It has been a year since I was last in Sault Ste. Marie to visit my Aunt and Uncle (a.k.a. my godparents) so before ‘real’ winter settled in I took a few days and headed up to see them. As opposed to driving I flew up this time and was there for a little less than a week. Sault Ste. Marie isn’t very big (approximately 73,000) so having been there a couple of times now means I’ve done all the ‘touristy’ things - so I revisited a couple and took myself on a couple of different walks - along trails, through the downtown core area, and along the river and around the lock system.
Something I discovered on this trip was a walking tour of several murals in the downtown area. The murals were commissioned by both globally renowned artists as well as exceptional talent within the local community.
Battle For the Seven Clans by Thomas Sinclair
Breakthrough by Katrina
Northern Flight by Alexander Bacon
Spirit Horse by Cindy Haat
Rolling Pictures Horse by Jerry Rugg (aka Bird0)
Planta Muisca by Daniela Rocha Moreno
Throw Kindness Around by Annie King
Girls in Strawberry Field by Milkbox
Ring Neck by Rihkee Strapp and Mishiikenh Kwe ndizhnikaaaz
Phoenix Rising by Darren Emond
Sacred Story by Thomas Sinclair
Tree of Life on the Rapids by Patrick Hunter
Peace by Katrina
Hockey Town by Mark Grandinetti
Two Ships, Three Elks; There is no Folly of the Beasts of the Earth, Which is not Infinitely Outdone by the Madness of Men by Jean Paul
Cultural Connections by Peru 143 / Que Rock / Bacon
Sault Ste. Marie Courthouse, built in 1922
I’ve posted about this before, but a visit to the Canadian Bushplane Museum is always fun.
This helicopter, a Bell 47D was the first to be owned by a government agency in Canada and the first helicopter allowed for civilian use.
Husky CF-EIR was the last Fairchild F-11 Husky ever built. I like the way it also transported a canoe.
Ford Model T
The Ermatinger Old Stone House is restored to depict the domestic and professional life of Charles Oakes Ermatinger and other prominent residents and visitors of the House between 1808 and 1870.
The Clergue Blockhouse served as the home of industrialist Francis Hector Clergue from 1894 - 1908. I have yet to see inside this building - on my last trip is wasn’t open due to COVID and now it was too late in the season.
Roberta Bondar was born in Sault Ste. Marie. She is Canada’s first female astronaut and the first neurologist in space. She flew on the NASA Space Shuttle Discovery during Mission STS-42, January 22-30, 1992, during which she performed over 40 experiments in the Spacelab.
Couldn’t be visiting with my Aunt and Uncle and not highlight at least one of the amazing meals they prepared for me.
International bridges from Canada (on the right) to the United States (on the left) over the St. Marys River
The Sault Ste. Marie canal and National Historic Site.
Very high water levels = lots of flooding on the walking trails.
The Sault Canal Emergency Swing Dam is an all metal structure built in 1896. It sits along the Canadian side of the canal to protect against the rush of water that would occur if something ever damaged the Sault locks. This example is the last of nine ever built.
The Art Gallery of Algoma had a lovely exhibit on while I was there - Gathering in Honour featuring art by the late local artist John Laford. John Laford passed away suddenly in November of 2021 - this was, and still is, a huge loss for the local arts community and for Woodland Art in Algoma and beyond.
8 and Final Fire - what a profound title for John Laford’s last painting!
“Three Winds” by local artist Pat Gladu. The sculpture reflects the wind blown trees that can be seen in the area and was inspired by many paintings of the Group of Seven.
“Algoma Blue” by Haydn Llewellyn Davis. Before being installed at the Art Gallery of Algoma, this piece had been displayed at Toronto’s Harbourfront. The piece is made up of material manufactured at Algoma Steel and its installation in the park was considered a homecoming.
The Sault Ste. Marie Museum was built in 1904-1906 and served first as a post office with government offices until 1981 when it became the home of the museum.
The Lake Nipissing Beading Project is a 5 metre beaded reimagining of Lake Nipissing along with its tributaries and waterways using 444 individually beaded pieces.
You can’t be in Sault Ste. Marie, or this part of Ontario, and not find something about the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the freighter that sank in Lake Superior during a storm in November 1975.
Time to head home - here’s the plane that’s taking me.
Bye-bye Sault Ste. Marie…
…and ‘hello’ again to Toronto.
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