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
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
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.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'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.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.