Saving Laurentian University's green space
A large group of nature lovers descend on the green space at Laurentian University on Saturday to hear from ecologists about the wildlife that exists in Greater Sudbury.
Organized by the Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury, many in the city still remain worried about the property's future.
A map of the 200 hectare piece of land located between lakes Ramsey, Nepahwin, Laurentian and Bennet referred to as Laurentian University's green space. (Photo from video)"People love this space, it's so important to them," said the coalition's Naomi Grant.
"It's so important to the animals that live here and it's so important to the water that we rely on."
The key message from the group, 'a winter forest may look still but there are always signs of life.'
The ‘green space' as many locals call it, is over 200 hectares located between lakes Ramsey, Nepahwin, Laurentian and Bennet. It's been a source of recreation for many Sudburians.
Some though wonder, if the school will sell it off as it looks to resolve some of its debts.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
"For the university, this is what makes the campus unique, it's such an attraction for the students for the Northern lifestyle," said Grant.
"It's very important because it's right next to a conversation area and the conversation area at Lake Laurentian, not only is a great recreation area but that water is very important for the drinking water source of Sudbury," said retired botanist and former Laurentian University professor, Peter Beckett.
Beckett, along with retired biologist and staff scientist at Science North Franco Mariotti, led separate groups through the hills and up to the beaver pond, while educating people about nature on the way.
"Part of the reason people come to Laurentian in the past has been that it's got five lakes, it's got all this open space," said Beckett.
"Today's hike is to point out what some of those secretive animals are that actually thrive above and beneath the snow, so we're hoping to… I don't think we'll actually see them but we'll see evidence of them and discover the world with the participants," said Mariotti.
The university is under new leadership and city hall is reportedly watching the situation very closely. The mayor has said that he is aware that the green space is important to a lot of people.
University officials, as of Friday, said they had no updates on the property as of yet.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to remove pro-Palestinian encampment from campus
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.