Money well-spent

“It takes money to make money” is an old adage that applies to the trip a trio of local residents is taking to Birmingham, Ala. to promote Fort Frances and Rainy Lake at an outdoors expo being held in conjunction with the annual Bassmaster Classic fishing tournament this weekend.
After having attended the same expo last year in Shreveport, La., the local delegation is out to again spread the word of the bass-fishing mecca we call home to tens of thousands of angling enthusiasts who may never have considered our neck of the woods as a fishing destination. And new this year will be a concerted effort to lure those in the fishing industry to do business here—much like Rapala uses Rainy Lake as a testing ground for its products.
The Town of Fort Frances is a main sponsor of the trip, along with the Rainy River Future Development Corp. and FedNor, while the local Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship also are involved. So, too, are private companies and district businesses, which makes the effort a true partnership.
Seeing a return from these excursions likely won’t happen overnight. What cannot be dismissed, however, is the value of “word of mouth.” A couple from Louisiana, for instance, raved about our area after having won a weekend stay at Campfire Island on Rainy Lake in a draw at last year’s booth—and they were certain to have shared their experience with family and friends back home.
Will they or others return here? Who knows, but you just can’t put a price tag on that kind of positive publicity.
Frankly, the exposure gained by attending the so-called “Super Bowl” of bass tournaments each year is invaluable if we hope to transform Fort Frances from simply being a gateway to Northwestern Ontario into a destination, which, in turn, would benefit us all.
If we want people to visit here, we must go out and toot our own horn to get them. That costs money—but it is money well-spent.