Fate of $1M Vale fine rests in Sudbury council hands

One Sudbury city councillor says there is talk about doing something special with the $1 millionfine from Vale.

The mining company was ordered to pay the fine after being convicted of health and safety charges in the death of two miners, and like all provincial court cases heard in Sudbury, the fine goes into city coffers.

The money the city takes infrom fines is actually down, so this $1 million from Vale may not make as big a splash in the budget as first thought, city councillor Terry Kett said.

Well, I know already theres been some talk among councillors that were going to have to discuss this and Im sure we will, he said.

Im sure were going to get some public input on this as well. Theres going to be something coming out of this, theres no doubt about it.

Putting some of it away in a park reserve to build some kind of memorial for Jordan Fram and Jason Chenier might be appropriate, Kett added.

Direct it to those families

Meanwhile, aSudbury labour leader is urging city council to make a statement with the $1 million.

At least the city could take that money now and say, Well, were going to use this money to ensure that our workers are safe, saidWyman MacKinnon,vice-president of the Sudbury Labour Council.[And] if you want to put the money to proper use, direct to those families."

City council will decide how to spend the money and the rest of the citys $500 millionbudget later this fall.