All posts by Sault Business Matters Staff
Extra critical care bed
Sault Ste. Marie member of provincial parliament Ross Romano has confirmed that the Ontario government is providing Sault Area Hospital with $249,400 to build a new critical care bed to help alleviate pressures and add support in the intensive care unit.
The funding will improve access to critical care amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Romano noted.
…[read more]City facilities re-opening
The City of Sault Ste. Marie, as per Algoma Public Health and the Ontario Government, will return to ‘yellow protect’ on Tuesday. This designation will allow various facilities to re-open with public health and work place safety measures in place.
…[read more]Sault smiles … with Liz
(EDITOR’S NOTE: A regular feature in which we share many of the smiles that help make the Sault a friendly place to do business.)
…[read more]Happy 105th, Margaret
Sault Business Matters has received a heart-warming photo and message from the F.J. Davey home relative to resident Margaret Nicolson recently celebrating her 105th birthday.
…[read more]Romano has H.E.A.R.T.S
Sault Business Matters has received the following statement from Sault Ste. Marie member of provincial parliament Ross Romano relative to new support for mental health and addictions in the Sault.
…[read more]Get this at Gliss
A signature dish of chef Derek Turner is the whitefish special that Gliss continues to offer for $20.
Located on Spring Street in the Sault’s downtown, Gliss is currently open for takeout and delivery on Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The whitefish special is just one feature that is currently on the menu at Gliss.
…[read more]New AU lab via FedNor
Major expansion construction is underway on the computer science laboratory at Algoma University.
Sault member of parliament and the federal government’s secretary for FedNor, Terry Sheehan, has confirmed that AU is getting close to $2 million to expand its lab for a new state-of-the-art facility for bachelor and master degree programming.
…[read more]New clinic services at I.D.A.
To help relieve the pressure in the local hospital emergency room, Sault Ste. Marie’s four I.D.A. drug mart locations are now offering new clinic services, Sault Business Matters has confirmed.
Clinical teams with a full time registered nurse on staff are part of what the four I.D.A. stores — Queenstown Drug Mart, Market Mall Drug Mart, Ideal Drug Mart and Wellington Square Drug Mart — have to offer.
Some of the new clinic services at the aforementioned I.D.A. stores are as follows.
…[read more]Weekend takeout at Gliss
A popular restaurant is opening for takeout with an updated menu.
Kristi Turner, manager and co-owner of Gliss, which is located on Spring St. in the Sault’s downtown, tells Sault Business Matters that the eatery will be available for take out and delivery on Friday and Saturday from 4-8 p.m. while the province is under lock down.
Kristi’s husband, chef and co-owner Derek Turner, has put together the menu at Gliss, which is featured below.
…[read more]New gig for Sonny Spina
Norpro Screening and Security has added a former city police officer to its force.
An 18-year veteran of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service, Sonny Spina has joined Norpro as its managing director of security.
…[read more]Kids reading club via library
Here is one for the kids from the local library.
That is, the ‘Kids Winter Reading Club’ will continue until Friday, March 19, according to the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library.
…[read more]New gig for Jeff McNeice
Well, that didn’t take long. A popular local radio announcer of more than 30 years will return to the air waves next week.
…[read more]Virtual blues mini series
Ten years and counting.
As in, the year 2020 was the 10th anniversary of the Sault Blues Society.
And with 2021 now into its infant stages, the Sault Blues Society has a special mini series planned that is slated to begin this week.
…[read more]Searchmont ski snippets
Perhaps the best-known ski resort in the Sault area is located in the community of Searchmont.
Over the years the resort has changed ownership many times and has often experienced the threat of closure on a number of occasions.
At any rate, following are a smattering of Searchmont Ski Resort snippets via the Sault public library.
…[read more]Time for action is now: Ford
Sault Business Matters has received the following statement from Ontario Premier Doug Ford imploring Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to “take action and secure our borders.”
…[read more]Steel City sessions sign-up
Steel City Sports — which operates basketball and volleyball clubs for the youth of Sault Ste. Marie –will continue to provide active training in 2021.
According to Jeff Giovanatti, who is one of the directors for Steel City Sports, the new sessions are slated to begin on Monday, January 18.
Steel City Sports runs its basketball and volleyball camps and sessions in gymnasium space at the old Tech building on Wellington St. E. in the Sault’s downtown area.
…[read more]Good news for the railway
Ho, ho, ho.
Sault member of provincial parliament Ross Romano has delivered an early Christmas present to 43 employees of Huron Central Railway.
That is, via Romano and the Ontario government, Huron Central will continue its rail service between the Sault and Sudbury until at least June 30, 2021 as it works towards a long-term solution.
