Explore every episode of the podcast Where You Belong.

As Local Government Week comes to a close, we’re celebrating the important role local government plays in shaping our community. From delivering essential services that keep our City running to fostering civic engagement and participation in local democracy. It all starts right here at the local level.

In our final episode, Councillor Vezeau Allen shares what local democracy means to her and her journey into public service.

Thank you for joining us this week as we explored how local democracy works and how you can help shape the future of our City.

Missed an episode? Catch up anytime at www.saultstemarie.ca/podcast

It’s Local Government Week!

This week, we’re celebrating the role local government plays in shaping our communities. From delivering essential services that keep our City running to fostering civic engagement and participation in local democracy.

On today’s podcast, Councillor Caputo joins us to share what local democracy means to her and her journey into public service.

Stay tuned throughout the week as we explore how local democracy works, and you can help shape the future of our City.

It’s Local Government Week!

This week, we’re celebrating the role local government plays in shaping our communities. From delivering essential services that keep our City running to fostering civic engagement and participation in local democracy.

On today’s podcast, Councillor Kinach joins us to share what local democracy means to him and his journey into public service.

Stay tuned throughout the week as we explore how local democracy works, and you can help shape the future of our City.

It’s Local Government Week!

This week, we’re celebrating the role local government plays in shaping our communities. From delivering essential services that keep our City running to fostering civic engagement and participation in local democracy.

On today’s podcast, Councillor Dufour joins us to share what local democracy means to him and his journey into public service.

Stay tuned throughout the week as we explore how local democracy works, and you can help shape the future of our City.

From swimming lessons and lifeguard certification to public swims and aquatic fitness, the City’s aquatics program plays a critical role in promoting health, safety, and skill development across all ages. Today, we’re jumping into the world of aquatics, a vital part of our City’s recreation and safety infrastructure. We also recognize that this month, we commemorate National Lifeguard Appreciation Day and National Drowning Prevention Week. Ben Ayton, Aquatic Supervisor joins us as we dive in and learn about what goes into running the aquatic facilities, the importance of water safety education, and how residents can get involved, whether it's learning to swim or becoming a certified lifeguard.

The City of Sault Ste. Marie aims to establish respectful and meaningful relationships with First Nations and Métis communities. As part of its commitment to reconciliation and the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the City created a new role dedicated to shaping municipal policies, programs, and services. Kaitlyn Neveu, Indigenous Policy and Process Renewal Advisor, joins us on the podcast to discuss her role.

Recorded in June during National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, this conversation highlights the City’s ongoing journey toward meaningful reconciliation.

The City of Sault Ste. Marie has launched a Transit Optimization Study to assess the design and efficiency of Sault Ste. Marie Transit Services. The study will review the City’s transit network, including the effectiveness of current bus routes and on-demand services. It will also evaluate the potential relocation of the Dennis Street terminal and provide recommendations to enhance efficiency.  Nicole Maione, Director of Community Services joins us on the podcast to talk about an important project that affects how people move around our City.

The Housing Community Improvement Plan is a community revitalization tool that responds to the housing needs of the City of Sault Ste. Marie. This program financially supports homeowners, property developers, and non-profit organizations in creating rental suites or building multi-unit developments. Like many municipalities across Canada and in Ontario, adequate and affordable housing supply has emerged as a critical challenge. Steve Zuppa joins the podcast to explore housing in Sault Ste. Marie and learn how our City plans to meet or exceed the provincial housing target by 2031.

Winter snow removal, what does it take to keep our roads safe, what are the challenges of this season, and how can we all work together to navigate these tough winter months. It’s no secret that this winter has been one for the books. Heavy snowfall, extreme cold, and unpredictable weather patterns have tested our snow removal teams. Join us as we talk to Dan Perri, Director of Public Works and look inside the efforts behind the scenes.

What is GIS and how is it shaping the City of Sault Ste. Marie? Geographic Information Systems is technology that lets us visualize and analyze data based on location. For a City like Sault Ste. Marie, GIS is more than just maps; it’s a toolkit for making smarter, data-driven decisions that impact everything from urban planning and environmental conservation. Kiera Shan, GIS Asset Management Coordinator, explores GIS Day on the podcast and provides some real-life examples of how GIS is making our City a safer, more sustainable and more connected place.

Local government is closest to the people delivering programs and services that directly impact your quality of life. There are 444 municipalities in Ontario governed by municipal Councils. Municipal professionals take care of roads and waste to creating diverse arts and culture experiences for our community. Each year in October Local Government Week raises civic awareness about the vital role local government plays and celebrates municipal change-makers and community builders. Our guest today is Mayor Matthew Shoemaker. Join us as we learn more about what it means to be the Mayor, the opportunities and challenges, and the rewards that come with serving the community.

Imagine planning, designing, and maintaining our City's infrastructure, public roads, transportation systems, bridges, drainage, and waste management. Larry Girardi, Deputy CAO of Public Works and Engineering Services, joins the podcast to look back at his remarkable career, tremendous legacy, and what is next for him in retirement.

