Mayor reflects on first two years in office, looks forward

While attending a funding announcement Friday at the former St. Mary’s Paper office — now the Algoma Conservatory of music — Mayor Christian Provenzano took the opportunity to view the preserved office of Francis H. Clergue.

With Clergue’s interests in steel, paper and power generation at the turn of the twentieth century, Provenzano said decisions made in that office perhaps affected the destiny of the city more profoundly than any other in the Sault before or since.

One wall of Clergue’s office features a giant hand-painted map of North America, showing a network of business interests from the early twentieth century.

Many things have changed since the building was erected in 1901.

Although the Sault experienced a boom in the paper and steel industries at times in the last century, the paper mill closed in 2011 and Essar Steel Algoma is currently in the restructuring process.

“Being in that room and looking at that wall, you really come to the inescapable conclusion that the business case for steel isn’t the same as it was 115 years ago. I think that’s something the community needs to come to terms with,” said Provenzano during an interview later that day in his fourth floor Civic Centre office.

With recent wind and solar projects generating renewable electricity in the area, Sault Ste. Marie city council passed a resolution in 2008 dubbing itself ‘the alternative energy capital of North America’.

“Paper no longer exists here, steel is struggling and we still have power. Even more so now. That’s an interesting dynamic, when you look at the community from that perspective,” said Provenzano.

First elected in October of 2014, Provenzano is now halfway through his inaugural four-year term as mayor.

Those first two years, he said, were spent looking inward to try and effect a change of culture within city hall.

“I came in not being of this place — not being a city councillor, never having worked for the city — and I came in here and saw myself as an employee of city hall and I felt really blessed that I got to come to work every day and try to work and improve the community not only that I live in, but the people I love live in,” said Provenzano.

Efforts were made over the course of those first two years to address the key concerns from his election platform.

"I think a lot of what I outlined in my platform is completed, or underway. We have a process now where staff look at vacancy management, we are going to be doing employee innovation programming to find efficiencies. As far as leadership issues and creating a welcoming community,” said Provenzano.

The results of a third-party review of the city’s economic development activities, which was initiated by Provenzano and approved by council last March, will be presented to council later this month and a new deputy CAO position has been put in place to oversee economic development in the city moving forward.

The second half of his inaugural term, said Provenzano will focus on improving quality of life issues and creating partnerships — to become the city’s head cheerleader.

"I want to focus the last two years into being the head salesman for the community. I want to travel more for the community, not because I like to travel — I don't. I want to get out there and tell people how great Sault Ste. Marie is and why they should do business and live here,"

Prior to his decision to run in the 2014 election, Provenzano said he started noticing some disconcerting trends in his career as a lawyer and while boning up for the job.

The legal profession, said Provenzano, can be a ‘canary in the coal mine’ in terms of seeing trends like people selling their houses to move to other communities and closer to family.

Sault Ste. Marie’s death rate is outpacing its birth rate and the community is facing out-migration, he said.

“One of the stats I came across when I was studying up was we needed 11,000 migrants to move to Sault Ste. Marie between now and 2026 to maintain the current population numbers. That is a pretty startling number,” said Provenzano.

Although some suggest the Sault needs to attract a large manufacturer or other industry to attract migrants, Provenzano said that may not be a silver bullet and he said incremental change and improvement of quality of life issues are needed to create the kind of community people want to live in.

“People need opportunity, but people also create opportunity. When you have young families you have more kids at the pool. You have more kids in soccer and going to the libraries. All of that activity creates economy,” said Provenzano.

On Thursday, Provenzano and most city councillors met with Chief Dean Sayers of the Batchewana First Nation for a history lesson.

The talk helped Provenzano appreciate how special the area has always been.

“This location drew people. The commerce was fur and fish and there was different kinds of commerce north. There was copper up on the Superior coast. But this was always a place of commerce. That’s why Clergue came and that is what Clergue saw and that hasn’t changed,” said Provenzano.

A third-generation Canadian, all four of Provenzano’s grandparents were born in the Sault.

"I wouldn't have had the opportunities I had if my grandfather wasn't a steelworker and if my other grandfather didn't have a successful bakery business. They gave my mother and father, respectively, the opportunity to go to school — my mother became a teacher and my father became a lawyer, said Provenzano.

"Often I think of my grandparents, because they probably didn't perceive their grandson would be mayor of the community,” he added.

Raising his eight-month-old daughter in the Sault with his wife, Provenzano said he thinks about the opportunities she will have growing up in this city.

“You always want you children to have opportunities, so the infrastructure has to be there,” he said.

Mayor Christian Provenzano looks out the window of his Civic Centre office while posing for a photograph on Dec. 2, 2016. Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday

But Provenzano notes he has made difficult decisions while sitting in the mayor’s chair.

"I have supported some decisions that people who were close to me, and were friendly with me, didn't like at all,” he said.

He added, "I have one singular measure in every decision I make, I ask myself, is this in the best interest of the community on balance? If the answer to that is yes, I move ahead. If it's no, I don't. There really aren't any more factors. You hope you are right when you make your decisions."

Challenges aside, Provenzano says he is thankful to have the opportunity to sit as mayor of Sault Ste. Marie, "two years in I am still very glad I decided to do this, and I feel just as honoured walking in the building today as I did the first day I walked into the building (as mayor)."

This council, he said, works together well.

"Whatever our differences in opinion are, I think there is by and large a lot of respectful conversation and conduct."

Provenzano said it is ‘about a year early’ to speculate on his plans for the upcoming 2018 municipal election.

“I really appreciate the time I have in this role, but I recognize it is limited. I have four years and I don't take anything beyond that for granted. I don't know that I have more than four years," he said.

The community is turning a corner, said Provenzano, and he is encouraged at how much improvement has been done in the downtown area — including the Gore Street reconstruction, the redevelopment of the former St. Mary’s Paper site, a $12-million renovation of the Parks Canada site at the locks, the pump track and the creation of a community hub at the former Etienne Brule School.

"You can see the community improving from its toughest area — which I think is a tremendous thing to see. If you look at where we were struggling the most — St. Mary's Paper being closed — we have an orchard there now. It's really nice to see the redevelopment of the community and the community improving from its most challenged area outwards. That's exciting," said Provenzano.

The greatest strength in the community, said Provenzano, can be seen when someone is suffering or in need.

"It's a tremendous community in that respect. You just have to make sure that we show that same kindness and strength to the people we want to come here as we do to our own,” he said.