lorraine Laiho, a cancer survivor and staff member at RMSS, said schools have always been a big contributor to the Terry Fox Foundation. She said some years, Timmins schools actually generate more money for the Terry Fox Foundation than the actual run itself.

“Roland Michener, for example, over the past 29 years has accumulated in excess of $40,000. We will be doing our annual school run Friday, Sept. 28 where we will be going out into the community, being very loud and boisterous and letting the community know why we’re out there for and why we’re not in school.”

She said she knows other schools in Timmins host fundraising events as well in support of the cause.

“The Terry Fox Run organizers are challenging all the schools in the area that have a cross-country team or track teams to come out and compete against each other for the Fun Run,” said Laiho. “The Fun Run takes place at noon at Gillies Lake and although there are no prizes, you definitely get bragging rights and what better way than to go against another school.”

Supporters can go online at terryfox.org to register for this Sunday’s walk or to make a donation.

On the day of the walk, the Timmins Kinsmen and Kinettes will be hosting a barbecue with proceeds going towards cancer research.

Organizers of the event are also selling Terry Fox T-shirts — $20 for adult sizes and $15 for youths — again with proceeds going towards the charitable cause.

Anyone wanting to purchase a T-shirt in advance can contact Laiho at 705-262-4206.

Before you vote I thought I would remind you as I was reminded the other day by a friend, how this council has ruined this city.

They have completely wrecked our crown jewel of a park, the East End lift stations will most likely have to be redone from scratch and there is millions of litres of human waste being dumped directly into Porcupine Lake.

To make matters worse, our roads have deteriorated to the point of being nearly impassible.

This council minus two have spent millions on a proposed aquatic centre which started out as a $15-million pool, and has now blown up to $48 million, excluding interest charges over the 25-year life of the loan.

This mayor and his six enablers have also hosted with taxpayers’ dollars two back-to-back money-losing festivals and, if re-elected, will host another.

This council participated in vote manipulation while giving Northern College $2 million — money it had to borrow.

I also must remind you about the so-called “typo” that was born when the clerk read the resolution which left out the fact that the project was now cut in half. This cost the taxpayers millions of dollars because the province would not give us a grant for work they believed had already been completed. I could go on and on listing all the financial failures that this council, while walking in lock step with the mayor, has asked its citizens to pick up the tab.

So before you vote please ask yourself if Mayor Black, councilors Bamford, Wawrzaszek, Rinaldo, Farrell, Doody, and Marks are worthy of your support. I think not.

Please do not become apoplectic about this election. This is our golden opportunity to take back our municipal government, and finally get back to running this city with the poor taxpayer in mind. We must get out there and vote.

Jack Dugas

Director, Timmins Taxpayers Association

Most city residents living on the wooded outskirts of Timmins are familiar with the tell-tale signs that a bear has been by.

The grey trash bin is lying on its side. The shredded remains of a garbage bag pulled from the bin is close by, its contents littering the yard.

Calls to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry in Timmins about nuisance bears more than doubled this year compared to last year.

“This year from April 1st to date we’ve received 412 (on the Bear Wise Reporting Line) and we only had 190 last year during the same time period,” Karen Passmore, regional outreach specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry in Timmins, told The Daily Press.

Poor berry crops are being cited as a contributing factor.

“Berry crops were a little bit below average compared to previous years,” said Passmore. “It was a really hot, dry summer so we didn’t get a lot of rain. So that would have contributed to the amount of berries.

“Blueberries were hit and miss in a lot of areas of the city but crab-apples are doing really, really well. And a lot of those trees are in people’s yards.”

Passmore said the onus falls on residents to avoid providing a smorgasbord that would entice bears to start foraging for food in the city neighbourhoods.

“A lot of the calls that we’re getting are a result of attractants being available, like garbage, and fruit on people’s properties … and bears are really attracted to fruit trees such as crab-apples so what we like to tell people is if you have any fruit trees on your property, make sure to pick fruit off the trees as well as any fallen fruit so it doesn’t rot on the ground. Right now bears are being driven by the need to put on weight before winter hibernation so they are basically trying to top up their fuel tanks.

“Bears are shy and normally afraid of humans. But they are also very intelligent animals and can remember exactly where they have accessed food, and will return to that location. Therefore the best way to deal with a problem bear is not to create one in the first place. They will topple bird feeders, ransack barbecues, raid garbage cans and even try to enter buildings. If they learn that they can find food where people live, bears will return again and again.”

Passmore said the presence of a bear does not generally warrant a call to police unless people feel the animal poses an immediate threat to personal safety.

She said in certain circumstances police should be called if:

• a bear enters a school yard when school is in session;

• appears to be stalking a person;

• enters or tries to enter a residence;

• kills livestock or pets and lingers at the site; or

• wanders into a public gathering.

