Northern Ontario developments!

[softee]

From today's North Bay Nugget:

Construction kicks into high gear; Several new businesses among growth

Gord Young
Local News - Saturday, July 14, 2007 @ 08:00

A summer of construction is underway in the city, with millions of dollars being doled out on commercial, residential and industrial developments.

In addition to a myriad of road reconstruction projects, including those on Jane and Fisher streets, there's a considerable list of businesses locating or expanding in the city.

Work began last month on an 1,800-square-metre Boston Pizza franchise near McKeown Avenue, which is scheduled to open in late October or early November.

Wendy Hendry, marketing director for the restaurant and sports bar chain, said the North Bay location, which will employ as many an 100 part- and full-time workers, is part of a plan to grow the company over the next several years.

Meanwhile, renovations at the North Bay Mall to accommodate new grocery and department stores is nearly complete.

Michael Hart, president of Hart Stores Inc., said recently hired staff are busy stocking the new location with merchandise for its Aug. 1 grand opening.

He said the department store chain, which claims aggressive pricing and deals in everything from clothing and furniture to houseware and linens, will employ as many as 45 people at the Lakeshore Drive location.


"This will be our 77th store . . . our 13th in Ontario," said Hart, noting local residents will start to see and hear advertisements promoting the 2,800-square-metre facility later this month.

Work is also continuing on the 6,600-square-metre Future Shop store slated to open by late September at Northgate Shopping Centre.

The North Bay store will be the 122nd outlet for the Burnaby, B.C.-based company which employs more than 11,000 people throughout Canada.

A major expansion project is underway at the Hopper Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealership on McKeown Avenue and work could begin this fall on an expansion at the Toyota dealership on Lakeshore Drive, and at Neddy's North Bay Hyundai on Trout Lake Road.

Construction of a new $6-million Holiday Inn Express near Home Depot is nearing completion and work is expected to soon begin next door on the Staybridge Suites Hotel.

Work continues on the billion-dollar North Bay Regional Health Centre - the city's largest-ever construction project - as well as the water treatment plant, another massive project worth more than $30 million.

On the residential front, construction of the new 46-unit Watersun condominium on Lakeshore Drive was recently completed and work at the Marina Point waterfront project is progressing. In addition to ongoing work throughout the city on various subdivision and housing projects, Granite Village, formerly the Paradise Suites proposal for a townhouse complex and assisted-living facility near Trout Lake Road, is in the pre-sale stage.

Expansion work is also continuing at Ecole secondaire catholique Algonquin, and Conseil scolaire public du Nord-Est de l'Ontario is buildinga new $9.5-million facility adjacent to Ecole publique Odyssee on Norman Avenue. A major $8-million academic and research complex at Nipissing University is also expected to be tendered this summer. Construction of a new Algonquin Child and Family Services building on Oak Street is also expected to soon get underway.

When it comes to industry, Atlas Copco is building a new 7,000-square-metre factory on five hectares of land purchased from the city in the industrial park on Ferris Drive. J.N. Precise on Exeter Street is also expanding.

[vid]

dp

[vid]

You should look up some info to fill in the gaps from Suds and Soo.

Sioux Lookout health centre to have big impact on local and regional economies
By Adelle L'Armour | Northern Ontario Business
http://www.northernontariobusiness.c...3-06-sioux.asp

Combining traditional healing, medicines, foods and support programs with Western medical technologies will soon become a reality for the Sioux Lookout Meno-Ya-Win Health Centre and the 28 surrounding communities it services.

The new centre will also be a healthy pill for the local economy, according to officials.

As one of the most comprehensive programs of its kind in Canada, the new health centre is intended to combine hospital and community-based programs to meet the needs of its high Aboriginal population.

Although legally amalgamated in 2002, Meno-Ya-Win’s combined set of health services currently operate out of seven sites, two of which are hospitals, with a combined total of 41 beds. The service area extends across 385,000 square kilometres, about one-quarter of Ontario’s land mass, and serves a population of 26,747, of which more than 80 per cent are Anishnabe people.

CEO Roger Walker says the new health centre is planned to have 60 beds, 47 for acute care, five for withdrawal management and eight for complex continuing care. The physical space is expected to expand from the current 100,000 square feet to 139,000 sq. ft.

In 1997, a four-party agreement was signed between NAN (Nishnawbe-Aski Nation), the Town of Sioux Lookout and the two levels of government. There had been talk of consolidating the two hospitals for more than 20 years says Douglas Semple, chair of the board of directors.

