Northern Ont. town booming after offering plots of land for $500
CTV
The Northern Ontario town of Smooth Rock Falls has seen a surge of new residents after it began offering plots of land for $500 in 2017.
Smooth Rock Falls, located nearly 800 kilometres north of Toronto and 100 kilometres north of Timmins, Ont., started offering land at rock-bottom prices in 2017, hoping to breathe new life into the town's economy, while offering much-needed affordable housing.
A large pulp mill had been at the centre of Smooth Rock Falls' economy, employing 200 people, but when the mill closed in 2006, the town's population began to steadily decline. The 2016 census recorded a population of 1,330, compared to 1,830 in 2001.
"Because the mill had closed, we lost so many people. People were moving out of town, putting their houses up for sale for practically nothing," said Smooth Rock Falls Mayor Sue Perras in an interview with CTV's Your Morning this week.
At the time, some residents were selling their homes for $20,000 or less while others even abandoned their homes altogether, Perras said.
