The Government of Ontario is investing almost a half-million dollars to help the Town of Fort Frances renovate and restore the Sunny Cove Camp property.
In a series of visits and announcements through the district yesterday, Tuesday, March 12, 2024, Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford revealed the funding of five different economic development projects in Watten Township, Couchiching First Nation, Alberton Township, Dance Township and Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls totalling $1,440,857 and helping to enrich communities, improve travel, or support area businesses. The funding itself has been provided by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC).
At the first of his stops, Rickford and town administrators met at the Sunny Cove Camp property to reveal the NOHFC has provided the Town of Fort Frances with $495,000 to put towards rehabilitating the property. Specifically marked in the press release, and commented on by Rickford that morning, the money will help to renovate Russell Hall, demolish unsafe buildings on the property, and update the existing campgrounds. Rickford noted it was the job of the NOHFC to seek out and assist establishments like Sunny Cove that hold treasured memories for the public and can still be used to enrich the lives of people in the district.
“This, I think, gives us all goosebumps about another time, another place somewhere, maybe even here, when we were little kids running around, playing in the lake, coming to the hall at camp with kids,” Rickford said of Russell Hall, ostensibly one of the few people outside of town administrators and staff to set foot in the building since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and the subsequent discovery of significant structural degradation.
“This is one of those places, whether it’s within city limits or not and to know how the new Northern Ontario Heritage Fund works, it’s to go and find these gems, come to understand that under new ownership, in this case the town of Fort Frances, how we can help and create an opportunity for young’uns… to have the same experience that we did, because it was cool. When you get into a hall like this, you just think of all the opportunities mostly born from good memories.”
The Town of Fort Frances applied for NOHFC funding for Sunny Cove in May of 2023, following lengthy discussions on whether or not to keep the property under the town and pay for repairs, or to divest the property through the RFP process to another entity who could at the time better afford the work. Council proceeded to vote in favour of keeping the property and seeking funding. At that time, interim CAO Travis Rob had described the situation as dire, noting to council that should they have pushed any decisions out another year to attempt to work something out in the 2024 budget, the hall could very well have become unsalvageable.
“At the January Northern Ontario Heritage Fund board meeting, as its chair, with a couple of solid people from Fort Frances and the Rainy River District on that board, we approved the corporation of the Town of Fort Frances for $180,000 in funding, a $200,000 project to renovate and repair of Russell Hall in Watten Township, and the project is going to upgrade the grounds of Sunny Cove Camp, with repairing the main building, demolishing unsafe buildings and improve the grounds o that safe use of the facilities can resume. The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is in for $495,000, the total project is $706,000 and I always like to talk about that other amount, and that comes from the town, it comes from people who are invested in building and rebuilding these assets, and today I couldn’t be happier to be a partner for the Town of Fort Frances. Let’s build this place out.”
Fort Frances mayor Andrew Hallikas, in attendance at the morning’s announcement, thanked Rickford for continuing to be an advocate for the region and for his work in supporting all the municipalities within through the NOHFC.
“Today we thank him for his efforts on our behalf in securing funding for much needed renovations at Sunny Cove Camp,” Hallikas said.
“This funding will allow us to begin the process of carrying out much-needed renovations to Sunny Cove Camp, with the goal of restoring it so that it is up to code and has the potential to reopen. We are always grateful to the Northern Heritage Fund and to Minister Rickford for their assistance and support in continuing to move Fort Frances forward. Without the support of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund and Minister Rickford and his office, we would not be able to complete many essential projects. On behalf of the town of Fort Frances, its council, administration and staff… I thank you for your continued support and efforts on our behalf.”
With funding in hand, and design work having been begun in November of 2023, work on the Sunny Cove Camp property should be able to begin shortly, though no timeframe was provided in Tuesday morning’s announcement.
The minister and town officials stop for a photo against the camp’s barbecue hut.
