by Cheryl MacLachlan
Once you read about the riding and quality of life in Sault Ste. Marie, you’ll want to relocate to that city, just like one of our readers did.
“I’ve always dreamed about living closer to nature,” says Chris Sanger. The teacher based in Mississauga, Ont., had been looking west to British Columbia, but found the costs of such a move were too much. Instead, he discovered what he calls the “Squamish of Ontario” to the north in Sault Ste. Marie, where he and his family now live and ride.
Sanger actually found out about the cycling, hiking and skiing playground that is the Soo in the pages of this magazine. The city wasn’t even on his radar until he came across the Canadian Cycling Magazine story in 2022. As Sanger continued his research, he could see the city had a relatively low cost of living. He was impressed by the number of women and kids he saw at riding events via social media and by the close proximity of trails. Once he and his family made the move later in the year, he was drawn into the strong cycling community “People are approachable and really want you to know about each cool little secret riding spot that you should check out,” Sanger says. “The community here is tight-knit and welcoming.”
Sanger rides XC and gravel, too. This year, he plans to enter some enduro events across the border in Marquette, Mich. In southern Ontario, he never gave much thought to fat bikes. “Here, I need one. The fat bike community is huge,” he says. “So I bought one and ride it everyday as my commuter.” Both Sanger’s wife, Simrit Gill, and his eight-year-old daughter Ria take to the trails. In fact, Ria likes to watch XC events with her dad and thinks it’s important that you know she met her favourite rider, Jolanda Neff, at the World Cup in Mont-Sainte-Anne last year. While the cycling and access to nature is key, the city is letting the family flourish in other parts of their lives. Chris continues to teach at the high school level, mostly in woodshop. Simrit has a job at Algoma University as an executive assistant. She, however, has also found she now has the time to also pursue her dream of becoming a habit coach.
People new to Sault Ste. Marie are not the only ones learning how great the place is. Folks returning to the city are rediscovering just how good they had it. “Like many Saulites, after high school, I moved to southern Ontario for school,” says Erin Ratelle. “At the time, I think I took…
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