Sault Ste Marie

Overview

Sault Ste. Marie is a city in Ontario, close to the Canada-U.S. border: it was established in 1668. To the south, across the river, is the Michigan city of the same name: they were one city until a treaty after the War of 1812 established the border between Canada and the United States. The cities are connected across the St. Marys River by the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge.

Local attractions in “The Roo” include the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre (and the Entyomica insectarium!), the museum, and the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site, boat tours of the Sault locks (connecting Lake Superior with the lower Great Lakes), Whitefish Island, the Ermatinger-Clergue National Historic Site, Casino Sault Ste. Marie, and the Art Gallery of Algoma.

The city also hosts the annual Algoma Fall Festival which draws local and international performing artists. Experience an indigenous Ojibway pow-wow in summer, or grab your car and drive the scenic Lake Superior Coastal Drive to Agawa Bay.

One of the major draws to the area is the summertime Agawa Canyon Tour Train. This one-day wilderness excursion travels 114 miles north, alongside pristine northern lakes and rivers and through impressive granite rock formations and mixed forests, ending at the Agawa Canyon.
Sault Ste. Marie is a gateway to an outdoor enthusiast’s dream of forests, mountains and wild rivers. Nearby parks include Pancake Bay Provincial Park, Batchawana Bay Provincial Park, Lake Superior Provincial Park, and Gros Cap Conservation Area.

End your day with a stop at Northern Superior Brewing Company for a Red Maple Irish red ale, Embers on the Ridge steakhouse, Giovanni's Italian, or Arturo’s for sophisticated lobster ravioli.