The Sault Star
Cheers: `Catalyst' from Sault helps Ukraine
A former Sault Ste. Marie resident who wanted to share “vodka with purpose” has helped raise more than $7.5 million to back humanitarian efforts in the Ukraine. Zirklova Vodka, co-owned by Katherine Vellinga, helped Canada-Ukraine Foundation's...
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HELPING HANDS
Fast Eddie slows down for Salvation Army when he's hungry. Food donated by Metro to the Army's Elgin Street site makes a big difference for Edward Evans. A health issue landed the former Roller Skating Elvis on the Ontario Disability Support Program....
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RESIDENT BLOWS FUSE OVER FREQUENT POWER OUTAGES
A Sault Ste. Marie man is shocked, saddened and charged up, about what he brands are far too many power outages plaguing his central residence. He and his family have lived on Laurentian Drive for three years and, during that time, have endured...
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Prince Township ponies up to duck further beaver-related floods
The flood that swept through Prince Township two years ago when a beaver dam in the shield zone collapsed took residents by surprise. It also left the municipality with many thousands of dollars in repair costs. At the regular September council...
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`IT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC'
Algoma Steel must pay $1.2 million in fines for releasing about 1,000 litres of gear oil into the St. Mary's River more than four years ago. Ontario Court Justice Martin Lambert called the incident completely avoidable. The discharge of approximately...
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AIMING FOR FUN
Lochlyn Good, a first-year accounting student, moves into Lou Lukenda Dormitory at Algoma University on the weekend. The Central Algoma Secondary School graduate is a competitive archer.
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ANNUAL LABOUR OF LOVE
Sault Ste Marie & District Labour Council Labour Day Parade of Flags and Celebration participants make their way along Foster Drive Monday morning. Several Sault Ste. Marie and area unions were represented at the Roberta Bondar Pavilion-based event,...
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`WE'VE NEVER KEPT SECRETS'
Kidney disease talk was never taboo in Christina Kenny's home growing up. In fact, healthy dialogue early on helped arm her for the day she'd be diagnosed, the life she'd lead and how she would raise her own family. Kenny, 48, comes from a long line...
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COUNCIL PUTS BRAKES ON LARGE-SCALE DATA CENTRES
City council will see a first draft of a data centre framework at its Sept. 21 meeting. That framework will initiate a public consultation process that will help amend and finalize the final framework, expected to be completed in the new year. The...
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Cash helps parks get refreshed
A spruced-up Wilcox Park is now a second home for Sophia Shillington. The youngster who lives near the central-area municipal park has become a regular visitor this summer thanks to a handful of new play equipment for her to explore on Wilcox...
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IN FULL SWING
Emily Meincke gives her children Colton Meincke, 6, and Sophia Meincke, 8, a ride on new playground equipment at Wilcox Park on Wednesday.
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BLOCK PARTY
Hanna Dukes, 7, enjoys a game of Jenga during Game On! Street Party on Albion Street on Thursday. The free event, organized by District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board, was expected to draw 1,000 to 1,200 attendees, said...
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READY TO ROLL
Trish Rainone and Rebeka Herron prepare for a screening of Cars by SFF Summer Movie Nights at Bellevue Park on Aug. 18, 2026 in Sault Ste. Marie.
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HITMAKER
Encore's Janet Brown performs at Roberta Bondar Pavilon as part of the City of Sault Ste. Marie's Summer Concert Series on Thursday. The set list included hits by Bryan Adams, Billy Joel and Fleetwood Mac. Jeffrey Wright wraps up the season Tuesday at...
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City council supports data centre framework, rejects moratorium
City council may be able to agree that the city needs to develop a framework policy for future data centre development in Sault Ste. Marie. That framework needs to include community consultation and establish policy that balances economic development...
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Shipping steel rebate program launches
A new federal program will rebate 50 per cent of eligible rail or marine transportation costs for Canadian steel moving between provinces and territories for up to a year. The Commodities Sectoral Support Program launched Monday. “Global trade is...
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COUNCIL CONSIDERS DATA CENTRE BAN
Missanabie Cree First Nation's proposed data centre is being opposed by the the public and members of city council. An interim control bylaw prohibiting the data centre will be presented to city council at its Aug. 31 meeting, if a motion directing...
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Meals on Wheels ramps up service in Blind River
Blind River's Meals on Wheels is gaining ground. Residents in the town east of Sault Ste. Marie, who rely on the service, now have greater access to support thanks to an expansion of the program, offered through North Shore Health Network's (NSHN)...
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`Tradition is important': Prince Township tractor cruise motors on
There's something irresistible about Prince Township's annual tractor cruise, which completed its 15th tour Saturday. For many rural families, the 20-kilometrre jaunt along the back roads and down to Gros Cap, west of Sault Ste. Marie, is the...
