A recently-announced affordable rental development aimed at women and children is just one of a number of projects a local businessperson has planned to help transform the west end part of the city.
Claudia Daniels moved her business Brooks Creative House from downtown to the former Blessed Sacrament Church on Cathcart Street in 2019, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"COVID was hard on a lot of people, but I think it was hardest on our vulnerable population and we saw that on a daily basis here," Daniels said.
"We saw an increase in crime, we saw an increase in addictions and we saw an increase in homelessness. That was very sad for me, for our team, and for the neighbours in this area to see.
"If we want to have a future here in the west end I needed to be sure that our team is safe and that there's good opportunities and there's things for people to do here," she said.
Daniels took some courses from University of Toronto on housing and urban planning and created a completely separate company, West Village Developments, to help accomplish her plans to improve the west end.
"It started with that and a recognition that somebody had to do something," she said.
Most of the work Daniels is planning is within the Steelton and Jamestown areas of the city, once referred to as the west end.
"Decades ago, this neighbourhood was vibrant. There was a lot going on. There was a lot of activity and people looked out for each other — you never had to worry about your kids.
"There were opportunities for employment, there were stores almost on every corner. There was a vitality here that over the years has been lost. So that was another driving force, to bring back that neighbourhood feel where people are safe," said Daniels.
Last month, the Sault Ste. Marie Housing Corporation announced it had sold a former convent turned rooming house on St. George's Avenue to West Village Developments, which will renovate the building and offer it as affordable rentals for women and children.
"It was to to fill a need for women and their children that may be fleeing [intimate partner violence] or may have just had a hard time getting on track and getting back on their feet," said Daniels.
West Village Developments purchased the property for just $50,000, with a stipulation that it invest $350,000 in renovations for the planned 13-unit building. Daniels said the plumbing is all located on one side of the building, which will simplify some of the bathroom renovations, and a kitchen will be moved from the basement to the main floor.
"All the rooms will be redone and furnished. Some of the rooms are going to be double, so if there's a mom with a few children we can accommodate that," Daniels said.
"It's more of a wrap around service, you're going to have housing at 212 [St. George's Ave. W.], but we're also going to be bringing in services such as counselling, such as fitness, such as yoga.
"We're going to try to do cooking, so we will buy in bulk and have opportunities to teach nutrition."
That development at 212 St. George's Ave. W. is just one of many Daniels has planned in that area through West Village Developments. She has five other properties that are going to be developed in the near future.
One of those properties currently under construction is a single family home at 219 Beverley St.
Daniels said West Village Developments supports young entrepreneurs and hired Total Property for the renovations.
Almost six years ago, Total Property started doing landscaping and property maintenance as a high school summer company by Andre Marchand, who was a student at Korah Collegiate and Vocational School at the time.
Now, years later, Marchand has expanded to taking on contracting jobs as well.
Marchand said Daniels was one of his first customers when he was initially hired to do some landscaping for her.
"She's been keeping us busy since day one. We've had other clients too, but she's always been one of our biggest clients and she likes to do good for the community," said Marchand.
Marchand's crew has been working on 219 Beverley St. since November, demolishing it to the studs, and they are now only a few weeks away from completion.
"I love to see the visual progression, looking back on pictures this have changed a ton. I'll be happy to wrap this up and hopefully get a family in here," said Marchand.
Daniels said there will soon be some additional work done on a property directly across the street from Brooks Creative House at 226 Cathcart St.
"It'll be an affordable housing triplex. There is an existing building there, but it will be demolished because unfortunately we couldn't save it," said Daniels.
She said that project is expected to begin in the spring.
As West Village Development projects continue, Daniels said she hopes there will be a buy in from the business community to return to the area.
"What's really important to me is making sure the neighbours and the people who live in the west end have the services they need that are easily accessible — because that's not currently the case.
"There is no banking here. There is no real grocery store here. A lot of people don't have transportation and a lot rely on Sault Transit.
"So it's not easy to get things, especially in the winter — picture a mom with a couple of kids trying to get groceries — that's not easy.
"We want to be able to to bring those services back to the neighbourhood and that means commercial enterprise, that means economic development," Daniels said.