Who are we?

    The flag of the Town of Fort Frances incorporates the community’s crest with the turbine generating electricity, and the evergreen tree.
    It is a historic representation of the community that owes its growth and prosperity to first lumber, and then paper. The paper mill was built here on the sure supply of electricity that could be generated from the waters that flow by Fort Frances.
    Today, the crest has little image recognition. It is part of the letterheads and literature and everything the town does. The crest illustrates the history that built the community. But does it really tell anyone what Fort Frances has become and where its future lies?
    Every business, likes to brand themselves with an image. McDonald’s with their famous golden arches. A beer with its colour “Blue.” The Raptors, the Blue Jays, and even CN all have developed images.
    Thunder Bay with its “Thunder Bird” image, has branded itself “Superior by Nature.”
    Kenora has recently developed a branding and marketing program that will be used to increase the awareness of the community as it works to sell the location to businesses and people looking to relocate.
    At one time, the Fort Frances Chamber billed the community as “the gateway” to Northern Ontario and for several decades that slogan was part of the chamber’s marketing to tourists throughout the central Midwestern states.
    It is time for the community to again think about its image and how it wishes to project itself, firstly, to the people in the community, secondly to people looking to come and live here or just pass through the community and, finally, to senior levels of government.
    What is it that makes this community unique? How in one sentence do we send a positive message about who we are? It is time for the community to develop a comprehensive marketing and branding program.
     With a program in place, we can then send a consistent message recruiting business, residents and professional people to our community.