Latest news with #Lefebvre
Global News
21-06-2025
- Business
- Global News
Ontario city skyline to undergo drastic change after ‘iconic' landmark toppled
For years, residents and visitors to Sudbury, Ont., knew they were approaching the Nickel City when they saw the Inco Superstack. 'For us, it's a beacon in our community,' Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre told Global News. 'You see Superstacks, you're near home, right? You're almost there because you can see it from pretty far away.' But the skyline of Sudbury is undergoing a drastic change as plans are underway by current owner Vale Base Metals (VBM) to tear down the structure, as well as its neighbouring copper sister. The company has made the Superstack and its little copper sister obsolete by finding more environmentally friendly way of dealing with emissions. Before the arrival of the chimney, which residents refer to as 'the Smokestack,' Sudbury was known as an environmental disaster, as spewing toxins made vegetation and wildlife in the area disappear. Story continues below advertisement 'Vegetation could not survive,' Lefebvre said. 'And certainly in the Copper Cliff area (where the mine is located) was really bad.' Then came the Superstack in 1972. Standing more than 1,250 Ft. high, it was, for a short time, the largest freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere until it was surpassed by the CN Tower. Until it disappears, it will remain the largest chimney in Canada. 'If you look at the history of why it was built, it was just to get the sulphur to go further instead of having it landing right beside the community,' Lefebvre said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy He noted that while that was a major innovation for its time, things have continued to evolve. In 2010, VBM, which acquired Inco in 2006, first announced the Clean AER Project, which would see the towering chimneys replaced with environmentally friendly and efficient methods of dealing with nickel extraction. 'The Superstack and Copperstack have been iconic landmarks in Greater Sudbury for decades,' said Gord Gilpin, director of Ontario operations for VBM. 'While we appreciate that the city's landscape will look different after these structures are dismantled, our business has evolved and improved over time and this project is part of that evolution. We are modernizing our facilities and reducing our environmental footprint and, in so doing, laying the groundwork to ensure that our next century of mining in Sudbury is as successful as our first 100 years.' Story continues below advertisement The company says the move will eliminate 100,000 metric tonnes of sulphur dioxide emissions each year (equivalent to 1,000 railway tanker cars of sulphuric acid). It will also see the end of the Superstack and its copper counterpart, as they were decommissioned in 2020, and have been dormant ever since. The company is just about finished with the demolition of the smaller Copperstack and is expected to turn its attention to the Superstack this summer. 'It's a massive undertaking of how they're going to do this,' Lefebvre said. 'They had to prep for it the last five years and here we are, we're on the cusp of it.' The company says it will take about five years to pull down the towers and while some have argued that the towers should remain as a tribute to the city's mining history and effort to clean up, the mayor said that is not a realistic option. 'There are some folks in the community that think we should keep it, but again, it's not ours, right?' he said. 'It's the company's and it's a liability, because if they just leave it there, the whole thing will rust and the inside will, then it becomes a liability.' Lefebvre also noted that the structure sits atop an active nickel mine, so there is no way it could ever be an attraction for people to visit and would be something that would need to be admired from afar. Story continues below advertisement While he is sad to see it go, the mayor noted that it is a weird twist that a place that once held such a bleak landscape would hold such an important stake in the world's environment. 'The irony of all this is now Sudbury, that was one of the most polluted places back in the '30s, '40s, '50s and '60s, is now obviously contributing enormously with our critical minerals to our environment,' he said. 'All electric vehicles and all battery, it needs nickel and we are the ones providing that across our entirety in the world.'
