Sudbury group looking for help to clean Simon Lake
A volunteer group is looking for the public's help to clean Simon Lake, located west of the old City of Sudbury.
The lake has been plagued with algae, and blooms are again taking over the waterbody this summer.
The Simon Lake stewardship committee started a petition it plans to present to city council, asking for help in its efforts to buy a skimmer.
"Members of the community who live on the water, who use the water, who use the beach, they simply they don't want to use the water because of the quality of the lake -- it's unpleasant to look at, it's unpleasant to smell, " said Cortney Kanerva, who started the petition.
Kanerva got involved with the group again after seeing the state of the water.
The Walden-based group said on a hot day Monday, the beach at Simon Lake should be packed. However, no one can use the water because of the thick green sludge along the shore.
"I live on the water -- just down the street from the park -- and right now my windows are closed because it's pretty offensive when it's bad," she said.
"Hot days like today is prime algae brewing weather."
Kanerva said few people are able to use the water after May or June, because the algae grows quickly in hot weather.
"Once that hot weather hits, forget about coming to the park because you can't enjoy the water," she said.
"Your kids can't play in it … it's not a nice place to be at that point."
Simon Lake stewardship committee president Krishnan Venkataraman also lives on the water, and he's seen the issue first-hand.
Venkataraman is hoping to find a feasible solution.
"We don't have too many swimming spots around the Walden area," he said.
"This used to be a wonderful park when the algae levels were low and everything was fine and it still can be. It's not a very complicated issue: we need certain devices to be able to do it."
Walden recently lost Meatbird Lake after the city sold it back to Vale.
Venkataraman wants to make one thing clear: they are not pointing fingers at the city. He said the city can't make significant investments in all of its 330 lakes.
Instead, the group is hoping to get money from residents, industry, as well as the city, to buy the skimmer, which, he said, has been successful in other parts of Canada.
"We have a long way to go but we've been successful in raising some funds," said Venkataraman.
He said so far, it's been nothing but positive feedback from local politicians.
The city sent a statement to CTV News that said local stewardship groups are eligible for funding for their work, and the Simon Lake group received $500 for a fundraising barbecue.
To see the petition, click here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Competition bureau finds 'substantial' anti-competitive effects with proposed Bunge-Viterra merger
The proposed merger of agricultural giants Viterra and Bunge is raising competition concerns from the federal government.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.