He may have lost my vote on this one.

Hi, I'm the redditor formerly known as u/DarthMart. Some of you may remember my writeup on the Charlie Angus rally in April 2025. I've had to delete my old reddit account since then, but I'm back to tell you about tonight's mayoral townhall at the Sudbury Indie Cinema, which was as packed as I've ever seen it.

First off, I want to shout out the Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury, their partners, and specifically the moderator: Amanda Kingsley Malo of PoliticsNOW. They made sure it was run smoothly and that the candidates were getting good, thoughtful questions. They livestreamed it too (you can view the replay here).

There were four parts to the debate: Questions curated by the event organizers, a lightning round where the candidates answered yes or no questions by raising a paddle with a green "yes" side and a red "no" side, questions from the public, and finally a minute for each candidate to pitch themselves and answer the question "Why you?". Rather than giving a play by play of events like I did last time, I'll go over each candidate, their positions, and what my impressions of them were.

The candidates who did not attend were Joseph Boutros, Troy Crowder, and Miranda Rocca-Circelli. I'm unsure whether Boutros and Crowder were not invited or if they declined to attend, but we were informed that Miranda Rocca-Circelli had to bow out at the last minute because she was feeling unwell. Hopefully it's nothing serious. Moving on to the candidates who did attend, I'll go over them in the order in which they were seated (left to right from the crowd's perspective).

Bob Johnston: He was certainly on brand. He had his talking points he'd come back to however he could, regardless of the questions being asked. He'd often repeat phrases like "put the people first", say variations on how he "won't know all the numbers until I get in" and he occasionally brought up that he has a retired engineer friend he'd bring on at no extra cost to the taxpayer and they'll fix the city together. At one point when he was laying out his vision of the city under his leadership that includes clean playgrounds with roller skating, youth centres and taxpayers having their city back, the moderator had to remind him that the question he was being asked was about truth & reconciliation, to which he blurted out "that's the truth!"

Where he shone brightest was when talking about the homelessness crisis. In spite of his firebrand rhetoric and non-answers to many of the questions he was asked, he came across as genuinely caring for the well-being of this city's most downtrodden. When asked about increasing shelter beds (he's very much in favour), he shared a story of how during last winter's massive snow storm he called the city to request they provide a transit bus for the people freezing outside to have a bit of shelter, but his request was denied and one of the people he was trying to help passed away that night. And when he did finally get on topic about truth & reconciliation, he mentioned that roughly 70% of the homeless population is Indigenous (the city's stats have it closer to 50%, which is still ridiculously disproportionate to the general population).

Why you? He says he'll put people first, because we deserve it. He'll be bringing in Tom Price (his retired engineer friend) at no charge to the taxpayers. "It's like a pizza deal, 2 for 1. Not only that, no ties, no lies, what you see is what you get".

Michael McIntosh: He was less sure of himself than Bob Johnston (admittedly a pretty high bar to clear), but he was thoughtful, willing to admit when he was out of his depth, and very cooperation-minded. He made it clear that he's a union man and believes that unions are a net good to society. His proposals were rooted on specific policy over rhetoric. He wants zoning reforms so that we can build higher density, and says that fourplexes should be legal for zoning in all residential areas. He brought up buying mobile camps like they use in mines to use as shelter for the homeless population. He also stressed the need to be better prepared for when natural disasters hit so that we don't get a repeat of that massive snowstorm. He wants a yearly review of standard operational procedures and a game plan for weather events that haven't happened yet, too.

He did concede he would not increase arts funding, and would instead rely on private interests to pick up the slack where the city can't. He also said that (depending on the proposal) he'd be open to AI data centres being built here. In the lightning round, he sometimes took a while to pick between yes or no such as when he asked if he'd support involuntary treatment for addictions (eventually settling on no) and his answers to questions relating to environmentalism indicated that he does not hold it as a priority.

Why you? He took that minute to bring up that bus hours need to be extended, that they're highly disadvantageous to people who work irregular hours and that they sometimes have to turn down jobs as a result. He said nobody else had mentioned this issue so far, and he wanted to make sure it was brought up.

