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Thunder Bay "Development" "News"

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#1 ·
Yeah, there is development here! Not much though... First is a story about the blob, then a proposal for the Pool 6 property.

Thunder Bay Harbour blob-free
By stephanie maclellan
Sep 21, 2005, 20:13
(LINK)

After an extensive clean-up effort that took eight years of work and more than $20 million to complete, the infamous blob is officially gone from Thunder Bay Harbour.
And the coalition behind the project, the Northern Wood Preservers Alternative Remediation Concept (NOWPARC), says new measures put in place to stop contaminants from leaching into Lake Superior should stop it from ever happening again.
“This is a solution that’s going to last forever, as far as we know,” said Michael Innes, who headed the project’s steering committee.
The so-called blob was comprised of accumulated creosote, which leached into the water near what is now the Northern Wood Preservers site. It was formed over decades of industrial use at the site, including railway tie treatment.
It became one of the two most contaminated sites on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes, along with Hamilton Harbour. If it wasn’t fixed, the contamination could have spread throughout the harbour and damaged the ecosystem, said Roger Santiago, a sediment remediation specialist with Environment Canada who was on the project’s technical committee.
The site was identified as an area of concern in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1985. It took 12 years between then and the start of work on the project, caused partly by debate over which party was responsible for the clean-up.
Northern Wood, CN Railway and Abitibi Consolidated and its predecessors have all used the site.
“It was initially difficult to get off the ground, because of the long history of the site,” said Simon Llewellyn, the former regional director of Environment Canada and steering committee member. “You had to negotiate with people . . . but once the commitment was made, it went fairly well.”
The result was the NOWPARC project, a joint effort of the provincial and federal environment ministries and the three industrial groups.
“I think it was a realization that this was probably the only way it could get done, because trying to follow a legal (debate) wasn’t going to solve the problem,” Llewellyn said.

Work on the site started in 1997. The most highly contaminated sediment — about 11,000 cubic metres — was shipped to B.C. for treatment. The rest was contained in a berm, or left to recover naturally.
The project added clean fill to develop plant life and fish habitats; a steel barrier on Northern Wood property to prevent leaching; a new drainage system to make groundwater flow away from the lake; and a water treatment plant to clean water collected in the system before it’s returned to the lake.
The project was years behind schedule, and the budget was more than twice as high as expected. It ballooned from $9.3 million to $20 million.
That was because the sediment was more contaminated than anticipated, which meant a switch to a more costly thermal treatment, Santiago said.
And as the original clay containment barrier was monitored, it was determined that contaminants could potentially leach into the lake, he said. To prevent that, a steel barrier was built.
That added another $2 million to the price tag, Innes said, but it was worth it because the barrier is considered impermeable.
“We weren’t doing a short-term project,” he said. “We weren’t going to come back to fix anything.”
The bulk of the work was completed by 2003, with final details completed earlier this year. Monitoring of the water is ongoing.
At a ceremony Tuesday, NOWPARC was lauded as an environmental success, and an example of what can be accomplished if private and government groups work together.
“The benefit is the environment’s protected, it’s cleared up,” Llewellyn said. “The lessons we’ve learned here, we can try to apply to Hamilton.”

© Copyright by Chronicle Journal.com
____

Story number two is some positive news:

New option for Waterfront
By jim kelly
Sep 21, 2005, 17:36
(LINK)


Architect Cory Stechysyn with a scale model and drawing of the proposed Great Lakes Heritage Centre on the former Pool 6 site after a presentation Tuesday in Thunder Bay.

Architect Cory Stechysyn wants people to realize that the Thunder Bay waterfront really defines the city.
That’s why his proposal for a Great Lakes Heritage Centre on the former Pool 6 elevator site recognizes “the unique characteristics of the waterfront environment, the local heritage, history and culture.”
Stechysyn said Tuesday he believes such a building will serve the community, region and visitors.
The 300,000-square-foot building (which includes an 80,000-square-foot parkade) will cost about $60 million.
Stechysyn’s colleague John Stephenson said the project could cost as little as $20 million or as much as $100 million.
The plan was unveiled Tuesday.
About 250 waterfront stakeholders were invited to view the project Tuesday evening by architectural firm Kuch, Stephenson, Gibson and Malo where Stechysyn has been employed for the past 18 years.
The heritage centre would have an indoor market place, tourist information centre, restaurant, auditorium and parkade similar to the one at the Water Street Ontario Government Building.
Stechysyn said he’s aware of previous failed ventures on the waterfront, but he’s excited about his project.
“I’ve studied the old reports,” he said.
“Those were primarily private investments. That can be a risky venture especially if the investors are from outside the city.
“This one recognizes private and public funding,” Stechysyn said.
Stephenson, who described the project as “hypothetical,” said the hope at the very least is to stimulate discussion.
“It proposes a public use for a key piece of the waterfront. It’s grass-root based.
“We just want to get people thinking about this project.”
Stechysyn’s most memorable work has been at Fort William Historical Park, Our Lady of Charity School and the Sleeping Giant Visitor’s Centre.
The proposal will be available for public viewing today and Thursday at the Prince Arthur Hotel, 2-7 p.m. both days.

