Duane Hicks
The town will be rallying the whole community to do some extra spring cleaning this year.
As part of its ongoing efforts to address initiatives set out in its current strategic plan, the town will facilitate a community-wide clean-up campaign in May known as “Fight the Blight,” Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig announced at Monday night’s council meeting.
“Fight the Blight” is in response to a strategic plan submission by the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce, which also made several other requests to the town regarding revitalization and beautification.
The initiative is an attempt to help re-invigorate civic pride by improving the overall appearance of the community, noted McCaig, adding International Falls successfully undertook a similar campaign a couple of years ago.
“We’re going to try and make it as effective as possible,” he vowed.
“We want to engage the citizenry, for sure,” added McCaig.
“We want to engage the private and public sectors, and all the service organizations we can, because without everybody committing to it, it’s not going to be as effective as it could,” he reasoned.
McCaig said the town is going to make a significant commitment of resources, and hopes this will be matched by an enthusiastic and committed response by all citizens and various sectors within the community.
“We’re really looking at something substantial within the community,” he stressed.
Many people recall the annual clean-ups led by Fort High teacher Walter Horban, and surely the town can follow in those footsteps, said McCaig, adding Horban will be consulted for input.
The bylaw department will co-ordinate the clean-up, looking to the private sector for in-kind donations of equipment or manpower, as well as service clubs and citizens in general for volunteers.
“It’s going to be a big event,” said McCaig. “It’ll be bigger than our usual free tipping day at the landfill or household hazardous waste day.
“We’re going to try to do something significant here, foster a little bit of civic pride, and do our best to really do a bang-up job of cleaning up our community,” he added.
Coun. Wendy Brunetta said the town must be sure to include youth in the campaign.
Recalling the “Don’t be a litterbug” campaign of her childhood, she noted the message to put garbage in garbage cans, and not throw it on the ground, was drilled into their heads.
“And I think that’s what we need again,” added Coun. Brunetta.
“We need some civic pride, even at the younger levels,” she noted.
“So I hope that’s something we can do.”
More details about the clean-up will be forthcoming during the next few months.
‘Project Petunia’
Another one of the requests from the Chamber was for the town to take over the “Project Petunia” flower basket program, which the Chamber has had to subsidize for the past two years due to a lack of donations or unpaid pledges.
In response, the town and Rainy River Future Development Corp. has agreed to keep “Project Petunia” going.
The RRFDC will facilitate the preparation of the quotation for the supply, delivery, installation, and removal of the baskets.
It also will be implementing a community-based sponsorship program for the flower baskets.
The Chamber, in turn, will be asked to provide the hanging baskets previously used for “Project Petunia.”
The town, meanwhile, will continue to provide support to the “Project Petunia” initiative by watering the hanging flower baskets.
It also will investigate the use of a new basket model that will reduce the frequency of watering requirements.
A third recommendation from the Chamber was for the town to clean up the road entrances to Fort Frances.
During a review process by the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC), the bylaw department advised EDAC that property standards are enforced when there are contraventions.
But it noted many of the identified areas are not violating any bylaws.
EDAC recommended the town adopt a more active and regular program of ditch cutting at the entrances, and also to revisit previous town studies regarding the entrances.
Two more requests by the Chamber—one regarding vacant buildings, the other the banners on the paper mill’s “lap” building—were reviewed but with the town taking no further action.
Regarding the former, EDAC felt unsightly vacant buildings were not the responsibility of the town and that business owners, the Chamber, and the BIA monitor and consult regarding the matter among their members.
As for the latter, the RRFDC advised EDAC there would be no action taken regarding the deteriorated banners until the status of the mill is verified.
At that point, the RRFDC is committed to addressing the banners in a relevant manner.
