Sault Ste. Marie | |
|---|---|
 Sault Ste. Marie Courthouse | |
| Nicknames: | |
| Motto: "Naturally Gifted" | |
  Sault Ste. Marie | |
| Coordinates:46°33′32″N84°20′49″W / 46.55889°N 84.34694°W /46.55889; -84.34694[2] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| District | Algoma |
| Founded | 1668 |
| Incorporated | July 29, 1871 (village)[3] April 23, 1887 (town)[4] April 16, 1912 (city)[5] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Mayor | Matthew Shoemaker |
| • Council | Sault Ste. Marie City Council |
| • MP | Terry Sheehan (Liberal) |
| • MPP | Chris Scott (Independent) |
| Area | |
| • Land | 223.24 km2 (86.19 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 53.05 km2 (20.48 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 805.60 km2 (311.04 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 192 m (630 ft) |
| Population | |
• City (single-tier) | 72,051 |
| • Density | 324.6/km2 (841/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 76,731 |
| • Metro density | 95.6/km2 (248/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Saultite[9] |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| Forward sortation area | |
| Area codes | 705, 249, 683 |
| Website | saultstemarie |
| CA rank: 46th in Canada Municipal rank: 66th in Canada | |
Sault Ste. Marie (/ˌsuːseɪntməˈriː/SOO saynt mə-REE) is a city innorthern Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of theSt. Mary's River directly across from its "twin city",Sault Ste. Marie, in the state ofMichigan. The city's population was 72,051 at the 2021 census, making it the third most populous city in northern Ontario.
The city is a hub for manufacturing (primarily of steel), tourism, and health and social services.[10]
The city is the location of theSault Ste. Marie International Bridge connecting Canada and the United States. The city is bordered to the east by theRankin andGarden Riverreserves, and to the west byPrince Township. To the north, the city is bordered by anunincorporated portion of Algoma District, which includesAweres,Batchawana Bay,Goulais and District,Peace Tree andSearchmont.
TheOjibwe settled here for more than 500 years and call this areaBaawitigong, meaning "place of the rapids". In the late 17th century, FrenchJesuit missionaries established a mission at the Ojibwe settlement. This was followed by development of a fur trading post and larger settlement. By the early 1900s, led by industrialists includingFrancis Clergue, the community became a regional centre for resource development and manufacturing.
The city's name originates fromSaults de Sainte-Marie, archaic French for 'Saint Mary's falls', a reference to therapids of the Saint Marys River.
Etymologically, the wordsault comes from an archaic spelling ofsaut (fromsauter), which translates most accurately in this usage to the English wordcataract. This in turn derives from theFrench word for 'leap' or 'jump' (similar tosomersault). Citations dating back to 1600 use thesault spelling to mean a cataract, waterfall or rapids. In modern French, the wordschutes orrapides are more usual.Sault survives almost exclusively in place names dating from the 17th century, such asLong Sault,Sault St. Louis in Quebec, andGrand-Sault in New Brunswick.
The wordsault is pronounced[so] in French, and/suː/ in English.[11]
Anishinaabe to 1671
Kingdom of France 1671–1763
British Empire 1763–1867
Canada 1867–present
Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 1620s, the area that is now Sault Ste. Marie was shared by theOjibwe,Odawa andPotawatomi whoseAlgonkian ancestors had come from the east around 1200.[12]
The rapids created an impediment to travel and an obvious stopping point for voyages west to Lake Superior or east to Lake Huron. In addition, the location offered a strong strategic position to observe movement along the river. The Indigenous people drew on the ample resources of the area including wild game and berries, materials to build shelters, and most importantlysturgeon in the spring and abundantwhitefish in the fall.
TheOjibwe called this areaBaawitigong, meaning "place of the rapids" and maintained a permanent settlement of about 150 to 200 people. Baawitigong was also an important meeting place for the broader family of Algonquin peoples and would grow to thousands during the whitefish season each year.[13]
The very first European recorded to have seen the rapids wasFrench explorerÉtienne Brûlé, whose 1621 voyage to the mouth of Lake Superior took him, together with hisHuron guides, along the north channel of Lake Huron. The French named this area of rapidsSault de Gaston in honour ofGaston, Duke of Orléans, the brother of KingLouis XIII. This is the name that appears onSamuel de Champlain's 1632 map ofNew France based on descriptions from Brûlé and others.[14]
In 1668, FrenchJesuit missionaries renamed the areaSault Sainte-Marie, and established a mission settlement on the river's south bank, makingSault Ste. Marie, Michigan one of theoldest French settlements in North America. Based on his voyages with the Jesuits the year before, explorerLouis Jolliet marked the area"Le Sault St. Marie" on his 1674 map.[15][16]
Sault Ste. Marie formed a key crossroads of the 5,000 km (3,000 mi)fur trade route, which stretched from the north country aboveLake Superior through the St. Marys River and on toMontreal and European markets.
