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By: Next Apartment
Your community, Sault Ste Marie, Local destinations, Fun facts

10 Fun Facts About Sault Ste Marie

New to the Soo?

Next Apartment has ten amazing facts for you!

1. Sault Ste. Marie is home to the first ever federally approved insectarium. Entomica is an amazing place to learn about insects and get a hands-on understanding of the insect world.

2. Ernest Hemingway used to fish in the Rapids of Sault Ste Marie. He was quoted as saying the trout fishing was best in the St. Marys Rapids of the Canadian Soo. All along the St. Marys Rapids and under the International Bridge, you'll find trout and Atlantic salmon.

3. Wayne Gretzky played for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds hockey team when he was 16 years old. The team won the Memorial Cup in 1985 along with many other great victories. See all the great hockey history at the Sault Ste. Marie Hockey Hall of Fame.

4. Sault Ste. Marie's Dr. Roberta Bondar was the first Canadian woman in space. She orbited the earth for eight days aboard the U.S. Space Shuttle Discovery in 1992. You can visit the Roberta Bondar Park and Tent Pavilion, a beautiful space dedicated to our first female astronaut.

5. Queen Elizabeth II visited Sault Ste. Marie for the first time on July 8th, 1959. She arrived on the Royal Yacht Britannia on the St. Marys River. 

6. Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre celebrates each year with a festival. Bushplane Days Festival returns in September with an MNR water bombing demonstration, games, crafts, special guests, and more!

7. Famous actors including Lawrence Fishburne and Thomas Jane have filmed movies in the Soo. See all the latest box office hits at Galaxy Cinemas, located in the Station Mall, or see local actors perform at the Sault Community Theatre.

8. Years ago, when the St. Marys River froze over for the winter, a road was fashioned right on the ice. They even had horse races on it! Gateway Casino on Bay Street is the best place to test your luck these days through slots, tables, races, and more.

9. Did you know you can scuba dive in the Soo? Sault Scuba Centre Ltd. is the place to learn, and the St. Marys River offers plenty of exploration sites. Other Soo extreme sports include rock climbing, Motocross, and Mountain Biking.

10. Crystal Shawanda, a Juno award-winning country singer, grew up in the Soo. See all the best concerts at the GFL Memorial Gardens.