Neighbourhoods in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario only on maps). Today, just one street deviates from the suburban naming rule: Lake Street, which expanded into the neighbourhood from the south. Pointe des Chênes (French for "Point of the Oaks" or "Oak Point") is a waterfront area in the western end of the city, near the Sault Ste. Marie Airport. Named for the beach of the same name that opens onto Lake Superior, Pointe des Chênes contains waterfront homes on country roads and much undeveloped space. A recent development proposal would see a significant wetland on Lake Superior's shore be removed. Steelton was originally its own community developed
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario was named HMCS "Sault Ste. Marie" (J334) after the city. It was laid down in 1942 and acted as a convoy in the Battle of the Atlantic. On January 29, 1990, Sault Ste. Marie became a flashpoint in the Meech Lake Accord constitutional debate when council passed a resolution declaring English as the city's official language and the sole language for provision of municipal services. The city had a sizable French-speaking population and these residents objected strongly to the council's action. The Sault Ste. Marie language resolution was not the first of its kind in Ontario, but the municipality was