The French used the area as a juncture to search for other riches as well. In 1736, Louis Denys de la Ronde, a French naval officer established a ship yard on the north shore of the St. Marys near Pointe-aux-Pins. Inspired by reports of precious metals, from here the first decked vessel was constructed and launched onto Lake Superior to mine its shores for copper.[17] From this same spot, American-born explorerAlexander Henry built a 40 tone sloop and barge to explore the Superior for mineral riches.[18]
At the conclusion of theSeven Years' War in 1763, France relinquished virtually all of its interests in North America and the British and theirFirst Nations allies controlled the fur trade on theGreat Lakes. Around 1790 theNorth West Company established afur trading post at the village. A cosmopolitan, mixed population of Europeans, First Nations peoples, andMétis grew up around the it on both sides of the river.[19]
Traders regularly interacted with tribes from around the Great Lakes. Scots-British fur traderJohn Johnston, his Ojibwe wife,Ozhaguscodaywayquay (Woman of the Green Glade), daughter of a chief, and their multi-racial children were prominent here in the village in the late 1700s. They frequently hosted travellers from both the US and Canada. The children were taught English, Ojibwe and French.
Their daughter Jane Johnston marriedHenry Rowe Schoolcraft, a US Indian agent and early ethnographer, and they had children.Jane Johnston Schoolcraft has been recognized as the first Native American poet and writer in the United States.
This fluid environment changed during and after theWar of 1812 between Britain and the United States. Trade dropped during the war and on July 20, 1814, an American force destroyed theNorth West Company depot on the north shore of the St. Marys River. Since the Americans were unable to captureFort Mackinac, the British forces retained control of Sault Ste. Marie.[20] As noted, after the war and defining a new border, the US closed its territory to British Canadian traders, shutting off much interaction.
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In 1870, the United States refused to give the steamerChicora, carrying ColonelGarnet Wolseley, permission to pass through the locks at Sault Ste Marie, which were otherwise available to both US and Canadian ships. They had built the first locks in 1855. In order to control their own water passage, the Canadians constructed theSault Ste. Marie Canal, which was completed in 1895.[21]
Although Sault Ste. Marie had been a planned destination for railway expansion since the early 1880s, there was considerable disagreement within the business consortium assembled to build theCanadian Pacific Railway as to whether or not to route itstranscontinental line through it. The symbolic "first spike" of the railway had been driven atBonfield, Ontario inNipissing District in 1881, and construction had been proceeding westward. The American railway magnateJames J. Hill, nicknamed the "Empire Builder", supported a route through Sault Ste. Marie, which would allow for both a "water bridge" to the head of Lake Superior atThunder Bay and an all-rail connection to the west via American railways in theMidwest, benefiting Hill'sSt Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railroad. Simultaneously, there were political considerations around the railway as a nation-building project coupled with fears of American expansionism. During theRed River Rebellion, theWolseley expedition had left Toronto in May 1870 and only arrived atFort Garry, Manitoba by August. American control of the Sault Ste. Marie locks was seen to be a continued potential impediment to future military transportation within Canada.[22] An all-Canadian rail route would bypass this.
A CPR line was surveyed and gradually constructed along the north shore of Lake Huron, cutting through theLa Cloche Mountains, while theCentral Ontario-basedMidland Railway of Canada also surveyed its own line, but became insolvent and collapsed shortly after.[23] TheNorthern Railway of Canada, which had pushed northward from Toronto toLake Simcoe, sought to push further toNorth Bay and then cut west under a subsidiary called theNorthern, North-Western, and Sault Ste. Marie Railway, competing directly with the CPR. It also collapsed and ultimately the line terminated at a junction with the CPR line south of North Bay, named Nipissing Junction.[24]
Throughout the abrupt rise and fall of these competing projects, CPR construction had slowly marched westward under engineer James Worthington. By 1884, however, changes had occurred in CPR management with the rise ofWilliam Cornelius Van Horne, who would later become the company's president. Both Hill and Worthington resigned from the company, and Hill became a bitter opponent of it.[25][26] A new transcontinental mainline through Northern Ontario, passing directly through the interior and bypassing the lakeshore settlements along Lake Huron (including Sault Ste. Marie), was laid out and constructed from a point on the line which became known as Sudbury Junction. This junction point became a small CPR town, and with the discovery of vast mineral resources in theSudbury Basin during the construction of this transcontinental line north of the junction, mining activity in the Sudbury area grew explosively, leading to the creation ofSudbury District in 1894 and shifting economic focus away from Sault Ste. Marie.
The original CPR line (by then known as the CPR Algoma Branch), which had lain dormant until 1888, was finally reactivated and completed through to Sault Ste. Marie, joining with theSt Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railroad via the jointSault Ste. Marie International Railroad Bridge.[27]
Its economy stagnated toward the end of the 19th century with the decline of the fur trade.[28]
With a population of almost 880, Sault Ste. Marie was incorporated as a village on July 29, 1871.[3] It became a township on April 23, 1887.[29]
The town gained brief international notoriety in 1911 in the trial ofAngelina Napolitano, the first person in Canada to use thebattered woman defence for murder.[30]
Twenty-five years after becoming a town, the provincial government granted Sault Ste. Marie a city charter. TheAct to incorporate the City of Sault Ste. Marie left boundaries, by-laws, regulations, contracts, and employees as they had been under the township and allowed the former town council to carry on as the first city council until elections could be held in the new year. It also created a mechanism for the amalgamation of the Moffly subdivision from the neighbouring Steelton township into the city[31] which occurred later that year.[32]
Following a plebiscite of its residents in 1917, Steelton and its 7,000 residents amalgamated with the city on January 1, 1918[33] bringing the city's population to 18,000.
