'We can be proud of our community while acknowledging our challenges': Mayor points to the saving of the Sault's YMCA as example of community's resilience
Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Matthew Shoemaker believes his city is exhibiting resilience while staring down numerous challenges — including an ongoing physician shortage and a national mental health and addictions epidemic.
“I am fully aware of these challenges and work hard every day to drive solutions,” Shoemaker said in his report, which is made available to the public on his website. “The six-month report concept is directly related to that — I wanted to find a way to let the community know what we’re working on because I know it is easier to hear about our problems than it is to learn about what we’re doing to address them.
Addressing his promise to secure more housing, the mayor pointed to the city exceeding the provincial housing target by nearly 200 per cent, a banner construction year with more than $148 million in housing permits and the city ushering in 'as-of-right' permitting of multiplexes, provided setback criteria is met, in an effort to increase the housing stock locally.
In terms of his pledge to support public safety and downtown revitalization, the mayor pointed out council’s green-lighting of a pilot program that will see daily security foot patrols downtown seven days per week starting this summer. Expected patrol hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. seven days per week. “The goal of the pilot is to provide an additional level of safety and security in the downtown area, and to help prevent vandalism and crime,” Shoemaker said.
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