Sault Downtown Plaza sees big winter turnout
The City of Sault Ste. Marie is expecting a busy summer at the Downtown Plaza. City officials say the plaza is coming off a successful first winter season, which saw large crowds gathering at the outdoor rink.
Virginia McLeod, the city’s manager of recreation and culture, said the rink saw more than 16,000 skaters this winter, which amounts to nearly half the number the city sees at all of its outdoor rinks combined.
“Obviously, this winter was an anomaly, so the number of days that we were actually open at our other outdoor locations was quite minimal,” McLeod said.
“But it is a very significant number and we’re very pleased with the attendance this year.”
Now that ice skating is finished for the season, the city is turning its attention to other recreational possibilities for the skating pad.
“We have had the roller skating group reaching out to us, so we’re going to be meeting with them to see what opportunities exist for roller skating,” said McLeod.
“We do have to be mindful -- there is some drain areas within the rink, so that’s something we’ll have to discuss with them to make sure those areas are protected and it’s not going to cause a trip hazard.”
McLeod said the Soo Market has played a significant role in the plaza’s success, and the city is looking to build on that.
“I know the market days are extremely busy, the feedback has been very positive throughout the year,” she said.
“So, we’re looking forward to a summer season, expanding the number of vendors that’ll be available during those market days.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
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.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 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.
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.
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.
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.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
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.