DuringWorld War II, and particularly after the US was attacked by Japan atPearl Harbor in 1941, government concern turned to protection of the locks and shipping channel at Sault Ste. Marie. A substantial military presence was established to protect the locks from a possible attack byNazi German aircraft from the north. The recent development of long-range bombers increased fears of a sudden air raid. Military strategists studied polar projection maps, which indicated that the air distance from occupiedNorway to the town was about the same as the distance from Norway to New York. That direct route of about 5,000 km (3,000 mi) is over terrain where there were few observers and the long winter nights could hide activity.
A joint Canadian and US committee called the "Permanent Joint Board on Defence" drove the installation of anti-aircraft defence and associated units of theUnited States Army Air Forces andRoyal Canadian Air Force to defend the locks. An anti-aircraft training facility was established 100 km (62 mi) north of Sault Ste. Marie on the shores of Lake Superior.Barrage balloons were installed, and early warning radar bases were established at five locations in northern Ontario (Kapuskasing,Cochrane,Hearst,Armstrong (Thunder Bay District), andNakina)[34] to watch for incoming aircraft. Military personnel were established to guard sensitive parts of the transportation infrastructure. A little over one year later, in January 1943, most of these facilities and defences were deemed excessive and removed, save a reduced military base at Sault Ste. Marie.
The firstAlgerine-class minesweeper in theRoyal Canadian Navy was namedHMCSSault Ste. Marie (J334) after the city. It was laid down in 1942 and acted as a convoy escort in theBattle of the Atlantic.
On January 29, 1990, under mayorJoe Fratesi, Sault Ste. Marie became a flashpoint in theMeech Lake Accord constitutional debate when council passed aresolution declaring English as the city's official language[35] and the sole language for provision of municipal services. The resolution was widely seen as retaliation for Quebec PremierRobert Bourassa's move tooverride the Supreme Court of Canada ruling that declared parts ofBill 101 unconstitutional. Bill 101 had declared French as the only official language of Quebec. Numerous other Ontario municipalities had already passed similar protest resolutions, but Sault Ste. Marie was the largest to have passed such a resolution. It was the first to do so despite its sizableFranco-Ontarian population. Many political figures, includingBrian Mulroney,Jean Chrétien and Ontario premierDavid Peterson, who had strongly condemned Premier Bourassa's use of the 'notwithstanding clause', also expressed their opposition to the Sault Ste. Marie resolution. Peterson and his successor as premier,Bob Rae, refused to meet with Mayor Fratesi on several subsequent occasions, even to discuss unrelated matters.[36]
The city had previously established French as an official language for government services, due to a sizable French-speaking population, and these residents objected strongly to the council's action. The resolution was struck down by a court ruling in 1994, one year after Premier Bourassa passedBill 86, which amended that province's language laws in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling.[37]
Sault Ste. Marie has ahumid continental climate (Köppen climate classificationDfb) with cold, snowy winters and warm humid summers that are moderated to some extent byLake Superior. Winters are cool and snowy, usually beginning in late November and lasting until early April.[8] Temperatures drop below −20 °C (−4 °F) just over 23 days per year on average.[8] Summers are warm and humid with mild nights. Temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) occur 4.6 days per year on average.[8] The average annual precipitation is 914.7 mm (36.01 in), which is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year; the autumn months of September to November are the wettest months.[8] The record low was −41.1 °C (−42.0 °F), reported on January 26, 1927,[38] while the highest temperature ever recorded in Sault Ste. Marie was 37.2 °C (99.0 °F) on July 3, 1921.[38]
