Sudbury ties Azilda housing project to pool plan after council vote

Sudbury city council greenlights adding Azilda land to housing bank – but only after a pool is built in the community.

City council voted Tuesday night to reconsider plans for vacant land at Azilda’s Lionel E. Lalonde Centre, approving a motion that will add a portion of the property to the city’s affordable housing land bank – but only after construction begins on a long-awaited aquatic facility.

The decision came after residents raised concerns about losing green space when the rezoning was first proposed. Ward 4 Coun. Pauline Fortin, who brought forward the motion, acknowledged those worries.

“The community didn’t want it. And it wasn’t just the ‘NIMBYism’ … It was right through Rayside about concern over losing the green space, and I understand – and I agree,” Fortin said.

The amended motion stipulates that the site will only be designated for affordable housing once the city’s aquatic review plan is confirmed, funded, and construction has started on a new pool.

Fortin said the proposal includes renovating the existing centre to add a 25-metre pool and warm-water tank for seniors, while a portion of the adjacent field would be used for housing.

“This situation is quite different than council or any other council has dealt with before,” she said.

Balancing housing and recreation needs

The compromise aims to address both Greater Sudbury’s housing shortage and a decades-long push for a pool in Azilda. Fortin noted the project has been discussed since before municipal amalgamation.

“When seniors can’t stay in their home anymore… they want to stay in the community, but there is no place to go. If we can make affordable housing for them and at the same time get a pool and turn it into a full recreational park – that’s a win right across the board,” she said.

However, the decision faced opposition from some councillors, including Ward 9’s Deb McIntosh, who argued housing should take priority.

“Who knows when the pool will happen? We need housing now. We don’t need a pool right now, but we do need housing,” she said.

Mayor Paul Lefebvre defended the decision, emphasizing that the land remains in the city’s affordable housing reserve while addressing community concerns.

“The city will not be the one developing it… but at the end of the day, it needs to be affordable housing,” he said, clarifying that such projects are priced at 80 per cent of market rent and differ from supportive housing.

Next steps and feasibility study

Fortin said a feasibility study, expected by the end of June, will determine costs and site suitability. Early estimates suggest the pool could cost around $30 million, with $5 million currently allocated.

“There’s a ways to go,” she said, noting funding from higher levels of government will be needed.

“But this is definitely on the right track.”

Lefebvre stressed the land bank’s role in enabling partnerships with developers.

“We’ve seen great projects in Coniston and want to recreate that success,” he said.

While some residents remain wary of losing green space, Fortin said Azilda’s current ratio of seven hectares per 1,000 residents exceeds the municipal standard of four. She pledged to address tree canopy deficits through planting initiatives.

The motion’s approval marks a rare reconsideration of a prior council decision. Fortin called it a “beautiful outcome” but acknowledged challenges ahead before shovels hit the ground.