Cleanup plan moves ahead for former homeless encampment in Sudbury's Memorial Park
After being the centre of a homeless encampment, Greater Sudbury is getting ready to do some cleanup work in Memorial Park to ensure it is safe.
The homeless encampment was in place for more than a year and was finally closed April 1. Now work needs to be done to address health and safety issues.
"Over the next couple of months you can expect to see some heavy equipment in the park as landscaping and repairs to any damaged property within the park," said Stefany Mussen, the manager of corporate security and bylaw services with the Greater Sudbury.
"And the reason for that is just the health and safety concerns that may have come from human waste or sharps being located within the park during the time of the encampment."
The work will delay the opening of the splash pad in the park.
"We are going to come in, we are going to do a vacuum then we will come back and re-evaluate," said Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc.
"We will do a second vacuum then we are going to come in and do some landscaping and underneath some of these pine trees, instead of going with grass, we will use wood chips. With the play structure, we are going to do a temporary wood chip structure."
The city aims to have the park returned to a safe and enjoyable area in the next two months.
"The whole point of closing the encampment in Memorial Park was to make it a safe space for all of our citizens to use and so the end goal of the restoration project will be to have the park be open to everyone," said Mussen.
At this point, the cost of the cleanup and reclamation is unknown.
"Until we get in here and do everything, the cost is unknown to us at this point in time but it is a cost to the taxpayer that is an unbudgeted item for our 2022 budget," said Leduc.
Officials with the YMCA confirmed it plans to reopen the daycare later this month. Its outdoor play area backs onto the park.
It was relocated last November due to health and safety concerns about needles being covered in snow.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.