Vale resumes annual reseeding program, this time near Wahnapitae
Residents in the Greater Sudbury community of Wahnapitae might have noticed low-flying aircraft overhead, but it's nothing to be concerned about.
Mining giant Vale is reseeding an area near Highway 537 as part of its regreening efforts.
Watching it, onlookers will notice a delicate dance in the air between two helicopters that's carefully being choreographed by these specialists.
"We treat about 100 hectares over the course of about four days so as you can see, the helicopters cycle very, very quickly and they can complete this job in about four days," said Vale's Quentin Smith.
One at a time, a helicopter approaches the filling area where large buckets are filled with a mix of lime, grass seed and fertilizer.
Once airborne, payloads are dropped in a specific area.
The hope is once the city returns next season to plant pine seedlings, there will also be new grass and new growth.
"They do dozens of cycles over the course of the day so I'm not sure about a specific number, but it would be dozens ... for sure," said Smith.
Smith said they pick October because a lot of what they're doing is weather dependent. In the course of 30 years, officials said they've covered roughly 10,000 acres.
"We've stressed the land in and around our historic smelter sites, including our historic smelter in the Coniston area, so we undertake the reseeding program on an annual basis as a way of trying to correct the mistakes of the past," he said.
Charles Goggin has been flying the mission for a couple of years now, long enough to see the fruits of his labour.
"It's kinda' nice, you know, when you come around here the next few years and you see all the good that's been done," said Goggin. "You come here as a kid and everything's black rocks and (there's) lots of green now."
Remediation efforts continue, one scoop or bucket at a time, for the rest of the week.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
RCMP uncovers plot to sell drones and equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Demonstrators kicked out of Ontario legislature for disruption after failed keffiyeh vote
A group of demonstrators were kicked out of the legislature after a second NDP motion calling for unanimous consent to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh failed to pass.
BREAKING Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Tom Mulcair: Park now 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.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
Equifax Canada testing use of rental payment data for credit scores
Equifax Canada says it's exploring how rent data could factor in to credit scores to help make credit and financial services accessible to more people.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.