Sault Ste. Marie Walmart excused from no-left-turn rule

Customers of RBC Dominion Securities and Superior Home Bakery get special access to Walmart access road

Shown hand-drawn on this plan is the easement proposed to allow customers of Superior Home Bakery (438 Great Northern Rd.) and the RBC Dominion Securities building (432) to use the Walmart entrance road

Walmart Canada has gained approval to allow its Sault Ste. Marie customers to turn left onto Great Northern Road.

Until now, city bylaw 2005-151 has prohibited left turns by vehicles leaving Walmart's property at Great Northern Road.

But City Council agreed last year to allow Ben Pino to install new traffic signals there for vehicles entering and leaving his planned retail development across the street.

Pino's access driveway will line up with Walmart's privately owned road.

After a hearing last week, the city's committee of adjustment has agreed to Walmart's request for legal left turns from its property.

In a separate application, Superior Home Bakery and RBC Dominion Securities gained access to the Walmart access road.

The applications were unopposed at the hearing.

Pino's stop lights have been installed but are not yet activated.