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ANOTHER BRICK OFF THE WALL
Portions of the former General Hospital on Queen Street East are dismantled Wednesday morning and, by week's end, this wing of the vacant structure was entirely gone. Work is expected to continue until October. Recyclables, such as scrap metal, are...
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Complaints kick-start Strathclair soccer fields review
City staff have been asked to develop a plan that will improve the Strathclair soccer fields. Council passed a resolution at its last council meeting, moved by Ward 3 Coun. Angela Caputo and seconded by Ward 5 Coun. Corey Gardi, to work with local...
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COLOURFUL CHANTING
Chariot parade participants make their way along Russ Ramsay Way to Roberta Bondar Pavilion before the Festival of Colours at the downtown venue on Saturday. A chariot of Lord Jagannath was pulled along the route.
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`IT HAS BEEN HEARTBREAKING'
Hallway medicine is driving Michael Chikoski up the wall. Taken to Sault Area Hospital at about 6 a.m. Monday, his father, Walter, 94, remained in an emergency department hallway for more than three days. The retired Algoma Steel worker, 94, has...
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Waste not, want not: Surplus Rotaryfest food finds home with Harvest Algoma
Grub did not wind up in the garbage as the “significant” amount of surplus food from this year's Rotaryfest found a home at Harvest Algoma. The Rotary food court, officials say, was one of the festival areas most impacted by elevated wildfire smoke...
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PRIDE ON PARADE
Esther Zdolec, OLG senior vice-president of People and Culture, KJ Boston, Sault Pride board treasurer, Sault Ste. Marie Coun. Sonny Spina and Sault Ste. Marie-Algoma MP Terry Sheehan, prepare for the Sault Pride flag raising Sunday afternoon at Ronald...
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FROM STEEL TOWN TO DEFENCE POWERHOUSE
Sault Ste. Marie has spent generations forging the steel that built bridges, auto parts and railways, across North America. Now, as world trade shifts, Algoma is forming new partnerships that could transform the local steel industry into something...
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SMOKE ON THE WATER
Heavy smoke is visible on the St. Mary's River on Wednesday. City of Sault Ste. Marie closed outdoor pools and splash pads due to poor air quality and cancelled outdoor sports events. Sault Area Hospital asked visitors to limit checking in on patients...
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Grace Street homes sustain `extensive' fire, smoke damage
Two Grace Street residential dwellings sustained “extensive” fire and smoke damage Saturday after fire ripped through the neighbouring structures. Shortly before 2 p.m., Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services responded to a call of a blaze in a residential...
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Cambrian Mall presence will offer `seamless and accessible' service: GHC
Relocating several services to Cambrian Mall will provide healthier access to care, not to mention room for growth, Group Health Centre says. Work is underway to revamp what was an empty shop at the 44 Great Northern Rd., allowing the Access Care...
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SAH'S NEXT CEO SEEKS TO `ADVANCE' STRATEGIC PLAN, `STRENGTHEN' CARE
Sault Area Hospital has recruited a senior health-care executive with nearly 30 years of leadership experience to serve as its next president and CEO. Murray Doucette has worked across provincial health systems, academic health centres, long-term care...
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Algoma U cuts support jobs to `basically bare bones': Union
Algoma University students will have to wait longer to see trash picked up and tech issues fixed after the post-secondary institution slashed about 60 support jobs this spring, a labour leader says. The cuts, announced in late May, will be roughly...
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POUNDIN' BACK POUTINE
Myles Miskiw, 11, feasts on poutine Friday afternoon during Poutine Feast at Downtown Plaza. The event, which began Tuesday and wraps Sunday, boasts gourmet poutine from regional vendors, live music, trivia and children's activities, among other...
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BRUSHING UP ON CANADA DAY
Kaya Zelonko puts the finishing touches on Grayson, 7, Wednesday afternoon during Sault Ste. Marie Canada Day celebrations at Roberta Bondar Tent Pavilion. Face-painting appeared to be one of the more popular attractions there, as lineups were long....
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`We celebrate our friendship'
The International Bridge Walk gives Walter Humphrey another reason to love Canada. The resident of Cheboygan, Mich., has walked the Mackinac Bridge 20 times since he was a youngster. The float housekeeper at McLaren Medical Center only learned about...
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OPERATION CRUMBLE
Front portions of the former General Hospital on Queen Street East are dismantled Friday afternoon. Demolition, which began on the Lucy Street side of the building, is expected to continue until October. Since fall 2025, some 380 loads of debris,...
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SOMETHING GOOD COOKING
Ken Brown Recovery Home kitchen manager Paul Durham does grill duty Tuesday in preparation for 50th anniversary celebrations at the Herrick Street Residential Addiction Supportive Treatment facility for men seeking recovery from substance use. Please...