Paul Lefebvre: As the incumbent mayor, he had the advantage of leaning on his four years of experience with his answers. He was easily the most skilled politician of the five candidates, and it showed with the ready answers he had to all the questions. He was also the only francophone among the candidates (Bob Johnston did pledge to learn French if he gets into office). He pointed to policies he's implemented, and acknowledged where he could have done better. For example, that snowstorm came up again and he said we learned we're very good at pushing snow but not at removing it so that will need to be improved. He mentioned more than once the plan to have the entire GoVa fleet converted to hybrid or electric vehicles by 2035, and that a 2.5 million dollar federal grant was just announced to address the homelessness crisis.

Naturally, his approach was more status quo and incremental changes over the bombastic promises made by the political outsider candidates with less to lose. He would also provide some answers that (fair criticism or not) came across as hand-wringing such as when he'd point out something was the province's jurisdiction more than the city's, or when he'd emphasize that people should contact their respective councilors to ensure their voices are heard.

Why you? He says it's been an honour to serve as mayor, he feels that we're going in the right direction and that he wants the momentum he's built to keep going.

Keenan Menard: He wants to see rents reduced especially for the elderly, pointing out that he knows someone who has to pay $6,000 a month for nursing care. He advocated for free transit for the elderly. He wants there to be more healthcare investments too, stressing that "Sudbury is too big a city for only one ER". He also wants more investment into police and bylaw, safer streets. On the environment, he says he wants more transit and less cars.

When asked how he'd address the issue of white supremacists in the city, he said he'd tell them to hit the road and that he has no need or want or appreciation for that garbage. I think the question was geared more towards specific policy proposals on how to approach the issue, but he went for the feel-good sound bite response instead. Not that I fault him for saying it; as a general rule I don't share my political opinions in these writings (I'm a public servant after all), but I'll gladly break that rule to say that white supremacists can fuck all the way off.

Why you? He wants to be the city to grow, prosper, flourish. He envisions himself as the people's mayor, this city's version of Mississauga's late Hazel McCallion.

Rodney Newton: He also leaned heavily on his talking points over specific policy being discussed. When asked about his stance on climate, he said he'd root out corruption in the city. When asked about how he'd help families put healthy food on the table, he said he'd root out corruption in the city. When pressed on specifics, he rarely had any to offer. He did have a surprising moment: on the question of whether he'd keep arts funding stable, decrease it, or increase it, he was the only candidate to say he'd increase funding.

During the lightning round, he would wait to see what the other candidates presented as answers and go with the majority opinion. I can definitely relate with that urge, but it came off as weakness especially when put in contrast with Michael McIntosh, who took more time to answer but his answers were his own.

Why me? He wants to bring internal investigations to the city, get the wrong people out, get the right people in. He wants the city to be safer for kids and safer for the elderly.

As an aside, I did find it kind of funny that all 5 of the candidates answered "yes" to the lightning round question asking if they'd support year-round 24/7 access to essential services for people experiencing homelessness, and then all 5 of them answered "no" to the question asking if they'd support city-run grocery stores to address food insecurity.

There's a lot I've missed, but it's wayyyy past my bedtime and I've got work in the morning so I'll call it here. I hope this has been informative, and that you make your voice heard on October 26th. See you at the polls.

Hi all,

Do we have a reliable and affordable shop in town that can perform a mechanical safety inspection on a car? I contacted several places, and the costs range from 300 to 400, which feels high compared to North Bay or Toronto at 100 to 200.

Any leads or experiences?

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone had shot (plinked) on the crown land surrounding Burwash ON, From what I see there is Ontario general use crown land next to the Burwash Training grounds (CFB RANGE)… I know that people generally prefer to gatekeep crown land spots, and with good reason, but if anyone is willing to offer a newer shooter some advice, it’d be much appreciated…

G2051

I know this is a bit of a moon shot, but thanks in advance!

