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
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.