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Angel Camp gives kids with disabilities a place to shine
Each summer, Angel Camp at the J.E.R. Chilton YMCA in Rockwall gives kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities something that isn't always easy to come by: a typical summer camp experience – canoeing, swimming, crafts, archery – all with the support they need and at no cost to their families. The camp is designed for kids ages 8 to 18 who are able to dress and use the restroom on their own. With a low counselor-to-camper ratio of 1:5 and a team of highly trained staff, Angel Camp offers a safe, structured environment where kids can just be themselves. 'Our goal is to give children a place where they feel happy, safe and loved,' said Angel Camp director Shannon Lefebvre. 'Where their disability isn't the focus, just their ability.' Campers spend their days doing everything from outdoor education and water activities to arts and crafts based on weekly themes. They have dress-up days, field trips and even get visits from local firefighters and police officers. 'We love when the fire trucks come spray us down on water days,' Lefebvre said. 'And our outdoor education program has really grown, we love teaching the campers about the world around them.' Angel Camp runs in six one-week sessions through July 25 with a break the week of July 1. Campers attend Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., bringing their own lunches and getting a snack after swim time. Each session is capped at 20 campers and spots fill up quickly. New campers choose one week to attend but enrollment is only confirmed after a brief in-person meeting with Lefebvre, the camper, and a parent or guardian. As of this week, four of the six sessions are already full. Though the program is free to families, it's made possible through donations to the YMCA Annual Campaign and the camp relies on community support to keep growing. 'We thank our community for their support during the YMCA campaign to grow our camp each year.' Lefebvre said. To learn more about Angel Camp, visit or reach out to the director at slefebvre@
Herald Sun
10-06-2025
- Health
- Herald Sun
How the Melbourne All Abilities Cricket Association pulls people out of ‘very dark places'
At 25 years of age, Denis Wilkinson received a diagnosis that would change his life forever. Wilkinson was found to have McCune-Albright Syndrome, a rare and complex genetic disorder affecting the bone, skin and endocrine systems. It explained why he shot up from 5'8 to 6'8 between the ages of 15 and 22. 'I'm one in five million,' Wilkinson explained. 'I get looked after at Royal Melbourne and at Western Health medically, I see the best surgeons. My biggest problem is excess growth, because I produce so much growth hormone naturally, it's a lot of disfiguration and my bones are very soft. '(The diagnosis) was very very late and it literally changed my whole life. 'Sometimes my body, I wake up some days and I'm done before I start.' Almost poetically, around the same time Wilkinson, now aged 40, was diagnosed with McCune-Albright Syndrome some 15 years ago, a chance conversation was struck up at Moorabbin Cricket Club. It was there and then the seed for what would become the Melbourne All Abilities Cricket Association (MAACA) was planted in the mind of the competition's founder, Steve Lefebvre. In 2025, the competition celebrated its 10th season, and it has shaped the lives of Wilkinson and many others for the better. 'This has really saved a number of them,' Lefebvre said of the impact MAACA has had on its participants. 'Some of them have seen darker times and playing within a club has got them connected which is absolutely fantastic, they don't become one of those unfortunate statistics, they're actually enjoying themselves among the community like everyone else. 'A number of the clubs have helped them get jobs, they've helped them go through pathway processes to the Victorian team.' The association now has 16 clubs, 24 teams and more than 300 players across Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and greater Melbourne. Crucially, every program must be embedded within a 'mainstream' local cricket club to foster a sense of belonging. Lefebvre is a retired police officer of 41 years who developed Victoria Police's mental health strategy, while he was also recognised with a 'Victorian Local Hero' nomination at the 2025 Australian of the Year Awards for his work with MAACA. He said the association's growth was rapid, but would be capped at three new clubs per season so it 'doesn't get out of hand'. 