| Climate data for Sault Ste. Marie (Sault Ste. Marie Airport), WMO ID: 71260; coordinates46°29′06″N84°30′35″W / 46.48500°N 84.50972°W /46.48500; -84.50972 (Sault Ste. Marie Airport); elevation: 192 m (630 ft); 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1889–present[a] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record highhumidex | 7.8 | 8.7 | 27.0 | 31.6 | 38.6 | 41.4 | 42.9 | 42.7 | 39.5 | 34.4 | 26.1 | 19.2 | 42.9 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.6 (47.5) | 11.0 (51.8) | 26.7 (80.1) | 27.8 (82.0) | 32.3 (90.1) | 34.4 (93.9) | 37.2 (99.0) | 36.1 (97.0) | 35.0 (95.0) | 28.0 (82.4) | 23.0 (73.4) | 15.4 (59.7) | 37.2 (99.0) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 3.8 (38.8) | 5.1 (41.2) | 11.0 (51.8) | 19.4 (66.9) | 27.6 (81.7) | 29.9 (85.8) | 30.7 (87.3) | 30.1 (86.2) | 27.6 (81.7) | 22.0 (71.6) | 13.5 (56.3) | 6.8 (44.2) | 31.6 (88.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −5.0 (23.0) | −4.0 (24.8) | 1.4 (34.5) | 8.7 (47.7) | 16.2 (61.2) | 21.8 (71.2) | 24.2 (75.6) | 23.7 (74.7) | 19.4 (66.9) | 11.7 (53.1) | 4.8 (40.6) | −1.0 (30.2) | 10.2 (50.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −9.8 (14.4) | −9.4 (15.1) | −4.1 (24.6) | 3.4 (38.1) | 9.9 (49.8) | 15.2 (59.4) | 17.9 (64.2) | 17.7 (63.9) | 13.7 (56.7) | 7.2 (45.0) | 1.2 (34.2) | −4.8 (23.4) | 4.8 (40.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −14.5 (5.9) | −14.7 (5.5) | −9.6 (14.7) | −2.0 (28.4) | 3.5 (38.3) | 8.5 (47.3) | 11.6 (52.9) | 11.5 (52.7) | 8.0 (46.4) | 2.7 (36.9) | −2.5 (27.5) | −8.6 (16.5) | −0.5 (31.1) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −28.4 (−19.1) | −27.2 (−17.0) | −24.4 (−11.9) | −10.8 (12.6) | −3.3 (26.1) | 1.1 (34.0) | 5.2 (41.4) | 5.1 (41.2) | 0.2 (32.4) | −4.7 (23.5) | −13.0 (8.6) | −22.0 (−7.6) | −30.7 (−23.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −41.1 (−42.0) | −39.4 (−38.9) | −35.6 (−32.1) | −28.9 (−20.0) | −8.9 (16.0) | −5.6 (21.9) | −0.6 (30.9) | −3.3 (26.1) | −8.3 (17.1) | −13.3 (8.1) | −32.8 (−27.0) | −36.7 (−34.1) | −41.1 (−42.0) |
| Record lowwind chill | −44.8 | −43.9 | −40.5 | −27.8 | −10.0 | −4.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | −6.0 | −13.9 | −29.2 | −42.8 | −44.8 |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 65.1 (2.56) | 45.6 (1.80) | 52.3 (2.06) | 71.0 (2.80) | 68.6 (2.70) | 79.3 (3.12) | 76.9 (3.03) | 77.9 (3.07) | 108.6 (4.28) | 110.5 (4.35) | 89.0 (3.50) | 69.9 (2.75) | 914.7 (36.01) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 8.6 (0.34) | 5.9 (0.23) | 21.8 (0.86) | 55.2 (2.17) | 67.7 (2.67) | 79.3 (3.12) | 76.9 (3.03) | 77.9 (3.07) | 108.5 (4.27) | 105.7 (4.16) | 53.7 (2.11) | 17.0 (0.67) | 678.2 (26.70) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 83.7 (33.0) | 58.7 (23.1) | 38.7 (15.2) | 17.3 (6.8) | 0.9 (0.4) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.0) | 4.8 (1.9) | 43.6 (17.2) | 77.2 (30.4) | 324.9 (127.9) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 20.2 | 15.3 | 13.8 | 11.7 | 12.1 | 11.6 | 12.7 | 10.7 | 14.9 | 17.6 | 17.6 | 19.0 | 177.2 |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 3.2 | 2.1 | 5.4 | 9.1 | 11.8 | 11.6 | 12.7 | 10.7 | 14.9 | 16.5 | 10.0 | 4.6 | 112.7 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.2 cm) | 19.4 | 14.9 | 10.6 | 4.6 | 0.52 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.16 | 2.2 | 11.5 | 16.8 | 80.6 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 1500LST) | 73.9 | 69.9 | 63.6 | 56.6 | 54.6 | 58.9 | 60.8 | 61.7 | 64.2 | 68.2 | 73.6 | 76.9 | 65.3 |
| Averagedew point °C (°F) | −12.2 (10.0) | −11.9 (10.6) | −8.0 (17.6) | −2.5 (27.5) | 4.2 (39.6) | 10.3 (50.5) | 13.7 (56.7) | 13.8 (56.8) | 10.6 (51.1) | 4.1 (39.4) | −1.9 (28.6) | −7.4 (18.7) | 1.1 (34.0) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 72.8 | 109.9 | 150.3 | 182.2 | 240.2 | 265.8 | 266.3 | 240.9 | 154.7 | 119.1 | 61.8 | 55.8 | 1,919.7 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 26.0 | 37.9 | 40.8 | 44.8 | 51.7 | 56.3 | 55.7 | 54.8 | 40.9 | 35.1 | 21.8 | 20.8 | 40.6 |
| Source 1:Environment and Climate Change Canada (sun 1981–2010)[8][42][38] (September maximum)[43] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: weatherstats.ca (for dewpoint and monthly&yearly average absolute maximum&minimum temperature)[44] | |||||||||||||
The city developed considerable industry before and after World War II, especially in steel-making.Algoma (formerly Algoma Steel; Essar Steel Algoma) is the largest single employer, with 3,500 employees at the main plant and approximately 553 (440 unionized and 113 non-unionized) at an adjacent tube mill operated byTenaris. During the 1940s, the steel and chromium operations were of substantial importance to the war effort in Canada and the United States. Algoma Steel and the Chromium Mining and Smelting Corporation were key producers for transportation and military machines.
