Northern Ontario developments!

[LaurenN]

Originally Posted by TbayON

DFC residence has a better chance of going now under the current federal government's funding priorities (versus the previous federal government). Still far from being a reality though. Its money as usual that is holding things up.

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Hearing that the OPP Northwest Command that is currently located in Mini Queens on James St. may be on the move. Apparently it will be relocated to the former courthouse building on Arthur St. (at Kingsway). Other ministries would take over the vacated space at the James St. building. Substantial interior renovations will be required on the former courthouse building first.

Renovations have begun on the former LCBO store at Arthur and Mountdale. As previously posted, the building is becoming a medical clinic.

OPP North West Command is not moving, they are not at Mini Queens.
They are at 615 S. James in a shared building with MTO.

[TbayON]

Originally Posted by vid

Sudbury

Good riddance or will it be missed?

Doesn't sound like its coming down any time soon... sounds like Vale has no method of demolition figured out. However its eventually taken down, it won't be easy or cheap.

I guess this is progress in 2017!

[swimmer_spe]

Sudbury

A friend of mine was telling me that the owners of the Mazda dealership also own the Nissan dealership. The Nissan dealership will be moving across the street and in it's place will be a

BMW dealership.

That means that Sudbury will have several major high end car dealers. All it is missing is an Acura and an Infiniti dealer.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by TbayON

Doesn't sound like its coming down any time soon... sounds like Vale has no method of demolition figured out. However its eventually taken down, it won't be easy or cheap.

I guess this is progress in 2017!

My father grew up in Sudbury in the late '60s and early '70s. The improvement in local air quality the 1970s was due to the emissions being dispersed over a larger area. However, atmospheric inversions would occasionally result the city being tinged with a lovely yellow sulfur dioxide haze that would burn the lungs. Things were better in the 1990s and 2000s when I grew up, but you'd get the occasional 'sulfur day'.

The new emissions controls sound like boon to both the city and Vale. Considering the money spent just to maintain the structure ($3-5m per year), I'd imagine they'd want to take it down quickly. Also, Vale burns something like 1/3 the natural gas consumption of the city itself just to fuel the natural draft to lift the emissions up the 'Stack.

Personally, I won't miss it. To me, it represents Canada (and Sudbury) of yore - grimy, dirty and polluting. The smaller stacks that will replace it will nicely reflect the Canada of the future - yes, natural resources based - but cleaner, better and more efficient.

Anyway, I like the Big Nickel as the monument to Sudbury more.

[vid]

Originally Posted by swimmer_spe

Sudbury

A friend of mine was telling me that the owners of the Mazda dealership also own the Nissan dealership. The Nissan dealership will be moving across the street and in it's place will be a

BMW dealership.

That means that Sudbury will have several major high end car dealers. All it is missing is an Acura and an Infiniti dealer.

That's a weird coincidence, Thunder Bay's Nissan dealership just bought the Mazda dealership and it's very likely they'll be moving the Mazda dealership to a better location. Our Kia dealership used to sell Volvos. (It actually started as a Volvo dealership which then sold Kias, iirc).

We lost our Mercedes dealership last year because the owners didn't have a service facility on site, but we've got an Acura dealership. I'm kind of surprised Sudbury doesn't have an Acura dealership already. They're very common in Thunder Bay. There's a Mitsubishi beside it, and the owners of both also own the Suzuki and Subaru dealerships.

[TbayON]

Originally Posted by vid

That's a weird coincidence, Thunder Bay's Nissan dealership just bought the Mazda dealership and it's very likely they'll be moving the Mazda dealership to a better location. Our Kia dealership used to sell Volvos. (It actually started as a Volvo dealership which then sold Kias, iirc).

We lost our Mercedes dealership last year because the owners didn't have a service facility on site, but we've got an Acura dealership. I'm kind of surprised Sudbury doesn't have an Acura dealership already. They're very common in Thunder Bay. There's a Mitsubishi beside it, and the owners of both also own the Suzuki and Subaru dealerships.

I had heard Thunder Bay's Mazda dealership was going to go in behind Superstore on Carrick. Its a better location, but still a little hidden away. I actually find it more likely that Mazda would go in where Downtown Volkswagon currently is (Central & Carrick) when Volkswagon moves over to Central and Golf Links (if they will sell the building to a competing dealership that is).

