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Living in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario - My Experience

I moved to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario in my late twenties to attend university, and after ample research to help me decide which program was right for me, I settled on Community Development at Algoma University. At the time, I was excited to move away from my small town and experience life in a bigger city, but I was quite surprised at how small Sault Ste. Marie actually was. When I thought of cities within Ontario, I pictured big cities like Toronto or Brampton… but was I mistaken! Sault Ste. Marie has a population of around 75,000 people and is located in Northern Ontario, sharing the border with Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

One of the things I love about living in Sault Ste. Marie is the natural beauty of the area. The city is located on the banks of the St. Mary's River and is surrounded by lush forests and rolling hills. I have spent many afternoons exploring the area, hiking through the Algoma region, and taking in the stunning views of Lake Superior. Although it’s not surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, it has its fair share of large bodies of water, which I love. Plus, sandy beaches! Most beaches in NL consist of large beach rocks which aren’t as nice for strolling along.

Pros and Cons of Living in Northern Ontario

Living in Northern Ontario certainly has its own pros and cons. On the one hand, you have access to some of the most beautiful fall seasons I have ever witnessed with its stunning colors. The area is also known for its larger Italian and Indigenous population which means you can get some fantastic Italian food almost anywhere in the Soo and there are lots of opportunities to learn and experience Indigenous culture!

Living in Sault Ste. Marie also has its challenges. It was very difficult to find employment at first. I had to work very hard networking, meeting new people in the community, and making connections which forced me out of my comfort zone significantly. However, all the hard work led to some very incredible, career-boosting opportunities for me. Another challenge I faced while moving here was finding housing. My experience is that housing is about on par in terms of pricing from St. John’s to the Soo, but, in comparison to each province as a whole, the pricing of homes in NL is more affordable than in Ontario.

Overall, if you're someone who enjoys outdoor activities, don’t mind the cold, and have an eagerness to learn about other cultures, Northern Ontario could be a great place to live.

However, if your ideal place to live is a bustling city with more tall buildings than trees, you may want to consider some of the bigger cities in Ontario which typically have more job opportunities. But remember, bigger cities mean more people and more people who are also searching for jobs. You need to work extra hard to make yourself stand out in a saturated job market within larger cities. 

Written by Julie Bungay