Mill Square

Services

Community engagement, research, branding, photography, graphics, creative direction, illustration, data visualization, copy, website development, collateral materials

In 2012 Riversedge Developments, a restorative development company specializing in the integrated revitalization of distressed industrial properties, purchased St. Mary’s Paper Mill in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

Riversedge asked Tunndra and Pentomic to create a new communications framework and visual identity system that would articulate the company’s vision for the project.

The end result was a redevelopment proposal crafted in concept with a variety of community stakeholders across a range of sectors.

Our team created a robust visual system that didn’t rely on just one symbol alone to carry the personality and the experience of the site. The final framework includes rich and varied typographic style, a material driven color palette supported by historical imagery focused on communicating pride of place.

The Mill

The General

General administrative building

The first phase of Mill Square is the restoration and re-purposing of the largest collection of Historical Industrial Richardsonian Romenesque buildings in Canada.

Development

Located along the headrace of St. Mary's River in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Mill Square is literally located at the heart of the Great Lakes.

Click on the above zones to see zone descriptions with corresponding boundaries.

The Canal District is a master plan being developed by Ken Greenburg and The Planning Partnership on behalf of the City of Sault Ste. Marie to guide the development of independent sites within a historically significant part of the City.

The Canal District includes the new International Bridge Plaza, Mill Square and the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site and will enable multiple site developments to pro-actively develop compatible synergies.

The Mill Square is a 38 acre site with rail, water and truck access.

The site was first developed in 1895 by Francis H. Cleurge for the production of pulp and paper and is home to the largest collection of Historical Industrial Richardson Romanesque buildings in Canada.

In July, 2012 Mill Square received approval for Riverfront Zoning.

This zone is applied to the waterfront area south of Bay St. between Mill Square and the former Plummer Hospital.

Additional setbacks from the water, a defined scope of permitted uses, and high quality landscape requirements create a pleasant park-like setting along the waterfront.

From Clergue’s perspective,

the hydro potential was the

essential and active ingredient in

the industrialization process. All he

had to do was develop that hydro and

industry would beat a path to his door.

These structures have significant historical and architectural value which cannot be recreated elsewhere. This historical authenticity can be leveraged to generate an internationally recognized identity.

Site Overview

The General

The Machine Shop

The Pulp Tower

The Yard Locker

The Board Mill

"In return for a reduced stumpage rate, I promised the Government

I’d spend $250,000 on constructing a pulp mill in Sault Ste. Marie.

I soon realized that it would cost approximately the same amount

to operate a mill twice the size, so I immediately began planning

for expansion."

- Abitibi Logging Camps, Circa 1913-1984