Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario the largest to have passed such a resolution and the first to do so despite its sizable Franco-Ontarian population. Sault Ste. Marie has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification "Dfb") with cold, snowy winters and warm summers that are moderated to some extent by Lake Superior. Winters are cold but are milder than some inland places. Temperatures drop below 24 days per year. Summers are warm with a July high of and temperatures above occur 4 days per year. The average annual precipitation is , which is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year; February is the driest month, and
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario the fluid environment changed during and after the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States. Trade dropped during the war and on July 20, 1814 an American force destroyed the North West Company depot on the north shore of the St. Marys River. Since the Americans were unable to capture Fort Mackinac, the British forces retained control of Sault Ste. Marie. In 1870, the United States refused to give the steamer "Chicona", carrying Colonel Garnet Wolseley, permission to pass through the locks at Sault Ste Marie. In order to control their own water passage, the Canadians constructed the