TheHuron Central Railway has been important into the 21st century to the steel operation, despite extensive railway restructuring elsewhere.Genesee & Wyoming, owner of the railway, announced its intention to discontinue operations. It continued to operate under an agreement which terminated on August 15, 2010.[45]
Sault Ste. Marie prospered during the 1960s and '70s, but as imported steel began to compete with domestic production, the local industry began to contract. Since the late 1980s, Algoma has declared bankruptcy twice and laid off large numbers of workers, adversely affecting the regional economy. Algoma was bailed out by the Ontario government with interest-free loans. The company had a swift turnaround in 2004 from its earlier financial troubles of the 1990s. China's increased demand for steel of the past decade has increased the price of steel.Denis Turcotte, CEO, was named "Canadian CEO of the year" in 2006 for his efforts. An offer to purchase ASI by the Essar Group (India) had been recommended by the ASI Board of Directors and was approved. The company was officially sold to the Essar Group in June 2007 for $1.6 billion.
Forestry is also a major local industry.St. Mary's Paper has been closed and decommissioned, although it was reopened in June 2007 and operated for a time under new ownership. Also related to wood products is ARAUCO, which employs over 110 people in the community. An adjacentmelamine factory manufactures products with ARAUCO's materials. Examples are furniture and cupboards where a finish is added to the product. Together both of ARAUCO's factories employ about 150 people. TheHuron Central Railway is important to these local industries as well.
The business process outsourcing industry had threecall centres in the city, which together employed about 1,500 people. The largest,Sutherland Global Services, closed in 2019 and Agero closed in April 2020.Nucomm previously had a call centre here as well. The call centre industry became a major source of jobs and had contributed to the economic turnaround of the city in the late 1990s.
Another large employer in the community is theOntario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG). The OLG has a corporate office located on the waterfront. It employs a total of about 900 people in Sault Ste. Marie between the corporate office andOLG Casino Sault Ste. Marie. The prize centre used to be administered in the city but this operation was moved back to Toronto (York Mills) in 2009. The OLG is still the fourth-largest employer, afterAlgoma Steel,Sault Area Hospital, and the call centre industry.
Sault Ste. Marie is one of only a few cities in Ontario where a municipal bylaw prevents stores from opening on December 26, the day after Christmas, which is a Commonwealth holiday known asBoxing Day. Retail stores in Sault Ste. Marie begin their post-ChristmasBoxing Day sales on December 27. A municipalreferendum to determine whether voters favour allowing stores to open on Boxing Day was held concurrently with the2010 municipal election.[46] Voter turnout was not high enough to make the referendum legally binding, but 60.77 per cent of voters opposed allowing stores to open on the holiday.[47]
TheSault Ste. Marie Solar Park (68 MW), co-generation plant (Brookfield Power), F. H. Clergue Hydroelectric Generating Station, nearbyPrince Township Wind Farm (189 MW) and several nearby hydroelectric dams, form part of the city's push to develop alternative forms of energy and gain the title of 'Alternative Energy Capital of North America'.[48] Two other wind farms are proposed for the area: theGoulais wind farm (25 MW)[49] and the Bow Lake wind farm (58 MW), in partnership with theBatchewana First Nation to be built nearMontreal River Harbour.[50]
Elementa Group has built a pilot waste-to-energy plant in Sault Ste. Marie,[51] and the local Public Utilities Commission (PUC) collects methane gas from the city's landfill. The city's street lights fully utilize LED technology and as recently as 2021, there has been progress made as the city has begun to budget for the purchase of electric vehicles, starting in 2022, to replace their fleet of gasoline powered vehicles.[52] Sault Ste. Marie is also the location of the headquarters of Heliene, a solar energy equipment manufacturer.
In 2021, Sault Ste. Marie and the PUC began work on the Sault Smart Grid (SSG) Project.[53] The project utilizes new technologies which will optimize voltage, automate distribution, and incorporate advanced metering infrastructure. It is expected to reduce electricity costs for residential and commercial customers of the PUC, and will help reduce the frequency and length of power outages through immediate location of outages and increased reliability of the power supply. It will also allow for efficient additions to the power grid in the future. The SSG was officially launched in November 2023, with Canadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau in attendance.[54][55]
Sault Ste. Marie is served byHighway 17, designated as a segment of theTrans-Canada Highway in the region. The highway connects the city toThunder Bay to the northwest andSudbury to the east; the northern and eastern entrances to the city via Highway 17 are monitored by theSault Ste. Marie Police Service[56] with new cameras, scanning license plates upon entry/exit of the city—however as of April 2022, they are not yet fully operational.[57][58] TheInternational Bridge connects downtown Sault Ste. Marie toSault Ste. Marie, Michigan, becomingInterstate 75 on the American side. Interstate 75 continues south toSaginaw,Flint, andDetroit before crossing intoOhio, eventually terminating inHialeah, Florida, nearMiami, and becoming toll roadsSR 924 andSR 826.
