The federal government announced here Wednesday afternoon it would contribute $39,000 to “Re-Inventing Fort Frances,” meaning the committee now has the funds needed to go ahead with its feasibility study.
Local MP Robert Nault, also the minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, made the funding announcement while meeting with the committee at the Red Dog Inn.
“I’m very happy to see that the funding is now in place in order that the committee can move forward with this very important study to ‘Re-Invent Fort Frances,’” Nault said.
“This will allow for citizens to let us know in which direction they would like to see the community and region more forward,” he added.
The “Re-Inventing” committee has spent the past 10 months working on this project, which is intended to promote tourism, create jobs, and revitalize the local business district.
Committee chair Janis Lesko was thrilled by the announcement.
“We’re very, very happy that we got all the funding in place,” she enthused. “Three pieces of the pie are in place, and now we can talk to the consultant and get our plans on paper and move on.”
Winnipeg-based Hilderman, Thomas, Frank and Cram has been hired to conduct the feasibility study, which will cost $108,712 (including GST).
The federal investment was matched with previously announced money from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. (provincial) and the Town of Fort Frances.
Local groups, such as the Business Improvement Area, Business Women’s Network, Abitibi-Consolidated, Rainy River Future Development Corp., and the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce, also have chipped in to cover the cost.
The study itself will include feasibility of ideas on everything from promoting the downtown core to possibly transforming the old Fort High property for a number of uses.
“The committee’s got hundreds of ideas and now we need a professional to tell us what will work and what will not work,” Lesko said.