…[read more]Downtown Association boss
There is a new man for the downtown.
Salvatore Marchese is moving from Toronto to the Sault to take over as the new manager of the Downtown Association.
…[read more]Let it snow at the Museum
The Sault Ste. Marie Museum and ‘Bon Soo Winter Carnivale’ are teaming up for an innovative community exhibition.
…[read more]Steel City Sports, Giving Hearts
Steel City Sports has partnered with local group ‘Giving Hearts’ to collect non-perishable items as a means of helping to support local food banks and shelters in the Sault.
…[read more]Hoping for you, Bon Soo
Organizers of the venerable Bon Soo Winter Carnival are hopefully cautious of hosting the annual event in 2021.
To that end, they have decided on Feb. 5-15 as the dates that the Bon Soo Winter Carnival will be staged, with the ‘Machine Shop Co.’ on Huron Street as a primary location for many of the events.
…[read more]Holiday treats via Museum
Attention residents of Sault Ste. Marie: You can ‘wrap up’ your holiday baking and support our local Museum at the same time.
…[read more]Croatian community history
Za nase Hravatske prijatlje:
The Sault’s Croatian community has a long, gritty and vibrant history.
To be sure, the first Croatian immigrants arrived in the Sault area in the early 1900s.
…[read more]History, magic of Gros Cap
It is somewhat of a hidden treasure on the west side outskirts of the Sault, at the end Prince Township. From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library, here is an historic look at Gros Cap.
…[read more]Nominate a local visionary
Strive Young Professionals Group of the Sault has confirmed the fourth Algoma Visionary Awards and the first virtual event, which is slated to take place on January 15, 2021.
…[read more]It’s still around, downtown
Circa 1952 — as per the above photo — it was known as S.S. Kresge Co., a department store located at 626 Queen Street East in the Sault’s downtown. Later, it was a department store called Jupiter. And now …
…[read more]Friends, neighbours voting
It is presidential election day across the United States of America as our friends and neighbours south of the border are casting their ballots.
…[read more]Support the Bushplane Centre
Sault Business Matters has received the following information from the good folks at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre.
That is, they are pleased to announce that with the assistance of Algoma Public Health, there will be six weekends of local small business vendors being featured at the local Bushplane Centre.
See below for more details.
…[read more]St. Mary’s helps St. Vincent
Students from a Grade 12 religion class at St. Mary’s College have completed a community service project that resulted in a donation to the St. Vincent Place men’s shelter.
The student group from the Sault’s Catholic high school was called SMC Action — and it organized a clothing drive.
St. Mary’s teacher Robby Calvano noted that he gave his students “the opportunity to do something good for our community and they ran with it.”
…[read more]Supporting small business is key
Sault Business Matters has received the following editorial opinion from Terry Sheehan, member of parliament for Sault Ste. Marie.
…[read more]Big bucks spent on the Gardens
In what is being termed a collaborative effort, the City of Sault Ste. Marie and the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League have teamed up to spend more than $1,000,000 towards upgrading GFL Memorial Gardens.
According to a press release issued today by the Greyhounds, the OHL team and the City of Sault Ste. Marie “have made the most upgrades in the history of the Home of the Hounds this off season … in total, over $1,000,000 worth of enhancements were made inside the facility to improve fan experience and users safety.”
…[read more]Small business week
” … This year more than ever, we all have to focus on the needs and survival our small businesses … ” — Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce.
…[read more]All new Hockey North Show
There will be significant changes to the Hockey North Show when the well established program returns to the airwaves in mid November for its annual 25 week gig.
For one, the Hockey North Show with Randy Russon and Brad Coccimiglio is moving to a new radio home, Eagle 95.1 — on line via www.eagleradio951.com — from its former ESPN 1400 spot.
As well, the Hockey North Show will be broadcast live on Wednesdays from 5-6 p.m. (as opposed to Tuesdays) and as a bonus, all editions will be recorded and archived on www.eagleradio951.com as well as the Eagle 95.1 Facebook page for replay on demand.
…[read more]On line local shopping
The local Chamber of Commerce has teamed with AlgomaMarketplace.com to introduce a newer expanded online local shopping experience.
Happy Thanksgiving!
It is a day that is specifically set aside to be thankful.
Across Ontario, families are gathering, in respectful numbers we hope, to observe the Thanksgiving Day holiday.
In the Sault, we have much to be thankful for in terms of COVID-19 numbers being relatively low in comparison to the rest of the province, especially the Greater Toronto and Ottawa areas.
…[read more]Downtown could use these
Our downtown is an area that our City politicians and so called leaders have neglected for far too long.