During question period on Thursday, MPP Guy Bourgouin (NDP — Mushkegowuk-James Bay) said while Premier Doug Ford obsesses with Toronto, he is ignoring the urgent needs of the community and children of Kashechewan whose school was forced to close because of dangerous conditions.

Bourgouin toured the community on Saturday and related his experience to Ford and the legislature.

“The community of Kashechewan ordered their school closed because of the repair backlog. There is chronic water damage. The walls grow hot but the fire alarms don’t work. Children are getting lung infections and pneumonia from the mould,” said Bourgouin.

“What tops the list of concerns for my constituents is making sure their children don’t lose an entire school year because their school is falling apart, not unilaterally cutting Toronto city council.”

Ford’s Conservative government took the unprecedented step of invoking the notwithstanding clause to reduce Toronto city council, after a judge struck down the government’s efforts.

“This government has a Toronto obsession, and they are ignoring the urgent issues facing Northern Ontario and rural Ontario,” said Bourgouin.

“Premier, why is violating Torontonian’s Charter rights a higher priority than getting the kids of Kashechewan into a safe school they can learn in?”

A less-than-one-page staff report on a series of city engineering projects raised some questions at this week’s Timmins city council meeting.

As the document was presented for council’s review, Mayor Steve Black said in terms of actual text it was the smallest report he had ever come across at city hall. One council member said the report was inappropriate.

Normally, a staff report on any single item is two or three pages in length; sometimes a report might go up to four or five pages. The report presented Tuesday, submitted by engineering manager Pat Seguin, covered seven items and was less than a quarter of a page in size. The report also featured a very small font, requiring close scrutiny of the actual words.

The requests for information involved:

• A traffic count to measure the need for a new crosswalk by the Tim Hortons on Highway 101 in South Porcupine;

• A request on the progress of building a new sidewalk on Highway 101 between the Timmins Square property and Walmart;

• A request to study the need for a four-way stop intersection at Jaguar Drive and Sandy Falls Road

• The progress of a four-way stop for Spruce Street and Kirby Avenue;

• A study into the need for a sidewalk on Tisdale Street in South Porcupine;

• A request for the need of the traffic signal light on Waterloo Road; and

• Create a traffic loop on Mahon Lane (also known as Alma Lane).

Since most of the requests for information came from Coun. Walter Wawrzaszek, the mayor asked Wawrzaszek to offer questions or comments on the report.

“Thank you Mayor Black, I would just like to hear the responses,” said Wawrzaszek.

“I don’t believe they’re appropriate responses at this time and I’d like to hear from Mr. Seguin,” he added.

Seguin said it was a workload issue.

“I’d like to just remind council that the engineering department has lost two senior engineers and that’s what we’re working with, two senior engineers down,” Seguin explained.

“We’re managing about $16 million worth of construction work this summer, so you know we’re trying to fit these requests in, so this is the reason for the brief report,” he continued.

Seguin then went on to explain, item by item, the status of each of the council requests.

“While we had students, we conducted the (traffic) counts to keep costs down, so the crosswalk at Tim Hortons we had done the counts, and the actual crosswalk we’ve included that as part of the Connecting Link project, which we will have a report in December of 2018,” he explained.

“We just do not have the staff to do (traffic) warrants on this, at this time,” Seguin told council.

The next item was referring to the proposed sidewalk along Riverside Drive from the Timmins Square to the Walmart.

“The Walmart sidewalk has been brought up for years. That is part of the design for the 2019 phase of the Connecting Link. So again AECOM (engineering design consultants) will be including that in their design. That was a wish of council. So that’s the timeline for that,” Seguin reported.

On the question of additional stop signs for Jaguar and Sandy Falls, Seguin said they were not needed.

“We’ve done the analysis and there’s no stop signs warranted at that location. There were two accidents that happened at that location and they were both vehicles that were speeding,” he said.

In both cases he said vehicles sped past the existing north-south stop signs. He said icy roads were also involved.

Seguin also revealed that the concern for the Spruce Street and Kirby Avenue intersection has been resolved since council has approved that for a four-way stop. Engineering is hoping to get the new signs installed in a matter of weeks.

He also commented on the request to create a sidewalk on Tisdale Avenue, supposedly to make it safer for children getting on and off school buses.  There was a stated concern that heavy trucks driving on Tisdale posed a danger for children.

Seguin said he went out to that area of South Porcupine to check it out. He said it would be a very expensive location for a sidewalk because several utility poles would have to be moved.

“There was a lot of discussion around trucks speeding through. The fastest vehicles I saw going through there were the actual school buses that were racing around. The trucks were crawling through those intersections on the three occasions that I went out there,” said Seguin.

“I think rather than spend all this money on a sidewalk there’s opportunity I think for buses to be able to pick students up in another direction, off that main road.”

He said a new sidewalk on Tisdale would not be any safer for the children.

Seguin also spoke about the traffic signal lights on Waterloo Road at Wendy’s Restaurant. Seguin said the last traffic counts were done in 2012 and would need to be redone. He said as soon as staff was freed up from other projects, they could be assigned to do the traffic counts.

