Duane Hicks
The Fort Frances Museum is hoping to land funding to digitally catalogue and store archives for posterity, as well as make it easier for patrons to access them.
Town council Monday night authorized curator Sherry George to apply to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport’s Museums and Technology Fund for $50,000, with a $10,000 commitment from the museum’s 2013 budget.
“This is a great opportunity to provide some much-needed funding to the museum,” said Coun. Andrew Hallikas.
“Basically, the museum has to put up a fifth of the cost, so we got a good return on our seed money,” he reasoned.
“The museum desperately needs to convert a lot of the stuff digitally. . . .
“I support this completely,” Coun. Hallikas added. “I think it’s a well-needed application, a well-deserved application.”
Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig noted some museum documents are so aged and fragile that they’re not able to be handled by the public anymore, and need to be scanned and digitally preserved.
In related news, both Coun. John Albanese and Mayor Roy Avis lauded George for helping make the 100th anniversary celebration of the International Bridge here Aug. 1 a success.
“Sherry George did a super job,” said Coun. Albanese.
“That 100th anniversary was very well-planned and put together,” echoed Mayor Avis, noting he’s been impressed by the quality of exhibits focused on local history at the museum.
Also at Monday night’s meeting, council:
•referred a letter of concern from Lorraine Brown, re: accessibility issues at the Memorial Sports Centre, to the Community Services executive committee for its recommendation;
•approved an amendment to Lottery Licence M538394 (the La Verendrye General Hospital Auxiliary);
•passed a bylaw to establish the retention periods for documents and records of the Town of Fort Frances; and
•passed a bylaw to approve an amendment to an option to purchase agreement with SkyPower Ltd. re: 1003 Frog Creek Rd.
