Sudbury rules on using shipping containers for storage could soon change
Aerial photography shows many homes and business have illegal sea cans on their property
Shipping containers, also known as sea cans, make for an affordable and accessible storage option, but from a municipal planning perspective, they are ugly and, in some cases, unsafe.
Currently in Greater Sudbury these structures are only allowed on some industrial and agricultural lands, but the city is considering expanding their use to more areas.
They would, however, remain illegal in commercial and residential areas.
Aerial photography conducted by the city suggests these structures have proliferated in the city in recent years, many of them without the required permits.
City staff says these proposed bylaw changes would be a "moderate approach… that would allow staff to evaluate the impacts" before expanding permissions to other zones.
If adopted, this updated bylaw would give some businesses a path to obtain permits after having used shipping containers illegally for years.
Clayton Paul, main dealer at Mazzuca Chrysler in Capreol, says he'll be tuning in to those conversations at city council.
The dealership, located in a residential neighbourhood, quietly used shipping containers to store files and tires for more than two decades until someone called bylaw in 2023.
"Shipping containers are all over the city," Paul said. "But if somebody doesn't like you, or doesn't like them, they can report it."
"I'm not prepared to remove these things. We need the space and we can't afford to build."
The Northern Ontario Railway Museum in Capreol has also been using donated shipping containers to store event materials like chairs and tables for decades, even though they too are located in a residential area.
The non-profit says it's done its best to make the structures look good.
"We had a local artist design some artwork and painted it very nicely," says the museum's chief administrative officer Joanne Bowers.
"I think the city needs to look at each container specifically, where it's located and what it's being used for," she said.
Some cities in northern Ontario, like Timmins and Temiskaming Shores, allow storage shipping containers everywhere. Others, like Elliot Lake and Hearst, allow them in commercial settings, but not in residential areas.