The looping of Mahon Drive, or Alma Lane, was also discussed. Seguin said anytime a new road is built, an environment review and public consultation would be required. Seguin said it would be dangerous to put in a loop road because there are poor sight lines and a hill nearby.

As council discussion was wrapping up on the various engineering projects, Wawrzaszek said he wanted to reiterate the need for a crosswalk on Highway 101 at the Tim Hortons near Northern College.

He said he drops by the restaurant at least once a day for a coffee, and he sees how difficult it is for students to cross over the multiple lanes of traffic.

“You have to be there to see how much traffic there is to see how these people have to try and get across five lanes,” he said.

KIRKLAND LAKE — The Gold Miners dumped the Timmins Rock 5-1 at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex Thursday night to complete a sweep of a home-and-home series with their NOJHL East Division rivals.

A 5-2 win at the McIntyre Arena Sunday night had handed the Gold Miners the first game of the series.

Rock coach Corey Beer was less than thrilled with the effort put forth by most of his players Thursday night.

“It certainly wasn’t the effort we expected, or wanted,” he said.

“That team (the Gold Miners) came out real good and for whatever reason we have too many guys on our roster who don’t put in a consistent effort night-in and night-out.

“That’s about to change.”

The Rock suffered a loss that might dwarf the two points they failed to pick up as forward Stewart Parnell was knocked heavily into the boards by a Gold Miners player during the second period and he had to be taken to the hospital with an upper-body injury.

“I feel so bad for him,” Beer said.

“He probably had his best off season in terms of training to get himself ready for the season.

“Our fingers are crossed that it is not a serious injury. Hopefully, we will know more Friday.”

Thursday night, Christian Snyder’s marker just 1:02 into the contest — his first goal of the season — staked the home side to a 1-0 lead.

Then, before the puck could be dropped to resume play, it took more than 20 minutes for employees of the arena and on-ice officials to get one of the doors at the Rock bench to open.

It should be noted that this is the third time in three years that the same door has malfunctioned during a visit by the Rock to the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex and that one of the Gold Miners assistant coaches indicated it had been doing the same thing all week during practice.

When play finally resumed, the two sides exchanged a number of scoring opportunities but the score remained 1-0 in favour of the Gold Miners as the two sides headed to their dressing rooms for the first intermission.

Max Newnam’s power-play marker, his third goal of the season, increased the Gold Miners’ lead to 2-0 at the 6:26 mark of the second period.

Less than three minutes later Jaren DeBolt made it a 3-0 hockey game when he scored his first goal of the season.

Captain Quinn Schneidmiller’s first goal of the season, midway through the frame, put the home side in front by four goals.

Beer opted to call a timeout following the fourth Gold Miners goal and lifted starting goalie Tyler Masternak, with Nicholas Dicks coming on to finish up the game.

The Rock finally got on the scoreboard with just 16 seconds remaining in the period when he converted a cross-crease pass from Ian Elkins for his second goal of the season.

Trailing 4-1 heading into the third, the Rock continued to press but they were unable to get any closer.

With the clock ticking off the final few minutes of the third period, Dicks dove across his crease and lunged out with his goal stick to rob a Gold Miners’ sniper who appeared to have an empty net.

The save drew a round of applause from all of the fans in attendance, including those cheering on the Gold Miners.

A few seconds later, however, Gold Miners forward Alex Elie deposited the puck into a wide-open Rock cage on a similar play for a power-play marker, his second goal of the season, to close out the scoring.

Beer agreed once the Rock fell behind by a pair of goals there was too much individual play and not enough structure.

“We maybe had five or six guys tonight who played good hockey within our system,” he said.

“We had too many guys trying to do things themselves, either selfishly or because they didn’t have the skill level to pull it off.

“I think we set a record for offensive zone turnovers with toe drags tonight. That is something that will be corrected through video and through repetition.”

Given that the Rock are off until Saturday, Sept. 22, when they will host the Rayside-Balfour Canadians at the McIntyre Arena, there should be plenty of time to correct the issues that plagued the team during the two losses to the Gold Miners.

“It will give us a chance to really delve back into things,” Beer said.

“We will look at ourselves from a defensive standpoint and how we want to attack things offensively.

“At certain points tonight there were glimpses of good offence, but overall our play away from the puck is not where it needs to be out there.”

Despite the loss, there were a few Rock players Beer singled out for a little praise following the contest.

“Derek Seguin and Riley Robitaille were absolute horses for us out there tonight,” he said.

“Them, Linden Spencer, Josh Anderson and Riley Brousseau were good.

“The effort level they put in night-in and night-out is unbelievable. Every shift is consistent. If we had a team full of those guys, we wouldn’t lose any battles. The rest of our group has to look themselves in the mirror.”

Gold Miners coach and general manager Ryan Wood was naturally a lot more pleased with the outcome of Thursday night’s contest.

