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 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