'We've got different divisions according to different skill levels and different disability levels, right up to the high functioning guys,' he explained. Humble beginnings Vickram Jholl was the player who inspired the creation of an all-abilities program at Moorabbin, and later the formation of the MAACA, when his tireless and determined parents leant over the fence at cricket training and asked Lefebvre if he could help their son. In the first year there were only seven players and Lefebvre was left disappointed, but steadily that number grew. The next year there were 19, then 29, then 44, and so on. 'It just started as an idea at Moorabbin Cricket Club about 15 years ago and it all started to blossom, now we're putting the reins on it because it's just exploding … when you see it you're absolutely hooked,' Lefebvre said. 'The interest got so big that we decided to set up a competition. It's a program first and a competition second. 'It must be embedded within a mainstream cricket club, it can't be an all abilities club, and that's all about integration and inclusion basically … all our all abilities players come to Moorabbin functions. 'The cultural change has taken place many years ago and it's just part of the everyday furniture at Moorabbin which is fantastic. It's nothing new for a First XI player to be sitting next to an all abilities player and having a chat. 'That was the idea of what we wanted to do and that was the way it worked out which was great.' Vickram's parents Arjan and Gobind Jholl had been searching tirelessly for an opportunity for Vickram – who has autism and an intellectual disability – to play cricket when they met Lefebvre. 'It took us a while to get a club that would take in people with all abilities,' Arjan explained. 'Vickram was really interested in cricket … he kept saying he wanted to play cricket. 'We went around door knocking, got the local council involved as well, it took us around a year. 'Everyone was telling us we can't take it on, it's too hard basket, it's a big liability, but Steve gave it a go and said 'I'll do it', and he did. He's our saviour, we weren't going to give up until we found someone but we were lucky that Steve gave us a go.' The impact Vickram and Wilkinson are just two cases out of hundreds of MAACA shaping a disadvantaged life for the better. 'It has made a lot of difference … just that sense of belonging, giving everyone a go, you're not judging,' Arjan said of the impact on Vickram. 'Everyone has a goal no matter what your ability is, he's so proud to put on his uniform on match days and he thinks, 'right, I'm a hot shot cricket player'. It has boosted his self esteem, his morale. 'He's a different boy altogether.' Wilkinson has only been playing in MAACA for the past two seasons but said it had been 'amazing' for him. 'It's given me another path and another step in life, people go through a lot of things in life, but it's all about a team environment and getting out there, and community,' said Wilkinson, who plays for Seddon Cricket Club. 'Some days I wake up and my head is just pounding and my face is swollen, it's just life. 'Cricket helps me and gives me a purpose on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, to me it gives me something to look forward to, then a week's gone like that.' 'My day to day life is very boring unfortunately, I'm on the disability pension and when I'm really sick I don't leave the house, or might see the boys at cricket and socialise. 'Outside of cricket I struggle a lot on the medical side of it. Cricket and golf are the things that get me out of the house to come and socialise, it makes me a better person. 'The people at Seddon love and respect all of our all abilities players, they put a smile on our face and we put a smile on their face.' An action as simple as Wilkinson putting his body behind the ball in the outfield can cause injury for him given his softer bones, while he also needs injections once a month, has to take tablets everyday, and has diabetes. 'We could go on forever …' he trails off. Wilkinson has also struggled with alcohol as a result of his condition, but went cold turkey in his first season with MAACA. 'I get on it a bit, I don't work most days and it gets boring, cricket does help. I can't say so much positive things with MAACA … I'm very fortunate. 'Last year I did so well,' Wilkinson said. 'This year hasn't been great because when I get sick I get on it a bit too much, but that's life.' Wilkinson added that his diagnosis 'took a big toll' on him. 'I'm lucky I've got an amazing family, my mum and dad, If I didn't have them … I've been in very dark places in life and if it wasn't for my family and friends and cricket and golf, it was very, very, very hard. 'Everyone gets dealt a shit card and might feel shit on 'x' day, but you've got to wake up and have some positives.'
