Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie's Innovation Centre may approach the city for help in paying a $325,000 consultant's bill from EDS Canada.

Sault College and Bell Canada officials opened a $325,000-training centre in late November. The centre is located in the downtown Bell building and classes for the seven-week customer service/call centre representative training program began Nov. 26.

With call centre growth in Sault Ste. Marie expected to create 2,000 new representative jobs over the next two years, Sault College has introduced a call centre representative program this month to train workers for this rapidly growing industry.

St. Mary's Paper Ltd. is holding off on a multimillion-dollar investment into a state-of-the-art paper machine until slumping economic conditions turn around, company officials say.

Sault Ste. Marie's industrial marketing strategy received a $260,000-kick-start from the provincial government, through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, during a Nov. 1 visit to the city by Premier Mike Harris.

Anxious to get its proposed waterfront tourist attraction back on track, the City of Sault Ste. Marie signed a letter of intent in early November with Toronto developer MagiCorp Entertainment Inc.

A not-for-profit group will run the bankrupt Searchmont ski resort for the upcoming season after a coalition of Sault Ste. Marie development groups struck a deal with the bankers and receiver on Sept. 21. The city and the community development corp.