City of Greater Sudbury Sells Meatbird Lake Park To Vale for $4 million to Support Recreational Opportunities in Walden

City Council has agreed to the sale of Meatbird Lake Park to Vale Canada Limited for $4 million. Funds from the sale will be reinvested into the Walden community to develop new recreational opportunities and will ensure local residents have access to safe ways to play in the Lively area.

“I know that Meatbird Lake Park is a valued asset for the people of Walden and I can assure you that we worked hard to ensure that we will have the resources to provide you with new recreational amenities,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger. “We know how much our citizens value time spent outdoors and we look forward to hearing from you on how this money can be used to offer new, safe and exciting recreational opportunities in the Lively area.”

Over the next few months, residents will have an opportunity to share feedback on what recreation opportunities they would like to see. The feedback received will be included in a report outlining options for new recreational opportunities and shared with City Council in the coming year. Details on engagement opportunities will be shared with the community in the coming weeks.

In the interim, a supervised beach at Centennial Park, located at 400 Graham Road in Whitefish, will be available for residents this summer until a new recreation opportunity is established.

Reinvesting the funds back to the community aligns with City Council’s Strategic Plan for 2019-2027 that places a high importance on building healthy communities through investments in local parks and trails.

Vale is undertaking tailings dam improvements over the next 10 years, including an erosion control project located near the Meatbird Lake Park. In purchasing the land, Vale will be able to address public safety, remediate environmental impacts and reduce water consumption.

“We are pleased that a mutually beneficial outcome has been achieved,” said Brittney Price, Head of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability for Vale’s North Atlantic Operations. “This sale helps Vale to deliver on our commitment to be a safe and responsible community partner and it helps the City to offer new recreational opportunities in Walden.”

In September 2020, Vale Canada Limited presented to City Council and the community, with rationale for the purchase and their plans to remediate the property. The presentation can be found at https://pub-greatersudbury.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=39064.

For more information on the sale of Meatbird Lake Park, including a frequently asked questions document, please visit https://www.greatersudbury.ca/beaches. 

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