Jane’s Walk SSM > May 2–4 2025

Jane’s Walk is an annual festival of free, citizen-led walking conversations inspired by Jane Jacobs. Happening locally and internationally each year the first weekend in May.

Jane’s Walk Returns to Sault Ste. Marie: Celebrate Community, Stories &
Connection May 2–4
Lace up your walking shoes, tune up your bikes, and get ready to
explore your city. The 2025 edition of Jane’s Walk Sault Ste. Marie is set to take place from
May 2 to May 4, inviting residents to join a series of free, citizen-led walking tours (and one
bike tour) to spark conversation, celebrate community voices, and deepen our connection to the
places we call home.
Inspired by the legacy of urbanist and activist Jane Jacobs, Jane’s Walks are a movement of
free, citizen-led walking to get people to share stories about their communities, explore their
cities, and connect with neighbours. This year’s schedule features a diverse lineup of walks
highlighting everything from local history to sustainability, art, and hidden gems in Sault Ste.
Marie’s evolving landscape.
The 2025 launch event will take place Friday, May 2nd from 6-8 p.m. at Café 4 Good, 326
Queen St. East, in Downtown Sault Ste. Marie. This come-and-go event will feature
conversations about the life and legacy of Jane Jacobs, and what we can learn from connecting
with neighbours in our communities. A complete list of planned walks is outlined below.
“Jane’s Walk is about more than just walking—it’s about listening, learning, and seeing our city
through each other’s eyes,” said Rachel Silva, one of the local coordinators. “Whether you’re
new to the Soo or have lived here your whole life, these walks offer a chance to connect, reflect,
and imagine a more inclusive and vibrant future for our community.”
Anyone interested to learn more about the life and works of Jane Jacobs can visit libraries across
the city. The Algoma University Wishart Library is hosting a display of Jacobs’ titles and works
inspired by her work for the month of May.

2025 Walk Schedule

� Friday: May 2, 2025

� Time: 3 p.m.
� Description: History, use, and management of the GLFC Arboretum with Stan Phippin.
� Starting point: Great Lakes Forestry Centre entrance (exterior), 1219 Queen St. East
☀ Conditions: Rain or shine. It is recommended to wear footwear suitable for wet grounds.

� Saturday: May 3, 2025

� Time: 10 a.m.
� Description: Behind Queen: Exploring the Downtown from a different perspective with
Salvatore Marchese
� Starting point: Dennis St. Bus Terminal, 160 Queen St. East
☀ Conditions: Rain or shine.

� Time: 1 p.m.
� Description: Heritage trees with Jeff Hinich and Frank Belleau
� Starting point: Bishophurst, 134 Simpson St.
☀ Conditions: Rain or shine.

� Time: 2 p.m.
� Description: “New Beginnings: Navigating the Path of Immigration & Overcoming
Challenges for SSM & Newcomers” with Luis Moreno
� Starting point: Habitat for Humanity ReStore
☀ Conditions: Rain or shine.

� Time: 4 p.m.
� Description: “Interpretive tour of sculptures on the waterfront from from an artist/curator
perspective as well as a look at public art policy” with Michael Burtch
� Starting point: Chimes on the Board Walk (opposite Station Mall)
☀ Conditions: Rain or shine.

� Sunday: May 4, 2025

� Time: 11 a.m.
� Description: Hub Trail extension bike ride from Finn Hill to Third Line with Sam Emerson
Starting point: Finn Hill parking lot
☀ Conditions: Participants are responsible for bringing their own bicycles. This Jane’s Walk is
conditional on weather and sand conditions on the trails. There is no alternative rain-date.

� Time: 1 p.m.
� Description: Summit hill neighbourhood with Katie Blunt
� Starting point: Outside of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 114 MacDonald Ave.
☀ Conditions: Rain or shine.

� Time: 3 p.m.
� Description: Clergue industries and surrounding areas with Jo Bumbacco
� Starting point: Mill Square parking lot, 75 Huron St.
☀ Conditions: Rain or shine.

Walks typically run 60–90 minutes. No registration required—just show up and join in!

Anybody can lead a Jane’s Walk!
The festival encourages people to share stories about their neighbourhoods, discover unseen aspects of their communities, and use the art of walking as a way to connect with their neighbours.

Jane’s Walk is inspired by Jane Jacobs.

Jane Jacobs (1916-2006) was a writer, urbanist and activist who championed a community-based approach to city-building. She had no formal training as a planner, and yet her 1961 book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, introduced ground-breaking ideas about how cities function, evolve, and fail that have become conceptual pillars for today’s architects, planners, policymakers, activists, and other city builders.

Jacobs lived in Greenwich Village until 1968 when she moved to Toronto. In both cities, she helped derail the car-centred approach to urban planning and invigorated neighbourhood and community activism.

LOVE Local!

Visit: www.facebook.com/JanesWalkSSM

Visit: janeswalk.org