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Sault Ste Marie, Ont, City, seat of Algoma district, pop 74 948 (2006c), 74 566 (2001c), inc as town in 1887 and as a city in 1912. Sault Ste Marie is located adjacent to the rapids of the ST MARY'S RIVER between Lakes SUPERIOR and HURON. Across the river is the American city of the same name. The Algonquian tribes who originally occupied the site called it Bawating ("place of the rapids") and valued it for its control of the upper Great Lakes water routes and as a source of abundant whitefish and maple sugar. It is popularly called "the Sault," or "Soo."
Settlement and Development
Étienne BRÛLÉ in 1622 was probably the first European to visit the area. The site is called Sault [ Fr, "falls" ] de Gaston on Samuel de Champlain's map of 1632. It became Ste-Marie du Sault when a Jesuit mission was established in 1668. The NORTH WEST COMPANY built a post here in 1783, developed the fishery as a major food source for the fur trade and dug the first canal past the rapids in 1798. Charles Ermatinger's house, built in 1814-23, the oldest stone house in Canada west of Toronto, survives from that period. The original canal was destroyed in the WAR OF 1812. A second lock was opened in 1895 and at the time was the world's longest. Closed between 1987 and 1998 it is now only open for recreational traffic. It was designated a national historic site in 1987. Lake and ocean ships, with cargoes of grain and iron ore, bypass the rapids through 4 American locks (1855). Together the 5 locks regularly handle more traffic than any comparable system in the world.
 Sault Ste Marie
 Sault Ste Marie, Satellite ImageThe city of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario is seen as a light blue patch on this satellite image, situated on St Mary's River, which connects Lake Superior (left) and Lake Huron (courtesy Canada Centre for Remote Sensing).
 Soo Locks at Sault Ste MarieLake and ocean shipping bypass the rapids through the Soo Locks at Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, opened in 1895, and 4 American locks that handle more traffic than any comparable system in the world (Colour Library Books).
Economy
Industrial development was initiated by American-born businessman Francis CLERGUE, who built an electric-power plant and pulp mill, the ALGOMA STEEL COMPANY (1900) and the ALGOMA CENTRAL RAILWAY (1899-1914), which runs to iron ore reserves nearby. Clergue went into bankruptcy and the Ontario government was forced to step in and rescue some of the businesses. Algoma Steel, Canada's first employee-owned steel mill, is still the major economic force in the area, producing about 14% of Canada's steel. At its peak Algoma Steel employed some 9000 workers, but with restructuring and changes in technology and economic patterns its payroll is now closer to 3000. The forests of the Algoma region also support pulp and paper and wood-processing companies in the city. The Sault is the home of the Great Lakes Forestry Centre, one of 5 Canadian Forest Service centres across Canada, involved in research and development as well as policy making. The Ontario Provincial Air Service, centered here, maintains the world's largest fleet of planes for fighting forest fires. In its position as a focal point for east-west transportation routes, Sault Ste Marie supports some 40 companies offering trucking services and has become an important regional centre for health, education and government services. The important role of transportation in the development of the city has been recognized in the establishment of a Marine Heritage Centre and the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre. Attempts are being made to diversify the city's economy by introducing and encouraging development in such areas as information technology, telematics and tourism.
Cultural Life
Post-secondary education is provided by the Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology and ALGOMA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE. The Art Gallery of Algoma is located in the city as is one of Ontario's Charity Casinos. Winter tourism and recreation activities include the Bon Soo Carnival, the junior hockey games of the Soo Greyhounds and downhill skiing at the Searchmount Ski Resort. Summer activities include boat tours of the locks and the Algoma Central Railway wilderness tours to Agawa Canyon. Parks and 2 full-service marinas, one named after Roberta BONDAR, the first Canadian woman in space and a city native, have been developed to encourage boaters to visit the Sault.
Author
DAVID D. KEMP
Links to Other Sites
Tourism Sault Ste. Marie
Check out the latest news about tourism and economic development programs in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre
Aviation enthusiasts will want to touch down at this website for the award-winning Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Features photos and extensive documentation about float planes and other aircraft. Also covers forest fire suppression technology.
Algoma University College
Check out the latest news about academic programs and other activities at Algoma University College in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
Sault Ste Marie Community History
An extensive history of the Sault Ste Marie region. From Library and Archives Canada.
Lake Superior North Shore
Search this Ontario travel guide for information about the Lake Superior North Shore region.
Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site of Canada
A fascinating look at the many Canadian engineering innovations built into the original canal that provided safe passage between Lake Huron and Lake Superior. From Parks Canada.
Sault Ste. Marie
The official website for the City of Sault Ste. Marie. Check out the Algoma Fall Festival, Art Gallery of Algoma, Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, and other local cultural links.
A Brief History of Michigan
Features a description of French and British exploration, settlement and interaction with local aboriginal communities in what is now the State of Michigan. From the Michigan Legislature website. A pdf file.
Prohibition and the Smuggling of Intoxicating Liquors between the Two Saults
An article about the history of the prohibition movement in Canada, the Ontario Temperance Act, liquor smuggling activities in the Sault Ste. Marie region, and related issues. From the website for the Canadian Nautical Research Society. A PDF file.
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