GFL commits to pay full cost of New Year’s ball(?) drop

No decision has been made on what we’ll drop on the downtown plaza. Coun. Angela Caputo said we could drop her lipstick and everyone would be excited

Since 1907, the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square has attracted huge crowds. It also generates 60 tons of confetti, noisemakers and party hats that take 200 sanitation workers six hours to clean up afterward.Anthony Quintano / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic licence

Sault Ste. Marie is going to have a ball drop on New Year's Eve.

Or a 'something' drop.

City councillors agreed to Ward 3 Coun. Angela Caputo's idea of holding an annual New Year's party at the downtown plaza, after GFL Environmental Inc. advised just before tonight's council meeting that it will cover the full $16,000 cost.

But no decision has been made on exactly what will be dropped from the crane or boom truck to be brought in for the event.

City staff had proposed that a ball or hockey puck, six to eight feet in diameter, 24 inches thick with LED lighting, could be fabricated by city public works staff for $6,200.

But some councillors suggested other ideas should be explored.

Ward 5 Coun. Corey Gardi suggested the city logo might be a nice alternative.

Ward 1 Coun. Sandra Hollingsworth wanted a 'fun contest' like the one used to name the Toronto Raptors.

"We could drop my lipstick at this point and people would be excited. So I'm looking forward to seeing what comes of it," Caputo said.