Sault Ste Marie

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Water Facts

Each year approximately 10,000 commercial vessels pass through the Soo Locks each year
At the peak of the sea lamprey crisis more sea lamprey spawned from the St. Marys River than the rest of the Great Lakes and their tributaries combined.
Heavy metals and toxic chemicals were introduced to the St. Marys River through dumping of untreated industrial waste—which was unregulated until the 1980s. Many of these pollutants remain in the sediment of the riverbed to this day.
It has been 35 years since the St. Marys River was first recognized as a Great Lakes Area of Concern. Efforts to remediate damage to the river and surrounding habitat continue today with the hope of one days delisting the St. Marys River AOC.

Water Challenges

01.

Contamination by urban stormwater and industrial spills

02.

Persistent toxins from historical waste dumping

03.

Degradation of wetland habitat

04.

Invasive aquatic species

Spotlight

A must-read report on climate change in Sault Ste Marie:

(1) Status Report and Strategic Plan: St. Marys River Area of Concern (January 2020)

Composed by Lisa Derickx (coordinator for the St. Marys River Remedial Action Plan), the most recent report on the status of the St. Marys River and progress towards the remediation of each specific Beneficial Use Impairment.
http://bpac.algomau.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/SMR-AOC-Status-Report_March-2020.pdf

(2) Climate Change Risk Assessment: City of Sault Ste. Marie (2020)

Compiled by the Climate Change Risk Institute in partnership with the City of Sault Ste. Marie, Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Government of Canada, this report details potential adverse effects of climate change on Sault Ste. Marie. It also evaluates the likelihood and severity of each effect based on 3 scenarios of human activity.
https://saultstemarie.ca/Cityweb/media/Community-Services/GHG/Final-Report-Climate-Change-Risk-Assessment_SSM.pdf

Sault Ste Marie Situation Report

The Situation Report provides a state-of-the-moment overview and analysis of Sault Ste Marie’s water conditions, challenges, and emerging issues.

Read the Report

Researcher Profile

Elaine Ho-Tassone
Director of Operations, NORDIK Institute, Part-time Faculty, Algoma University

Website
Dr. Elaine Ho-Tassone brings together people and organizations from across sectors, cultures, and disciplines in collaborative, community-based projects focused on fresh water. She brings more than 15 years of experience in social innovation and youth engagement.
- Bio
- Recent Publication(s)
Bio
Dr. Elaine Ho-Tassone brings together people and organizations from across sectors, cultures, and disciplines in collaborative, community-based projects focused on fresh water. She brings more than 15 years of experience in social innovation and youth engagement. She earned her PhD in Social and Ecological Sustainability (Water) at University of Waterloo and has recently completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology at Algoma University. Elaine has spoken about fresh water on various news programs, including the CBC and CTV. In 2018, she participated in the United Nations High-Level Political Forum while co-authoring the Generation SDG Blueprint to guide Canada’s implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. She has since held two terms on the Facilitation Committee for international Action for Sustainable Development – first representing global women, and second as the representative for Canada. Elaine also owns and operates TRIECO Research and Consulting.
Recent Publication(s)
Peer-reviewed publications:

Ho, E., Trant, A., Gray, M., and Courtenay, S. (2020). Comparison of freshwater monitoring approaches: strengths, opportunities, and recommendations. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, (2020) 192:614.

Ho, E. (2018). Criteria-based ranking (CBR): A comprehensive process for selecting and prioritizing monitoring indicators. MethodsX, 5: 1234-1329.

Ho, E., Eger, S., and Courtenay, S. (2018). Assessing current monitoring indicators and reporting for cumulative effects integration: A case study in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. Ecological Indicators, 95: 862-876.

Ho, E., Clarke, A., and Dougherty, I. (2015). Youth-led social change: Topics, engagement types, organizational types, strategies, and impacts. Futures, 67: 52-62.

Accepted manuscripts:

Ho-Tassone, E., Judge, A., Trant, A. J., and Courtenay, S. C. (2022). Collaborative watershed analysis: A ‘groupthink’ assessment of cumulative effects. Journal of Great Lakes Research. [Accepted to special issue, to be published approx. October 27, 2022)

Manuscripts submitted for peer review:

Ho-Tassone, E., Courtenay, S. C., Trant, A. J., and Miller, R. (2022). Knowledge co-creation through Indigenous arts: Diversity in freshwater quality monitoring and management. Submitted to Journal of Great Lakes Research.

Manuscripts in preparation for peer review:

Ho-Tassone, E., Courtenay, S. C., Trant, A. J., and [other co-authors TBD]. (2023). A framework for diversity and collaboration in community-based water quality monitoring (Ontario, Canada) [working title]. Journal TBD.

Imre, I., Brown, G., Claramunt, R., Loftus, K., Kapuscinski, K., Dew, W., and Ho-Tassone, E. (2023). Opportunities for induced neophobia to support Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) reintroduction in the Great Lakes [working title]. Journal TBD.