If one were to trade in all the $70k-$90k trucks that are roaming around T-Bay for equally valued cars, we would probably still have a Mercedes dealership, along with several other 'higher end' dealerships. Acuras have proven to be very popular in the Thunder Bay market... seems to be more of them on the streets all the time.

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THUNDER BAY

A successful bid was accepted from a local general contractor for the Lakehead U Advanced Engineering and Sciences project at the former CNFER building. Expecting construction to get going soon on this. Roughly 22000 S.F. of renovations to the existing building and a 22000 S.F. addition over 2 stories.

Lakehead Public Schools is close to tendering the addition to Kingsway Park School. The project has received funding from the provincial government.

[vid]

Originally Posted by TbayON

If one were to trade in all the $70k-$90k trucks that are roaming around T-Bay for equally valued cars, we would probably still have a Mercedes dealership

Only if the Comuzzi's had used the profits to invest in a garage for the dealership, because that's the reason Mercedes ended their contract. Mercedes expects those who own its vehicles to bring them to their local Mercedes dealership for service, not the local Chrysler dealership. It's all about the brand.

[Beedok]

Originally Posted by wave46

My father grew up in Sudbury in the late '60s and early '70s. The improvement in local air quality the 1970s was due to the emissions being dispersed over a larger area. However, atmospheric inversions would occasionally result the city being tinged with a lovely yellow sulfur dioxide haze that would burn the lungs. Things were better in the 1990s and 2000s when I grew up, but you'd get the occasional 'sulfur day'.

The new emissions controls sound like boon to both the city and Vale. Considering the money spent just to maintain the structure ($3-5m per year), I'd imagine they'd want to take it down quickly. Also, Vale burns something like 1/3 the natural gas consumption of the city itself just to fuel the natural draft to lift the emissions up the 'Stack.

Personally, I won't miss it. To me, it represents Canada (and Sudbury) of yore - grimy, dirty and polluting. The smaller stacks that will replace it will nicely reflect the Canada of the future - yes, natural resources based - but cleaner, better and more efficient.

Anyway, I like the Big Nickel as the monument to Sudbury more.

Is there any way to turn it into an observation tower? It would be a shame to lose something that massive, and the views would probably be spectacular considering the cool landscape around Sudbury.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by Beedok

Is there any way to turn it into an observation tower? It would be a shame to lose something that massive, and the views would probably be spectacular considering the cool landscape around Sudbury.

I'm not a structural engineer, so I can't properly say.

However, as a layman I can speculate that a conversion wouldn't be cheap. The structure was designed as a chimney and not designed for much additional loading internally other than to support itself. So, elevators and an observation deck might need considerable structural reinforcement in an area that likely had the least reinforcement (at the top).

Also, the Superstack has had all sorts of nasty sent up it through the years. God knows what happy little chemicals have permeated the structure. I'm not sure people even could safely go up into there.

Third, the base of the stack is located in an active smelter. It is a worksite with many dangers present. It's not a tourist attraction, nor was intended for the public to visit, except for maybe certain VIPs of the company.

These factors conspire against it being used as an observation tower.

[vid]

It would be easier to convert Thunder Bay's power plant smoke stack into a tower though, since it has an elevator shaft or at least stairs, as people do climb to the top of it and is a concrete structure that houses three separate smoke stacks, so it likely would be able to support the weight of at least a small observation platform.

The Superstack is a single tall brick and concrete tube designed to funnel smoke into the air.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by vid

It would be easier to convert Thunder Bay's power plant smoke stack into a tower though, since it has an elevator shaft or at least stairs, as people do climb to the top of it and is a concrete structure that houses three separate smoke stacks, so it likely would be able to support the weight of at least a small observation platform.

The Superstack is a single tall brick and concrete tube designed to funnel smoke into the air.

I suppose, but why would you bother? Mt. McKay is right there.

Unless they did it as part of a power plant tour or something, but I can't see that being a draw, as the Thunder Bay GS is no Hoover Dam in terms of attraction.

[vid]

It won't be a GS much longer either. Eventually the government will be replaced and all the contracts to buy power from non-producing plants will be cancelled, and that plant will be closed.

[TbayON]

THUNDER BAY

Faye Peterson Transition House is working on constructing a 10 unit apartment building. It would be located on their existing property in Thunder Bay. Approximate construction cost is $4 million. The shelter hopes to get the new building started in 2018 for use in 2019.

