Duane Hicks
2014 was a year of challenges for Fort Frances but Mayor Roy Avis is optimistic the town will “get back on track” in 2015.
“Our first priority right now, and it has been for the last year-and-a-half to two years, is to make sure we get our mill operating in the community,” the mayor noted Monday.
Mayor Avis said the town will work with the provincial government and Resolute to help facilitate any potential purchase.
He would love to see mill operating again—creating employment, reuniting families who have had to move apart to find work elsewhere, and helping small businesses thrive again.
“I guess I’m quite optimistic in hoping that we could get something,” the mayor remarked, noting Resolute is heating the mill in the interests of asset protection, the government seems to be listening to lobbying efforts, and there continues to be interest shown in the mill by prospective buyers.
“With the Canadian dollar decreasing in value, that’s good for us, that’s good for the mill,” Mayor Avis explained.
“They’ll make more money when they sell their product.
“With all of that happening, I’ve got to remain optimistic.”
A secure future for the mill also will mean a boost to the town’s tax base, which has been dwindling in recent years mainly due to several reassessments of the mill property here.
Mayor Avis said town council is getting ready to tackle the 2015 budget, noting the town is coming out of 2014 with a small surplus, which is a clear sign of “good management” by town administration and council.
But as the town goes forward, council must be cognizant of declining assessment, especially with the mill property, warned Mayor Avis, who expects 2016 to be “another crunch year.”
“As we walk through 2015, we’ve got to set the table for the worst,” he said.
“Right now, the way it looks, the mill is permanently closed.”
If Resolute were to take down the mill, its value would decrease much more.
“We have to be very concerned going forward,” Mayor Avis admitted. “That’s why the number-one concern is to get a purchaser to buy that mill and get it up and operating.”
Mayor Avis said he also hopes ongoing Point Park land claim matters with the four local bands can be resolved once and for all.
“Looking forward, if we can get resolution to that issue, it would be good for the First Nations and good for Fort Frances,” he remarked.
“That property could be developed into something. If it were developed, it would create employment, tourism—there’s many things that could happen there,” Mayor Avis noted.
“Right now, we are maintaining it to a minimum standard,” he said.
“I think if we could the matter resolved, we’d look at more investment into it and the First Nations probably would, as well.”
Mayor Avis also stressed the town’s “doors are always open” in regards to New Gold and the development and operation of the proposed gold mine project north of Barwick.
“I think we’re positioned very well in the community right now to assist them in any manner,” he said.
He noted efforts have been made to inform area businesses about the mining industry, the procurement process, and how they can benefit from mining in its various stages of operation.
“What’s good for the district is good for Fort Frances, what’s good for Fort Frances is good for the district,” Mayor Avis reasoned.
“It’s a two-way street so we’ve got to make sure we support any project that takes place in the district,” he stressed.
Speaking more generally, Mayor Avis said he and the rest of council will strive to maintain stability in the community and jump on any promising economic development opportunities that may arise.
“We’ve got to make sure we keep our eyes open and ears listening, and try to develop wherever we can,” he pledged.