© Copyright by Chronicle Journal.com
____

If the picture works, that stick-like thingy beside his head is a sculpture ;) I think it looks kinda neat. I invisioned a taller building for that property, but the design is very original, and he's a local architect.

Also, city council has another South Core renewal Plan (I think this is the sixth in ten years, no?)

Renewal Plan gets warm reception
Tb News Source (LINK)
Web Posted: 9/20/2005 3:39:52 PM

An proposed overhaul of the South Core Neighbourhood Renewal Plan is getting a warm reception from some south core businesses.

Members of the Victoria Avenue Business Improvement Association want council to begin to implement the plan before the 2006 budget discussions. Business owner Diane Petryna says despite the lengthy planning process, it is time to move forward.

City council approved the report in principle, but did hold back on one provision.... that the proposed new Thunder Bay courthouse be built in the area. Councillors chose to defer that issue to a later date, to gain more public input. ...

The Superior Court (Camelot Street, Downtown PA) and Ontario Court of Justice (Arthur Street) are to be consolidated into one building. The Majority of supporters say it should be build in one of the downtown cores, instead of Inter-City, because it would help revitalise the cores. There is a good chance it will be build on the front lawn of the Superior Court, at the corner of Court and Camelot. There would be a walkway linking it to the old building. If approved, it will see the construction of a new office building, which would be a the first to be built in a downtown core since 1989's Provincial government Building.

There are also numerous condos and "Old Folks Homes"-ish developments going on around town, but their boring. Though a 4 storey condo was built on the site of Pine Street School.
 
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#3 ·
Why doesn't T-bay get much development? It is a city of 110,000 people after all... I know very little about it, though...

Hey, softee, is N-Bay (;)) getting much development at all these days?

-SP!RE
 
#4 ·
SP!RE said:
Hey, softee, is N-Bay (;)) getting much development at all these days?
-SP!RE
It sure is, North Bay has been experiencing a building boom for the last couple of years -- last year's construction values set an all-time record and the pace is continuing this year. Here's a thread that covers some of the development going on in "N-Bay".

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=225803
 
#5 ·
Thunder Bay has development!?!?!?!?
lol

Thunder Bay is in a stratigic area and it must service a very broad range of area.
I think it should be a better city than it is at the moment...Canada could do a better job! COME ON!

I know very little of Thunder bay as well...
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the positive comments!

Thunder Bay is in decline (I'm sure you've seen the CIBC report of our -3.0 economic growth, etc.) which is why there is less development.

Our population is aging. Young people are leaving for larger centres (Winnipeg, Calgary, Ottawa, etc.) where there are more job opportunities, because there isn't as much diversity. The city is full of old people, and they have no desire to work in the high rise office buildings we don't have. :p

Like Oaronuviss tried to say (but used the wrong word :p) Thunder Bay is in a central area (relatedto the district. We're actually one of the southern most points, but all the highways go here) and must provide a broad range of services. We have tons of government offices here to support all of Northwestern Ontario (Manitoba boder to an imaginary line that exists if you connect Wawa to Timmins to Moose Factory).

Another factor is, we are a factory town (and tourism is really picking up. The Japanese are amazed at how big this place is! So were the Nazi POWs ;) ... I'm not comparing the Japanese to them though. I like Japan... umm.. back to topic) being a factory town, we don't have much "demand" for office-based jobs, and office jobs don't have any particular desire to be here, either. and the old people are just fine with that.

The problem is... Most of our jobs come from pulp and paper. We are an industrial city. There are a few big problems with this (and coutless little ones. Bastard tree-huggers.. I hate them >:'|..) 1. Making pulp and paper products, and lumber, etc. requires ALOT of electricity, and as anyone can tell you, that hasn't been cheap. Especially lately with the high demand and low supply. (Thus causing an increase in prices. And capitalism was born!) So, the pulp/paper/lumber and/or saw mills have to pay more for electricity, which means they profit less, and have to lay off employees, because they just can't afford them. A few days ago, a paper machine employing over 170 people from the town of Red Rock (population: about 500 or so, no more than 1000) devastating the community. The second one may shut down at any time. The government's closing of northern coal plants doesn't help either. THe one in Atikokan is 51% of the towns taxbase. That's another story.

