Staff
FORT FRANCES—The Town of Fort Frances will have to wait to find out whether or not it will be permitted to maintain and use Pither’s Point Park again this year after a judge reserved decision on a motion brought before Superior Court in Thunder Bay on Thursday.
Mayor Roy Avis said Friday morning that the injunction hearing went a full day, with all parties represented (the town, First Nations, Ontario, and Canada).
But at the end of the day, the judge ended up reserving decision on the motion.
Mayor Avis said the judge didn’t give a timeline as to when a decision would be made, but noted the interim arrangement between the town and First Nations that permitted the town to continue to maintain the park for another year expires April 30.
“So we’re hoping we’ll hear something between now and then,” he added.
As reported earlier this week, negotiations between Canada, Ontario, First Nations, and the town for the continued use and maintenance of Pither’s Point Park have been unsuccessful to date.
As such, the town brought the motion forward Tuesday to clarify the use of the park until the legal questions of its use and ownership are answered.
The town was advised earlier this year by the First Nations that the interim arrangements for the town’s maintenance and continued use of the park would not be extended.
The 99-year Agency One land lease expired at the end of last April.
But just prior to then, an agreement was reached that permitted the town to continue to maintain the park for another year.
(Fort Frances Daily Bulletin)
