Sault Sainte-Marie (Ontario)

Until 1817, the American and Canadian twin cities were one city. Their separation occurred as a result of the demarcation of the border at the end of the war of 1812-1814.

Like many other cities in Northern Ontario, Sault Ste. Marie suffers from massive migration of residents to cities in the south of the province, where there are more job opportunities. Since the 1990s the number of inhabitants fell from 84,000 to 75,000 in the 2010s. Most of the city’s population (91.6% of the population) is of European descent — mainly Italian, French, English, Scandinavian, and Southern European.

Near the city there are 3 reservations of Ojibwe Indians, who also make up 7.8% of the city’s inhabitants.

In the 1960-1970-ies. the city was known for producing steel, but gradually the demand for it inside Canada fell, and therefore the Algoma Steel plant , where 2,900 workers worked in the best years, barely escaped bankruptcy and greatly reduced jobs. Another important sector of the economy is the forest industry: in the St. Petersburg paper mill . Mary's Paper employs 400 people. About 2,300 service personnel are mainly employed in 5 call centers located in the city, the largest of which is owned by the Sutherland Group .

The city is located on the Trans-Canada Highway (Ontario Highway 17), which connects it with the city of Thunder Bay in the north-west and Big Sudbury in the south. The international bridge, along which the floodgates are located, connects the city to the American I-75 highway in Sault Sainte-Marie, Michigan and leads further to Detroit . The city has a regional airport and railway station.

Tourist attractions include the Canadian Plain Heritage Center , boat trips along the Soo-Locks gateways connecting Lake Superior to Lake Huron and Lake Erie, as well as a casino and train ride from Algoma Central Station through the Agave Canyon. In the vicinity of the city are the provincial parks Penkeik Bay and Butchavana Bay.

Most of the city’s population (85.7%) are Roman Catholic . The city is the center of the eponymous diocese . Buddhists number 125 people - this is the largest non-Christian denomination of the city.

The city has Su College , a vocational college of art and technology, and the University of Algoma . In addition, Lake Superior University is located in the neighboring town of Sault Ste. Marie , Michigan , where many Canadian students also study.

There are 6 Canadian radio and television stations in the city; besides, stations of the next American city of the same name are accepted. The media also includes the daily newspaper Sault Star and the website SooToday.com .

In January 1990, the city council of Sault Ste. Marie, under the then mayor Joe Fratezi, made a decision (11 against 2 votes) that the city became exclusively English-speaking. Although the city was not the first in Ontario to make such a decision, it aroused great media interest and led to a discussion in which prominent politicians such as Jean Chretien and Brian Mulroney expressed condemnation, and in Quebec the decision was condemned as “racist ". In June 1994, the court declared the decision null and void, because it went beyond the powers of the city council. In August 1999, the city council declared the decision unenforceable.

Partnerships exist with the following cities:

•   Louth , Ireland
•   Maya , Portugal
•   Forssa , Finland
•   Krasnoyarsk , Russia
•   Sault Sainte Marie (MI) , USA

The Sainte-Marie Greyhounds city ​​hockey team won the 1993 Memorial Cup .

• Bridgette Acton , skier
• Robert Bondar , astronaut
• Phil Esposito , hockey player
• Tony Esposito , hockey player
• Ron Francis , hockey player
• Ted Nolan , hockey coach
• Marty Turco , hockey player
• Robert Oliphant (b. 1956), politician and theologian
• Robert Boehmer , computer scientist
• Rock band Treble Charger

• A Glimpse of our City's Past (unavailable link)