The City of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, is reopening city buildings and restarting local services today, March 17, 2026, after a severe winter storm stopped most activity.
On March 16, 2026, the city shut down all community centres, arenas, pools, and libraries to keep residents safe during the heavy snowfall. Bus service was delayed and garbage collection was cancelled while crews worked to clear the main roads.
Environment Canada had warned that high winds and heavy snow could cause long power outages. Utility crews from PUC Services Inc. spent the day fixing power lines as outages were reported across the community.
Most services are returning to normal today, including bus routes and the reopening of the Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre. Residents whose garbage was not picked up yesterday will have to wait until March 23, 2026, for their next collection.
Officials are still asking residents to be careful while travelling today as cleanup continues. People are also reminded to keep their garbage bins off the street until their next collection day to help snow plows clear the roads.
