Stephan Kinach wants an official portrait of King Charles III to be hung in the council chambers at the Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre.
And the Ward 4 city councillor wants it to happen fast.
At next week's city council meeting, Kinach will ask his fellow councillors to vote on returning a royal portrait to the council chambers before the King arrives in Canada on May 26 for the throne speech the following day.
Mayor Matthew Shoemaker is adamant His Highness has no place in the Sault's halls of municipal power.
"The monarchy does not and has not, for generations, been a proper representation of the country Canada has become," Shoemaker said in a March 2 social media post.
"Nevertheless, we maintain this historical connection to the Crown, with this guy as 'King of Canada' - our formal head of state.
"Yet he has no opinion on threats to our sovereignty? Further evidence of the complete uselessness of this institution to Canada.
"This confirms it was the right decision not to put up King Charles’ photo in council chambers when I became mayor, and I’ll be looking into what legal alternatives there are to future pledges of allegiance to the Crown," the mayor posted.
The following is the full text of the resolution that Coun. Kinach will present on Monday.
The meeting will be livestreamed on SooToday starting at 5 p.m.
Portrait of King Charles III
Mover: Coun. S. Kinach
Seconder: Coun. S. Hollingsworth
Whereas Canada is a Commonwealth member under the monarchy with His Majesty King Charles III as the Sovereign and Head of State; and
Whereas the Crown is a foundational element of Canada’s independent constitutional framework, representing the enduring principle of responsible government and the rule of law; and
Whereas the presence of the Monarch’s official portrait in public institutions such as municipal council chambers serves as a symbol of Canada's constitutional order, heritage, civic responsibility, and sovereignty; and
Whereas King Charles III is scheduled to deliver the speech from the throne to open the 45th Parliament of Canada on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, which marks the first time since 1977 that a reigning monarch will personally deliver the speech in Canada; and
Whereas it is customary and appropriate to display the official portrait of the reigning monarch in government offices and institutions across Canada, including at the municipal level,
Now therefore be it resolved that the City of Sault Ste. Marie restore the portrait of the King to the Council Chambers before His Majesty King Charles III’s arrival in Canada Monday, May 26, 2025 for the throne speech on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.