Business View Magazine November-December 2018

246 247 trepreneurship in the machine shop of a former paper mill, where we work with smaller compa- nies that are more main street oriented, like pro- fessional consultant services and marketing firms. It’s a 5,000-sq.-ft. space in a newer development complex on the west side of the downtown. There is a big convention venue for conferences, enter- tainment, weddings, and the area is also growing with niche tourism services.” Vair: “Our downtown development initiative is a high priority for the community. The City and our Downtown Business Association are investing a lot of resources and time looking into drawing millennials to the core – event activation, street closures, festivals.We’re opening up new bike lanes; we have a great new hiking/cycling/walk- ing trail that circles the City, and we’ve put a lot of infrastructure there to make it more appealing.” BVM: What are the objectives for future growth of Sault Ste. Marie? Vair: “It’s an exciting time for the community. The momentum is building. Young professionals moving back to the area to take jobs are bringing energy and enthusiasm with them. Our goal with the Future SSM project is to have a population business. ALL. MEETING THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY Take a closer look at algomau.ca/schoolbe Community Based Community Owned Community Minded Providing Sault Ste. Marie with Public Utilities for 100 Years! PUC Inc. is a private company wholly owned by the Corporation of the City of Sault Ste. Marie. PUC Inc. has one subsidiary: PUC Distribution Inc. which distributes electricity to residences and businesses within the boundaries of the City of Sault Ste. Marie as well as parts of Prince Township, Dennis Township and the Rankin Reserve. The Public Utilities Commission of the City of Sault Ste. Marie owns the water supply and distribution infrastructure and is responsible for the provision of safe, reliable, potable water at cost to customers within the municipal services boundary of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. PUC Inc. 500 Second Line East, POBox 9000 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 6P2 PH: 705.759.6500 FAX: 705.759.6510 customer.care@ssmpuc.com www.ssmpuc.com PREFERRED VENDORS n ATS www.atsbell.com    With over 40 years of experience ATS is a top ranking pro- vider of security and communication products and services in Northern Ontario. The company specializes in offering complete integrated communication and security solutions. ATS offers its customers the ability to communicate more effectively and stay safe with flexible solutions. It provides the latest technology in alarm, video surveillance and access control to companies in the area, and helps them stay con- nected with the latest mobile devices, customizable Internet solutions, and the most reliable voice services. n PUC Services Inc. www.ssmpuc.com    n Algoma University School of Business and Economics   algomau.ca/schoolbe  SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARIO of 100,000 by 2037. Right now, we’re around 75,000. The City is proactive in working with businesses; they just rolled out a new CIP that allows companies to get a 100 percent rebate on taxes the first year, 75 percent year two and 50 percent in year three.” Hollingsworth: “We’re working hard to improve the entrepreneurial ecosystem here and encour- age our youth to stay. There are some cool busi- nesses starting in our downtown and I think our Future SSM strategy is on track.We’re really in- terested in attracting immigrants to our commu- nity to grow the talent pool and promote diver- sity. And we’re working with our post-secondary institutions to meet the needs of business and industry. It’s a very positive time coming up!”