Heather Latter
In conjunction with Phase II of the local Heritage Tourism project, designs have been selected for the banners that will be hung to help direct people through the downtown area and along the La Verendrye Parkway.
“The banners are being established in areas to provide way-finding,” explained Fort Frances Museum curator Paw Hawley, who sits on the project committee.
“We wanted artists to get involved, so we put out a call for artists to submit their artwork,” she added, noting the artists were given ideas of the themes the committee wanted to use—the forest, logging, fur trade, lake and river, downtown, and local attractions.
“We gave each artist an area and then we were presented with their finished artwork,” Hawley said.
Those artists who designed artwork for the banners included Cher Pruys, an award-winning aviation artist, David Bodnarchuk, who has a background in design, and Burton Penner, who painted the mural next to the museum courtyard and also designed “The Great Canadian Main Street” sign here.
Pruys’ artwork focused on landmark images, Bodnarchuk’s designs featured the forest industry, while Penner’s highlighted the fur trade era.
An image representing the downtown area, as well as artwork with the text, “The Great Canadian Experience” and “Discover Fort Frances,” also will be featured on some of the banners.
A maple leaf design will be common on all the banners.
“Some of the artwork is digital and some are hand-painted, so it shows how art is changing,” Hawley remarked.
“I’m happy with all the submissions. I think people will really like them,” she added.
The highlighted route—which will go from the Canadian Customs building up Mowat Avenue, along Scott Street to Victoria Avenue, and then along the La Verendrye Parkway—has been sectioned off, with certain banners planned to go in particular sections.
For instance, the image of the downtown area will go on Scott Street, replacing the current banners there, while the fur trade banners will be placed by the parkway, particularly near the red picnic pavilions.
The banners featuring text will be interspersed among the themed ones, which will be hung from light posts and other poles along the streets.
Hawley noted the selected artwork needs a final “tweaking,” and final locations determined, before the banners are ordered from a company in Atikokan. They are expected to be hung in the spring.
In addition to the banners, other signage for the Heritage Tourism project is in the works.
New street blades will be installed. Hawley indicated they will feature the common maple leaf image and be fancier than the existing signs.
Currently, they’re trying to get cement poured and stakes in place, so the street signs can be put up next month.
Four interpretive signs also are being made, which will be placed at the lookout tower, the Hallett, and at the red picnic pavilion sites.
As well, sites are being determined for five large maps that will be installed to direct people around Fort Frances.
“It’s nice to see everything coming together because we’ve been planning this for a long time,” Hawley said.
“And it’s great to get the history back in the area so people know what it’s all about.”
