Young mayor for a day pitches pothole fixes, ice cream

Adelyn Somme has won Sault Ste. Marie's Mayor for a Day contest. Her platform: free ice cream on hot days, compliment booths downtown & friendship bracelets.

A young resident with ‘a hammer, a driverless car and a plan to fix potholes the size of small vehicles’ will take the helm of Sault Ste. Marie city council this week.

Adelynn Somme, a Grade 5 student at Holy Cross Catholic School, has been named the winner of Sault Ste. Marie’s annual Mayor for a Day contest. Her video submission, which blended comedy with a serious interest in municipal governance, earned her the opportunity to officially open the June 22 city council meeting.

Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said the contest consistently produces thoughtful entries from young participants.

“Every year I’m struck by how seriously these students take the role and how much heart they put into their submissions,” said Shoemaker in a news release.

He described the contest as a highlight of his calendar during his tenure as mayor.

“It’s one of my favourite parts of the year – getting young people thinking about local government and giving them the chance to participate in a city council meeting,” said Shoemaker.

Platform combines humour with serious issues

In her winning video, Somme laid out a platform that ranged from the whimsical to the substantive, touching on infrastructure, public works and social services.

Road conditions featured prominently in her campaign.

“As mayor, I’ll fix all the potholes in the city. Have you seen the size of them? I’ll keep fixing all these potholes throughout the spring and the summer. One time when I was fixing one, I found an entire car down there,” Somme said during her video.

She also pledged to maintain playground equipment year-round and improve winter maintenance.

“Forget bored of works, I’ll sand all the streets and parking lots,” said Somme.

Beyond infrastructure, the Grade 5 addressed mental health and addiction supports –issues she identified as important to the community.

“If I was mayor, I’d like to see more support go to mental health issues. And I know addiction is a big problem, so I’d also like to see more support go to there,” Somme said.

Creativity, community kindness

The student’s submission also showcased a lighter side, with promises aimed at fostering friendliness and civic pride.

“If I were mayor and you came to town, I’d give you a free friendship waste that every time you did and downtown, I would install compliment booths that would say nice things to you,” Somme said.

The Grade 5 also proposed a heat-wave relief policy.

“Today’s forecast is, as mayor, if it ever goes over 25 degrees, everybody gets a free ice cream,” said Somme.

Furthermore, she pledged that no elderly resident would have to cross a street alone and offered a novel approach to cost savings on a major civic project.

“As mayor, I’ll save the taxpayers money. Forget the demolition crew. I’ll take down the hospital with my trusty hammer. I should be done by the time I’m 100,” Somme said.

For her official duties, Somme plans to use a driverless vehicle.

“If I were mayor for a day, this driverless car would be my official mayor-mobile. That way I could spend less time driving and more time working for the people,” Somme said.

“Plus, since this car is driving itself, I finally have someone else to blame for my route decisions.”

Closing pitch

She closed her video with a nod to political tradition.

“Now that you’ve seen all the things I do for you as mayor, that’s why you should choose me. And you know, politicians, they never exaggerate,” Somme said with a ‘wink’ to end the video.

Honourable mentions

Mackenzie Marshall, Grade 5, Northern Heights Public School, and Elliot O’Dell, Grade 5, Parkland Public School, received honourable mentions for their submissions. They have been invited to attend the June 22 council meeting alongside the winner.

As part of her prize, Somme will tour the Civic Centre and meet with Shoemaker. Her class will receive a pizza party and a visit from the mayor.

Additionally, her winning video will be shown at the start of the June 22 council meeting before she officially opens the session.