A consortium of local soccer organizations has gone before city council seeking funds to study the potential for an indoor soccer facility in Thunder Bay. This development should come as no surprise after the collapse of the Sports Dome once again due to a winter storm.

The group proposing the facility would like it constructed at Chapples Park with a mix of predominantly government funds and whatever funds the soccer organizations can raise. A preliminary $25 million price tag is being used as a budget figure.

A pile driver is set up at the Thunder Centre once again. I'm going to guess it is for the new Home Sense/Winners store... but not 100% sure at this point.

[swimmer_spe]

*SUDBURY*

Adanac Ski Hill.

Talking with a ski instructor today, there is plans to replace the double chair lift with a quad chairlift. The ski hill apparently is doing well enough that the city sees the need to get more capacity on the lift.

Car dealerships

Nissan is moving beside Honda on the Kingsway. The building is under construction and the sign out front says "Coming Soon Northern Nissan". So, what will happen to the old dealership? A friend told me that it will become a BMW dealership. Likely not going to be confirmed till Nissan moves out.

[Dwils01]

Sault Ste. Marie's city hall is getting reclad. the choice was made because of corrosion, seal failures and air and water barrier deficiencies.

From: https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/whit...cence-light-and-now-our-city-hall-529678

[vid]

It still looks like a toilet, though.

[swimmer_spe]

Originally Posted by vid

It still looks like a toilet, though.

So does North Bay's.

[Dwils01]

The council chamber add-ons on a lot of city halls during this time period remind me of a toilet bowl too. At least it will be a clean toilet bowl instead of a brown one.

[Dwils01]

I will leave this here, it might get more discussion than in the Canada stats thread.

Northern Ontario grew slightly with most growth concentrated in Sudbury and the Kenora District. Not exaclty sure about the Kenora district considering the two biggest cities almost cancel each other out.

North Bay 51,533 from 53,651 down 3.9% CA -2.6%
Timmins 41,788 from 43,165 down 3.2%
Sault Ste. Marie 73,368 from 75,141 down 2.4% CA -2.1%
Sudbury 161,531 from 160,274 up 0.8%
Thunder Bay 107,909 from 108,359 down 0.4% The CMA only gained 25 people


Elliot Lake 10,741 from 11,348 down 5.3%
Espanola 4,996 from 5,364 down 6.9%
Little Current 1,558 from 1,435 up 8.6%
Blind River 3,472 from 3,549 down 2.2%
West Nipissing 14,364 from 14,149 up 1.5%
Temiskaming Shores 9,920 from 10,400 down 4.6%
Hearst 5,070 from 5,090 down 0.4%
Cochrane 5,321 from 5,340 down 0.4%
Kapuskasing 8,292 from 8,196 up 1.2%
Thessalon 1,286 from 1,279 up 0.5%
Algoma Unorganized (north of the Sault) 5,739 from 5,518 up 4.0%
Sables-Spanish Rivers, Township 3,214 from 3,075 up 4.5%


Wawa 2,905 from 2,975 down 2.4%
White River 645 from 607 up 6.3%
Chapleau 1,964 from 2,116 down 7.2%
Marathon 3,273 from 3,353 down 2.4%
Terrace Bay 1,611 from 1,471 up 9.5%
Schreiber 1,059 from 1,126 down 6.0%
Nipigon 1,642 from 1,631 up 0.7%
Dryden 7,749 from 7,617 up 1.7%
Rainy River 807 from 842 down 4.2%
Fort Frances 7,739 from 7,952 down 2.7%
Kenora 15,096 from 15,348 down 1.6%


Cochrane District 79,682 from 81,122 down 1.8%
Timiskaming District 32,251 from 32,634 down 1.2%
Nipissing District 83,150 from 84,736 down 1.9%
Sudbury District (Not including Greater Sudbury) 21,546 from 21,196 up 1.7%
Algoma District 114,094 from 115,870 down 1.5%
Thunder Bay District 146,048 from 146,057 down 0.0%
Rainy River District 20,110 from 20,370 down 1.3%
Kenora District 65,533 from 57,607 up 13.8%

Rough population total of Northern Ontario: 723,945 from 719866 up 0.6%

[toaster]

Looking forward to vid's reasoning for Thunder Bay's population decline, given I remember a few posts made noting Thunder Bay was significantly increasing population.