Ontario, Michigan Saults send water message to Trump and Trudeau

A joint meeting Tuesday of the Ontario Sault's City Council and the Michigan Sault's City Commission unanimously approved the following resolution:

Whereas in 1909 the Boundary Waters Treaty was signed by the governments of the United States and Canada, which started the formal process of creating the International Joint Commission to deal with issues facing our shared water boundary, and

Whereas the two governments then signed a Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1972, which extended this approach to include issues facing the Great Lakes, and

Whereas several treaties, laws and initiatives have been developed and implemented by the governments of the United States and Canada to protect, maintain and restore the Great Lakes, now 

Therefore be it resolved that Sault Ste. Marie Ontario City Council and Sault Ste. Marie Michigan City Commission call upon our local, provincial, state and federal stakeholders to advocate for continued financial support for programs that protect, maintain and restore our Great Lakes, and

Further be it resolved copies of this joint resolution be sent to the Honourable Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau; Terry Sheehan, member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, premier of Ontario; Ross Romano, member of Provincial Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie; the United States President Donald J. Trump, United States Senator Debbie Stabenow; United States Senator Gary Peters; United States Congressman Jack Bergman; the governor of Michigan Rick Snyder; State Senator Wayne Schmidt and State Representative Lee Chatfield.

There was an, er, interesting exchange at Tuesday's meeting about respective populations of the Ontario and Michigan Saults.

Tom Dodds, chief executive officer of Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corp. (EDC), said that the Ontario Sault's market area (not including Sault North) has a population of about 78,000.

Jeff Holt, chair of the Michigan Sault's EDC, said he wasn't quite sure, but he guessed his city's population would be something like 13,000.

Or maybe 13,500.

Mayor Tony Bosbous insisted that it's really 14,300.

"We've been busy the last couple of years," Holt quipped.

Actually, if you add in the greater Chippewa County area, it's 52,000, Bosbous said.

"In Sault Ste. Marie Ontario I think it's safe to say that our population has been turning downwards," chipped in Ward 5 Councillor Frank Fata.

Fata said he has a friend who has determined the Ontario Sault's population is actually about 66,000.

Fata didn't name his friend.

But he assured everyone that his friend is "an accountant."

An accountant who is "very good with numbers."

Civic leaders from the twin cities heard updates Tuesday about the International Bridge, the Sault Locks and the establishment of a joint international relations and economic growth committee.

Mayors Provenzano and Bosbous then exchanged city flags, after a bit of fumbling to ensure the flags were right-side-up.

Shortly after the ceremonial exchange of flags, it was resolved that the joint meeting of the Twin Saults Joint Council/Commission meeting should adjourn.