March, 2026

Month of La Francophonie

There are many events planned in Sudbury.  Please visit our Events page for a full listing.

International Women’s Day

March 8 is International Women’s Day (IWD), a time to celebrate the progress made in advancing women’s rights and highlight the ongoing efforts needed to ensure their full participation in all aspects of society.

The beginnings of International Women’s Day can be traced back to the early twentieth century. It emerged from the activities of labour movements in North America and Europe and reflected a growing call for women’s equal participation in society.

International Women’s Day first took place on March 19, 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, when over a million people attended rallies to show their support for women’s rights to work, vote, hold public office and live free of discrimination. Other countries began to observe and celebrate this day in the years that followed. The United Nations recognized 1975 as International Women’s Year and began celebrating March 8 as International Women’s Day.

Today, International Women’s Day is a day of unity, celebration, reflection, advocacy, and action and is marked in many countries worldwide, including Canada.

There are many events planned in Sudbury.  Please visit our Events page for a full listing.

In The News

Putting the “Human” Back in Human Services

Unlike search engines, 211 applies a human touch for personalized solutions. Their highly-trained and accredited Community Navigators know how to ask the right questions to get the full picture of a person’s needs. Navigators then provide referrals to services to connect them to the right supports. In addition, some partnerships include 211 registering individuals for services directly or providing a warm transfer to the program. 211 will also advocate on a contact’s behalf, at their request.

211 is available by phone for those looking to speak to a friendly voice or by text, online search, email or chat for those looking for convenience or who feel the stigma of asking for help. This makes our service available to all people of Ontario regardless of their level of digital understanding or ability to access the internet.  211 quickly and confidentially connects people to social services and community programs across Ontario.

The helpline is answered by real people 24/7. Service is available in 150+ languages. Text is also available 24/7. Live chat service is available Monday to Friday from 7am-9pm ET.  There is also a :

Men’s Counselling Link

It provides men with access to professional counselling, offering support for those experiencing stress, relationship conflict, harmful behaviours, or personal challenges. The service connects callers to trained counsellors through Family Service Ontario agencies, either virtually or in person.

Men’s Counselling Link also benefits from 211 Ontario’s wider network. When helpful, Navigators can connect men to other community supports, such as financial help, employment supports, housing resources, or family services. To ease stress and help stabilize day-to-day challenges.  Men’s Counselling Link is for men in Ontario who:

• Feel overwhelmed by stress, anger, or family pressures
• Want to improve their relationships or break harmful patterns
• Are concerned about conflict at home, or emotional control
• Are unsure where to turn but want to make a positive change

This service is designed to support men at any stage, whether they are seeking early help or facing escalating challenges.  When you dial 211 and ask for Men’s Counselling Link:

1. A 211 Navigator will listen and connect you to support.
2. You may be referred to a counselling session with a trained professional.
3. Counselling is offered as a single, full session. If needed, you may be guided to further resources or services.

Support is available by phone or, where possible, in person.

Vale and USW Local 6500 raise $786K in 43rd United Way campaign

Jenny Lamothe     Sudbury.com  January 30, 2026

At the Jan. 30 luncheon celebrating their United Way fundraising campaign, organizers from United Steelworkers Local 6500 and Vale Base Metals gathered to hear how much money they raised, and maybe even engage in a little friendly competition.

The 2025 joint campaign raised a total of $786,400, which includes a matching $350,000 donation from Vale Base Metals.

But in addition to fundraising, it’s also about education, said Tina Vincent, co-chair of the campaign on behalf of USW.

In thanking the groups for their hard work in raising money, Vincent also thanked them for their willingness to learn, speaking of the presentations and speaking tours Vale staff took part in, including brain architecture activities – a tabletop experience that builds understanding of how life experiences impact early brain development.

Working for two months to organize the campaign along with her longtime co-chair from Vale, Patricia Caine, Vincent acted as MC for the luncheon and thanked all involved for their hard work.

Though it was United Way executive director Cory Roslyn’s first time organizing the campaign, she told the group she knew how necessary the funds are to member agencies. Roslyn’s former role was as director of the Elizabeth Fry Society.

“The organizations that we’re supporting through this fundraising fill the gaps for people living in Sudbury, that often allows for their very survival,” she said. “Right now, on a day that’s -30 degrees outside, the Homelessness Network outreach team and the Samaritan Centre drop-in centre are keeping people alive in this weather. That is what your dollars are doing.”

However, the needs of the community are also rising, said Roslyn.

“And even as the needs of our community are growing, fundraising gets tougher and tougher, and we see that reality every year,” she said, “which is all the more reason to be grateful for the partnership that we have with you.

For full article please refer to Sudbury.com

Minister issues non-committal letter on Cecil Facer closure

Tyler Clark    Sudbury.com      January 27, 2026

In a non-committal letter to the Greater Sudbury Police Services Board, it remains unclear what will be done with young offenders when the Cecil Facer Youth Centre in Sudbury closes. In the letter, by Children, Community and Social Services Minister Michael Parsa, it’s noted the transition to close the centre includes meeting with partners “to mitigate any impacts.” The police board letter, which the board unanimously approved sending to provincial officials last year, urges the province to keep the Cecil Facer Youth Facility open. Closing the area’s only male youth detention facility “will have disproportionate and harmful consequences for Northern Ontario communities,” they cautioned in their letter.

