Tiny homes study in Sudbury could have big impact on housing shortage
Collège Boréal in Sudbury has received about $360,000 from the federal to finance a study on tiny homes and determine whether they’re an option here in northern Ontario.
The money will go into research, as well as planning and designing a tiny home, said Sabine Bouchard, from the college.
“Planning is really our main objective for year one,” Bouchard said.
“We’re going to be working and including some of our architecture students in the process.”
It’s in the second year when they’re hoping to actually build a tiny home on the Sudbury campus.
“That’s going to include students from our carpentry, welding, plumbing, electricity programs,” she said.
“Then year three is to really evaluate that design.”
Boréal will be working alongside the city as well as an organization called the Tiny Town Association, which was found in Kingston in 2015.
Founder Ed Peterson said the organization is working toward building its first tiny home community, with the intention of building multiple communities across Canada an affordable housing option.
“There are more and more businesses building tiny homes, but our partnership with the college is that we’ll be able to look at how tiny homes (can) be constructed to be affordable and meet the housing needs in northern communities,” Peterson said.
“We’ll be able to look at different building styles and determine … do we need that much insulation? Do we need those thicknesses of walls to be able to build something that’s affordable and easy to maintain.”
He said there are benefits to tiny homes.
“The cost of the unit is still less than any other form of housing, that’s the first benefit,” Peterson said.
“The second one is you can build and move into a tiny house quicker than let’s say an apartment building. An apartment building you have to build the whole thing, versus a tiny home. You can build them one by one.”
He hopes the students helping out with the build in Sudbury will become interested in building tiny homes once they graduate.
“We are working to develop people coming out of college and looking at building tiny homes as a potential job or business,” Peterson said.
“So, with all those things in place, there’s potential for a lot of builders to come on board and build tiny homes.”
Boréal said once the tiny home is built, it’s planning to donate it to a not for profit organization.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING | Liberals withdraw controversial amendment to guns bill
The federal Liberals are withdrawing an amendment to their guns bill that introduced a controversial new definition of an assault-style weapon.

NORAD tracking high-altitude surveillance balloon detected over the U.S., Canada says
The Department of National Defence says Canada is working with the United States to protect sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats after a high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected.
'Made-in-Canada system' keeps egg supply stable. But is it also keeping prices high?
Canada's egg industry appears to be quietly sidestepping widespread shortages and wildly spiking prices affecting other countries, and some say supply management is to thank.
Migrant workers sneak secret menus into Canadian restaurants to expose exploitation
Hundreds of customers who scan QR codes for restaurant menus across Canada are being surprised by secret menus instead, revealing the hidden costs behind the food they eat.
Most of Ontario under extreme cold warning, Arctic blast brings biting chills
Most of Ontario is under an extreme cold warning as a blast of Arctic air delivers biting wind chills.
Could the fungal outbreak in The Last of Us happen for real?
The post-apocalyptic TV adaptation of the video game The Last of Us has some wondering about the real-life possibility of a global pandemic caused by fungus, and one expert says it’s not a concept to dismiss.
B.C. premier approaching health care talks without 'any red lines'
British Columbia Premier David Eby says he's going into next week's health-care meeting between the premiers and prime minister with an open mind — and without a red line dollar ask for the federal government.
Senate passes Liberals' controversial online streaming act with a dozen amendments
Big tech companies that offer online streaming services could soon be required to contribute to Canadian content as a controversial Liberal bill gets one step closer to becoming law.
China: Balloon over U.S. skies is for research, wind pushed it
China said Friday that a balloon spotted over American airspace was used for weather research and was blown off course, despite U.S. suspicion it was spying. The discovery further strained already tense relations between Beijing and Washington.