In 2001, the Meno-Ya-Win Health Centre was established. The name Meno-Ya-Win refers to the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of the healing process, the same components upon which the medicine wheel is based.

Using this philosophy, programming was developed, which integrates traditional healing medicines, foods (THMF) and support programs to operate in conjunction with other hospital and community-based health services.

Based upon the THMF document, the five areas are:

• Odabiidamageg (Governance and Leadership) where there will be a board, elders council and management and leadership;

• Weecheewaywin (Patient Supports) involving elders in residence, patient support workers, designated interpreters for translation, cultural awareness and training and First Nations employment;

• Andaaw’ Iwe Win (Healing Practices) with ceremonial practices and certified healers;

• Mishkiki (Traditional Medicines) using herbal remedies; and

• Miichim (Traditional Foods).

Other programs that will be new to the centre are mammography (breast cancer screening and diagnostic mammography) and chiropody (foot care), as well as approved space for computed tomography (CT), with the intent to have a CT unit operational once the building is up.

As a significant, large-scale project for Sioux Lookout, Walker says it will generate many opportunities for employment, business, and education and training for the town and surrounding communities.

He says the centre will be home to 300 jobs, mostly relocated from other centres. That figure does include 30-50 new jobs, however.

In addition to the $75-million hospital, parallel projects, such as a new hostel and physician’s building, will accompany future construction, potentially pushing the combined value over $100 million. Other allied help buildings may also go up on the same site, in addition to the potential reconstruction of the long-term care facility.

To date, the federal government has contributed $37.4 million, approximately 44 per cent of the projected cost. Under the terms of the 1997 agreement, the provincial government is committed to provide half of the funding, of which $6.5 million has been put toward planning and design. The local share is estimated at $2.5 million.

Some preliminary site work has been done. They expect to be in construction by the summer of 2007, with the building complete and ready for occupancy in the fall of 2009.

Walker says they are looking at this as a major opportunity for the generation of wealth in the communities. Collaboratively, they are working with the Nishnawbe-Aski Development Fund, the Sioux Lookout Area Aboriginal Management Board and the Municipality of Sioux Lookout Development Office to make sure the core and associated projects work in a complimentary way to the development plans of these various organizations.

Only about 20 per cent of the local workforce is Aboriginal. Proponents of the Health Centre intend to bring that number up, to better reflect the population. Part of this approach is to bring awareness in the form of job fairs to the communities.

“We’re having job fairs with the First Nations communities over the next month or two and more specific activities to try and start moving in that direction,” Walker says. “We’re also directing a portion of the job fair at the general public ... for any person in school or out, to learn about what the future employment opportunities are.”

www.slmhc.on.ca

Great news for Sioux Lookout and the rest of the Northwest, this new hospital will relieve some of the burden on TBRHSC once it is finally open.

Here are a couple (small) shots of the architecture, which is heavily influenced by aboriginal culture.

[softee]

I took another of my city bus pics today of the new billboard that's been erected at the site of the Granite Village Development in the Graniteville area of the city on Trout Lake Road. It's currently in the pre-sales stage.

[Only The Lonely..]

Hey, how come this isn't in the Manitoba section?

[vid]

North Bay is closer to New York than Winnipeg.

And we started a Thunder Bay/NWO thread in the Manitoba section, they didn't like it. We have to figure out a way to get Danny and *that East Indian kid that is also from here and a member on SSC though he doesn't post anymore* over here.

No new news in the Lakehead, but the city is going to take "Expressway" out of "Thunder Bay Expressway" and "Harbour Expressway" as they are currently not expressways. (The Official Plan does show them eventually having interchanges, but the Provincial Government says traffic doesn't warrant it and refuses to help fund them.)

The new names may be Thunder Bay By-Pass and Harbourview Route, respectively.

[softee]

Originally Posted by Only The Lonely..

Hey, how come this isn't in the Manitoba section?

HaHa Yeah... sorry, but unlike Thunder Bay, North Bay is too close to Southern Ontario to have any sort of connection to Manitoba. But you knew that!

[vid]

LOTS of economic and development news today! We'll start with economic updates.

Green light for Abitibi-Bowater merger
Tb News Source | Web Posted: 7/24/2007 5:47:12 PM
http://www.tbsource.com/Localnews/index.asp?cid=98267

A proposed merger between Abitibi Consolidated Incorporated and Bowater Incorporated has been given the green light by Canada's Competition Bureau.