Since the police board drafted their letter, Greater Sudbury’s two NDP MPPs (Jamie West in Sudbury and France Gélinas in Nickel Belt) penned similar letters of support. As did the John Howard Society.   John Howard Society of Sudbury CEO Sara-Jane Berghammer wrote that the “prime factor” in youths’ rehabilitation is being housed in a facility close to their geographical home.

Mayor Paul Lefebvre met with provincial officials during the Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference in Toronto last week, at which he echoed the importance of keeping Cecil Facer open.

In his non-committal response to the Greater Sudbury Police Services Board, Parsa wrote that the Cecil Facer Youth Facility is being rejigged as a facility for adult offenders.

“For the Cecil Facer Youth Centre transfer, our justice partners, including the Greater Sudbury Police Service, other police services and local courts, will be engaged to assess how this initiative may affect transportation logistics, in-person court attendance, and court release planning,” he wrote.  Planning and preparation for the facility’s repurposing is “well underway,” Parsa wrote, adding that the province “remains committed to engaging with community partners throughout the transition period to share government plans” relating to the project.

For full article please refer to Sudbury.com

United Way of North East Ontario

Local Love Week – February 9 – 16, 2026

Delta Bingo and Gaming helps fund over 160 local organizations in Greater Sudbury.  We are excited to share the latest round of Charitable Gaming social media graphics with you, available in both English and French!  This creative aligns with the new Out-of-Home (OOH) campaign, which you’ll also see across Ontario on billboards, transit, DriveTest centres, Cineplex, and more. There is an an advertisement running at the corner of Lasalle Blvd and Notre Dame.

Champion of the Month

Afro Women and Youth Foundation

Adebola Adefioye founded the Afro Women And Youth Foundation after her daughter’s experience of racism in Grade 2. Her daughter was bullied for her skin color and Adebola and her husband supported her to build confidence and self-advocacy skills.

Adebola decided to extend more support to other immigrant Black youth and women who may be experiencing racism so she registered the AWYF as a non-profit organization in 2019 while studying at Seneca Polytechnic.  Over the years with support from various collaborators, partners, and community friends, the Afro Women and Youth Foundation’s program and services has reached over three thousand Black immigrant women, youth and families in Toronto and Sudbury, Ontario.

Thank you to this special group of staff and volunteers for your ongoing dedication to our community.  You are our Champion of the Month !

Welcome to JHS Sudbury

The John Howard Society believes in effective, just and humane responses to crime and its causes.  We are dedicated to creating genuinely safer communities by helping to foster a truly effective criminal justice system. The John Howard Society helps people reintegrate into society, thereby reducing alienation, crime and recidivism.

Our mission is resolute. We want to help to create a truly effective criminal justice system – one that serves us all, that confronts crime and its causes and that fosters safer communities.  In short, we help people turn away from a life of crime. Surely, that’s what we’d all like to see.

Practically speaking, we STOP Crime Now ! ^TM through the multitude of programs and services that we offer to the community.  You can help us to STOP Crime Now ! ^TM through your donation to the John Howard Society of Sudbury.  All funds raised are used to deliver our programs and services in the Sudbury and North Bay communities.   STOP Crime Now ! ^TM is a registered trademark of the John Howard Society of Sudbury.

We are proud to commemorate Prisoners Justice Day every year.  It is a day where we remember the violence within the walls of incarceration and the men and women who have died because of this violence while incarcerated.  In 2026 the commemoration will be on August 10 at 10:00 am on the grounds of the Sudbury Jail.  For more information please go to the Prisoners Justice Day page on our website.

(NEW!) The John Howard Society assists people with criminal records to apply for a record suspension, formerly known as a pardon.  It is a lengthy process and can take up to two years.  If you would like more information contact the John Howard Society as soon as possible.

Some of our funders include the following and we are truly appreciative of their support.  Given that the vast majority of Canadians claim to give to charities but just less than 25% of Canadians claim their charitable donations on their tax return, you may want to make sure you know the benefits!  Your donations are important !  Please remember us.

To easily calculate the tax savings for a donation of any amount, use https://www.canadahelps.org/taxtime/.

For information on how our programs and services can be accessed in French contact the John Howard Society of Sudbury at the references located on our contact page.  Those programs and services that are available in French are noted with an (F) in the title of each service or program.  The John Howard Society is an inclusive agency serving all people in our community.  We have posted the Pride progress Flag on our website as a symbol that everyone is welcome to enter our agency for service.

Vianet is a proud supporter of the John Howard Society and the great work that we do all across Ontario to provide effective, just, and humane responses to crime and its causes. Vianet supports and helps in creating safer communities and to STOP Crime Now!

Follow us on Instagram at johnhowardsudbury or #jhssudbury.

June is National Indigenous History Month.  For more information please go to our Events page.