Mining giant Vale is continuing with efforts to make Sudbury greener with its aerial grass seeding program.
This week, helicopters are targeting barren land requiring reclamation around the company’s operations south of Coniston.
Vale says efforts are being made not to fly over residential areas, but local residents may notice low-flying helicopters.
The aerial seeding program is departing from a private airstrip in Coniston and depositing loads of limestone, grass seed, and fertilizer on the designated treatment areas.
Vale says the program started in 1990 and has treated more than 3,800 hectares of land. This year, the treatment area includes 100 hectares south of Coniston.
Guy Desautels grew up in the Greater Sudbury community of Coniston, but now lives in Texas.
He is back for a visit and says he remembers the landscape as desolate.
Guy desautels, grew up in coniston,
"When I was a kid, and I am talking back in the 60’s 70’s, everything was black. With the old smelter here, the sulphur dioxide burned everything. There was no grass, there was nothing. It was black, black, black," said Desautels.
Desautels calls the Vale re-greening efforts 'awesome.'
"A lot of the wildlife is moving back, the bears, and there was even a moose in Coniston this summer," said Desautels.
