Duane Hicks
A local fixture for some 90 years, the White Pine Inn closed its doors Sunday.
Owner Terry Bailey said Friday that a combination of dwindling business and an aged building, which had been operating as a tavern only in recent years, led to the decision to put the property up for sale.
“It’s an old building,” noted Bailey, who also owns the Sherbrook Inn in Winnipeg.
“It’s been around, it’s a landmark that’s been there for a long time, but the way the economy’s been going, the way the no-smoking has had a big impact on bars,” all played a role in the decision, he said.
“Probably another major impact as to why sales aren’t what they used to be is the exchange rate,” Bailey added. “The townspeople are taking as much effort as they can, it seems, to go across the line and do their shopping.
“What you’re doing is hurting all the Canadian businesses by doing that,” he warned.
“I don’t blame them, I don’t know that I wouldn’t do the same thing,” Bailey admitted. “But on the other hand, you want all the benefits that the taxes give you.
“You want your roads fixed, you want health care, you want all these things, which add all kinds of taxes on things, especially alcohol,” he explained.
“Those taxes are meant to give the Canadian people, and the townspeople in Fort Frances, a whole bunch of benefits.
“They want the benefits but they don’t want to pay,” he stressed.
Bailey said it’s not just the White Pine Inn feeling the pinch, but many other local businesses—and the long-term consequences will be serious if things don’t change.
“While you’re certainly saving money in the short-term, helping the American economy, one of these days that exchange rate is going to reverse itself and you’re going to have nothing to buy in Fort Frances,” he reasoned.
“It’s short-term vision and you’re losing the long-term effect of what all of those benefits are doing for you.”
Bailey said he would like to think the townspeople in Fort Frances patronize Fort Frances businesses first.
“I can’t stress this enough—there’s enough business in Fort Frances to keep these businesses open if people wouldn’t go to the gas pumps, put $5 worth of gas in, and then go across the line and fill their car up.
“Eventually, you’ll have no gas stations.
“What are you going to do when the exchange rate flips back the other way, and you’ll all have to go across the line to do something, because there’s nothing left there.
“There is something to be said for buying Canadian first,” Bailey remarked.
Still, Bailey, who has owned the White Pine Inn since his father, Bill, passed away in 2001, said he has “no complaints” about Fort Frances, and on behalf of his family and the White Pine staff, thanked the many patrons who frequented the tavern.
“We’re very grateful for the patronage we’ve had over the years, we’re very grateful for the regulars we’ve had over the years,” he stressed.
“We’ve served a lot of people.
“If the business was there, the White Pine would be open longer,” she reasoned. “It’s just that something more modern needs to be on that site.”
He later gave “a big thank you” to all the patrons over the years,” clarifying, “We’re not upset by any stretch of the imagination.”
“It’s an old building, times are changing. All things end.”
Bailey also gave “a big thank you” to White Pine staff “Smurf,” Kathy Audette, and Amanda Guimond.
“Smurf,” who has worked at the White Pine Inn for the past 26 years, including as manager for the past 10, said “it’s very sad.”
“The building’s getting old and I’m getting old,” she chuckled, agreeing with Bailey that business has suffered due to the exchange rate, smoking ban, and also that fact that people’s habits have changed.
“They don’t drink like they used to. Times change,” she reasoned. “I worked in the Emperor, and it was totally different. All of the bars were packed.
“It’s been a good time for me. A good time for me, a good time for them,” she added.
“Smurf” noted quite a few patrons came by to pay their respects in the short while before the White Pine Inn closed its doors Sunday.
“Something I haven’t seen for five years,” she chuckled.
As for the future of the property, Bailey said the building currently is up for sale.
“I guess we’ll wait and see,” he remarked. “If somebody has an idea for that building and wants it as is, that’s fine.
“But at this time we are not looking at operating anything out of there.
“Eventually, though, looking at it being over 90 years old, I think the ultimate future for that building is to tear it down and just deal with the lot because the lot is in a prime location,” Bailey added.
