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City in Ontario, Canada
Photo: Darren Kirby, (WT-en) Bulliver at English Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 1.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Sault Ste. Marie is a city of approximately 72,000 people (2021), in Northern Ontario. It is the beginning and end point of the Agawa Canyon Tour Train. Directly across the St. Mary's River—and the Canada/US border—is its twin city, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
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Museum of local history.
Features 29 planes including the 1st Beaver float plane produced. See the movie Wildfires!, a fire fighting adventure in 3-D. Flight simulator, fire tower, and children's centre. Closed Good Friday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
This canal once had the longest lock in the world and was the first one powered by electricity. It was built to allow ships to bypass the rapids. Visitor Centre, gift shop, washrooms, parking, walking and biking trails. Fat Bikes available for hourly rental (from $10/hr). Full guided site tours available.
Many exhibits and interactive features in the Heritage Discovery Centre. The Ermatinger Old Stone House is restored to depict the domestic and professional life of Charles Oakes Ermatinger and other prominent residents and visitors of the House between 1808 and 1870. The Clergue Blockhouse, was relocated to the site in 1996, and served as the home of industrialist Francis Hector Clergue from 1894-1908.
Named in honour of Canada's first female astronaut, Dr. Roberta Bondar. There is a statue of her. It is a waterfront event space for concerts and festivals.
Featuring local, national, and international artists, it holds a collection of over 4,000 works of art.
Ontario Hockey League/Canadian Hockey League major junior hockey team.
A ten-day festival with a diverse program of sporting events and cultural activities, both indoors and outdoors. Highlights include concerts, ice sculptures, and a polar bear swim.
It is a very popular scenic one-day rail excursion to Agawa Canyon Park, 114 railway miles north of Sault Ste Marie. There is a two-hour stopover at the canyon where there are hiking trails and a railway museum. The train has dining cars, dome cars, and regular coach cars. The journey to and from the park takes about 4 hours. Trains depart Sault Ste. Marie at 8AM and return at 6PM, making the entire experience about a 10-hour excursion. There is a three-hour stopover at the canyon where there are hiking trails, a canteen, railway museum, and children's play area. Travellers can bring their own food, or place a pre-order for meals when they book their tickets. Snacks and beverages can be bought on the train, but be sure to bring your credit or debit, as cash isn't accepted on the train. The most popular times are in September and October when the fall colours are at their pea. Train has dining cars and dome cars in addition to regular coach cars. The train cars have big windows, comfortable seating, flat screen monitors with front of locomotive camera, and GPS-guided narration in five languages (English, French, German, Japanese, and Mandarin).
Northern Ontario's first full-time casino features a 35,000 sq ft (3,252 m²) gaming floor, 450 slot machines, 21 gaming tables and a 100-seat restaurant and bar. By law, you must be 19 years of age or older to enter.
Shawarma and falafel sold from a shipping container converted to a kitchen. Truly excellent fries; they are more like richly seasoned roasted potatoes. The lentil soup is also worth trying.
Falafel and shawarma; also take-home hummus and baklava.
Specialty butcher shop and grocery store, stocking high-end steaks, seafood, imported cheeses, and a wide variety of frozen food. However the biggest draw for travellers is probably the hot deli, with sandwiches, chicken, pasta, porketta roast, and a rotating lunch special and dinner special (the "Dinner for Two"). Call ahead or check their Facebook page to find out what today's offer is; examples include cutlet parmigiana & pasta, chicken marsala with pasta, etc. Takeout only; no seating. A cornerstone of the community; has been in business since 1965.
Classic burger joint using locally sourced beef that's ground in-house. Also on offer are milkshakes, malts, and truly excellent fries. Beyond Meat burgers available and their gravy is vegan as well.
formerly Gino's Family Restaurant
This roadside classic saw a major overhaul after it changed owners in 2023, adding covered patio seating and a wood-fired pizza oven. Extensive menu featuring pizza and pasta, chicken & steak entrees, and a wide array of salads. Also a go-to place for a classic bacon & eggs breakfast. Popular with snowmobilers since there's direct access from the trails.
Local Italian restaurant known for pasta & ribs. Also one of the standard bearers of "Sault style" pizza, with a thick, relatively sweet crust. Westside location is both eat-in and takeout; Hillside location is take-out only.
PIzza, pasta, sandwiches.
Takeout-only place serving its own classic take on Sault-style pizza. Also burgers, wings, and deep-fried snacks.
Steaks, seafood and prime rib, plus a few Greek specialties like souvlaki. The saganaki makes for a fun starter.
Pizza and sports bar/lounge.
Hearty breakfast & brunch restaurant featuring ingredients from local small businesses. Comfort food like chicken & waffles and pulled pork mac & cheese are some of the star offerings, but vegetarians are well taken care of too, with substantial options like breakfast poutine. Arguably the best breakfast in town and certainly the most innovative. Gets busy on weekend mornings.
After some 40 years in business under the original owners, this smalltown diner has been reinvented under chef John Armstrong. The rotating menu runs the gamut from oysters to fried chicken to steak-frites; specialty cocktails & desserts round out the offerings.
Classic Italian fare in an elegant but cozy atmosphere.
Southern Italian, with richly flavored sauces, homemade pastas, steaks, and BBQ back ribs.
Asian fusion cuisine.
Art gallery & martini lounge. Has live music most evenings, typically of the folk and eclectic variety. Crowd is mixed and 'upscale' in comparison to most places in town. Not easily noticed from Queen street, park in back. One of the 'Core Four' within two blocks of downtown Queen Street. Always mixing it up with artists, wine/beer tasting events, live music... not to mention great drinks.
Smaller and pub-ish. (Try to ignore the smell.)
Billiards, darts, general game room. Large area. Mixed ages, often younger (under 30). One of the 'Core Four' within two blocks of downtown Queen Street.
Algonquin Hotel
Rock & roll attitude decorated with rock & roll memorabilia, live bands, DJs, large patio, mixed age, kitchen specializing in wings.
A fridge, coffee maker and cable TV are standard in all of the rooms.
Waterfront hotel featuring 195 modern rooms, full service View Restaurant+Bar, Bridgewater Health club with a large indoor pool.
Continental breakfast, free Wi-Fi, salt water pool and 24-hr fitness centre.
Great Northern Hotel
Largest hotel in the city, largest conference facilities in Northern Ontario; full service hotel with continental breakfast included; outdoor pool and indoor pool with 5½-storey water slide, sauna, and fitness centre, Bistro Lounge, free Wi-Fi.
Indoor/outdoor hot tubs, wading pool with waterfall, pool, Casey's Grill Bar and The Pub.
Opposite Station Mall.
About 65 stores, including various clothing brands, and outlets for all local cellular providers. Also a liquor store, a movie theatre, and a food court.
Around 20 stores including Canadian Tire.
By car
Sault Ste Marie is a major stop along Highway 17, the southern route of the Trans-Canada Highway.
By bus
By snowmobile
There are approximately 400 km of snowmobile trails locally and 1,000 km of trails in the Algoma district.
By bus
Operates from a central transit terminal at 160 Queen Street East at Dennis St.
By taxi or rideshare
The large international companies like Lyft and Uber don't operate here, but two smaller rideshare companies do.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Sault Ste Marie · Regional · YAM
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