Holy puck! Results are in on New Year's Eve poll

The people have spoken — and puck it is.

After seven days of voting, the city announced today it will be dropping a giant puck — not a ball — at the inaugural New Year's Eve bash at the Downtown Plaza.

Nearly 2,500 people cast a vote, either on social media or a through a city survey, and puck was the narrow winner, beating out ball 1,276 to 1,246.

“We have received overwhelming support from the community on this initiative," said Brent Lamming, the city's director of community services, in a news release. "The puck icon is symbolic of the start of something exciting like a puck drop at the start of a hockey game. It offers a fresh twist on the classic ball drop tradition and is fitting considering our City’s love of hockey. We look forward to celebrating with everyone in the Downtown Plaza on December 31."

The puck icon will be made from locally sourced steel and constructed by the city’s Public Works Department.

It will be dropped two times during the evening of Dec. 31, 2024: first at 8 p.m. for families with young children, then again at midnight.

In the release, The City of Sault Ste. Marie thanked its sponsors: GFL Environmental for covering the cost of the event, and Steel Speed who "generously stepped up to provide use of their crane."

For the record, SooToday conducted its own poll about what to drop on New Year's Eve. The overwhelming winner? Property taxes.