Staff
Fort Frances will join municipalities across Ontario in getting funding under the new Main Street Revitalization Initiative.
Ontario is investing up to $26 million under the initiative, which will be administered by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and its rural arm, the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA).
The Town of Fort Frances will get $42,599–funding which the province said municipalities can use for anything from the installation of pedestrian crosswalks or landscaping to helping local businesses improve the appearance of their storefronts by installing lighting or new signage.
Other district recipients include Alberton ($36,864), Atikokan ($38,375), Chapple ($36,584), Emo ($37,173), La Vallee ($36,838), Morley ($36,451), Rainy River ($36,727), and Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls ($36,524).
The funding is allocated to municipalities based on population size, using the most recent data from the 2016 Statistics Canada Census of Population.
The formula includes an adjustment for those municipalities that have fewer than 25,000 residents.
This adjustment ensures small communities are provided an appropriate level of funding where their population figures otherwise would limit their respective funding allocations within the parameters of the program.
The initiative is part of a $40-million investment over three years in the Main Street Enhancement Fund, which will help strengthen small businesses in downtown and main street areas.
It also aims to enhance the digital presence and capabilities of small businesses through increased access to digital tools like e-commerce.
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs minister Jeff Leal, also the minister responsible for small business, made the announcement last week at the ROMA conference in Toronto.
“Main streets are at the core of small, rural communities and are home to thousands of small businesses across the province,” noted Leal.
“That’s why our government is committed to ensuring they continue to remain vibrant hubs where residents meet, tourists visit, and small businesses grow and prosper,” he added.