Melanie Aitken, Senior Deputy Commissioner of Competition said that after an extensive review, the bureau will not contest the merger. The bureau also said that they don't believe the merger is likely to result in a substantial lessening or prevention of competition in relevant markets. The review focused on numerous forest product markets, and consulted with market participants and in the end found there was insufficient grounds to challenge the merger.

The so-called merger of equals was first announced back in January. At that time, the merger left many questions about the future of both local operations in the city. Since that announcement Abitibi has indefinitely shut down their Mission Mill operation.

The merger of Abitibi and Bowater was expected to be completed by the third quarter of this year.

New co-gen plant for Atikokan
Tb News Source | Web Posted: 7/24/2007 5:48:36 PM
http://www.tbsource.com/localnews/index.asp?cid=98269

A significant investment was made in the community of Atikokan Tuesday that will help stabilize the future of two forest product operations in the community.

Delta Energy Co. Ltd has announced that they have signed a 20 year purchase agreement with the Ontario Power Authority to create a new clean energy co-generation plant in Atikokan.

The $50 million dollar, 10 megawatt operation will be a residual biomass/biogas co-gen plant. It will be established next to the existing Fibratech operation and the planned laminated veneer lumber plant and supply energy to both operations.

It is expected that Fibratech could see savings in the millions by having the co-gen plant supply them energy at a fixed rate. It will also provide clean power to Atikokan Hydro.

The new plant will create 60 construction jobs, 25 full time operational jobs, and will help sustain the existing jobs at Fibratech.

Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown called it a good day for his community while M.P.P. Bill Mauro says the plant will benefit both the economy of Atikokan and the environment.

Council okays school rezoning
Tb News Source | Web Posted: 7/24/2007 5:46:30 PM
http://www.tbsource.com/Localnews/index.asp?cid=98258

Apparently Green Acres isn't the place to be for a new residential apartment complex.

Over sixty residents turned out at City Hall Monday night to oppose a proposed zoning amendment that would allow the former Green Acres school to be transformed into an apartment complex. This was the second hotly contested zoning issue taken up at City Hall on Monday.

But there will be a new neighborhood development project in the south end of the city. After much debate council voted 9-4 in favour of the application to re-zone the vacant school facility. The existing building on West Isabella Street will be converted into a 25-unit residential building following its purchase by Atlas Properties from the Lakehead District School Board. The school has been vacant since 1983 and people living in the area have become accustomed to using the grounds as green space and park land over the years.

Numerous area residents spoke to council opposing the application but Administration supported the idea of re-zoning the area saying it kept within the original plan.

Dan Schebesch with Atlas Properties says he is pleased with council's decision and says the next step is to finalize the sale, complete formal drawings with the architect and begin construction.

The building is an eyesore. The plan will not remove any green space, they are just updating the school to contain homes and updating the landscaping.

Zoning changes cleared for Marina
Tb News Source | Web Posted: 7/24/2007 5:46:08 PM
http://www.tbsource.com/Localnews/index.asp?cid=98257

City council cleared the way Monday night so a vital step in re-development plans at the waterfront, can go ahead.

City council unanimously voted in favour of amending the plan for the waterfront development of Prince Arthur's Landing over the objections of some residents who spoke out against bylaw changes recommended in a 'Highest and Best Use Study for Marina Park' prepared in 2006.

An area at the waterfront will be re-designated from Major Open Space to Mixed-Use space. The first zoning bylaw amendment introduced a new zone providing the location for two apartment dwellings, one hotel and one parking structure. The second zoning bylaw amendment involved the addition of an artisan's workshop, a farmers market, and a retail store. Administration supported the amendments and council agreed. The changes will allow one of the key aspects of the marina development to go ahead clearing the way for the private investment portion of the plans to proceed.

Acting Chamber of Commerce president Norine Carroll spoke in favour of the move, which she says provides new potential for private business at the waterfront. She calls it is an important step for the city's economy.

Waterfront Committee chair Mark Bentz says any private investment in the waterfront or new construction won't happen for quite some time but this bylaw change allows for it to take place when the time does come.

Rezoning for coffee shop turned down
Tb News Source | Web Posted: 7/24/2007 1:17:45 PM
http://www.tbsource.com/Localnews/index.asp?cid=98256

City council denied a proposal Monday night to amend a zoning bylaw in an area on the city's south side.

The application requested that an area of city-owned land would be developed into a Tim Hortons restaurant, located at 134 South James Street. Administration recommended the land not be sold for the purpose of restaurant development and council agreed. Area residents agreed with the resolution saying it's an inappropriate location for the business.

