Sault mourns loss of longtime business and community leader Franklin Prouse

Sault Ste. Marie has lost a longtime business and community leader.

Franklin Prouse, founder of Franklin Prouse Motors, passed away peacefully Saturday according to Prouse Chevrolet’s Facebook page.

“He will be remembered as a great leader, dedicated and hard-working businessman. We will miss him,” Prouse Motors management stated.

Prouse moved to Sault Ste. Marie from Acton, Ontario in 1962 with his wife Nora and four children to open a GM dealership.

Franklin Prouse Motors has been a successful local business since then, winning numerous awards from General Motors during that time.

Apart from his status as a standout local business figure, Prouse’s involvement with the local tourism industry over the years was extensive and impressive.

With a lifelong love of marine vessels, Prouse, for decades, owned and operated the passenger vessel ‘Chief Shingwauk’, which conducted tours of the locks.

He was president of the Sault Historic Sites Museum Ship Valley Camp in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan in 1971 and 1972.

Prouse also helped the City acquire the museum ship ‘Norgoma’ in 1976 and served as administrator for the St. Mary's River Marine Centre, operators of the ship until 1992.

He was also President of the Algoma Kinniwabi Travel Association from 1982 to1984 and was also involved with the Bon Soo winter carnival for many years as a corporate sponsor.

He was a player in getting the Canadian locks reopened after they were closed in 1987. After lobbying all levels of government, the locks reopened in 1998.

Prouse was also involved with the Rotary Club, a past Chair and member of the former Plummer Hospital Board, a member of the Sault College Board of Governors, past Director of the Algoma Conservatory of Music as well as Vice Chairman of the Official Board of Central United Church for two terms.

Prouse won the Tourism Sault Ste. Marie Award of Excellence in 2004.

In May 2017, Sault College announced generous support from Franklin and Nora Prouse brought the college a step closer to reaching its goal of revitalizing the Waterfront and Tennis Centre.

In recognition of their generosity, Sault College stated the Waterfront and Tennis Centre (formerly known as RYTAC) will be named The Franklin Prouse Centre.