The sound of Fort Frances Highlander Bruce Lidkea’s bag pipes lured in a crowd to an outdoor tent where numerous local municipal leaders, as well as Kenora-Rainy River District MP Robert Nault, gathered for a grand opening held by the Rainy River Futures Development Corporation last night.
The RRFDC actually relocated into their new office at 608 Scott St. at the beginning of March but last night the move was made official.
“It’s absolutely great,” said Telford Advent, chair of the RRFDC board, of the new digs.
“[They’re] more visible and have a lot more space. I couldn’t be more pleased.”^Congratulatory remarks were made by many of those in attendance, as well as supportive comments of the work RRFDC has done over the years.
“I used this office once and it was successful for me,” said Nault in his congratulatory address, adding that in his last election his campaign office was located in the same space.
“I hope it’s successful for you too,” he added.
Nault was also on hand to announce ongoing funding from the federal government for RRFDC.
In all, there will be $1,362,500 over the course of three years. Of that, $800,000 will be used for core funding for three years, $500,000 is to support local business investment activities and the rest will be used to further the objectives of the Rainy River District Strategic Plan.
“It’s important to have a threeyear commitment,” said Advent, adding that it makes it easier to plan ahead, and saves the RRFDC from having to go to municipalities for support on a year-to-year basis.
“Going to them annually takes time,” he said. “We’re trying to deliver what all the municipalities want in one package. [Now] we can do long term planning.”^In the last five years, RRFDC has invested $4.2 million and assisted in creating and maintaining 112 jobs.
“You’re going in the right direction,” said Nault, adding that the government is very supportive of such investment initiatives because it is northern people making decisions for northern communities.
The town of Fort Frances, the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce and RRFDC also took the opportunity last night to sign “a historic document.”^The memorandum of understanding, which pledges that all three organizations will work together on mutually beneficial projects for the well being of the community, was signed by Alan Tibbetts, president of the Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Glenn Witherspoon, and Advent.
“It’s confirming what we’ve already been doing,” said Advent of the memorandum of understanding.
“It’s so important that everybody in this area works together.”^The idea was seeded by Tannis Drysdale, president of the Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce, and was modeled after similar region-wide initiatives NOACC has undertaken in the past.
Advent explained the memorandum will allow the groups to promote the area together.
“I think it’s great,” said Advent.
“We have to work together. It strengthens all three of us. We can speak with one voice.”^“We’re ten times as strong as a group as we are separate,” agreed Drysdale.
The RRFDC also held its annual general meeting last night.
The most important item was the election of board members. There are three open positions for three year terms and one position for a one year term.
One position opened up because of the resignation of board member Donna MacDonald who has moved to Toronto.
Since there were 4 people who put their names up for nomination and no nominations came from the floor, all four were named to the board by acclamation. Three of them are already on the board and have let their names stand. They were: Telford Advent, Eugene McPherson, and John McTaggart.
The fourth was George Emes, who ran in the last election for the board and was not selected.
At the next regular meeting of the board at the end of August, it will be decided at random which of the four elected members will take the one year position and which three will have three year terms.
It was also announced at the meeting that because of the success of the WHO conference last year the RRFDC, Chamber of Commerce and town will submit an application to hold the 2004 Eco- Tourism conference for the north here.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