[SamT]

Looks like there will be a lot of speculation in that area!

Will be interesting to see what happens next...

I guess in 10 years from now it'll be real!

Sam

[softee]

Another step forward for North Bay's new waterfront park project:

'Team effort' pays off; Province funds bulk of underpass project

Dave Dale
Local News - Wednesday, August 08, 2007 @ 08:00

North Bay's waterfront park is another step closer to bridging the gap between downtown and Memorial Drive.

Nipissing MPP Monique Smith and Minister of Finance Greg Sorbara announced a $3.25-million Northern Ontario Heritage Fund grant Tuesday outside the Discovery North Bay museum.

It's the majority contribution toward two underpasses for pedestrians and the mini-train, and includes a 140-metre brick walkway and pumping station to manage water runoff.

The city applied for the money last year after council approved North Bay's $1.5-million share. An application to FedNor for $1.75 million is still being considered. The $6.5-million project is expected to be tendered later this fall and completed by the end of 2009.

Most of the major driving forces behind the redevelopment of the former CP Rail lands were on hand to receive the news.


Hariett Madigan, of the Community Waterfront Friends, was almost ready to do her "happy dance" and group spokesman Rod Johnston said the underpasses are key to the overall vision.

Johnston made a point of crediting former mayor Jack Burrows for taking a risk in buying the property, while noting Burrows is now a Heritage Fund board member representing this area.

Mayor Vic Fedeli, who met with Sorbara, Smith and other mayors of the region earlier in the day, joked that the finance minister is "always welcome, especially when you're bringing $3.25 million, and we look forward to your next visit."

Fedeli called the successful application a "team effort" while lauding city staff, community partners, the 350 volunteers making the park work and the province for its "continued confidence in the City of North Bay."

He presented Sorbara with the coffee table book showcasing the city's heritage carousels and matching colouring books for his nine grandchildren.

Smith described how Johnston was intent on showing her the vision for the waterfront immediately after she was elected in 2003.

Since then, she said the province has approved $1 million toward a municipal service upgrade on Oak Street, allowing the Marina Point project to move forward, as well as $1.3 million for the Discovery museum and nearly $2 million for other work to prepare the property for future development.

Sorbara said he "can't wait to lead the way" for the first parade of people walking the developed "town square" in front of the Discovery museum, by the farmers' market, through the Heritage Gardens and into the underpass to the waterfront.

During the media scrum that followed, Sorbara said the funding announcement had nothing to do with the Oct. 10 provincial election. He said the city put the application into the Heritage Fund process a year ago and his government has approved other funding in the past four years.

As for the displeasure North Bay and other communities have voiced over the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund formula, Sorbara said he was "not sure any municipality has said we got everything we need from the province."

He also said the formula is being reviewed and the city's issues are part of that agenda.

Sorbara said his "overall impression" after speaking with municipal leaders is that "this part of the province is on the verge of a very strong period of economic growth."

[vid]

Construction: Husky is rebuilding their truck stop, Chapples Park Soccer Complex is under construction, St. Jude's School is being expanded.

Retail: We have a new Dollarama (), and County Fair Mall is closer to getting a gym.

The Provincial Government has approved a contribution to the regional training centre, it will be Northern Ontario's first.

July's housing starts are down from June, but 2007 is better than 2006, we'll have over 150 new homes this year. Building permits are steady.

[Only The Lonely..]

Vid, do you have any renderings for that school that is becoming apartments?

[vid]

No, there are no renderings or pictures or anything. If I ever come across them, I will post them.

[softee]

North Bay update!

There are now three cranes up at the new hospital site!


Here's another look from further away, those are student residences in the foreground.


This is the Boston Pizza construction site which is about 1 km further up the same street.


The new Holiday Inn Express is now open for business.

[softee]

Development drives road work; City seeing 'robust' building activity

Dave Dale / The Nugget

The four-laning of Algonquin Avenue began with small steps this week and paperwork progress on several residential developments is giving Mayor Vic Fedeli peace of mind.

Jitters and coolness in the housing market in other parts of Canada and the United States haven't trickled into North Bay, Fedeli said while taking part in a golf tournament.

"Continued optimism with no real end in sight," Fedeli said, describing the economic front from his vantage point.

He just finished shooting 109 at the North Bay Golf & Country Club and didn't mind discussing the brighter aspects of the city's immediate future.

