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. Greg worked at St. Mary’s Paper and Algoma Steel over a 40 year career. Franca and Greg raised Matthew, and his siblings, Steven and Nadia, in Sault Ste. Marie’s west end.
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.
Always passionate about his hometown, Matthew was elected to City Council in 2014 and 2018. He was elected Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie in 2022 and re-elected in 2026. His time on municipal politics has been focused on aggressively pursuing new ideas at City Hall.
During his first term as Mayor from 2022 to 2026, Matthew focused on advancing major projects, addressing longstanding challenges and creating new opportunities for Sault Ste. Marie. Working with City Council, he helped move the former General Hospital site toward demolition and redevelopment, supported the establishment of a permanent downtown police station and led efforts to advance the Port of Sault Ste. Marie, including establishing a partnership with HOPA Ports. He also consistently advocated for more Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation jobs to be located at its Sault Ste. Marie headquarters, contributing to the Province’s 2026 commitment to add 150 local positions over three years. These initiatives reflect his focus on turning longstanding proposals into action, strengthening the local economy and addressing the needs of the community.
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. Matthew is fluent in English, French and Italian.
Stay in touch
Follow Mayor Shoemaker on social media at @MattShoe on Facebook and @SaultShoe on Instagram.
Reach out directly to Mayor Shoemaker
Contact the Mayor’s Office at 705-759-5344 or via email at mayor.shoemaker@cityssm.on.ca or
mayorsoffice@cityssm.on.ca.
Invite the Mayor or Request a Greeting
Please note the Mayor’s calendar is often reserved up to four weeks in advance, as he gets invited to so many events across the city. Know that we will make every effort to address your request as quickly as possible, but please allow at least 5 business days for a response.
To invite the Mayor to your event or request a birthday or anniversary greeting from the Mayor, please email: mayorsoffice@cityssm.on.ca.