Good morning, Greater Sudbury! Here are a few stories to start your day on this Wednesday morning.
Laurentian expects to be able to list president’s home for sale soon
Although about a year has passed since the decision was made, Laurentian University has not yet put the John Street home that has been traditionally occupied by its presidents on the market. The university’s board of governors made the decision to sell the house at 179 John St. at their Feb. 17, 2023 meeting. Given the length of time that has passed without the house being listed, Sudbury.com reached out to Laurentian this week for an update. The university said it expects some movement on this file in the near future. “The process of the sale of this residence was more complex than the average home,” said the brief written statement from Laurentian.
Province announces $3 million in Northern agricultural funding
Northern Development Minister Greg Rickford was in Sudbury Tuesday for the sixth annual Northern Ontario Ag Conference where he announced more than $3 million in funding to six agri-production projects in Northern Ontario. The majority of the funding will assist tile drainage projects throughout Northeastern Ontario. Money will also be spent on grain haulage trucks and a Christmas tree farm. The conference, which was held Monday and Tuesday at Science North, brought together nearly 100 farm and agriculture industry representatives from across the North, representing the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA). NOFIA was founded in 2014 as a non-profit advocacy group that aims to advance agricultural research and innovation in Northern Ontario. Rickford said the Ontario Conservatives appreciate the efforts of the agricultural community and are pleased to support it in the North.
Minnow Lake housing project with 192 lots inches forward
Several years in the planning stage, a Minnow Lake housing development with 192 residential lots appears to continue to inch forward, despite facing numerous hurdles. During the Feb. 12 planning committee meeting of city council, the city’s elected officials approved a draft plan of subdivision approval three-year extension to Jan. 8, 2027. The long-talked-about subdivision is proposed to consist of 192 lots on vacant land located south of Howey Drive and west of Somerset Drive, behind the Sudbury Curling Club building. “Development is needed, and I’m happy that it’s happening in Minnow Lake,” Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc told Sudbury.com by phone prior to the Feb. 12 meeting. “Minnow Lake is a growing community, and it’s important to grow our city together, and this is going to create more homes. We need more homes and housing throughout the city.”
City warning about possible fake door-to-door canvasser
Greater Sudbury Fire Services and the City of Greater Sudbury are warning the public to be wary of a person, possibly posing as a fire department representative, knocking on doors offering home fire inspection services while gaining access to people’s personal information. “An unknown individual, potentially claiming to be a representative of Greater Sudbury Fire Services, has been canvassing the Greater Sudbury community offering home fire safety inspections and/or providing emergency preparedness kits,” the city said in a news release.In some of these interactions with residents, the city said the individual has been gaining access to personal and payment information. It’s important to note, the city said, Greater Sudbury Fire Services is not currently canvassing the community performing home inspections or selling products.
There were four official ‘renovictions’ in Sudbury last year
Official evictions due to renovations are relatively rare in Sudbury, with only four of last year’s 966 in Ontario taking place in the Nickel City. During the Feb. 13 city council meeting, the city’s elected officials will consider a motion by Ward 4 Coun. Pauline Fortin to have city staff investigate ways to reduce so-called renovictions. The number of official evictions due to renovations are from Tribunals Ontario, and include the number of L2 applications based on N13 notices. They encompass properties within the postal codes P3A, P3B, P3C, P3E and P3G, which make up the city of Sudbury and exclude outlying communities making up Greater Sudbury. N13 notices are given to tenants to end their tenancy because the landlord wants to demolish the rental unit, repair it or convert it to another use. L2 applications are for formal orders to follow through on various eviction notices, including N13 notices, through Tribunals Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board.
City opens registrations for paperless tax bills
The City of Greater Sudbury is offering a paperless option for property tax bills. Residents can now sign up to receive their property tax bills online through the City of Greater Sudbury Customer Service Portal. Residents are expected to receive letters containing pertinent information, along with their property’s roll number and unique access code, by Feb. 22. Those who don’t receive a letter by then should phone the city’s customer service line at 311. Residents with more than one property will receive a letter for each property they own.
