The Civic Centre from the waterfront. Photo: Tourism Sault Ste. Marie

After the locks were built, water from the St. Marys River retreated from the shore. This allowed new buildings to be built on reclaimed land, including the Civic Centre, which was completed in 1975. The Civic Centre is located nearby the historic Welcome Arch that used to mark the dock for ferries crossing between Canada and the U.S.A.

The Civic Centre was part of the Waterfront Urban Renewal Project, along with the Public Library, the Art Gallery of Algoma and the Roberta Bondar Pavilion. These structures were built to improve the appearance of this area and to reconnect the waterfront, which had previously been industrial land, to the community. Many of these buildings are now modern landmarks of Sault Ste. Marie.