Prime minister in Sault for transit photo op

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a brief appearance at the Sault Ste. Marie Transit Facility Thursday afternoon to talk transit and electric arc steelmaking investments with the mayor and local MP.

The appearance was open to media as a photo opportunity only, with no press conference scheduled.

Trudeau walked through the transit barn with Mayor Matthew Shoemaker and MP Terry Sheehan, along with deputy CAO Brent Lamming and Nicole Maione, the city's manager of transit and parking.

The group briefly boarded a Sault Transit bus, while the prime minister discussed investments at Algoma Steel and with the City of Sault Ste. Marie's transit infrastructure.

In March, almost $7.8 million in federal and provincial funding was announced for Sault Transit to improve transit infrastructure in the Sault, including the purchase of two electric buses and an electric charging station.

Sheehan noted the investments have allowed the city to purchase buses new, instead of buying used from the Toronto Transit Commission or Ottawa's OC Transpo.

Trudeau then shook hands with city transit workers before the group went to the offices in the building for a closed door meeting.