Flowers may soon be lining Third Street

Driving through Fort Frances could soon be a colourful one as the town beautification project is one step away from approving its first project.
“The flower project is just waiting for council approval and then it will be happening,” said Crystal Godbout, the community development project co-ordinator for the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce.
Pending approval from council during tonight’s regular meeting, the Chamber of Commerce will be hanging planters along Third Street West from the corner of Central Avenue and Second Street East to the Fort Frances Cemetery this summer.
The project also will include 21 large concrete planters–16 on the islands at the intersection of Central and Second Street East and five on the island at the east end of Scott Street.
After approving funding for the project, the Chamber is requesting the town water the plants throughout the summer.
The beautification project, an initiative of the Chamber of Commerce, has been working throughout the winter to create and initiate ideas to improve the town’s appearance.
“This is part of it, this is just the Chamber portion of what we are doing,” said Godbout. “I’m hoping some others jump on board and take on some beautification projects but this is a step in the right direction.”
Also at tonight’s meeting, which gets underway at 7 p.m. at the Civic Centre, council will receive a request from the Salvation Army to proclaim May 2001 as “The Salvation Army Red Shield Month.”
It also will receive a request from the waterfront development committee for support of a Fish Habitat and Compensation Study.
During the committee of the whole meeting, which starts at 5:30 p.m. downstairs in the committee room, councillors will discuss board and committee vacancies and the restructuring proposal for the airport and landfill sites in-camera.
“We’ve sent our final reply back [to the ministry] and there’s been no word,” said Mayor Glenn Witherspoon. “As soon as we get a letter back from the ministry, it will become public.”