“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

“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

“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

“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

“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 – Save Our Young Adults (SOYA) founder

“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

“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

“I’ve spent much of my working life representing people and dealing with difficult issues. One thing I’ve learned is that it’s easy to criticize from the sidelines. Leadership is different. Leadership means making decisions, accepting criticism and being accountable for the results. What matters to me is whether our mayor cares about this community, understands the importance of good jobs and working families, and is prepared to fight for Sault Ste. Marie when it matters. I believe Matthew Shoemaker has done that, and that’s why he has my support for another term as Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie.”

Joe Krmpotich, union leader and former City Councillor

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

Premier Doug Ford

“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.”

Attorney General Doug Downey