'Previously impacted by mining activity': How helicopters are helping re-seed parts of Sudbury

SUDBURY — Vale Base Metals (VBM) in Sudbury has begun its annual aerial seeding program which will require the use of low-flying helicopters in some parts of the city.

The program began Oct. 1 and is expected to run for five days, said a news release from the company.

Aerial seeding is a program that began in 1990 and has treated more than 4,300 hectares of land so far, said VBM. This year the plan is to provide seeding to approximately 100 hectares southeast of Coniston, said the release.

"The longevity and success of the aerial seeding program is largely due to the dedicated community partners that have worked with us to improve and restore our region's biodiversity and sustainability," said VBM environmental engineer Quentin Smith in the release.

An effort to minimize the company's ecological footprint, the aerial seeding process is the ideal method for ensuring uniform and consistent coverage of the ground, said Vale in the release. The helicopters will drop a mixture of lime, grass seed and fertilizer onto parcels of land that were previously impacted by mining activity.

The grass seed is a mixture of seven different species developed in conjunction with Laurentian University and the City of Greater Sudbury's Vegetation Enhancement Technical Advisory Committee.

The company said every effort will be made not to fly over nearby residential areas, but residents may notice the low-flying helicopters near Coniston. VBM said the low flight paths are necessary for the aerial seeding work to be effective.