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Leadership that Meets the Moment
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My Record

  • Delivering a Downtown Police Station

    Led the push for a permanent downtown police presence, responding to longstanding concerns about crime, public safety and visibility. Read More

  • Securing investments into Sault Ste. Marie

    Led advocacy that brought $293 million in federal and provincial grants to support local industry, infrastructure, recreation and culture. Read More

  • Stepping up for Harvest Algoma and the Y

    Helped bring together the support needed to keep two vital community organizations serving our community. Read More

  • Read about Matthew’s success in implementing the 2022 Platform: A Plan for Progress

    Read More

Testimonials

“A big thank you to Matthew Shoemaker for leading the charge and helping bring 150 good-paying [OLG] jobs to Sault Ste. Marie.”

Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario

“I want to thank Matthew Shoemaker and OLG for their incredible work to strengthen the local economy and support good-paying jobs right here in Sault Ste. Marie.”

Doug Downey, Attorney General of Ontario

“When the YMCA was at risk of closing, our community rallied to show that the Y serves an indispensable role in our city . Matthew reviewed and listened to the needs and wants of the community. He took that message seriously, and provided the leadership at City Hall that helped bring the Lukenda Foundation and community partners together to save the Y. This process had no lapse in service and was mindful of the mental and physical health of our community as well as the best financial decision for our city.”

Ali Dennie, Save our YMCA Founder

“For years, I believed downtown revitalization should be a community responsibility, not an extra burden placed on downtown businesses and property owners. Matthew had the leadership to make that change, which eliminated the additional tax on downtown businesses, saving them thousands of dollars they can reinvest, and in turn making our downtown a priority for the entire community.”

 Joe Bisceglia, long-time downtown business owner, former Downtown Association Board member

“Matthew recognized the importance of resolving a grievance that had remained unaddressed for more than 30 years and worked closely with the Francophone community to find a lasting solution. When the opportunity arose, he took action, securing a unanimous apology from City Council and implementing meaningful improvements to French-language services at City Hall”

Jessie Léveillé, Président, Centre francophone de Sault-Sainte-Marie

“Whether we were fighting to restore critical addiction treatment services or rallying to save Harvest Algoma, Matthew understood how important these services are to our community. He listened to those of us on the front lines, worked alongside us, and used his position as Mayor to help turn community advocacy into results.”

Connie Raynor Elliott, founder, SOYA

“I’ve worked with Matthew on issues affecting Sault Ste. Marie, particularly around antisemitism and community safety. He has consistently made himself available to listen, consult and take these concerns seriously, and I’ve appreciated his support and engagement.”

Jeff Arbus

“During my time in the role, Matthew and I worked closely to strengthen the partnership between Sault Ste. Marie and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University including planning for, advocating for, and ultimately succeeding in establishing the new Primary Care Teaching Clinic. His efforts were transformative. The success that followed led to training more future physicians in the Sault.  Together we created a strong partnership that expanded medical education and addressed the community’s healthcare needs. I cannot think of a greater champion who built health resources in this community.” 

Dr. Sarita Verma, LLB MD CCFP FCFP, Chief Medical Officer (interim) Medical Council of Canada and Retired President and Dean at NOSM U

“Matthew’s unwavering dedication to tackling the biggest issues in Sault Ste. Marie is inspiring. He is always ready to bring people together, and find meaningful solutions with community leaders who know they can count on him. Securing the HART Hub for Sault Ste. Marie was no small feat and called for a huge, united effort. Matthew was a critical part of that success, and his thoughtful insights and determined advocacy helped turn our vision into a winning proposal.”

Maggie McGoldrick, HART Hub application lead

Meet Matthew

Born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Matthew shares a story in common with many Saultites.

The son of an immigrant, Matthew’s mother, Franca Coccimiglio, moved to Canada from Calabria, Italy, in the late 1960s. His dad, Greg, grew up in southern Ontario and came to Sault Ste. Marie to study at Sault College.

Matthew attended Notre-Dame-des-Écoles elementary school, St. Mary’s College high school, then completed his undergraduate degree at Algoma University.

At Algoma U, Matthew was elected to the Student Union and proudly participated in Algoma’s pursuit of independence from Laurentian University. After his undergraduate studies, Matthew attended the University of Ottawa where he obtained his law degree. Upon graduating in 2012, Matthew began working at the Wishart Law Firm, where he has continued to work since that time. In 2019, Matthew completed his Master of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School through distance education.

He and his wife, Jenna, were married in 2015. In 2018, they welcomed their first son, Hudson, and in 2021, their second son, Maxwell. They all live in Sault Ste. Marie with their dog, Maple.

Always passionate about his hometown, Matthew was elected to City Council in 2014, and 2018, and was elected Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie in 2022. His time on City Council was focused on aggressively pursuing new ideas at City Hall.

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