Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, a hidden gem at the intersection of the Great Lakes, is in a tough spot. City Council announced a new branding initiative that was immediately met with criticism from the community, a wave of criticism. Polls suggest that less than 5% of residents actually like the logo, less than 1% love it. More than 89% of residents oppose the new graphic, which appears to be a multi coloured version of a circle, with meanings that are only discovered upon reading the brand standard. On Tuesday, May 21st, city council passed the motion to move forward with the $100,000 project, with only 3 councillors opposing, despite overwhelming opposition from the community. In the last few days, a local designer showed off his version of an enhanced version of the current logo, which has been in use since the late 1990’s and is widely associated with the Sault. This version has spread across Facebook, with widespread support. Some expressed they preferred the old logo, while a majority liked the designers version, no one (at the time of writing) said that they liked the new logo more. It was also revealed that the city did not consult nearly as many people as they said they did, with a number of organizations saying they had heard nothing about the project. It’s time we ensure our councillors and mayor are acting in behalf of the residents of Sault Ste. Marie, not themselves.