Sault mayor looks back on his first year on the job

Sault mayor looks back on first year on the job Matthew Shoemaker says while there have been successes over the past year, issues remain in Sault Ste. Marie. Mike McDonald has more.

Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Matthew Shoemaker is looking back on his first year on the job with a sense of accomplishment. However, Shoemaker acknowledges some ongoing issues that have yet to be resolved.

Among the accomplishments that stand out for Matthew Shoemaker in his first year as mayor include working with community partners to secure increased power generation capacity.

"We were able to get the government to commit to speeding up the timeframe for transmission to our community, all within this past year," said Shoemaker.

"Also, the efforts that many community organizations, including city council, put into ensuring the ongoing viability of Harvest Algoma."

Shoemaker added efforts continue to address the city's social problems.

"The addiction and mental health challenges, the need for housing, and the need for workforce development and immigration into the community," he said, adding council continues to struggle with issues such as ongoing violence in the city and how best to address it.