“We have to play Timmins 10 times this year, so being able to get two quick wins against them early in the year really helps us,” he said.

“They have a good hockey team, but fortunately we played a really good game tonight.

“Any time you can score early in a hockey game, like we did tonight, and have the momentum in your favour it allows you to play with a little bit more confidence.”

Even after the Rock finally got on the scoreboard, the Gold Miners remained patient and didn’t try to force anything.

“That’s our structure,” Wood said.

“We want to make sure our guys play a good defensive game within the confines of their own creativity. We do have some skilled guys, but they have got to make sure they are taking advantage of being good away from the puck.”

There were no shortage of Gold Miners who were at the top of their game Thursday night.

“I really liked Hunter Foreshew’s game tonight,” Wood said.

“He was on the puck all night and he worked hard. He didn’t turn pucks over and he won a lot of faceoffs.

“I also thought Spencer Jones on our D corps was pretty good. He was steady and he made some simple plays. He is not a flashy hockey player by any means.

“Another guy I thought had a really, really good game was Alex Elie. He doesn’t do anything special and he is undersized a little bit, but he is hard on pucks and it was nice to see him get the fifth goal.”

For the second-straight game, the Rock had trouble solving Gold Miners goalie Gregory Brassard.

“We are pretty lucky,” Wood said.

“We have two pretty good goaltenders. Greg has kind of taken the puck and run with it. I watched him play multiple times this summer and I knew he was somebody who was high on our priority list.

“It is nice to have a goaltender who makes the saves he is supposed to make and keeps us in hockey games.”

With the victory, the Gold Miners now have a record of 2-1-0-0 against three Eastern Division foes.

“Even the game we lost (6-4 on home ice against the Powassan Voodoos), we were right there,” Wood said.

“We have played three good hockey games and when you can take four out of a possible six points, that’s pretty good. We can’t complain.”

The Rock, meanwhile, are sporting a record of 1-2-0-0 following Thursday’s loss.

Brassard stopped 16 of the 17 shots the Rock fired his way to earn the victory.

Masternak, who turned aside 14 of the 18 shots he faced, was tagged with the loss. In his 28:35 of relief, Dicks blocked 11 of the 12 shots directed his way.

NOJHL NOTES — The three stars of the game were Schneidmiller, Snyder and Seguin … The Rock went 0-3 on the power play, while the Gold Miners were 2-5 with the man advantage … The Rock did not dress defencemen Will Caston, Connor Mullins and Owen Shier, as well as forwards Darcy Haupt and Mahingan Decontie … Official attendance at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex was 303 … Thursday night’s other action saw the Canadians defeat the Soo Eagles 4-1 in Rayside-Balfour and the Wildcats edge the Blind River Beavers 4-3 in Elliot Lake.

Rock 1 Gold Miners 5

First Period

1. Gold Miners — Christian Snyder 1 (Félix-Antoine Lévesque) 1:02

Second Period

2. Gold Miners — Max Newnam 3 (Gregory Trudeau-Paquet, Joshua Maine) PP 6:26

3. Gold Miners — Jaren DeBolt 1 (Quinn Schneidmiller, Noah Cauchi) 9:17

4. Gold Miners — Quinn Schneidmiller 1 (Christian Snyder, Max Newnam) 11:25

5. Rock — Derek Seguin 2 (Josh Anderson, Ian Elkins) 19:44

Third Period

6. Gold Miners — Alex Elie 2 (Quinn Schneidmiller, Gregory Trudeau-Paquet) PP 19:07

Goalies — Rock: Tyler Masternak (31:25, 14 of 18, loss), Nicholas Dicks (28:35, 11 of 12); Gold Miners: Gregory Brassard (60:00, 16 of 17, win).

The splash pads at Hollinger Park and White Water Park will be shutting down for the season as of this Monday.

The City of Timmins issued an advisory Friday, announcing both splash pads will be closed for the season to begin the process of winterization.

“It is that time of year when the city typically closes the splash pads located at Hollinger Park and White Water Park,” according to a release issued by the city. “This prevents damage to the equipment from the water freezing, as temperatures start to drop at night. In conjunction with this regular work, the city will also be closing the Hollinger Park playground in order to complete upgrades to the park, including the installation of a new swing set.”

The Timmins Police Service is currently investigating the theft of a commemorative plaque stolen from the Schumacher Fire Hall located at 7 Les Hall St. in Schumacher.

The Timmins Police Service is aware that sometime between 10 a.m. on Sunday and noon on Tuesday, unknown suspects attended at the Schumacher Fire Hall and removed the “George Delich” commemorative plaque from the outside wall.

“The stolen item commemorates the years of selfless and dedicated service of the late George Delich of Schumacher,” police stated in its release.

“This stolen item is of significant value to the current and former members of the Schumacher Fire Hall.”