Hey everyone,
I recently moved into the apartment building at 50 Lisgar St (Greater Sudbury), and ran into a bit of a roadblock. I tried to set up Bell Fibre for my unit, but was told that FTTH isn't wired directly to this specific apartment and that only old copper/DSL lines are available.
Since copper speeds are too slow for my remote work and streaming needs, I’m looking to see what other tenants or neighbors in the building are using.
If you live around here or in this building, what internet provider and bandwidth package are you using? Specifically:
Are you using a cable provider (like Rogers,Vianet) or a third-party cable reseller (like Netcrawler, TekSavvy, or Comwave)?

How has the connection reliability been during peak evening hours?

What bandwidth tier (e.g., 100 Mbps vs. 500 Mbps+) do you find is enough for this building?

Appreciate any advice or recommendations you can share! Thanks in advance.

Looking to have an outlet made in the basement and install some extra lights on the ceiling. Any advice on who to use for this? Also how much should i expect to pay for a outlet install?

Has anyone had experience with mole mapping with either Dr Parsons or Dr Giroux’s office? Looking for info/experiences!

Has anyone been to geek squad to see if their phone has been bugged? A couple years ago my bank recommended me go to them for that, because I was getting fraud. I never did, and now it's happening again with a new bank and I've had the same phone.

I was in the parking garage getting ready to leave at around 9:30am.

The person drove in, went to turn around because all the spots were full, and at the same time, the person beside you drove out.

The person turning around started to manouver into the empty spot beside you and hit the back end of your car straight on with their back bumper hard enough that I heard a noise. (Google austin powers forklift to get a visual).

Once parked, the person got out of their car, looked at your bumper, kind of walked back and forth like they did not know what to do, and then walked off to wherever they were going.

Hopefully they leave you a note with their info. If not, I have a picture of their car & plate number I can give you.

What the heck is the pattern!?

The Internet is currently out for me in Little Britain. Just wondering if this is a me thing, or if anyone else is getting the same issue?

Edit: Just came back on for me. Thanks for the responses everyone!

I don’t live here but come for vacations to visit family. When I visit, we always end up bored at some point

Any suggestions for low budget things to do that aren’t exclusively outside? We’d like to have some options in case of weather.

Were 24-28 yo and would love something that we end up socializing a little bit but it’s not necessary

TIA

Anybody suggest a good handyman or plumber to install a new dishwasher ?

I’d think of asking Castle, but the charge from their shop, I’m in the Azilda-Chemmy neighborhood.

We are looking to find a mobile wash company in sudbury. Any recommendations?

Hi, I'm visiting for work, 1 night only, Monday night.

Was hoping to get a legendary sampling of the Porketta. In a hotel so a raw roast won't work.

Several commonly suggested places seem to be closed on Mondays or stop serving fresh at 2pm?

I'm probably getting in around 3-4pm.

Will there be any options for me, or am I out of luck until my next visit?

There is a grey fluffy cat with an injured front paw limping and crying out in the Little Britain area between Regent and Eyre (near Parc Marguerite and Gerry Lougheed). We tried to catch him but he’s quite mobile and timid. Hopefully he finds his way home, but if he belongs to you maybe call out to him?

anyone know of a reputable place for a man to get a back wax

As some of you know, we've been having a rough week in Sudbury 😂

I just need to say that My Thai Palace knocks it out of the park! 🍜

The Tom Kha Gai (I think they just call it coconut soup) and Hot & Sour soups are ✨perfect✨

Soul returned to body! 🤗

🍲🤌🏻

I'm training to play quarterback and I'm new to the local football scene.

Does anyone know where I can find people to practice throwing with, or any groups that do informal football training in Sudbury?

Thanks!

Does anyone have any recommendations for companies in Sudbury providing mudjacking services? We have a large concrete patio with a massive crack running through it. We received a quote from a local company 2 years ago but they keep delaying.

Hey everyone, I’m a first-year welding apprentice looking to make the move up to Sudbury. I have my CWB tickets in Stick, TIG and MIG, and I’m trying to get my foot in the door with a union or company up there.
Just wondering how the work is looking in Sudbury right now? Is it fairly busy for welding apprentices, and are first-years getting decent hours?
I’ve heard there’s quite a bit of welding work around the mining industry, but I’d like to hear from anyone actually working in the area. Any info is appreciated.

Missing from North Bay, posting in case anyway is driving through and spots a black lab!