The City of Sault Ste. Marie prioritizes accessibility services to ensure that everyone regardless of ability can fully participate in and enjoy everything our great city has to offer. From transportation to public facilities efforts are made every day to remove barriers and create a more inclusive community. In this episode Diane Morrell, Accessibility Coordinator, tells us about National AccessAbility Week and discusses the City's accessibility initiatives.

Public Transit is the heartbeat of a vibrant, livable, and sustainable community. Sault Ste. Marie Transit Services provides a reliable and comfortable public transportation service and is continually monitoring the needs of its customers to create a positive experiences for every passenger. Jay Singh, dedicated transit operator, helps uncover the intricacies that make public transportation an important community infrastructure, exploring its unique features and the exceptional experience it offers to passengers. Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.

Sault Ste. Marie provides businesses with an opportunity to achieve a competitive advantage while providing a natural balance of family, environment, growth, and innovation. Rick Van Staveren, Director of Economic Development joins us to explore the thriving business landscape of Sault Ste. Marie and discover how our city is providing a unique blend of opportunities.

Leadership, integrity, and strategic thinker are only a few words to describe the qualities of a successful CAO. Malcolm White, the City of Sault Ste. Marie's CAO is wrapping up an impressive career in municipal government. From his start in recreation and culture to leading in local government through one of the most challenging times in recent history. Malcolm joins us with a special guest host to talk about the ups and downs in municipal government and what's up next in his retirement.

2023, how would you describe it? From great achievements to unforeseen challenges, we’re here to reflect, reminisce, maybe even share a laugh or two on our year in review episode. Madison Zuppa, Deputy City Clerk and Tessa Vecchio, Corporate Communications Officer reflect on the journey through the highs, lows, twists, and turns of the past 365 days.

2024 budget discussions are currently underway. Most of us debate the merits of a 1.75 percent or 2.5 percent property tax increase but has anyone stopped to explain how property taxes actually work and what it all means? Plain and simple… property taxes are the main source of municipal revenues and, surprising to some, amount to 67 percent of the annual budget. Steve Facey the City's Manager of Finance joins the podcast to explain the budget process.

Traffic and speed management measures are crucial for ensuring the safety of all road users, including drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. By implementing traffic calming measures, municipalities can reduce the risk of accidents and prevent injuries and fatalities on the roads. In this episode Dan Perri, Municipal Services and Design Engineer, joins us as we take a ride into the world of traffic and speed management and find out how you can help reduce the number of accidents and severity in our community.

See a traffic problem, report it at www.saultstemarie.ca/trafficconcerns.

To learn more about the City’s Active Transportation Plan visit www.publicinput.com/soomoves.

Marinas play a vital role in providing a safe convenient place for boaters to dock their vessels and enjoy the water, but there’s much more to marinas than just a place to park. From the bustling communities that develop around them to the economic benefits they bring to their local areas, marinas are a hub of activity and a vibrant part of any waterfront. In this episode Rick Borean, Supervisor of Community Services joins us to dive into the fascinating world of marinas and discover everything there is to know about this exciting and dynamic industry.

Winter storms, thunder storms or floods are some examples of emergencies that citizens of Sault Ste. Marie could experience. Are you prepared? Emergency Preparedness Week is a national awareness initiative that encourages Canadians to take three simple steps to become better prepared to face an emergency: make a plan, build a kit, and stay informed. In this episode Lauren Perry, Community Emergency Management Coordinator tells us more about Emergency Preparedness Week and how citizens of Sault Ste. Marie can be ready for anything.

Spring has sprung, the snow is melting, and residents are all starting to do their annual clean-up of garages, basements, and those overstuffed junk drawers. But now what to do with all the waste.  In this episode Spencer Lavergne, the City of Sault Ste. Marie's Waste Diversion Supervisor tells us more about the Household Hazardous Waste Depot and the upcoming season.

March 8 is International Women's Day where people around the world celebrate the successes and achievements of women and bring attention to gender equality. In this episode Councillor Lisa Vezeau-Allen and Councillor Angela Caputo discuss why they wanted to become involved in local government and share some advice they would give to future leaders.

The Ontario Heritage Trust describes Heritage as the people, places, traditions and stories we identify, protect, promote, and preserve Ontario’s heritage. Each February municipalities across Ontario celebrate heritage in all its forms, including cultural and natural, architectural, archaeological and collections. In this episode Virginia McLeod, the City’s Manager of Recreation and Culture discusses Ontario Municipal Heritage Week and how the City of Sault Ste. Marie will celebrate.

It's that time of year for the big guy in red and white to come to town and no it's not Santa Claus... it's local Sault Ste. Marie celebrity Mr. Bon Soo. In this episode Josh Ingram the City’s Area Coordinator of Special Events and Sports Tourism discusses the 60th Anniversary of Bon Soo. This conversation kicks off the City of Sault Ste. Marie’s brand new podcast Where You Belong.