The plaque is made of grey granite that has been laser etched with a picture image of Delich in his Schumacher Fire Department formal uniform as well as some biographical information and a “ghost” image of Delich at a fire scene.

The Timmins Police Service is seeking the public’s assistance with this ongoing investigation.

Anyone with relevant information in regards to this theft is asked to call the Timmins Police Service – Criminal Investigations Division at 705-264-1201, or to provide anonymous information via Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Drew Wawrow’s shootout goal lifted the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves to a 7-6 exhibition victory over the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies at the McIntyre Arena Friday night.

It was the culmination of a back-and-forth contest presented by Bell Let’s Talk that entertained the 1,433 fans in attendance and helped raise funds for the North East Ontario United Way.

Wolves coach Corey Stillman agreed if his team was only going hold the lead in the contest once it picked the opportune time to accomplish the task.

“We battled back and scored with our goalie pulled, which was a big goal,” he said.

“I give our guys credit. We were short staffed and played with only three lines the entire game and it took us 60 minutes and a shootout to get the win.”

While Friday night’s contest was an exhibition game and winning or losing was of little consequence for either squad, there was an element of pride playing against a foe from another major junior league.

“There is some pride,” Stillman said.

“You want to win every game and I think this could be a great chance to play them in exhibition, see different teams.

“I thought it was a great game and our guys played hard. They played the right way, from whistle to whistle, and that’s what you want to see playing against a team from the QMJHL.”

Things certainly didn’t start off well for the Wolves, as they fell behind 3-0 in the opening 18 minutes of play.

Goals by William Dufour, Justin Bergeron and Tyler Hinam, a shorthanded marker, put the Huskies in front 3-0.

The Wolves finally got on the scoreboard with 1:51 remaining in the opening frame on a Shane Bulitka goal.

In the second period, the Wolves chipped away at the visitors’ advantage, with Macauley Carson potting a shorthanded marker midway through the frame.

Then, Blake Murray struck for a power-play marker to get the Wolves back on even terms with just over seven minutes remaining on the clock.

It appeared the contest would head to the third period with the teams deadlocked at 3-3, but the Huskies got a power-play goal from Peter Abbandonato with just 35 seconds remaining in the frame to put them back in front by a goal.

The back-and-forth trend continued in the third period, with David Levin scoring the first of his two goals on the night to tie things up at 4-4 early in the frame.

Abbandonato’s second goal of the night just over five minutes later put the Huskies back in front by a goal.

Then, just over five minutes later, an unassisted goal by Vincent Marleau made it 6-4 in favour of Rouyn-Noranda.

The Wolves rallied for a pair of goals in the game’s final three-and-a-half minutes, however, to tie things up and force the shootout.

OHL No. 1 overall pick Quinton Byfield netted the first of those two markers and then, with goalie Marshall Frappier on the bench in favour of an extra attacker, Levin scored his second of the night to tie things up at 6-6.

Many people feel there is a style difference between the OHL and the QMJHL, or the WHL for that matter, but Stillman didn’t notice it Friday night.

“They are actually a very quick team and they jumped on pucks tonight and kept things moving,” he said.

“They scored on their opportunities and I think you see the same thing in our league. Maybe at one time they might have been a little harder on pucks.”

Like most exhibition contests, Friday nights was a mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly.

“I think we showed a lot by battling back,” Stillman said.

“In terms of things we need to improve, we needed to be more on the puck and to make better decisions in the neutral zone. We saw too many turnovers and when you turn the puck over against a good team, it ends up in the back of your net.”

A number of Wolves impressed their coach with their strong play Friday night.

“Quinton Byfield really is a great player and he makes everybody around him on the ice better,” Stillman said.

“When he is on the ice, you notice him. I think the whole line, of him, Macauley Carson and David Levin, are the difference in hockey games every night.”

Coming off a subpar year, the Wolves are optimistic heading into the 2018-19 OHL season.

“I think the players are really buying in,” Stillman said.

“Last year was a really big learning curve. We were young and on some nights we dressed 11 rookies. Those rookies played and they got some experience. They know what to expect.

“Blake Murray, Anthony Tabak and Liam Ross gained a lot of experience last year. Now they can carry it over to this year and as a coaching staff, we will expect more out of them — both on the offensive side of the puck and playing in their own zone.”

The Wolves are close to finalizing their roster for the 2018-19 OHL campaign.

“We still have two, the Pilon brothers (Drake and Darian) who are away at NHL camps and whether they make it back or not as overagers is up in the air, but right now we are carrying 13 forwards, eight D and three goalies,” Stillman said.

“So, there are probably still one or two spots up for grabs.”

Huskies coach and general manager Mario Pouliot agreed his team played an entertaining hockey game Friday night.

“There were a lot of goals tonight and it ended up in a shootout,” he said.

“It was certainly a good night for the fans.

“We got off to a pretty good start and we were fast on the puck, forcing them to turn it over, but our puck management cost us all game long.

