Sault Ste. Marie

Essar Steel Algoma posted a profit of $26.8 million in its third quarter results. The privately-owned Sault Ste. Marie sheet and plate producer attributes the gains to higher shipments, higher steel prices and lower costs.

Sault Ste. Marie’s largest single employer says it plans to add hundreds of jobs within the next few months with plans to bring an additional blast furnace back into service.

Sault Ste. Marie city council voted Monday to direct city staff to enter into discussions regarding the sale of waterfront property to Toronto-based developer Paolo Rovazzi.

The City of Sault Ste. Marie will start the search for a new chief administrative officer this month after Joe Fratesi announced his retirement from the position, effective April 30.

In November, the local employment level reached 41,400, slightly higher than it was in 2008 (40,100) before the onset of the global economic meltdown. Also impressive, Sault Ste. Marie ’s unemployment rate measured in at 4.8 per cent for the month.

Falling oil and gas prices and “unfair” imports are being blamed for 180 temporary layoffs announced to staff by Tenaris Algoma Tubes on Dec. 17. The Sault Ste. Marie plant will also implement a shutdown from Christmas Eve until January 5.

Sault Ste. Marie-based Flakeboard, which manufactures composite panel products, has changed its name to Arauco -North America. Arauco-North America integrates the U.S. distribution subsidiary Arauco Wood Products Inc. and Flakeboard Co. Ltd.

A new program partnering Sault College with the Garden River First Nation is opening up doors for Aboriginal and Métis women looking to get into the trades.

A pair of media companies has joined forces to provide extended digital news coverage across Northern Ontario. Sudbury-based Laurentian Publishing (owner of Northern Ontario Business) and Village Media of Sault Ste.

Over the next five to 10 years, the Sault Ste.