The International Bridge also directs traffic from the American side of the border via Sault Ste. Marie's transport route, which runs from the International Bridge, travels along Carmen's Way to Second Line East, and then meets with Great Northern Road (Highway 17), where transports can either turn left to go north, towardsThunder Bay, or continue straight to go east, towardsSudbury. The section from Second Line East to Great Northern Road is also known asOntario Highway 550, which runs from Great Northern Road and Second Line East to a roundabout inGros Cap, the highway loops around the Sault Ste. Marie Public Utilities Commissions' water intake building. This newer limited-access roadway, known as "Carmen's Way" and named after the lateMPCarmen Provenzano, has made it easier for transport trucks to reach Highway 17 and other major area roads. The route of Carmen's Way has a wide grassy right-of-way on both sides of the roadway, to facilitate future expansion of its lane capacity. Planning was underway to eventually connect the Second Line East and Black Road intersection to the new four-lane section of Highway 17, which opened east of the city in 2007—however as of 2022, there has been no environmental impact assessment initiated by theMinistry of Transportation.
The city plays an inherited role inmarine transportation, with the locks inMichigan being an integral component of theSt. Lawrence Seaway. The city operates its own small-scale lock which is used by small boats and other pleasure craft in the summer. Also recently opened is a multi-modal terminal designed to take advantage of the Sault as a rail, road, and water transportation hub. Cruise ships often dock at Roberta Bondar Park, which includes a large pavilion, small farmers market, aBeaverTails outlet, a small canteen, a marina, public washrooms, aRoberta Bondar statue, and green space; located to the right (looking at the city from the waterfront) isMontana's and the newly renovated City Hall, and to the left,Delta Sault Ste. Marie Waterfront and theStation Mall.
Sault Ste. Marie is also served bySault Ste. Marie Airport andSault Transit Services.[59] The city is no longer connected by passenger rail to any other major cities, but is part of theAgawa Canyon Railroad network, which runs north from the city to the small town ofOba. In 2006 the city'sMember of Parliament,Tony Martin, called for passenger rail service to be reinstated between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury.[60] Freight service is provided by the Agawa Canyon Railroad, theHuron Central Railway, and theCanadian National Railway.
In 2018,Ontario Northland announced a major service expansion west of Sudbury, which includes multiple stops in Sault Ste. Marie.[61] Passengers may board buses headed towardHearst,Sudbury, orManitoulin Island. ONTC currently has three stops in the city, with the main stop being along Trunk Road in the east end, and the other stops being at Sault College and the hospital.
Sault Ste. Marie does not have Lyft or Uber, but has three ridesharing companies that focus on small communities called URide, EZ Ride and Driverseat.[62][63] The city has taxi services offered by Hollywood Airport Shuttle & Limousines, Soo Yellow Cab, and UCab.
Local area attractions include theCanadian Bushplane Heritage Centre,Entomica Insectarium, theSault Ste. Marie Museum, theSault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site, boat tours of theSault locks (which connectLake Superior with the lowerGreat Lakes),Whitefish Island, theErmatinger Clergue National Historic Site,Casino Sault Ste. Marie, theArt Gallery of Algoma and theAlgoma Central Railway's popularAgawa Canyon Tour Train.
TheMSNorgoma, a Canadian passenger ship, was amuseum ship in theGreat Lakes at Sault Ste. Marie. This ship is no longer docked in Sault Ste. Marie.
Nearby parks includePancake Bay Provincial Park,Batchawana Bay Provincial Park andLake Superior Provincial Park. Winter activities are also an asset to Sault Ste Marie's tourism industry with the annualBon Soo Winter Carnival,Searchmont Resort as a great ski and snowboard destination, Stokely Creek Lodge (cross country ski resort) and Hiawatha a nearby cross country ski trails. The city also hosts a large snowmobile trail system that criss-crosses the province of Ontario.
A new non-motorized HUB trail, named the John Rowswell Hub Trail, was built around the city (25 km or 16 mi) so that walkers, rollerbladers and cyclists (snowshoeing and cross country skiing in winter) can enjoy the beautiful and convenient circle tour around town.[64] TheVoyageur Hiking Trail, a long-distance trail that will eventually span fromSudbury toThunder Bay, originated in Sault Ste. Marie in 1973.[65] The Roberta Bondar Park and Pavilion, most famous for its unique tent design, was created to commemorate the first Canadian female astronaut to go into space and regularly hosts community events; the parking lot has spaces for farmers market vendors and the pavilion also has aBeaverTails, a canteen, and overlooks theSt. Mary's River. The park is often most active in the spring and summer and is located in betweenMontana's andDelta Sault Ste. Marie Waterfront, with theRoberta Bondar Place directly to the North, which consists of theOLG headquarters and other provincial government offices.
Sault Ste. Marie has an extensive mountain biking network and has invested in new trails in the Hiawatha area of the city. The Algoma Trail Network plans to add more trails to the existing 30–40 km (19–25 mi) network, with initial work being completed by September 2021.[66]
In August 2021, Sail Superior ran tours of their Zodiac Hurricane boat with tours departing from the Roberta Bondar marina.[67]
One of the major draws to the area from the months of June to October is the Agawa Canyon Tour Train. This one-day wilderness excursion travels 114 miles north of Sault Ste. Marie, alongside pristine northern lakes and rivers and through the awesome granite rock formations and vast mixed forests of the Canadian Shield, eventually ending at the Agawa Canyon. The train departs at 8am and returns to Sault Ste. Marie by 6pm. In August 2021 a new train station was opened for the tour train, the Canal district of the city.[68]
The city is also home to theStation Mall, one of the largest shopping malls in Northern Ontario.
