New mayor, four new councillors elected in Sault Ste. Marie

Matthew Shoemaker, elected mayor of Sault Ste. Marie, poses for a photo with a supporter Monday evening. (Mike McDonald/CTV News)

Sault Ste. Marie city council will look a little different this term following Monday’s municipal election.

Matthew Shoemaker succeeds Christian Provenzano as mayor, taking 44 per cent of the vote and defeating his closest rival Ozzie Grandinetti by more than 4,200 votes.

Shoemaker told CTV News on Monday night the city’s opioid crisis is his top priority. He said getting a supervised consumption site is job No. 1 and he hopes to get the ball rolling on that as soon as he officially takes office.

Shoemaker added he is looking forward to working with the newly elected city council and that he’s proud of his campaign.

“We ran the campaign that we wanted to run," Shoemaker said.

"We ran it on ideas and I’m happy the result is what we had hoped for. And all I can say is that … I’m ecstatic the result reflects the work that we had put in.”

Moving to the ward races, Sonny Spina is one of the new faces at the council table after winning one of two seats in Ward 1.

Spina had lost close races in the last two federal elections but said in a statement he is happy to be in a position to effect positive change in the community and for future Saultites.

Spina finished second to Sandra Hollingsworth with 30.91 per cent and 34.70 per cent of the vote respectively.

In Ward 2, both Lisa Vezeau-Allen and Luke Dufour were re-elected with 2,206 and 2,462 votes respectively of more than 6,750 votes cast in the ward this election.

Ward 3 will also have new faces representing them because both mayor elect Shoemaker and former councillor Donna Hilsinger ran for mayor.

This term Ward 3 councillors will be Angela Caputo, who finished with just under 30 per cent of the vote, and Ron Zagordo with 24.99 per cent of the vote.

In Ward 4, veteran councillor Marchy Bruni was re-elected with more than 35 per cent of the votes in his ward. He will be joined by political newcomer Stephan Kinach, a dentist who recently returned to the Sault from war-torn Ukraine.

Finally, in Ward 5 both Corey Gardi and Matthew Scott will return to their council seats this term with each earning more than 37 per cent of the vote in their four-way race.

“I look forward to working with all of the councillors on working on moving your priorities forward over the next four years. Together we can make progress on the challenges our city faces,” added Shoemaker during his speeches at the Sportscenter Bar and Grill on Wellington Street West on Monday night.