Over the past week, the community has been voting on its inaugural New Year’s Eve event in the Downtown Plaza and what icon will light up the night sky to welcome 2025. Among the two options considered were a ball drop or a puck drop. With over 2,500 votes, the community has decided to drop a puck icon.
“We have received overwhelming support from the community on this initiative. The puck icon is symbolic of the start of something exciting like a puck drop at the start of a hockey game. It offers a fresh twist on the classic ball drop tradition and is fitting considering our City’s love of hockey. We look forward to celebrating with everyone in the Downtown Plaza on December 31,” says Brent Lamming, Director of Community Services.
Survey results comprising responses from both online public engagement platforms and social media channels, underscores the community’s enthusiasm:
Online public engagement survey:
Ball Drop 1,057
Puck Drop 1,173
Social Media results:
Ball Drop 189
Puck Drop 103
Total:
Ball Drop 1,246
Puck Drop 1,276
The puck icon will be made from locally sourced steel and constructed by the City’s Public Works Department. It will be dropped two times during the evening of December 31, 2024. First, at 8 p.m. for families with young children and then again at midnight. The City of Sault Ste. Marie thanks its sponsors GFL Environmental for their support and most recently Steel Speed who generously stepped up to provide use of their crane.
