Mayor Shoemaker participates in Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative Annual Meeting
Thursday, June 8, 2023
Mayor Matthew Shoemaker was invited to participate the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative’s Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois today as a featured speaker in the plenary panel session called, “Targeting Net Zero: Urban and Rural Perspectives on Decarbonizing Canada’s Municipalities.”
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is a binational coalition of over 200 municipal and regional Canadian and U.S. mayors and local officials working to advance the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.
For its 20th anniversary, the Cities Initiative planned a special program featuring leading experts on municipal climate action and collaborative, and hands-on activities aimed to help prepare municipal officials to take the next steps to advance climate action.
During the panel discussion, Mayor Shoemaker spoke about the City’s efforts related to climate change, such as the hiring of a dedicated staff resource (Sustainability Coordinator), exploration of a Community Efficiency Financing Program that would encourage home energy upgrades and the development of GHG Reduction Plan with a goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
“The meeting was a great opportunity to highlight the work we’re doing in Sault Ste. Marie to an international audience and to connect with my municipal colleagues from across the Great Lakes region to learn more about the approaches they’re taking to address similar climate-related challenges,” said Mayor Shoemaker.
“From my experience, I can say with confidence that Sault Ste. Marie is well positioned to have a positive environmental impact both through municipal operations and as an advocate in the community. We’ve seen examples recently such as the new electric Zamboni now in use at the Northern Community Centre Twin Pad and the Community Efficiency Financing Program discussed at the most recent City Council meeting, and I’m committed to continue finding ways for us to make progress.”