Port project aligns with federal and provincial priorities and the time is right, says Mayor Matthew Shoemaker.

Published Jan 16, 2026 • Last updated 6 minutes ago • 6 minute read

Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Matthew Shoemaker says city council will intensify its diversification efforts in 2026 and focus on moving the port project forward. Photo by Elaine Della-Mattia /The Sault Star

When Matthew Shoemaker was first elected as the city’s mayor in 2022, the city – and world – were emerging from a pandemic that threatened the Canadian economy.

Advertisement 2

Story continues below

Article content

Canada saw an unprecedented GDP decline, one financial experts said was the steepest fall since the Great Depression. It came with massive job losses, a financial freeze, and socio-economic impacts.

Article content

Recommended Videos

Article content

Sault Ste. Marie was not immune. Some local businesses were also forced to close its doors, while others took on higher debt levels to keep theirs open.

In addition to job losses, the city experienced a growth in homelessness, mental health illnesses and addictions, some of which was blamed on the social isolation of the pandemic.

While the economy was improving from some of the issues caused by the pandemic, a new normal was emerging.

Shoemaker, who had served as a city councillor for two terms, unveiled A Plan for Progress platform that he argued outlined specific achievable goals on how to move Sault Ste. Marie forward and grow the community.

Advertisement 3

Story continues below

Article content

It ranged from ideas to growing the economy, to keeping life affordable and dealing with the socio-economic issues like mental health and addictions that were still plaguing the economy.

Throughout his term, he’s provided self-written report cards on how he thinks he and council have moved the bar forward on platform issues.

Now, Shoemaker and city council have less than 10 months left in the term to leave their mark.

Shoemaker said he plans on seeking reelection for a second term as the city’s top elected member. He wants to continue to lead the momentum that as evolved with this city council, with the goal of moving the Port of Sault Ste. Marie project towards the finish line.

“We’re right in the throes of a number of initiatives, including the port, and I want to make sure those are seen through,” he told The Sault Star in a recent interview.

Advertisement 4

Story continues below

Article content

Over the past year, Shoemaker said city council has achieved a number of wins.

One of the most significant effects on taxpayers came in December, with council achieving a zero percent budget increase, something he believes was vitally important given the recent announcement that Algoma Steel would lay off more than 1,000 employees by the end of March.

“I think ensuring we keep the cost of living as affordable as possible is a key goal we’ve always got but was all the more important this year with the economic circumstances of the community,” he said.

Shoemaker said council also exceeded its provincial new housing target for the second year in a row, something that aligns with both federal and provincial government priorities and has netted the city additional funding to help with its infrastructure needs.

Advertisement 5

Story continues below

Article content

He also considers the launch of the Homelessness Addictions Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub a key success over the past year, something that required the city to pivot from its desire to have a supervised consumption site after new provincial policy erased that possibility.

“The letter drive, the lobbying of minister’s directly, working with the provincial government to see that application be successful and getting the bonus of having another HART Hub in Algoma is a testament to the efforts that went into it not just from this office, but from the entire community,” he said.

Despite some of these successes, the result of continued lobbying for the past three years, the cyclical nature of the steel industry, now facing additional challenges of high tariffs and a changing global economy, leave Shoemaker and city council with similar problems the council term had begun with.

Advertisement 6

Story continues below

Article content

Shoemaker said it’s about continuing to lobby government and drive the city’s priorities that align with the federal and provincial government forward.

The Port of Algoma project tops that list.

A recent business case shows the two-slip project would need $70 million of infrastructure for the port itself and an additional $130 million to upgrade rail infrastructure.

“It shows that repairing or realigning the supply chain within Canada is going to be an expensive endeavor, but it is to support the foundation of our economy,” Shoemaker said. “Our economy has been very north-south driven for more than 75 years and to realign that is going to take time and money and investment in infrastructure that has been neglected for a long period of time.”

Advertisement 7

Story continues below

Article content

The importance of the founding fathers of Confederation connecting east to west with a rail line is re-emerging with the transformation of the global economy and the future direction of Canada and Shoemaker believes the timing is right for government investment in this project, at the heart of the Great Lakes and at the centre of Canada.

He plans on pushing that business case at next week’s Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference with various provincial ministers.

Similar efforts are being made through Sault-Algoma MP Terry Sheehan and federal ministers, where it is expected the largest infrastructure asks will come from, through applications over the next two months.

“I think right now is the perfect opportunity for this project right now,” Shoemaker said. “Every objective that this project hits on is a priority of the provincial and federal government. It hits everything from trade diversification, supporting the Canadian economy heavily detrimented by tariffs, realigning trade and supporting the building of nation building projects.”

Advertisement 8

Story continues below

Article content

While a port project would create hundreds of construction jobs, the focus needs to continue to be to diversify the local economy.

A continued push to get more Ontario Lottery jobs to Sault Ste. Marie continues as well as the economic development division’s effort to draw new businesses to the community and expand those that are already here to offer good, stable jobs.

In the meantime, Shoemaker and city council are continuing to plan for growth, despite the ongoing tariff and job losses plaguing the city’s economy.

New housing projects are continuing, and Shoemaker predicts that the final 2025 housing starts numbers will again exceed targets and believes there are at least three new projects on the horizon for 2026.

Advertisement 9

Story continues below

Article content

“It’s needed because there is a lot of old housing stock, especially in the core, that has been left unsellable by out-of-town slumlords, and they will be lost, without question,” he said.

Likely one of the largest threats to the community’s recent growth is the layoffs, a lack of new jobs and immigration changes that lessen the number of international students who learn in Sault Ste. Marie.

“There is some potential for attrition, but there will always be risks out there, and we are working to mitigate those risks with our advocacy and our diversification efforts,” he said.

Perhaps one of the closest issues city council will deal with in the coming year will be its new focus downtown.

By disbanding the Downtown Business Association and assuming downtown marketing and events coordination, Shoemaker is hopeful the new committees plan will see greater success for downtown businesses.

Advertisement 10

Story continues below

Article content

The plan is to include a minimum of two banner events per month to attract residents and visitors downtown and fill in the gaps by activating other events to the city’s core.

He said it was not an easy task to complete, but one that he believes will result in a more vibrant downtown.

Overall, Shoemaker said he’s proud of the successes city council have made in what has become a challenging term with many outside influences affecting Sault Ste. Marie.

The opening of the west end Northern Community Centre twin pad facility, the launch of the HART Hub and progress in downtown development are all important additions for the community, he said.

This year’s focus will be to continue to advocate to create jobs to offset Algoma Steel’s layoffs and to champion initiatives approved by council like creating a national firefighting training centre, exploring a new defence or munitions production facility and create the atmosphere for new business.

“All of those things really feed into the Algoma Steel layoff issue because if you can find an initiative that will create jobs here, you can mitigate those job losses and every single job counts in this community,” he said. “That is our focus this year.”

Article content

Share this article in your social network