After months of uncertainty, and more than a month with its front doors chained shut, the future of the Red Dog Inn here appears to be stabilizing with a new owner poised to take possession of the property.
The new owner, Don Lee of Sioux Lookout, has not finalized every detail of the sale yet, though he said that could come very soon.
“It’s not final yet, no,” Lee said this morning from his home in Sioux Lookout.
“It may be on Friday. If you see me [in Fort Frances] on Monday, it’s official,” he added.
Lee noted only minor details need finalizing before he can take possession. “We’re going to plan on re-opening it and run it as a hotel again,” he confirmed.
“I saw an opportunity there,” Lee added. “The building was there and it was a successful business before.
“I think there is a need for more hotel rooms in Fort Frances.”^Lee said he is an experienced business man. He currently owns the Fifth Avenue Bar and Grill in Sioux Lookout and had owned a hotel in the past.
He also noted his family has had lots of experience as business owners.
“Our family has generations of hotel and restaurant experience,” he remarked.
Lee said he would be moving to Fort Frances to manage the Red Dog Inn once things have been finalized.
“We’ll try and get it running as soon as possible,” he pledged. “It’s too soon to know exactly what we’re going to do, we’re going to do some renovations.”
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
