Successful applicants for a share of the town’s $50,000 allocation from the Moffat Family Fund will be handed cheques at tonight’s regular council meeting.
A total of nine local groups, which won’t be revealed until tonight’s meeting, will get varying portions of the pot this year.
A total of 23 organizations and individuals had filed their applications prior to the Feb. 16 deadline.
After that, the local selection committee—comprised of Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig, Mayor Roy Avis, Coun. Andrew Hallikas, Linda Hamilton, Salvation Army Capt. Angel Sandoval, and Marie Howells—discussed them all and pared down the list to nine.
These then were forwarded to the Winnipeg Foundation for final approval this spring. Its board of directors approved all grants at the end of May.
As previously reported, the town once again was allotted $50,000 to give to Fort Frances-based groups which benefit children, families, and the less advantaged.
This is the fifth year the town has received funding to do so.
< *c>Street closure
There also will be an open meeting tonight regarding the proposed closure of parts of Portage Avenue and Sinclair Street in connection with the construction of the biomass boiler by Abitibi-Consolidated.
Notice of this meeting was distributed to area property owners prior to tonight’s meeting.
Representatives from the Roman Catholic bishop of Thunder Bay, as owner of the land adjacent to Sinclair Street, are expected to make a presentation at tonight’s meeting.
Following this and any other presentations, council will vote on a bylaw to assume, dedicate as a public thoroughfare, stop up, close, and sell a part of Sinclair Street and a part of Portage Avenue.
Other business at tonight’s council meeting will include:
•first reading of a bylaw to approve the terms of an offer/agreeement to provide financing to the Fort Frances Community Clinic Inc.;
•executive committee reports by the chairpersons of the Operations and Facilities and Planning and Development divisions;
•a request from Joe and Zita Miller regarding a driveway at 518 Third St. W.;
•a financial request from Northwest Ontario’s Sunset Country Travel Association for an annual per capita marketing contribution;
•a request from the Ministry of Natural Resources to install two posts with convex safety mirrors on town property at 922 Scott St.;
•a request for a charitable donation from Weechi-it-te-win Family Services Inc. regarding a 20th anniversary drive;
•a request from Frank Ball regarding permission to use property located behind 301 Kristi Place;
•a bylaw to approve an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to provide funding through the COMRIF Asset Management Program for a study of the town’s storm sewer;
•a bylaw to approve a contract with JTJ Contracting (Emo) for asphalt patching for three years (2007-09); and
•a bylaw to approve a municipal response agreement with the Ministry of Natural Resources with respect to human/black bear conflict management inside town limits.
Tonight’s regular meeting is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. The committee of the whole will meet first at 5:30, but is expected to be in-camera until about 5:50.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
