Sault city council to discuss plastics ban
A pair of Sault Ste. Marie city councillors are hoping to get their council colleagues to support a ban on single-use plastics.
A motion to that effect will be debated at the next city council meeting, and if passed, will see a ban on plastic grocery bags, straws, stir sticks, cutlery and food containers used by restaurants.
Councillors Donna Hilsinger and Corey Gardi are behind the motion. Hilsinger said the Sault can show environmental leadership by implementing the ban.
"We know that plastics are hurting our environment, and we feel that it's important for us to do something about that," said Hilsinger. "Do something to take somewhat of an ambitious step in something that can make a big difference."
"I think single-use plastics present a challenge and a problem to marine life," said Gardi. "Us being right on the Great Lakes, the St. Marys River, I think we need to be conscious of that type of pollution that we create and limit it to the greatest degree that we can."
Gardi said he's disappointed in a campaign by the city to encourage individuals and businesses to voluntarily discontinue the use of single-use plastics. He said the initiative was not properly communicated to community partners.
"The school boards, post-secondary institutions, the PUC, some larger employers here in town," said Gardi. "I wasn't really sure as to how much communication there was even within the Corporation of the City of Sault Ste. Marie."
Hilsinger said she is optimistic the motion will pass.
"I do anticipate that most, if not all, members of council will wholeheartedly endorse this and we'll get on to doing our part in the world," she said.
The motion will be debated at the Nov. 15 meeting of Sault Ste. Marie city council. If it passes, a ban on single-use plastics would be put into effect on May 1 of next year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.