Thessalon expanding infrastructure for housing development

Northern Ont. hospital closing its ER this weekend Doctor shortage to close North Shore Health Network's Thessalon emergency department for 24 hours this weekend. Ambulances will be rerouted.

The Ontario government is giving the Town of Thessalon $1.1 million to expand the water and sewer infrastructure needed for its residential development plans along Highway 17.

Thessalon is located along the north shore of Lake Huron about 90 kilometres east of Sault Ste. Marie, and has a population of more than 1,100.

The town announced Wednesday it was selected to receive money from the Ministry of Infrastructure as part of the Housing Enabling Water Systems Fund.

Planning for the "Highway 17 Development," on the north side of the Trans-Canada Highway, has been in the works for several years and will increase housing opportunities for the municipality.

"This project will bring the municipal water and sewer system across Highway 17 to the 17.23 acres of vacant property owned by the municipality," a news release said.

The provincial funding will cover 73 per cent of the sewer and water expansion project's costs.

"As we near the completion of the Huron Street Water and Sewer project, with this funding announcement, we can move forward to provide new infrastructure to get us one more step closer to developing the subdivision that the council has been working on for the past few years," Coun. Kevin King is quoted as saying in the news release.

He is the chair of the town's planning advisory committee.

"This funding will help the development of a new subdivision that will provide stable housing and homes to new and current residents of Thessalon," Mayor Bill Rosenberg is quoted as saying in the announcement.

"The expansion of Thessalon’s water and sewer system across Highway 17 will also be a benefit to the economic development of Thessalon, the growth of our schools, businesses and the future community development in the town."