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 | PM Trudeau presents premiers $196B health-care funding deal, including $46B in new funding
The federal government is pledging to increase health funding to Canada's provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over the next 10 years, in a long-awaited deal aimed at addressing Canada's crumbling health-care systems with $46.2 billion in new funding.

Newborn, toddler saved from rubble in quake-hit Syrian town
Residents digging through a collapsed building in a northwest Syrian town discovered a crying infant whose mother appears to have given birth to her while buried underneath the rubble from this week's devastating earthquake, relatives and a doctor said Tuesday.
BREAKING | B.C. to make National Day for Truth and Reconciliation a paid statutory holiday
The British Columbia government has introduced legislation to make Sept. 30 a paid statutory holiday marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Canadians now expect to need $1.7M in order to retire: BMO survey
Canadians now believe they need $1.7 million in savings in order to retire, a 20 per cent increase from 2020, according to a new BMO survey. The eye-watering figure is the largest sum since BMO first started surveying Canadians about their retirement expectations 13 years ago.
U.S. actor facing sex charges in Nevada also facing charge in B.C.
A former actor in the movie 'Dances With Wolves' who is facing eight sex-related charges in Nevada is also facing a charge in British Columbia.
Germany, Denmark, Netherlands pledge Ukraine Leopard 1 tanks
Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands announced Tuesday that they plan to provide Ukraine with at least 100 refurbished Leopard 1 battle tanks, a pledge that comes as Kyiv anticipates a new Russian offensive around the anniversary of its invasion.
Dog named Kujo likely to 'kill or injure,' B.C. court rules in euthanasia decision
A dog named Kujo will be euthanized after a B.C. judge determined the animal is "likely to kill or injure" if released from the pound.
Big tech job cuts keep coming; Zoom latest to trim headcount
Zoom is cutting about 1,300 jobs, or approximately 15% of its workforce. CEO Eric Yuan said in a blog post Tuesday that the company ramped up staffing during the COVID-19 pandemic, when businesses became increasingly reliant on its service as people worked from home. Yuan said Zoom grew three times in size within 24 months to manage demand.
Quake deaths pass 6,200 as Turkiye, Syria seek survivors
Search teams and emergency aid from around the world poured into Turkiye and Syria on Tuesday as rescuers working in freezing temperatures dug, sometimes with their bare hands, through the remains of buildings flattened by a powerful earthquake. The death toll soared above 6,200 and was still expected to rise.