“When you look closely at the first period, we allowed 15 shots. Most of those shots came after poor game management decisions with the puck.

“We were trying to force the game and we had a lack of execution. It’s that time of the season.”

Like the Wolves, the Huskies have a number of players away at NHL training camps.

“It is a chance for other players to prove themselves,” Pouliot said.

“(goalie Samuel) Harvey is still in Montreal, (goalie Zachary) Emond is still in San Jose and (forward Raphael) Harvey-Pinard, one of our top forwards, is still with the Golden Knights in Las Vegas.

“Harvey-Pinard is a heart and soul player and he plays with a ton of energy. We miss him a lot, but it is early in the season and it is going to be a learning process.”

Pouliot knows early in the season his Huskies will be a work in progress.

“We created some good scoring chances in tonight’s game, but we will have to improve our puck management,” he said

“We have skill and we have speed, but we have to be able to think faster.”

The crowd at the McIntyre Arena Friday night was pretty well equally divided between Wolves fans and Huskies supporters.

“We hope some of these fans will come out to some of our home games this year,” Pouliot said.

“One of our objectives coming here was to sell our product to some of the fans. I hope the fans appreciated their night at the rink and that we will see some of them coming out to games in Rouyn-Noranda.”

Frappier stopped 24 of the 30 shots he faced to earn the victory for the Wolves, while Huskies goalie Samuel Richard, who also blocked 24 of the 30 shots directed his way, was tagged with the loss.

The Daily Press three stars of the game were Byfield, Levin and Abbandonato.

The new IAMGOLD Coté Lake gold mine project is going to be bigger than most people expect according to the company president and CEO Stephen J.J. Letwin, who spoke to the business community of Timmins at the Dante Club on Friday.

He said the project will generate more than $9 billion in economic activity over the 17-year production life of the mine as well as generating billions in payroll. Letwin said this would create a positive impact on the economies of Timmins, Sudbury, Gogama and Northern Ontario.

Letwin was in Timmins with several other company executives as they were taking part in an inspection tour of the new property located south of Gogama, and just a few kilometres west of Highway 144 in Chester and Yeo Townships.

The mining property was once known as the Trelawney project. It was purchased by IAMGOLD on June 21, 2012.  On that day the price of gold was U.S. $1,560 an ounce.

But despite changes in the gold price, Letwin said things are still moving ahead with the plans for the new open pit mine.

Letwin said the lower price of gold this week creates challenges because the shareholders and investors get worried. The price of gold was hovering around U.S. $1205 an ounce Friday afternoon. Sixty days ago it was at U.S. $1,240 an ounce.  One year ago it was more than U.S. $1,325 an ounce.

“We are very committed to move this project ahead. It would be nice if the gold price recovered somewhat. As you know gold is very volatile and we’ve got to make commitments in the belief that gold is going to be a sustainable price that works for us,” said Letwin.

He said anyone would doesn’t believe in that shouldn’t be in the gold business, especially with a venture as significant as Coté Gold.

“The project is huge. It’s going to generate over $9 billion in economic activity in the region, $3.9 billion in wages,” said Letwin.

“The project we think will take about two years to build. It will create about 1,000 construction jobs, about 400 to 500 full-time jobs over the long term. And it will have obviously a domino effect on the industry going forward,” he predicted.

The next step he said is to continue working with the provincial and federal governments on the permitting process, building partnerships with First Nations and finalizing the permissions required to install a new electrical power line in to the property from the Shining Tree area.

“I am not going to turn this into a political talk but anything you could do to help us in the permitting with the government is welcome,” Letwin told the chamber audience.

“The one concern I have as a Canadian is that we get bogged in the mass of regulations. It’s not to take away from the need to be environmentally friendly or the need to work with our partners, but it really seems to take a lot longer today and it’s a lot more expensive to get projects going.

“The problem is when you extend a project over time, you become vulnerable to price swings. That can hurt you quite badly,” he said, adding that gold mining can be difficult.

Letwin put it another way when he recalled a conversation he had with the late Peter Munk, the famous Canadian gold mining magnate who died earlier this year.

“I remember him saying to me, Steve it’s the only business I know where you literally have to spend a billion dollars before you make a penny,” said Letwin.

He said IAMGOLD will be spending more than $1 billion at Coté Lake before earning a cent. In a news release, the company said the initial capital cost will be $1.4 billion.

“We need to be efficient, effective and make sure that we get things done on time and work together because the benefits are huge,” he said.

Later in the meeting, after his formal speech, Letwin said one of the key factors IAMGOLD is relying on is new technology. He mentioned the idea of using driverless trucks at the mine. He said technology is going to increase production and reduce costs.

He said the plan for the all in sustaining costs (AISC) at the mine as being in the range of $700 to $750 per ounce, which he said would make Coté Lake the best mine in the company’s portfolio.

After the presentation, Letwin spoke to local reporters.