In 2020, Sault Ste. Marie city council voted in favour of developing a downtown plaza, located between Spring and Brock Street—the plaza eliminated Bingham Street and formed a large common area with a fountain/skating surface, restrooms and changing rooms, a large screen, event space, a Tim Hortons (located in existing building), and the Soo Market, with other businesses and attractions expected to open as a result of development. The plaza has already started to increase and stimulate development in the area, with a new $16 million office building constructed nearby.[69] The space also includes retail units and is largely modeled after similar concepts such as the Market Square inGuelph, or Pat Bayly Square inAjax. Construction on the plaza started in Spring 2022 and was completed by November 2023.[70] The plaza has been the subject of controversy throughout its planning stages and beyond as some citizens feel it is not needed and is too costly; the plaza was part of the array of suggestions made by Roger Brooks—a tourism and city centre consultant hired through a conjoined effort between the city and downtown association in 2018.[71][72][73] Many community events, including an Arts and Culture festival,[74] battle of the bands event,[75], and hockey viewing parties[76] have been held there.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1871 | 879 | — |
| 1881 | 780 | −11.3% |
| 1891 | 2,414 | +209.5% |
| 1901 | 7,169 | +197.0% |
| 1911 | 10,984 | +53.2% |
| 1921 | 21,092 | +92.0% |
| 1931 | 23,082 | +9.4% |
| 1941 | 25,620 | +11.0% |
| 1951 | 32,452 | +26.7% |
| 1961 | 43,088 | +32.8% |
| 1971 | 80,332 | +86.4% |
| 1981 | 82,697 | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 81,476 | −1.5% |
| 1996 | 80,054 | −1.7% |
| 2001 | 74,566 | −6.9% |
| 2006 | 74,948 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 75,141 | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 73,368 | −2.4% |
| 2021 | 72,051 | −1.8% |
| Religion | Percent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Religion/Secular | 38% | |||
| Catholic Christian | 33% | |||
| Protestant Christians | 16% | |||
| Christian N.O.S | 5% | |||
| Other Christian/Christian-Related Tradition | 4% | |||
| Other Religions | 3% | |||
| 2021 Census Profile[77] | ||||
In the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, Sault Ste. Marie had a population of72,051 living in32,530 of its34,818 total private dwellings, a change of-1.8% from its 2016 population of73,368. With a land area of 221.99 km2 (85.71 sq mi), it had a population density of324.6/km2 (840.6/sq mi) in 2021.[78]
The city'scensus agglomeration had a total population of 76,731, down 1.8% from 78,159 in 2016[79]
Sault Ste. Marie was at one time a haven forItalian immigrants. The city has a large concentration of ethnic Italians for a community its size, mostly descending from the southern region ofCalabria.[80]
Those who are ofEuropean origin constitute 82% of the population,Aboriginals or Native Canadians, constitute 13.5%, and visible minorities make up 4.5%.[81]
In 2019, the Government of Canada began an immigration program, called the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, which is designed to spread immigration of skilled workers throughout northern communities. North Bay, Sudbury, Timmins, and Thunder Bay are also included in the program, along with other northern communities in other provinces.
The city is governed by acouncil that consists of ten councillors representing fivewards and a mayor. Under the authority of Ontario'sMunicipal Act, 2001 the council serves a four year term.
Themost recent municipal election was held on October 24, 2022. The current mayor is Matthew Shoemaker.[82]
The city government operates under the legal name "The Corporation of the City of Sault Ste. Marie".
The city was incorporated by an act of theprovincial legislature on April 16, 1912.[83] It had operated as a township from 1887 to 1912[84] and was first incorporated as a village on July 29, 1871, when the population was about 880.[3]
The city'scoat of arms adopted in 2013, contains theOjibwe motto"Ojibwe Gchi Gami Odena" meaning "settlement near the Ojibwe's big lake". A version of this motto appeared on the original crest at the time the city was incorporated in 1912.[85][86]
Residents of the city are represented in the federalHouse of Commons by the member of parliament for the electoral district ofSault Ste. Marie—Algoma. Created in the2022 federal electoral district redistribution process, the district is a mixed rural and urban riding covering 40,066 km2 centred around the city of Sault Ste. Marie. The riding extends northward just beyond Hornepayne, and eastward along the north shore of Lake Huron to just beyond the town of Spanish.[87] The current Member of Parliament isTerry Sheehan (Liberal).
Provincially, residents of the city are represented in theOntario legislature by the member of provincial parliament forSault Ste. Marie. This district encompasses the city alone. The current member isChris Scott who sits as anIndependent.
The city is home toSault College, a college of applied arts and technology, and toAlgoma University. While the vast majority of programs at Algoma University and Sault College are delivered on the respective campuses, both institutions also offer joint programs withLake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. On June 18, 2008, Algoma University became an independent university, ending its longtime affiliation withLaurentian University inSudbury. A new school,Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig (University), is poised to launch as afederated school of Algoma University. It will offer courses inAnishinaabe culture andlanguage.
