Bigger says Sudbury positioned well for post-pandemic recovery

Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger gave his sixth State of the City address Sept. 22, saying the city is poised to grow and experience prosperity into the future.

Bigger says he's pleased with Sudbury's largely proactive approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, including asymptomatic testing of the city's long-term care residents before the provincial mandate. However, in the midst of a variant-driven fourth wave, he is urging people to get their COVID-19 vaccines and bring Sudbury's fully vaccinated proportion above 90 per cent.

The mayor says the city's pandemic response has been successful so far, and he says Sudbury worked to make sure it kept its services running amid uncertain financial support from the provincial and federal governments. He says the city made plans to break even using internal funds in 2020.

"We successfully managed through our local COVID-19 experience, to date, weathering through approximately $43 million in negative impacts on current city revenues and costs," Bigger says.

The pandemic also illuminated ongoing shortfalls in government support, some of which remain significant problems in Sudbury.

Bigger says opioid deaths doubled in 2020 and, while the city has some supports in place, they do not meet the growing and complex needs of the city's most vulnerable population. He says he has spoken with Ontario's associate minister for mental health and addictions to find solutions, one of which is the city-supported supervised consumption site slated for Energy Court. 

Bigger says Sudbury officials work with experts in those subjects to identify and implement solutions. He says the city has also expanded shelter bed capacity and offered hotel rooms when the need has arisen.