Article content The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on Sault Ste. Marie’s economy and development efforts, but the year was not an entire loss, nor did the local economic development team sit idle in 2020. Economic development staff in normal years will try to attract investment to the city through activities such as attending industry events, advertising, responding to proposal calls, collaborating with provincial and federal counterparts, and direct outreach to businesses, said Tom Vair, the Sault’s Deputy CAO, Community Development and Enterprise Services. “In 2020, efforts shifted to online marketing and virtual events although, understandably, many businesses were holding off on expansion plans until the pandemic situation provided more certainty,” Vair told Sault This Week.