Tonight will be the last meeting of the month for the Fort Frances council. The next council meeting will take place on April 12. On tonight’s agenda:
Colonization Road
Council will vote on whether to approve the recommendation from the Planning and Executive Committee to rename Colonization Road East and Colonization Road West. The Planning and Executive Committee voted for the recommendation to have council approve the motion during their last meeting. No names have been suggested yet.
CAO Retirement
Council will also accept the retirement letter from Doug Brown, chief administrative officer, after working with the Town of Fort Frances for 18 years. Brown will be retiring effective May 21, 2021.
Senior age limit
Council will also vote on the age at which the town will recognize an individual to be a “senior.” This issue was presented by Aaron Bisson, recreation and culture manager, at the request of the Fort Frances Senior Centre.
In order to use the Fort Frances Senior Centre, one has to be 55 years of age or older. However, for patrons to be eligible to qualify for a discount on memberships, day passes, and other services at the Memorial Sports Centre the age is set at 60 years or older. Bisson said it was suggested that having different ages to be classified as a “senior” in different buildings within the Town of Fort Frances was confusing.
The two divisions within the town are very different in what they offer, a report submitted by Bisson states.
“The Fort Frances Senior Centre is a Social Club with no membership fees to join, where like minded individuals gather to enjoy activities, meals, and conversation together and has a minimum age to attend,” Bisson said. “The Memorial Sports Centre is a recreation facility for all ages within the Town. Many of the activities that take place at this facility are fee based and these fees help partially offset costs associated with the operation of the facility. With 60 being the age recognized as a senior for discount purposes, the town is in the middle of the generally recognized age of being considered a senior.”
Bisson recommends that the town continue with using 55 as the age for its citizens to use the Fort Frances Senior Centre and 60 as the age in which a discount is applied to fees at the Memorial Sports Centre as outlined in this report.
Town council meetings are open to the public online through the Microsoft Teams platform or by phoning-in. To access a town council meeting, follow the instructions at the top of the agenda you would like to attend, posted at www.fortfrances.ca or call 807-274-5323 for assistance.