It is a good thing that there are so many resilient small business owners who have invested in the downtown but the downtown needs more judging by the many vacancies in buildings along Queen from Pim Street to Bruce Street.
Soon we will have a drug store at the corner of Queen and Bruce and that is very encouraging! Additionally I have a list of other businesses that would be welcome additions to our downtown.
…[read more]Good healthy breakfast and …
Hello again! I am writing to say how much I enjoy your website in particular the many positive articles which are about the downtown area where I dwell with my wife and our family.
On this topic I wish to give a compliment to the very nice and clean restaurants that Sault Ste. Marie has that choose to serve a very healthy breakfast of which is an important way to begin each of the days.
…[read more]Best ever for Big Blue Box
Sault Business Matters has received the following press release from the good folks at St. Vincent Place, which is located on Albert St. E. in the Sault’s downtown.
…[read more]The boards are back in town
Broers Jansen, the quaint, popular wine bar that is located beside the Museum in the Sault’s downtown, is well known for its $5 glasses of a variety of red and white wines.
As well, Broers Jansen has become locally famous for its own version of a charcuterie board.
With its own blend of meats, cheeses, home made bread, roasted almonds and other treats, the Broers Jansen version of a charcuterie board is called a “bro-cuterie” board.
…[read more]This is happening today
This is another opportunity to support local.
Sault Ste. Marie Museum, in tandem with the local Downtown Association, is holding what is being called a Culture Days Fall Market.
The event is slated for today from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The fall market, outdoor event will be held behind the museum’s 690 Queen Street East location.
…[read more]Kudos to Claudio and PUC
The local Public Utilities Commission received an award in the category of worker safety during a recent “virtual” annual meeting and Ontario Electrical Safety awards event.
…[read more]NORP via Ross Romano
Sault Business Matters has received the following press release from Sault member of provincial parliament Ross Romano relative to a Northern Ontario recovery program. An edited version of it appears below.
…[read more]‘Culture Days Fall Market’
Sault Ste. Marie Museum, in tandem with the local Downtown Association, will be holding what is being called a Culture Days Fall Market.
The event is slated for this Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and kicks off the month of October.
The fall market, outdoor event will be held behind the museum’s 690 Queen Street East location.
…[read more]New partner for NTAAA
Northern Transit and Arena Advertising Agency — which serves the markets of Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay — has partnered with BrokerLink Insurance.
…[read more]Stay home … shop local!
I will be the first to admit that I miss traveling into the U.S. as we liked the odd weekend getaways to Michigan to places such as Gaylord and West Branch.
We also got into the habit of filling up the gas tank in Sault, Michigan and while over there having supper at Antlers or the Palace and once in a while going to the Kewadin Casino.
The closure of the border however has reminded my partner and me how important it is to support our own local businesses right here in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
…[read more]Spectacular sunset
As September moves towards the end of summer and prepares to welcome the fall season, the beauty of the Sault area is on full display.
For example, as one heads west of the Sault past Goulais and into the Havilland Bay area, sunset can be particularly spectacular.
See below for a larger image of a recent Havilland Bay sunset as provided by Lily Heika.
…[read more]Please freeze the alcohol tax
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Sault Business Matters has received the following letter to the editor from Rory Ring, who is the chief executive officer of the Chamber of Commerce of Sault Ste. Marie.)
A rant of Mr. Ring is that a federal government alcohol escalator tax — one that is scheduled to increase again in April of next year — is a tax grab.
We now turn the floor over to Mr. Ring for the following editorial opinion.
…[read more]Blue box food drive
Sault Business Matters has received the following press release from St. Vincent Place marketing and fundraising coordinator Sara McCleary.
…[read more]NerdCon is a no go
Sault Business Matters has received the following message from the organizers of the Steel City NerdCon event that was planned for next month.
…[read more]Muio’s extending service
Beginning next Tuesday — which is September 15 — Muio’s Restaurant will be open for takeout and delivery six days a week.
…[read more]Terry’s Labour Day message
Sault Business Matters has received the following message from Sault member of parliament Terry Sheehan relative to Labour Day.
…[read more]Lunches for learning
In order to try to ensure that no child has to go to hungry at school, St. Vincent Place in the Sault is offering a new ‘lunches for learning’ program.
…[read more]Affordable housing for seniors
To be sure, every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place that they can call home.
Ergo, the governments of Canada and Ontario are combining to invest more than $1 million towards a new affordable housing development in Sault Ste. Marie to provide seniors at risk of homelessness with housing and support services.
The erstwhile Rosedale public elementary school, located at 90 Chapple Avenue, is being transformed into a nine-unit housing development.
…[read more]