Minister Meetings Productive

The meetings were brief, but productive.

Fort Frances Mayor Roy Avis led a delegation of municipal councillors to Ottawa last week to the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario meeting where they met with some members of the McGuinty cabinet.

Avis says a meeting with the Transportation Ministry's Parliamentary assistant Linda Jefferies was held to discuss the province's decision to announced roads funding at the height of the local construction season.

"It puts us in undo hardship for ourselves and the contractor," says Avis. "It also is hard to award a contract at this time for completion in the fall. We stressed that we must know earlier in the fall and come up with a program where were not left to hand out to dry."

Pither's Point Park was a topic of discussion during a meeting with Ontario's Aboriginal Affairs Minister Brad Duguid.

Avis says their discussion with the Minister was productive.

"We had very good dialogue and a good exchange of ideas. We left him with the idea that Fort Frances is always open to communication over this very sensitive manner."

Both the municipality and area native bands reach an agreement earlier this year to allow park to remain open this year, even though a 99-year lease signed by the town expired in May.


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Avis says they also meet with Aboriginal Affairs Minister Brad Duguid regarding Pither's Point Park.