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Remember This? The dawning of an age of golden windows

How the Civic Centre came to be
Civic Centre 1
The Civic Centre begins to take shape. Sault Ste. Marie Public Library archive photo

From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:

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Remember This: Civic Centre

The Civic Centre is a distinctive building and has been the focal point of the Sault Ste. Marie waterfront since its completion in December 1974, although its official opening was on October 15, 1975.  It is frequently photographed by visitors and locals alike.  

Prior to the construction of the new Civic Centre, our city’s original City Hall was located on Queen Street, just east of the corner of East Street.  This building had been constructed in 1903 and shared space with the Public Library and Fire Department.  A massive fire destroyed the building in March of 1907 and it was rebuilt in 1909 where it remained until the construction of the present building.

Sault Ste. Marie saw massive growth first in 1918 with the amalgamation of Steelton and then again in 1965 with the amalgamation of Korah and Tarentorous, when the population increased from 44,700 to 70,000 people. The drastic increase in population tested the limits of the old City Hall and required City Council to commission the construction of a new facility to better accommodate the city’s needs.       

Civic Centre 2The Civic Centre. Sault Ste. Marie Public Library archive photo

In June 1972, at a special meeting, City Council approved the design of the new Civic Centre.  As part of the waterfront redevelopment plan, it was also decided that the former ferry dock, on the lower end of Brock Street would be the new location.  Some councillors expressed concern about the location of Civic Centre being on the waterfront in case of a lock disaster similar to that of 1909 occurred again but this argument was quickly over-ruled and the site was confirmed.  The new building would encompass 97,000 square feet and cost approximately $4.3 million to complete.  

The Civic Centre was designed by Alex Skourides, with the architects for the project, Marani, Rounthwaite and Dick, represented locally onsite by Gugula, Smedley and Barban.  The general contractor was Newman Bros.  The new building was to incorporate some unique designs that had never been used in the city up to this point, such as the use of gold tinted mirror glass and brown porcelain steel panels.  This was used for its ability to control lighting, heating and cooling.  Many people questioned the practicality of these design choices and it proved to be quite controversial. 

The interior of the Civic Centre showcases the history of this area.  Paneling and desks are made of Michigan maple and were built locally by Soo Mill and Lumber featuring Canadian hard maple as part of the design.  The artwork that decorates City Hall is from notable local artists Ken Danby, Ken Bradford, Ken MacDougall, Margaret Barnett, Doug Hook and Zoltan Szabo.  Perhaps the most impressive item of the Civic Centre’s art collection is William Armstrong’s watercolour painting which depicts Sault Ste. Marie in the late 19th century.  William Armstrong was the Chief Engineer on the first Red River Expedition in 1870.  His paintings were heavily sought after, including by royalty itself.  The people of Sault Ste. Marie have Harry C. Hamilton, a close friend of William Armstrong to thank for retaining possession of the paintings which were appraised at over $25,000 for display at the Civic Centre.  

Politics and policies may be a divisive element in any community, but regardless of where one resides on the political spectrum, the Civic Centre provides an excellent forum to discuss these issues.  The Civic Centre embodies some of the best this community has to offer from architecture to art, and this is something that all Saulites can agree on.     

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Each week, the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and its Archives provides SooToday readers with a glimpse of the city’s past.

Find out more of what the Public Library has to offer at www.ssmpl.ca and look for more Remember This? columns here