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
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.