Greater Sudbury to buy Ramsey Lake Island for a twoonie

Another island in Sudbury's Ramsey Lake is being purchased by the city with the aim of protecting it from development.

The Nickel District Conservation Authority is selling Gaillard Island to the city for the symbolic amount of $2.

General manager Carl Jorgensen saidthe authority purchased the 15 acre island in the early 1970s.

Before that it was owned by the Sudbury YMCA, known as Y Island and was once home to a summer camp, that was the predecessor to John Island Camp.

Jorgensen said he isn't certain why the authority bought the island back then, but suspects it was to protect it from being developed.

He said preserving wilderness in Greater Sudbury, especially around Ramsey Lake, is really a job better done by the city.

"I think it's a good fit that it's moving from our hands to their hands," Jorgensen said. "And what's important for the Conservation Authority is it's not moving into hands that can now develop it."

The deal hasn't closed yet, but Jorgensen said it would require the city to not sell the island or build anything on it.

The city also purchased the much smaller Swansea Island in Ramsey Lake last year to protect it from development, at a cost of $80,000.

$2 sale, avoids $550 tax bill

Another reason for the sale -the conversation authority is paying property taxes on the island to the city, even though it gets most of its operating funding from the city.

Jorgensen said the authority pays taxes on some of its lands, especially those that are not used for its primary purpose of controlling flooding.

He said the tax bill, which last year was $550 for Gaillard Island, was not crippling the conservation authority budget and was fair, given it is zoned to prevent it from being used for anything but wilderness.

"It's an ecological reserve, no development allowed. You couldn't put a chip stand there, is what I'm trying to say and make money off of it. You really can't do anything with it, so the taxes I think are reallya fair amount."