Incentive Programs Available to Businesses

A financial assistance program to improve store fronts is being promoted to businesses in the Fort Frances area.

Regional Economic Development Officer for the Rainy River Future Development Corporation Geoff Gillon says businesses can access loans of up to ten thousand dollars.

"We're trying to make it easier for businesses trying to upgrade," says Gillon. "It's not a standard loan process. We're trying to simplify it."

Gillon says the money can be used for such things as new walkways and doorways, windows and displays or signage.

The town is also looking to improve local residential properties through four separate financial incentive programs.

Gillon says one offers tax breaks to improve homes in need of significant repair.

"If you have a block, for example, and there's fifteen houses and one of them has been dramatically reduced in value. It hasn't been kept up or vacant. This allows someone to buy that building, upgrade that building, make it habitable and bring it up to the standard of other buildings around."

Other programs help in the development of multi-residential and hotel properties and the costs of tearing down old homes.