2. US' Softwood Lumber tarriff. The US put a tax on Canadian lumber to raise the price, and make American lumber more appealing to American consumers. That have made ~$5 billionUSD on it so far. The Canadian government has been "trying" (that's what they called it!) to get the taxes cut and money paid back (which would REALLY help the forestry sector across the board. Thunder Bay isn't the only city in this situation) but the US isn't listening. well, they are, but then they just spit in our face. It's probably because we didn't go to deficit with them... anyway

3. taxes - to help balance the offset of providing services to 150,000 people, when there are only 109,000 people in the city and the number is decreasing, you have to make up for what was lost form the outmigration through raising taxes. Thunder Bay has, from what I hear, high taxes (though, there's always someone who complains tax is too high) the city has been trying to be cost effective. They are currently building a larger water supply centre at Bare Point in Shuniah to provide water from Lake Superior to all of Thunder Bay (currently, Fort William, the south side, get's water from Loch Lomond, a lake about 3 miles south of the city, on Native land), they have cut funds to EVERYTHING (and I mean EVERYTHING, police, road work, recreation, Canada Day celebrations, EVERYTHING) and stopped giving out charity donations (one City Councillor wanted to contribute 10,000$ to Hurrican Katrina victims, and while the city councillors agreed it would be nice, the city doesn't have money for that anymore). They have also expanded the water treatment plant, and given up in trying to plant trees on the boulevards (well, not really. But they just leave the ones that were pulled out by kids now. Stupid kids.)

4. Lack of support for new developments - The city council has come to a stalemate on many issues, including what to do with the waterfront (there have been at least 12 proposals, the one mentioned above is the closest to existing. There was one with a cruise ship terminal and shopping centre, but it faded away into the dust.)

A local company wanted to build a 20-storey highrise, luxury condominium tower on the location of Pine Street School (which, as mentioned above, is now home to a 4 story condo, built by the same guy, and an old folks home). The 20 storey condo (which was really good looking in the photo I saw of it, once, more than a year ago) would have been, by far, the tallest building in Northern Ontario, and looked really good, because that location is practically the highest point in town. It was cancelled - not because they didn't think there were enough people that could afford it, not because the price of the property was high, not because it would violate height restrictions, or block a view of anything.. It was cancelled because, true story - It would creat traffic on, of all streets Red River Road! (8O <- my reation at the statement) Yes, the busiest street in the North end was the reason it wasn't built, It would get busier... Even though studies showed thwe the road ciould support more traffic, it was still turned down. The condo would have been geared more towards seniors, any. And they don't count. :|

And, speaking of height restirctions, both cores have them, which is why the majority of our highrises are outside the cores. Red River Towers is half way out of town, and the other high rises are by the university, which is behind a hill. Unless something is built in Intercity, it's not going to be more than 40m.

Speaking of intercity.. When Port Arthur and Fort William were amalgamated in Thunder Bay in 1970 (Population then was about 115,000. It peaked at 130,000 in the 80s, according towhat I've heard. I couldn't find the exact info) the city had to decide on what to do with the vacant gap of land between them (Port Arthur's and Fort William's downtowns were 5 miles, or 7 kilometres, apart) so the city decided, instead of turning it into a park (it had several species of endangered arctic plants, that couldn't be found this far south any where else in the world), or using it to build houses (and the houses that were build there are VERY slummy) they decided to turn it into a "new" centralbusiness district. Adding the two cores from PA and FW, we had 3 downtowns. (DT PA is now an "Arts and Heritage Centre" and the South Core is a "neighbourhood"). They designated our new downtown as, yes, an INDUSTRIAL district. Stupid city council :p So, it filled up with factories (just small ones, though) and shopping malls. In Intercity is the Intercity Plaza, the largest shopping mall in Northern Ontario. Take that, Sudbury! It also has Wal-Mart plaza, featuring Wal-Mart, and many other big box stores. It's was build on the swampiest part of the intercity area! Also, if you haven't been to Thunder Bay in the last year, work has started on the Thunder Centre, about twice the size of Wal-Mart plaza, and across from Intercity, it features a new, larger Canadian tire, Home Depot, old Navy, Pier One, etc. Helping to diversify the commercial retail sector.

The population did go up by about 500 last year, and is expected to gain another 500 this year. If we see a positive gain in population in the next census (May) it my open the city councils eyes to make a bigger effort in diversifying the Lakehead economy.
 
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