A real coup

The “Heart of the Continent Partnership” officially launched its geotourism website, in conjunction with National Geographic, last week after being several years in the making.
Already featuring several district businesses, clubs, and events, the website looks to be an excellent way to promote our area while expanding its tourism potential beyond the traditional fishing and hunting experiences.
In fact, the benefits already have begun to materialize with word Fort Frances will host the HOCP’s quarterly meeting over two days in late June. With upwards of 50 delegates expected, and some possibly bringing along their families, it’s a real coup—the perfect opportunity to roll out the red carpet and showcase what our area has to offer.
And with the annual Boundary Waters Dragon Boat Festival slated for the following day (as long as Mother Nature co-operates this year), there perhaps will be extra participation but certainly extra publicity that money just can’t buy.
Given the struggles of the forestry industry locally of late, it’s clear that growing our tourism base is crucial to the district’s economic prosperity. Here in Fort Frances, specifically, it means transforming our status from “gateway” to “destination”—a problem, frankly, that we’ve been wrestling with for decades.
It means continuing to draw visitors with events like the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship, as well as the “Harmony of Nations Music Festival” and the international “Peace Pull” tug-of-war across the Rainy River.
Equally important, it means leaving no stone unturned in finding new ways to market our area, with the HOCP website being a perfect example.
Whether it’s Tim Hortons featuring our town in a video/commercial, or someone like local teen Jordan Eldridge taking the initiative to have a picture of Fort Frances appear at the end of a Global National newscast, the sky really is the limit when it comes to tooting our own horn in a unique and innovative manner.
After all, if we don’t—who will?