This is quite possibly the scariest thing your city councillors have ever done! (8 council briefs)

Sault Ste. Marie City Council moved Monday night to develop a Halloween Spirit Awards program, similar to the popular Christmas Lighting Awards.

Prompted by a motion from Ward 1 Couns. Sandra Hollingsworth and Paul Christian, councillors agreed to instruct city staff to "lift spirits and create community fun" by developing a program recognizing the efforts of exceptionally scary homeowners and business people.

A terrifying Halloween proposal is expected to come back to City Council by June of next year, in time for Halloween, 2022.

The following are other waxy, brittle, orange-and-yellow, chalky-tasting candy corn bits dispensed by councillors at Monday's meeting:

• councillors supported re-jiggering the Hub Trail in the Machine Shop and Gateway neighbourhood, to avoid the Bay-Huron intersection, which is considered confusing for trail users and daunting for less-experienced cyclists. The new multi-use path will require approval as part of the 2022 budget. It will instead go along St. Mary’s River Drive, Andrew Street and Queen Street. "In addition, this option creates a more seamless transition into the existing John Rowswell Hub Trail system, and establishes key connections to Esposito Park and Pump Track, as well as the Kina Awiiya Secondary Program (former Etienne Brule School)," says senior city planner Stephen Turco. "It should be noted that with the proposed re-alignment, the Mill Market and the newly redeveloped Machine Shop (and tour train depot) will still be connected by the existing waterfront walkway. This section of waterfront path will function as a Hub Trail spoke," Turco said in a report to Mayor Provenzano and councillors

• with only Ward 3 Coun. Matthew Shoemaker voting against them, councillors decided against implementing an optional small business subclass discount at this time. Virtual consultations about the idea were held on Oct. 1 and 6, with invitations sent to 537 local businesses. Only eight people attended the Oct. 1 meeting, while just seven showed up on Oct. 6. Shelley J. Schell, the city's chief financial officer and treasurer, warned about possible adverse effects on long-term tax policy and residential ratepayers. Schell also cautioned about the cost of administering the program

• Carl Rumiel, the city's manager of design and transportation engineering, will review the intersection of Strand Avenue and Wilson Street to determine whether traffic controls need to change there to prevent speeding. Ward 4 Couns. Rick Niro and Marchy Bruni said the intersection has a history of accidents, the most recent being on Oct. 31

• the city will provide $15,000 to support the Canadian Snowmobile Race Association's CAN-AM Snowcross Race in Sault Ste. Marie on Jan. 21 to 23, 2022

• councillors agreed to refer a $750,000 splash pad proposed for Manzo Park to December's budget deliberations. In addition to the construction cost, $115,000 will be needed each year to operate the interactive water feature

• Mayor Provenzano declared Tuesday, Nov. 16 to be 'Louis Riel Day,' recognizing the Métis Nation people’s historical and current influence on Sault Ste. Marie and Canada

• the mayor also proclaimed Thursday, Nov. 25 as 'Zonta Says No to Violence Against Women Day' in Sault Ste. Marie, encouraging everybody to participate in the Zonta Club’s 16 Days of Activism from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10