Council approved $166,000 in Economic Development Funding to help develop the Algoma Network Trail during Monday evening’s meeting.

The idea of this trail network, which is being developed collaboratively by the Economic Development Corporation, FutureSSM and Tourism Sault Ste. Marie, is to attract cyclists to the Sault for a two-to-three day minimum, FutureSSM Project Manager Travis Anderson told Council.

“The real focus is getting individuals here for a tourism product and then keeping them local,” he said, comparing it to going to Searchmount then exploring the Algoma Region.

“But really the core of it is to keep them in Sault Ste. Marie.”

The ANT will cover 100km throughout both city limits and the surrounding area, mostly in Conservation Authority land, Anderson explained, with the primary trail head at Hiawatha. Maintenance would be taken care of by the Sault Cycling Club.

“I think this is great for our community,” Mayor Provenzano said.

“I think we’re really thinking about tourism in the right way, and I think we really should be an epicentre for this type of activity, so I strongly support it.”

This funding will be used to leverage further funding via FedNor’s Canadian Experiences Fund.