The Daily Press asked him about his comments asking for help from the business community for the permitting process. Was this an indication of any unexpected or serious delays? Letwin said the plan is still to have the project moving forward early in 2019 with construction.

“I think it is a generic concern because we have seen delays. We haven’t encountered too many delays so far. I’d say it has been about a six-week delay in some of our stuff. I am not going to name names, but it is always a concern of mine when it comes to a project this size that it is not going to move as quickly as you want it too,” Letwin said.

“You know if we call on our business partners to help us, we will be specific about what we’re seeing and why we need the help.”

Timmins city council has decided it will not support the city’s Committee of Adjustment (COA) in a possible legal battle over the committee’s decision to refuse what is known as a minor variance.

This follows the revelation this week that the COA has decided not to let a South Porcupine resident build a new family home because the house was about 5% bigger than the allowable lot coverage.

The prospective homeowner, Anna Feldman, said in a letter to council she felt this was inappropriate since numerous other property owners have been allowed to ahead with similar variances.

Mayor Steve Black said the letter was forwarded to council as the Feldmans wished to express their frustration with the process and the fact that Anna Feldman intends to contest the decision at the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) formerly known as the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).

Timmins businessman Lorne Feldman, who was in the gallery at the council meeting, was invited to comment on the letter.

He said it was penned by his wife who owns the property — lot 19 on Sony Street. Feldman said he understood the COA is an arm’s length committee that is free from political interference from council.

“That being said, I also feel that council should not necessarily be compelled from this committee to incur unnecessary expenses or resources in a proceeding in which it was not involved,” said Feldman.

Coun. Pat Bamford said it was a compelling case because the decision was made by a committee that had three members absent. He said the decision to turn down the variance never would have happened if all members had been present for the vote.

It was not stated who was absent but according to the bylaw 2014-7608, the Timmins Committee of Adjustment includes Norm Bolduc, John Curley, George Hughes, Randy Pickering, Darrel Poan, Jack Watson, Don Wyatt and Bob Yu.

Bamford said most members of council got an email from one member of the committee “saying that was a mistake, that the decision should not have been made.”

Bamford said the email writer indicated that if the full committee had been present when the decision was voted on, the change would have been permitted.

“Instead a small group on the committee decided against the minor variance,” said Bamford.

As it turned out the vote was three to two against the change.

Bamford said the decision does not make sense because when Anna Feldman appeals the decision to the LPAT, it will cost the city money to have a representative of the Committee of Adjustment to defend the case. He said he didn’t think it would be a smart move for the city.

“This family wants to build a nice home, pay big taxes to the city and we’re saying no?” said Bamford.

Bamford said he liked the idea of not having anyone from the city defend from the COA position. Feldman said his belief is that if only one side presents a case to the LPAT and that if the case is reasonable and the board agrees with it, “it would make the process simpler.”

The LPAT hearing is scheduled to take place on Sept. 25 at city hall.

Coun. Joe Campbell also expressed dismay at the decision and wondered if there was anything council could do to simply overturn the COA decision.

He said over the years he had seen several minor variances “rubber stamped” and returned to council for approval with far less information than the Feldman application.

Campbell said he also didn’t like the fact that the resident had to pay $575 to the COA just to appeal the variance when it didn’t need to happen.

Campbell asked the CAO David Landers if council had the power to reverse the COA decision.

Landers said because the committee is arm’s length, and not subject to political interference, council has no authority.

The mayor added to the discussion saying that while council cannot reverse a committee decision, council can decide not to spend any money to support the committee in the appeal process at LPAT.

Black said council had the option of drafting a letter to be submitted in the appeal process saying that council supports the resident in her appeal.

Bamford said he would support a motion to deny support to the COA on this issue and to write a letter of support for the Feldmans.

Council voted in favour of the letter of support for the Feldman application and not to have representation for the Committee of Adjustment.

Timmins city council is lending its support to a push to have cameras installed on school buses.

The goal is to help catch and convict motorists who illegally drive past stopped school buses when they are picking up or dropping off students.

The issue was presented to Timmins city council this week as Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO) seeks support for the road safety portion of Ontario Bill 174, which would allow for automated school bus cameras. Council approved a resolution of support.

Mayor Steve Black said he brought this back to the city since it was raised as a request at the annual meeting of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario held in Ottawa in August.

“The provincial government previously passed legislation which would allow the installation of stop-arm cameras. Therefore when someone drives past a stopped school bus with the arm out, it would take a photo and allow a fine to be issued,” Black told council.

“But the previous government, likely due to elections, and the new government has not developed those regulations yet. So this group is hoping to gain support from municipalities to encourage the (Ontario) government to pass the subsequent regulations that would allow this process to start and hopefully increase the safety of school buses.”

As the issue came to a vote at city council on Tuesday, Black asked for an amendment to the motion to have the city’s chief administrative officer forward a letter of support for the school bus camera concept to MTO. There is no timeline yet to determine when Queen’s Park might pass the legislation.

