Sault Ste. Marie city council to explore downtown security options
The Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Association could be getting a reprieve from the costs of hiring private security to patrol the downtown core. The City is looking into the possibility of picking up most - if not all - the costs.
The City is preparing a report for Sault Ste. Marie City Council on picking up at least part of the tab for security. But one city councillor would like to see the City assume all the costs associated with patrolling the downtown.
"If there is an investment to be made in our downtown, what the City should be contributing is allowing the downtown retailers to put the money back into their businesses versus putting it into things the City should be picking up like security downtown," says Councillor Matthew Shoemaker, who adds if there is anything the Downtown Association should be contributing, it's knowledge.
"Expertise in the downtown area and their opinions on how the patrols should be conducted," says Shoemaker. "But the City should be paying the cost. Frankly, I think the City should be paying the entire cost because community safety is an expense that the City should be paying for."
Salvatore Marchese, Executive Director of the Sault Ste. Marie Downtown Association, says the City is looking at a preliminary figure of how much the BIA would contribute for security.
"They've thrown a number out if the BIA would be willing to contribute, somewhere in the area of $5,000," says Marchese. "And then the City would look at their end on what it would cost for them to provide the service, but I don't know what their total figure us."
Marchese says with an annual cost for private security being around $18,000, this would represent significant cost savings for the BIA.
"It could go to enhancing our events, or putting on more events and just trying to fill the streets with people to give that presence downtown," he says.
It's not known at this time how long it will be before administration is prepared to make a presentation to council.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.