Marketing Plans Continue

2009-05-12

07:51:11

Efforts to promote Fort Frances as a destination to visitors continue.

Early this year, the Rainy River Future Development Corporation helped two members of the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship to Louisianna to promote the tournament and the community.

Development Advisor Geoff Gillon says they're looking at similar junket to Birmingham, Alabama next year.

"It was loud and clear that we need to send at least two more people to work the businesses in the US that are associated with fishing to meet them, go to the receptions and to promote Fort Frances, says Gillon. "That's our goal, everything considered equal, we will be there." 

Gillon admits only time will tell exactly how successful they're are in attracting residents from those areas to the district.

Kiwanis Auction Successful

2009-05-12

07:46:11

The move from television to the world-wide web has been a good one for the Kiwanis Club of Fort Frances.

The local service club posted eighty-two items on E-Bay in its first ever on-line auction.

Event Chair Shanda Degagne says they managed to raised four-thousand dollars from the more than one-thousand bids received.

"I think we're quite excited," says Degagne. "It was a new venture for us going onto E-Bay and something most of us that weren't familiar with, so we were glad with the response we got from the community."

The auction, just 82 items, was about a third of the size of past events, but Degagne says limited overhead costs helped a larger percentage of the funds raised going to club activities. Degagne says the on-line auction also opened the event to people who had never seen the television version.

The auction had previously been run on Shaw-TV Channel 10, airing only to to cable customers in Fort Frances and Couchiching.

 

New Recreational Funding Available

2009-05-12

07:45:24

Another infrastructure program involving both the federal and provincial governments has been announced.

This time the focus will be on upgrading recreational facilities. Half-a-billion dollars is being set aside in a new Recreational Infrastructure Canada program in Ontario and the Ontario Recreation program.

Municipalities who submit applications before May 29 will be immediately reviewed.

Stimulus Website

2009-05-12

07:28:57

The provincial government is setting up a website to let people track how its spending the $24 billion to stimulate the economy.

Finance Minister Dwight Duncan says the site -- which won't be up for at least another month, -- will have details on where the money is going.

The different government departments will also show how much remains and its impact.

 

Tax Ratios Approved

2009-05-12

07:28:08

Another step toward finalizing the 2009 budget was reached at last night's Fort Frances town council meeting.

Councillors approved the ratios used to determine how tax rates are calculated. Council has yet to decide on any tax levies at this time.

Another budget meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday.

Transportation Key Stimulator

2009-05-12

07:24:32

Transportation will be a key component of economic development in the town of Fort Frances.

Speaking to town council last night, Development Advisor with the Rainy River Future Development Corporation Geoff Gillon says he hopes to bring a more detailed strategy aimed at making the town as transportation hub.

"We have already a significant number of company's running trucks out of Fort Frances back and forth," says Gillon. "We see the wind turbine parts sitting outside of town and our American friends will be blessing us with in the next few years with a four-lane highway to International Falls. So I think we as a community have to take a serious look at that.

Gillon says as part of the planning, the town has been represented at key transportation conferences in Washington and Edmonton and will be at another in Quebec this June.

Detachment Commander On the Job

2009-05-12

07:23:16

The new Detachment Commander for the Ontario Provincial Police in the Rainy River District was formally introduced to Fort Frances town council last night.

Inspector John Kendrick began his new role yesterday, and says he's looking forward to working with the town.

Kendrick comes to the area's detachment having most recently served as the OPP's regional traffic manager in Thunder Bay.

Fort Frances Crime Stats

2009-05-12

07:19:13

There has been a drop in the number of incidents of crime in Fort Frances this year.

In a report to town council last night, OPP acting Inspector Steve Shouldice said officers responded to 833 calls from January to March, down 80 over the same period last year. And that's translated to a decline in several areas.

"Assaults were down 31 per cent," says Shouldice. "Break and enters were down 43 per cent. Theft unders were down 38 per cent. Drug charges are down 63 per cent. Traffic charges are up 11 per cent and we've had no substantiated public complaints."

Shouldice adds the town also saw eight break and enters, two robberies and 32 assaults which was down from 47 in 2008.