Residents came out in droves for the 38th annual Terry Fox Run on Sunday.

A fun run began at noon followed by a walk at 1 p.m. at Gillies Lake. The Schumacher Lions Club held a tent accepting donations and selling t-shirts while the Kinettes held a barbecue.

“We just want to keep it active and visible, especially for the youth that they continue to learn about our Canadian icon, said Cathy Davis, organizer for the 38th-annual Timmins Terry Fox.

Terry Fox was involved with many sports at a young age. When he was 18-years-old, he was diagnosed with bone cancer. He had to have an amputation six inches above his knee in 1977.

He decided to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. He called his journey the Marathon of Hope. After 18 months and running over 5,000 kilometres to prepare, Fox began his run in St. John’s N.L. on April 12, 1980.

Fox ran close to 42 kilometres a day through the Atlantic Provinces, Quebec and Ontario. On Sept. 1, after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres, Fox was forced to stop running outside of Thunder Bay. The cancer moved its way to his lungs. He later passed away the following year on June 28, 1981 at 22-years-old – one month short of his 23rd birthday.

To date, over $750 million was raised worldwide for cancer research in his name through the annual Terry Fox Run, held across Canada and around the world, according to the Terry Fox Foundation.

“He dedicated his life to cancer research mainly because when he was in the hospital, it really bothered him to see children with cancer,” said Davis.

Amanda Labine ran in the event with her dog before the fun run began. This was her fourth year participating. She dashed about 12 kilometres around the lake.

“It’s easier for me and my dog because I’m visually impaired. That way we avoid the mass congestion of everybody else and it’s easier for us” said Labine.

My mom is affected terminally with cancer. My father in law has terminal cancer. I lost many loved ones to cancer so it’s a very important cause to definitely support.”

Labine wears a belt on her left hip when she runs to feel her dog. She can still see a little bit but her dog helps her when obstacles are in the way. She said it’s still difficult as the dog may want to go elsewhere and deviate from the course.

“He’s not a Seeing Eye dog; he’s just a house pet. We definitely had our challenges and sometimes we still do now, if he sees an interesting bird. That’s why it’s sometimes interesting when we come through here” said Labine.

“He likes to go for things and he pulls me so I have to steer him back in.”

She said she uses a working leash instead of leisure one so her dog knows she’s running. She keeps both leashes separated.

Labine reflected on Fox’s legacy. She said his story was absolutely awe inspiring.

“To think that, that man ran the equivalency of marathon every day for all those days and being as sick as he was, having one prosthetic leg and it was bleeding and he was getting sores, just all the challenges he had to go through just to even try to get that start up for cancer research to me is absolutely amazing,” said Labine.

“I look at my mom and father in law and they wouldn’t be here today battling for seven or eight years, each of them without the medical advances that he had to basically jumpstart. A lot of people weren’t aware of the lack of medicine and equipment that we’re back in the ‘80s and to see how far we’ve come because of him is absolutely inspiring.”

A rare occasion occurred in Timmins as the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves played against the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Friday at the McIntyre Arena to a sellout crowd.

The inaugural United Way charity matched was presented by Bell Let’s Talk in support of youth mental health.

“This was an idea of Mayor Black and the ownership of the Sudbury Wolves and then we brought in the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and it was just an idea to raise money for the United Way locally and help support youth and youth mental health,” said Michael Cullen, executive director of United Way Northeast Ontario.

“We brought in Bell Media on board and they put in some supporting dollars so Northern Tel is here tonight. It’s just all about youth and mental health and all of the issues of the community of Timmins.”

The Timmins Rock also managed ticket sales and preparations for the gamse day event.

Cullen said they sold over $3,000 so far in tickets. They also had their 50/50 draw. He said $15,000 in charitable goods would be ideal but they still need to tally up all their finances.

“This is awesome. The Rock was a huge part of this as well because the Rock did all the logistics on the ground. So it’s a three way team with the Rock, Huskies and Sudbury Wolves. We have to give a big shout to the Rock because their fan support, network and online presence really helped this game excel,” said Cullen.

Cullen said mental health issues are an everyday problem now. He said people aren’t shy to talk about it now.

It’s just an important topic so this is a way to combat that through the work of Bell and the Let’s Talk lines,” said Cullen.

Renee Palmateer, client executive at Northern Tel Bel said Bell has been committed to mental health programs around Canada.

“We’re proud to partner with United Way, the Wolves and the Rock for this truly impactful and meaningful event and together we want to keep the conversation going all year long,” said Palmateer.

“We know the sooner that we can get the young people to help their needs, the better the outcomes. We also recognize and are working hard to ensure that those services are available when people need them.”

Cullen said funds will go towards the youth hub led by the City of Timmins. He hopes the continue with the exhibition series.

“Maybe we can create a series like this. Maybe next year it’s the best of five or best of three. That’s sort of the idea,” said Cullen.