Time of India
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
How Nate Schmidt and Gustav Forsling have flourished in the Florida Panthers' system
Image Via Getty In South Florida, an unofficial haven is being created in the NHL for defensemen looking to regain confidence. For Schmidt, the opportunity to blend into the newly formed Florida Panthers lineup was, in some ways, a release. Schmidt is not alone herein this the seasoned Gustav Forsling, with Dmitry Kulikov and others, could equally attest that theirs is a defense-oriented culture of the Panthers. The underlying factor behind this phenomenon is the coaching intervention of Paul Maurice and Sylvain Lefebvre, an environment that values experience, is liberating in its structure, and encourages the player to retain his individuality. Paul Maurice-Sylvain Lefebvre's way of turning defensive veterans into gems Unlike many teams in the NHL that stick players in rigid roles, the Panthers have created a definition of defensive excellence that honors a player's right to simply be himself, with structure imposed, never suffocation. Confidence in assistant coach Sylvain Lefebvre is the cornerstone of Paul Maurice's philosophy. A Stanley Cup champion, Lefebvre brought to his coaching the player perspective from knowing the grind from both behind the bench and on the ice. Small matters of defense contributed by Lefebvre—stick positioning, aggression at the blue line, net-front coverage—have provided an adjustment for both rookies and the likes of Seth Jones. According to Jones himself, ever since the trade out of Chicago in March, he says that daily video sessions with Lefebvre and his patient approach helped him tweak certain things in his game that Jones himself neglected to work on for the longest of times. Nate Schmidt, previously guided by Maurice in Winnipeg, has found his groove once again in Florida. The tandem of coaches is given credit for letting Schmidt play his natural game without putting any unnecessary constraints on him. Gustav Forsling and Dmitry Kulikov, both of whom played very important roles in Florida's trip to the 2023 Stanley Cup, echoed such sentiments. It's not about regenerating players; it's about reminding them of their former selves at their best. Even Zito, the Panthers' GM, admits that defensemen almost always improve after arriving in Florida. There is an environment of togetherness, not competition, and Maurice does not micromanage the blue line because he trusts Lefebvre. Those same expectations have trickled down to the players. While Aaron Ekblad, the No. 1 pick of 2014, is considered local talent, the defensive unit otherwise does not consist of homegrown players, yet this unit operates as one. This system welcomes players on board with ease due to the fact that its foundation is egalitarian in terms of accommodating various styles of play; it favors speed and aggression. Also Read: Zach Werenski turns injury into inspiration with powerful Columbus comeback The Florida Panthers are not just building an NHL front team while running a career rejuvenation clinic for defensemen. With Paul Maurice and Sylvain Lefebvre paying close attention to every detail, players like Nate Schmidt, Gustav Forsling, and Dmitry Kulikov aren't just fitting in; they are thriving.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ludo Lefebvre Names His Top L.A. Mexican Haunts
Classically-trained French chef Lefebvre started a pop-up craze in L.A. in 2010, when he launched his fried chicken concept, 'LudoTruck' — which became his first brick-and-mortar location, LudoBird at the Staples Center. In 2013, he debuted the 24-seat tasting menu hot spot Trois Mec in Hollywood with Vinny Dotolo and John Shook; and in 2014, he opened popular French bistro, Petit Trois, next door. A Michelin star and James Beard Award nom followed — as did a second location of Petit Trois, in Sherman Oaks, in 2018. Last summer, the famed chef and TV personality partnered with the Delphine Day Club at Costa Palmas in Los Cabos ( where he serves his Nicoise cuisine to beachgoers over lively DJ beats. In honor of the club's second summer season, chef Ludo names his favorite Mexican dishes in Los Angeles. Table-Side Guacamole Casa Vega 'Casa Vega is a neighborhood icon in the Valley and it's right down the street from Petit Trois in Sherman Oaks. A true classic spot loved by all. It's always busy, the energy is amazing and it's just really fun. It's a MUST to start with the tableside guacamole, and they have one of the best margaritas in town.' $19, 13301 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, MoleGuelaguetza 'Guelaguetza is another classic. Bricia and her family have owned the restaurant, located in the middle of Koreatown, for over 30 years. They focus on Oaxacan food. I always get one of their moles. Sometimes I add chapulines [grasshoppers] to my tacos for a little extra protein. Don't forget to order one of the famous micheladas [cocktails]. Moles start at $22, 3014 W. Olympic Blvd., Harvard Heights, Prawns a la Parrilla Damian 'Damian is from Michelin-starred chef Enrique Olvera, who is really talented. The food here is a modern, refined take on Mexican. It combines ingredients and traditions from Mexico as well as California. Prawns a la Parrilla is one of my favorite dishes: [It's] fresh, light and full of flavor, with perfectly grilled prawns finished with flaky sea salt. $60, 2132 E. 7th St., DTLA,