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UP IN THE AIR
Kevin Perlini, territory manager at McDougall Energy, juggles bean bags at Touch-a-Truck to benefit Habitat for Humanity Sault Ste. Marie & Area at Station Mall on Saturday. The event raised $23,000 with more donations to come, said chief executive...
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`THE WORLD DOESN'T STOP FOR US'
Kyle Campbell tells of taking in a recent slo-pitch weekend during which post-game pints got passed around freely and eagerly. Nothing special about that; for many, beer and baseball go together like a bat and ball. What was remarkable, though, was...
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LET'S DANCE
Eliza Jose dances during a Diversity Day and Parish Family Picnic at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church on Sunday. Various cultures were represented through performances and food.
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SISTERLY SUPPORT
Karuna Malla helps her friend Smriti Gurung prepare for Algoma University's convocation at Sault Community Theatre Centre on Saturday. Malla is graduating with a computer science degree. Malla and Gurung, both from Nepal, met while getting their...
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`It wasn't about me'
Elder Shirley Horn says the Order of Ontario she received earlier this month belongs not to her alone, but to generations of residential school survivors who spent decades ensuring their stories would be heard. Horn, a residential school survivor and...
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Former General Hospital enters the dust heap of history
Mayor Matthew Shoemaker grinned as the massive green arm of a GIP vehicle ripped the first pieces of the former General Hospital off the roof and exterior wall. One piece at a time in what will be labourous work for the next five months or so, the...
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`IT'S EVERYONE'S HISTORY'
The letter George Minisino Pine sent home from France during the Second World War didn't reveal much about his experience on the warfront. Addressed to his sister Hilda, he shared simple thoughts on the weather and asked after the family dog in Garden...
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`IF WE DID THIS MUCH, WE CAN DO THE REST'
For five straight days, Sheri Fudge and her daughter Faith hiked through cold rain in the Virginia mountains. Their shoes never dried. Their tent smelled “like infection.” Temperatures plummeted overnight after days spent climbing in nearly 40 C...
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`LOTS OF BACK AND FORTH ...'
The federal government is continuing to engage with Algoma Steel and its unions to get a better understanding of what new opportunities and partnerships can be forged to create more jobs. Sault Ste. Marie-Algoma MP Terry Sheehan said a meeting was...
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Doug Ford protesters say premier's performance `appalling'
How Dawn Munro plans to fix Ontario starts with a roll of duct tape. Each of her Top 10 concerns with the Conservative government led by Premier Doug Ford were written on a piece of the versatile fix-all. Rent control, strong mayor powers and water...
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DIGGING UP THE PAST TO BUILD THE FUTURE
The Sault Ste. Marie Museum is writing its own history. It is transforming itself from a place to visit artifacts and moments etched in time to a vibrant, moving interactive community centre that celebrates local arts and culture, as well as education...
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PORT KEY TO SAULT'S GROWTH
If Mayor Matthew Shoemaker could look in a crystal ball and see what Sault Ste. Marie will look like in two years, it would have more jobs, greater assessment growth and more available housing units. That's the forecast he provided to the Sault Ste....
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KEEP ON TRUCKIN'
Monster trucks and freestyle motocross riders take to the air during the Monster Madness Tour and FMX World Tour at GFL Memorial Gardens on Saturday. Please see www.saultstar.com for more photos
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MY AIM IS TRUE
Brodie Marchand, of White Pines Collegiate and Vocational School, is among athletes from Sault Ste. Marie high schools competing Thursday in several events at the annual city track and field meet at the Jo Forman Track.
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`OUR SYSTEM IS STARVED'
Ontario gets a failing grade in investing and protecting its healthcare system, according to a new report. Andrew Longhurst, of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said the province has been digging itself into a deep hospital funding crisis...
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GROWING UP GOOD
Julie D'Agostino and her daughter, Sophie Storozuk, shop at Sault Ste. Marie Horticultural Society's plant sale at Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site on Saturday. Herbs, sweet peppers, salad greens and hot peppers were among the items...
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DRUGS, GANGS, RETAIL THEFT BEING `TACKLED': SAHOTA
The federal government wants to make it tougher for persons accused of repeatedly stealing from businesses to get bail. “I understand that many businesses are suffering from great loss and aren't able to continue operations,” said Secretary of State...
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Ontario Trucking Association calls for improvements to Highways 17 and 11
The Ontario Trucking Association has joined the fight to improve Highways 17 and 11. The Ontario Trucking Association is calling on the provincial and federal government to accelerate investments in the transportation corridors to improve public...
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Algoma Public Health tackles youth substance abuse with new program
Algoma Public Health appears to be over the moon about Planet Youth. Coalition building and “broad” engagement with partners across Algoma District are underway to secure commitments of funding and implementation support for the five-year Planet Youth...
