Travellers to Fort Frances looking for a place to stay will have a new option available to them soon, and it even comes with its own hockey rink.
The Studio 6 Extended Stay Fort Frances invited members of the public through their doors for the first time this past Saturday, November 15, 2025. The new hotel, located at 1108 Kings Highway next to Canadian Tire, is the result of a collaborative partnership between Mitaanjigamiing First Nation, who own the business, and Rideout Bay Developments, who have developed other Studio 6 properties in Sioux Lookout, Dryden and Hornepayne, Ontario, and who will be managing the new hotel through its sister company Rideout Bay Management.
The new hotel has 70 rooms designed around the “extended stay” concept, with each suite featuring a host of amenities aimed at longer stays like a larger sized fridge, hot plates, pots, pans, cutlery and even a cheese grater for those late night snack cravings. There are seven wheelchair accessible rooms built to United States standards, according to general manager Chris Martin, who said those rooms require five feet of clearance for wheelchair users. The hotel also features a 60-person conference room that will be available for rent for meetings or parties, as well as a special mini stick room where youth staying at the hotel can play indoor hockey, rather than knocking pucks down hallways and disturbing the hotel’s other guests.
During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Rideout Bay Management’s operations manager Jacqui Cohen said that the ethos behind the hotel’s design was always to reflect the community that is Fort Frances, hockey room included.
“Fort Frances is an incredible town, and truly, looking at all of you standing here today, you are what makes this community special,” Cohen said.
“This hotel was designed with that in mind. We didn’t just build rooms. We built a place that reflects the heart of Fort Frances. We have beautiful, modern rooms with cosy kitchenettes, a great meeting space, and, yes, a hockey room, because, let’s be honest, this is Fort Frances, and if there’s no hockey room, is it even a hotel? We want Studio 6 to be a place where guests come to relax, reconnect and feel at home, a place where our staff provides not just good service, but warm, welcoming, outstanding service.”
The hotel project had its groundbreaking back in October 2023, with representatives from Mitaanjigamiing First Nation, their economic development arm GOBE Corporation and Rideout Bay Developments Inc., and construction progressed through 2024 and into this year.
Fort Frances mayor Andrew Hallikas was also present at the groundbreaking, and spoke to the crowd assembled at the front doors of the hotel who were eagerly anticipating their chance to take a tour of the building on Saturday. Hallikas noted that though the Studio 6 is located within Fort Frances, he extended his congratulations to the community of Mitaanjigamiing First Nation who had the vision to invest in a project that would benefit not only their own community, but the entire region.
“It feels like only yesterday that we stood here together at the groundbreaking ceremony for this project, and to be here now seeing this beautiful facility completed and ready to welcome guests is incredibly rewarding,” Hallikas said.
“I feel doubly honoured to have been part of the groundbreaking and now the celebration of this remarkable achievement. Heartfelt thanks to Chief Janice Henderson, her economic development advisors GOBE Corporation and Mitaanigamiing First Nation, for your vision, your investment and your confidence in the town of Fort Frances as a location for this project. Miigwech. Chi-miigwech. Your leadership and commitment to growth and partnership have brought this exciting project to life.”
Hallikas also noted the hotel will directly address one of the shortfalls impacting the town and wider region; namely, the lack of accommodations, especially during winter when hockey tournaments bring in hundreds of visitors for entire weekends. Hallikas noted the problem had become so acute that Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Marcus Powlowski was recently forced to cancel a trip to the area as a result of being unable to find a hotel room in town.
“This new hotel will not only meet the growing demand, but will also showcase the warmth, hospitality and entrepreneurial spirit that defines our community,” Hallikas said.
“I have no doubt that the Studio 6 hotel will quickly become a popular and trusted stopping place for visitors, business travellers and families alike.”
Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce executive director Heather Johnson also shared a few words ahead of the official ribbon cutting, welcoming the Studio 6 and its staff to the town’s business community. Johnson was followed by Chris Henderson, who cut the ribbon and spoke a few words on behalf of the communtiy of Mitaanjigamiing First Nation.
“This is truly and exciting moment for us,” he said.
“We’re very honoured to share it with our friends, family, partners and members of the community. Today marks not only the opening of a new hotel, but also the beginning of a vision brought to life.”
Cohen and Martin said the amenities the hotel has to offer is what they believe will set them apart as a destination in Fort Frances, highlighting the convenience of having a larger refrigerator and cooking appliances in the rooms, as well as the first-floor hockey room for hockey teams or families with younger children. Martin also said the hotel would make moving to town easier on new residents, reflecting on what he experienced when he first moved to the area.
“I believe in the product here, because when I moved to Fort Frances, I lived in a hotel, and it was a great hotel, but it didn’t have these amenities,” Martin said.
“I cooked out of an air fryer in a kitchen sink until we were able to find a house in Fort Frances, and this would have made my stay a lot easier.”
“I think we have a wonderful team, and I think as much as we can provide a comfortable bed, having people and a team that make your stay feel comfortable, I think, is a really important part,” Cohen said.
“I’m very proud and excited to be here, and it’s clear that this is going to be a successful, thriving hotel, which is just a testament again to the community, the staff, all the people involved.”
The Studio 6 Extended Stay Fort Frances officially opens for business this Wednesday, November 19, 2025. Visit www.studio6.com for booking information.