"It shows that developers are still confident when people are opening subdivisions," he said.

Last week, council approved a preservicing agreement with Perut Construction to extend Giroux Street south of Trout Lake Road and begin the fourth phase of St. John's Village and the first stage of Perut Place.

The city's share of infrastructure for the planned 30-home subdivision, apartment and commercial centre will likely show up in the five-year capital plan for the next budget.

Council also approved the realignment concept connecting Galt Street and Second Avenue West, with the dip in Front Street - which used to run under the former CN trestle - to be flattened next year.

It's part of the redevelopment of the abandoned railway line running through the heart of the city. Some of it has been sold to abutting property owners to square off their lots, parts were purchased by developers directly from CN and other sections sold to schools.

Mother St. Bride Elementary School on Second Avenue West picked up enough acreage to build a junior soccer pitch and move its playground for a parking lot large enough for safer bussing.

Fedeli said the realignment concept connecting Galt and Second Avenue West will make a big difference in the area.

"There will be large building lot opportunities between Front and Mother St. Bride," he said, with corner lots created at Ann and Front streets.

The configuration of the former CN land between Front Street and Algonquin Avenue, however, isn't deep enough for single-detached homes and better suited for something like a six-plex, Fedeli said.

Describing this year's building activity as "robust" after two years of record setting building permit sales, Fedeli said a lot of the construction activity is going unnoticed.

Neddy's North Bay Hyundai is relocating across Trout Lake Road, bricks are being stacked for Boston Pizza on McKeown Avenue and the trucks arrived Monday to build the Staybridge Suites beside the new Holiday Inn Express, he said.

And that's on top of the $6-million science wing at Nipissing University, the children's treatment centre at Gormanville Avenue and Highway 17 and planned consolidation of the Algonquin Child and Family Services offices at the former Putter's Green location on Oak Street.

[costanza]

coming soon !

i finally got a hold of a digital camera, and soon to come is pic series on Sudbury!

we got an interesting little downtown core, and as the largest urban centre in northern ontario, it deserves a showing.

[vid]

Originally Posted by costanza

the largest urban centre in northern ontario

By 3,000!

Thunder Bay's urban area is 103,000 people. Sudbury's is 106,000.

But I'm sure it'll be great, just keep the pictures of Science North to a minimum. We want to see urbanity, not a tourist attraction. Wander in some alleys or something, and take some good juxtapositions, those are always fun.

[softee]

Looking forward to the pics!

[vid]

CP Rail is cleaning it's station. There was a good article in the paper, but our news paper doesn't like using the internets to display information so I can't share it with you.

But, they found things under the soot that no one knew existed, and finally got rid of the shag carpets and plastic wood panels! Yay, 1960s!

[costanza]

ok, so i took a lot of pictures, but most of them didn't load on my computer and i gotta figure out why. but i managed to rescue a few shots. and here they are...


ok ya, and vid

Based on the 2006 Census, the total population of the City of Greater Sudbury is 157,857.


here is a shot of some of downtown from regent st .. didn't seem so far away when i took it
unfortunately downtown was built in a crater so its hard to get good skyline shots, and i didn't have enough time for great scouting for my pics.. next time.


this apartment bldg is cool cuz its actually built right into the rock face downtown


provincial tower downtown, attached to city hall and police headquarters in a huge complex called Tom Davies Square


looking up elm street hill towards our landmark watertower.. you don't get the greatest impression here, but those houses are stacked and rowed up a very steep hill


scotiabank tower on durham street


i thought this was a cool shot.. the old building on the left is the old Grande Theatre.. now the Grande Nightclub


big church


here is some beautful urban grime


looking east down elm street. the brown one is the Mackey Bldg and you can see the City Centre mall and office tower


rear view of scotia tower


at the very end of the alley on the left is an office bldg that is so shiny during the day that it reflects the blue sky and hill and becomes almost invisible from this angle


more beautiful urban grime


on larch street


a nice side shot of our 'twin towers'


monument in Memorial Park downtown to fallen sudbury soldiers, naming them all the way from the Boer War


Police HQ


brady square office bldg




looking up paris st to notre dame.. city centre office tower is the black box and there are highrise apts further up the road


This is the shiny building that reflects everything around it


downtown bus depot




looking up cedar street, you can see scotiabank tower up the road on the right


another side of the bus depot


the twins again

i'm gonna have plenty more cool shots i hope.. the ones that didn't work when getting them off my camera had great shots from more than just downtown

hope you liked it