Sault Ste. Marie looking to become Canada's next music city
The Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce is banking on local talent to help make its case for the Soo as a music destination.
To that end, the chamber has formed a task force with an aim on making Sault Ste. Marie Canada's next "Music City."
The Soo's music scene is commemorated with an exhibit at the Sault Ste. Marie Museum. The most recent contribution is a list containing every artist and music venue associated with the local music scene since the beginning. Bill Cowen of "The Soo Music Project" says the city has long been a musical hotspot.
"I think the lack of anything very formalized and specific about things is actually something that engenders a lot of musical talent," says Cowen, who points out that for a lot of performers, music started out as just something to do.
"It's something very, very specific that you can get together with other people," he says. "You don't need a venue, you don't need a bar to play in."
The president of the Sault Chamber of Commerce says it's the city's rich musical history that makes it a candidate to become Canada's next "Music City."
"You don't get a certificate or anything, but what you create is that brand for your community of being somewhere that is a real beacon for the industry," says Rory Ring, who has recruited entities such as the Music Tourism Alliance and the Algoma Conservatory of Music to take part in the chamber's "Music City" campaign.
"You have talented producers, music education, artists, and you have a city, city staff, which is also critical, that want to support the arts," says Chris Campbell of Music Tourism Alliance.
"The Algoma Conservatory's role is to sort of use Music City as a conduit to further the careers of all the talent that's coming through the conservatory and the talent that's already in the Soo," says Greig Nori of the Algoma Conservatory of Music.
Meantime, Ring points out that it was London's designation as a "Music City" that helped it make its case to host the Juno Awards in 2019.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
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.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.