The original plan for the rehabilitation Fort Frances’ shoreline was scrapped by Town of Fort Frances Council on Monday night after the awarded contractor failed to initiate the project. Town council now looks to award the work to a pricier firm, limiting the project to areas in most dire need of repair.
The initial plan for rehabilitation follows the damage caused to the riverfront walkway after the 2022 flooding. After water subsided, the town engaged a contractor to restore the shoreline protection rock along LaVerendrye Parkway, which also sustained erosion and degradation from the high-water levels. However, due to the high flow of the season and other pressing projects to prioritize, this project never started.
Administration revisited the concern in a meeting at the start of summer 2026, putting the work up for tender and awarding the work to Allen Contracting of Murillo, Ont., west of Thunder Bay, who placed a bid for $671,610. However, this firm walked away from the project, resulting in the town moving on to George Armstrong Company, a contractor local to Fort Frances, who also placed a bid on the initial tender at $1,109,600.
The project is a costly endeavor, but a necessary one, as this rock layer provides a vital piece in protecting the shoreline from aggressive current during flood events, according to Town of Fort Frances Infrastructure and Growth Manager Travis Rob.
“If we were to never get another high-water event, we wouldn’t have to do it at all,” Rob said. “But the reality of it is, is that it’s not an ‘if’ we get another high-water event, it’s when we get another high-water event. Because we have some funding from the government to support the rebuild after the flood, now is the time to do it.”
Although work from George Armstrong Company comes at a higher price point, council has tweaked the plan to target a smaller stretch of the shoreline, starting at a crucial spot, instead of the entirety of the original 1.5km strip along the shoreline.
The new area of work will be starting at the water treatment plant and moving as far south as possible within budget, up to the Sorting Gap Marina.
“If we don’t do it, and there is a high-water event, we’re looking at potential damages along that stretch that would be much more catastrophic than what we saw previously, because the layer of protection is gone,” Rob said.
With the town altering the scope of the overall project from its original details in the tender package for bidders to view, the contractor has the opportunity to alter their rates. Rob said he doesn’t expect a massive shift but will soon be meeting with the firm to discuss details.
“It does still have to fall into being a reasonable change,” he said. “We’re going to go do a walk along the waterfront, and you know, look at where we’re starting and how far we can go.”
The town has committed up to $860,000 for this project. About $650,000 of which will be covered by the provincial flood grant. The town’s portion will be drawn from the Capital Projects Reserve Fund.