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WAY TO GO
Brad Jacobs holds the street sign designating 1 Team Jacobs Way on Friday. In April, council approved renaming the portion of Anita Boulevard beside the YNCU Curling Centre in recognition of Team Jacobs's achievements, including two gold medal wins for...
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`IT CAN BE DAUNTING'
Christie Hayos concedes contending with the community's many mental health and addictions challenges can sometimes seem like an uphill battle. "It can be daunting and it's really tricky,” says Sault Area Hospital's director of mental health and...
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`IT IS A MESS OVER THERE'
A Batchawana motel owner says growing damage at Sawpit Bay — and new restrictions on access — are raising questions about the future of a once-hidden Lake Superior shoreline that has long drawn visitors to the area. For Bonnie Shelley, who has...
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HAVE A COOKIE AND A SMILE
Sault Ste. Marie's Tim Hortons restaurants are once again turning cookies into contributions, as the annual Smile Cookie campaign returns this week in support of local paediatric care. Running through Sunday, the campaign will see 100 per cent of...
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No scrimping on services despite planned deficit: SAH
Without a serious fiscal shot in the arm from the province, Sault Area Hospital will shoulder another “significant” shortfall as it gazes into the crystal ball to Fiscal 2026/27. However, like previous years when deficits were in the cards, the...
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TO RUN OR NOT TO RUN ... THAT IS THE QUESTION
Matthew Shoemaker is in. Lisa Vezeau-Allen is out. Angela Caputo, Sandra Hollingsworth and Stephan Kinach, are pondering the future. And the rest say they hope to get the thumbs up from constituents for another term. Ontario municipal residents...
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`NOW IS THE TIME TO DOUBLE DOWN'
For decades, Sault Ste. Marie has relied on Algoma Steel to create jobs and serve as the backbone of the Northern Ontario city's economy. While the steelmaker has transitioned to electric arc furnace steelmaking to create a greener, more economical...
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Garden River partners on solar venture
Garden River First Nation is partnering with a global renewable energy company to create Ontario's largest solar energy project on their land. The community will receive revenues of about $50 million per year. The solar farm is co-owned by Neoen and...
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Quarter of Algoma kids aren't alright: Report
In Algoma, it appears that the kids aren't alright. Data presented by Algoma Public Health Thursday indicate that almost one in four children in the district are at risk in at least one “developmental domain,” specific areas of a child's growth and...
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IT'S A RECORD
The Rad Zone manager Melodie Taylor holds the Slipknot album, Look Outside Your Window, and Caamp's self-titled offering, both available at the Queen Street East outlet Saturday, Record Store Day.
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`WE SHOULDN'T PUT MONEY WHERE MONEY IS NOT ASKED FOR'
Sault Ste. Marie's Downtown Plaza won't glean an additional $50,000 to support operations and promote downtown events, despite a city councillor's attempt to ensure the $11.6-million facility is active. Mayor Matthew Shoemaker opposed the...
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WILL HOME ICE HELP?
Kitchener Rangers forward Jack Pridham follows through on his shot as Soo Greyhounds defenceman Chase Reid attempts to intervene in Game 2 action on Sunday. A disastrous third period frittered away the Hounds' chances of tying their OHL Western...
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THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'
Algoma Steel's electric arc furnace (EAF) has been operational for several months now and the company is continuing its rampup process. More importantly, the Sault Ste. Marie steelmaker is focusing on developing and increasing its operations that will...
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North Shore Health Network can't heal Thessalon ED woes alone: Vine
A spate of recent emergency department closures in Thessalon is not going unnoticed south of the North Shore. In fact, there is “certainly” interest from Ontario Health and the Ministry of Health, both of which are “working with us,” and the Huron...
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LOCAL SNOWMOBILE CLUB ACQUIRES BRIDGE TO GAIN ACCESS TO BRUCE MINES
As one snowmobile season inches closer to a close, the Bruce Mines Sno Glyders snowmobile club is already looking ahead to next year. After two years of advocating, the club has officially taken possession of the Clark Bridge. The bridge, previously...
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`THEY'VE BEEN A DRIVING FORCE'
Janice Davis didn't plan to be a pioneer. Nor did she bank on rocking the boat. But when Davis joined the Kiwanis Club of Sault Ste. Marie, that's exactly what she did. Stirred the pot. Shook things up. In fact, her presence was enough to prompt a...
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Goo Goo Dolls' scrubbed show strikes sour note
A last-minute concert cancellation by American rock band Goo Goo Dolls will cost the City of Sault Ste. Marie – and businesses – a few bucks. How much the city loses could actually take some time to calculate, said Brent Lamming, the city's deputy CAO...
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Sault police slice budget deficit to $920K
Sault Ste. Marie Police Service slashed its expected budget deficit in 2025 by more than half. The municipal force initially anticipated red ink of $2.3 million last year. Unaudited results point to a loss of $922,220 for 2025, manager of finance...
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