Ward 5: industrial land and the downtown

When asked what they would do to ensure that Sault Ste. Marie has enough industrial land, some Ward 5 candidates said we already have enough land.

And some said we need to be prepared for the future.

Incumbent Frank Fata (front right) said the City needs to talk with its First Nations neighbours to gain their cooperation. Fata said that a plan to develop property on Black Road fell through because the City was unable to reach a such an agreement. The issue is very important to the City's future development, he said.

Candidate Duane Jones (back left) told a recent forum that it will be a complicated process to secure enough industrial land is available for the Sault to grow into. "We'll have trouble finding property, making sure it has services and the neighbours welcome development on it," Jones said. "But we need to be ready and prepared for growth."

Candidate Mark Brown (back right) said that securing industrial land is a matter of proper planning. "Staff must be constantly vigilant on updating the master plan," Brown said. "We must work toward this on a daily basis."

Brown added that it's necessary to make a constant effort to keep a rolling inventory of what lands are available, projected needs for land, status of services on that land and the thoughts and feelings of neighbours about it.

Candidate Marchi Bruni (front left) said the City must always be looking to the future to make sure there will be enough industrial land available for any potential developments that may come up. "We must always be on alert to and helpful of companies coming here," Bruni said.

Candidate John Bumbacco (front centre) said there's already plenty of land available for development.

"Consult with neighbours of course, but the land is all around us," he said. "We need to show we are open for business and cut the red tape."

Incumbent David Celetti (back centre) said that land is not the problem. "We have the land but we need the incentives to bring businesses," Celetti said.

Celetti suggested the Sault offer electricity at a cheaper rate or more tax incentives than other areas offer.

Responses to the question of what candidates saw as the most important issue in the downtown were at least as varied as the responses on industrial land.

Jones said there's no one particular improvement that would be most important to the downtown core. He said the downtown has already improved a lot over the past 10 years, especially with upgrades to building facades.

A development on the Gateway site would go a long way to anchoring and improving the whole downtown, Jones said. "We should work together with the Downtown Association to see what is best for the area."

Brown said that living space is the most important issue for Sault Ste. Marie's downtown. He said that, if more people were living in the downtown, they would shop in the stores and use the services that are located downtown.

Bruni said the most important issue for the downtown is for City Council to develop a good working relationship with the Downtown Association. "They are the experts for Queen Street," Bruni said. "They will come to council and express their idea on how to improve if there is improvement needed."

On the other hand, Bruni said that Gore Street does need to be improved. "Gore Street is part of the downtown. It would be good if we could attract new businesses."

Bumbacco said he would like to make the waterfront the focal point of the city. And he doesn't mean it has to be only a great big open space, either. "Basically a mixture of apartment buildings, condos and long-term-care homes would make it an area of high density population," he said. "They would be within walking distance of the downtown and that would be a wonderful thing."

Celetti said that both private enterprise and senior levels of government are investing in Sault Ste. Marie's downtown at this time.

"There's a suggestion that we're going to improve Gore Street and that we're going to do all this work around in the downtown," said Celetti. "This costs money and where's that money going to come from? The taxpayer, that's where."

Celetti said that Sault Ste. Marie City Council candidates should be very careful about saying they will use taxpayers' dollars to rebuild the downtown.

Fata said that Saultites have made great strides in their downtown and should continue to do so.

"The thing to remember here is that we have to have a good working relationship with Anna (Boyonoski, manager of the Downtown Association)," he said. "We can't go downtown and start telling them how to run things."

Fata said that, with good communication will come good success.

Other topics discussed by Ward 5 candidates at a recent forum included strategies to engage area Anishinaabe in City Council business and events, ideas on how to bring and keep sustainable jobs in the Sault and their projected vision of the Sault's economy.