Sault Ste. Marie is home to theAlgoma District School Board and to theHuron-Superior Catholic District School Board. It is part of theConseil scolaire de district du Grand Nord de l'Ontario and theConseil scolaire de district catholique du Nouvel-Ontario. It is also home to the following high schools:
Sault Ste. Marie is also home to theOntario Forest Research Institute and the federalGreat Lakes Forestry Centre.
Sault Ste. Marie has over 30 elementary schools.
TheSault Ste. Marie Greyhounds are the city's most recognized sports team having existed since the formation of theNorthern Ontario Hockey Association in 1919. The Hounds won national championships twice including the 1993Memorial Cup and the 1924Allan Cup. The Greyhounds play in theGFL Memorial Gardens, a state-of-the-art downtown arena that replaced theSault Memorial Gardens in 2006. The current Hounds have retired five jerseys since joining theOntario Hockey League in 1972: #19Joe Thornton, #1John Vanbiesbrouck, #4Craig Hartsburg, #10Ron Francis, #5Adam Foote, and #99Wayne Gretzky.
Sault Ste. Marie also had a team in hockey's first professional league. TheSault Ste. Marie Marlboros or 'Canadian Soo' team played in theInternational Professional Hockey League from 1904 to 1907.
Sault Ste. Marie hockey teams have boasted a number ofHockey Hall of Fame members, including Sault natives or residentsPhil Esposito,Tony Esposito,Ron Francis, andDidier Pitre, as well as Sault team membersGerry Cheevers,Paul Coffey,Bill Cook,Bun Cook,Wayne Gretzky,Newsy Lalonde,George McNamara, andMarty Walsh.
National Hockey LeagueAll-StarsJoe Thornton andJeff Carter played their entire OHL careers as members of the Greyhounds. Recently retired NHL players from the Sault Ste. Marie area include centreTyler Kennedy, centreJordan Nolan, and centreChris Thorburn. Current NHL players includeWinnipeg Jets defencemanColin Miller.
Sault Ste. Marie nativePaul Maurice is the current coach of the NHL'sFlorida Panthers, leading the team to his and their firstStanley Cup in the2023-24 season[88] and has otherwise been a head coach for parts of 25 seasons with theHartford/Carolina franchise,Toronto Maple Leafs,Winnipeg Jets, and the Panthers, becoming the league's youngest ever coach at the age of 28 in1995, and taking Carolina to the Stanley Cup Finals in2002. Notably, former Greyhound player and coachTed Nolan coached parts of 5 seasons in the NHL with theBuffalo Sabres and theNew York Islanders, winning theJack Adams Trophy as the NHL Coach of the Year in 1998 with the Sabres.
Sault Ste. Marie was the host of the 1990Brier, the Canadian men's curling championship. In 2010, it hosted theScotties Tournament of Hearts, which serves as Canada's women's curling championship. At the2013 Tim Hortons Brier held inEdmonton,Alberta, Brad Jacobs and his team from theSoo Curlers Association won theTim Hortons Brier, and the honour of representing Canada in the2013 Ford World Men's Curling Championship, where they won silver. The team later won the2013 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, earning them the right to represent Canada at the2014 Winter Olympics, where they won gold. The local curling clubs are the Soo Curlers Association and the Tarentorus Curling Club.
Sault Ste. Marie also has a rich history in Canadian football. For nearly four decades, Sault Ste. Marie high schools have consistently won Northern Ontario honours (NOSSA) and are regular participants in provincial finals. Sault Ste. Marie has also had men's semi-pro football since 1972. The Sault Steelers are 4x National Semi-Pro champions in the Canadian Major Football League, winning the honours in 1972, 2007, 2009, and 2010. The Steelers failed to field a team in the early 1990s before returning for 4 seasons as the Sault Storm, later going back to their original name in the 2000s.
Other notable athletes from Sault Ste. Marie includeCanadian Football Hall of Fame inducteeRocky Dipietro,Paralympic swimmerJessica Tuomela, andmixed martial artistAntonio Carvalho.
The Sault has been host to many national and international sporting events, including the 2003 Eco-Challenge North American Championship, an expedition-length (350–500 km or 220–310 mi)adventure race through unmarked wilderness by biking, trekking, paddling and using ropes.
The Walk of Fame was created in 2006 as a joint project between the city of Sault Ste. Marie and its Downtown Association, and honours those from the city or the Algoma District who have made outstanding contributions to the community or significant contributions in their chosen field of work. Inductees are added on an annual basis.
Sault Ste. Marie is home to theBon Soo winter carnival, held every February. The city also hosts the annualAlgoma Fall Festival which draws local and international performing artists. The Kiwanis Community Theatre and the landmark Central United Church are used for the performances. Both venues hold approximately 1,000 people. TheArt Gallery of Algoma features an extensive collection of local and international artists' work and presents regular exhibitions. Residents celebrate Community Day on the third weekend of July. The localRotary International club organizes a three-day event called Rotaryfest.[89]
Sault Ste. Marie was the focus ofKalle Mattson's "A Love Song to the City", whose music video premiered onUSA Today.[90]
Egidio Coccimiglio, a film director who grew up in the city, has shot two films in the Sault Ste. Marie area,Compulsion (2013) andCascade (2023).[91]
GWI has continued to operate HCRY under a temporary operating agreement that terminates in mid-August 2010, unless renewed by the affected parties.
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