Duane Hicks
The Town of Fort Frances is throwing its support behind the Rainy River Arts Collective’s inaugural snow sculpture competition planned to take place here Feb. 8-17.
Council on Monday approved recommendations from the Operations and Facilities executive committee to partner with the RRAC in the following ways:
•the town will use the airport loader with the snow blower attachment to load clean snow from the airport property into either a private or town-owned truck;
•the town will assist with the transportation of clean snow from the airport to all six snow sculpture sites;
•the town will allow snow sculptures to be placed on the following town-owned properties: the Sorting Gap Marina ramp parking lots (two sculptures), Civic Centre, water treatment plant, old library property, and Memorial Sports Centre/new library or Lions Park;
•if a private-sector contractor cannot blow snow into the molds, the Public Works loader with snow blower attachment will assist; and
•all in-kind services by the Operations and Facilities division will be charged to council’s public relations account (it is estimated these in-kind services will cost $2,666.25).
Coun. Ken Perry clarified the town’s level of support is based on the RRAC also getting help from the private sector, and the partnership will depend on the RRAC getting that other assistance.
Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown noted in a report that RRAC member Lindsay Hamilton provided him with an update in regards to assistance of private contractors and suppliers, and confirmed the project is receiving assistance from the private sector.
For example, North American Lumber has donated building materials to construct six-eight snow sculpture molds while Daryl’s Custom Landscapes and Tom Veert Contracting will assist in hauling and placing the snow.
Several building contractors will build the snow sculpture molds while the RRAC will store the snow sculpture molds on private property (and therefore no longer need the town to store them).
As previously reported, the RRAC’s inaugural snow sculpture competition will feature three divisions (school, general, and business).
The carving will take place from Feb. 8-17, with the unveiling and awards presentation slated for Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. at the Fort Frances Museum.
There is an entry fee of $25/team.
Registration forms are available at the Fort Frances Museum and the Fort Frances Times, as well as online at www.rrarts.net
FFCBC support
Council also agreed Monday night to help out the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship once again in 2012.
The FFCBC made several requests to council last month. After they were reviewed by the four executive committees, the committees recommended:
•that the mayor designate the FFCBC live-release tournament as a “significant community festival event” and declare FFCBC week in July;
•forward the FFCBC’s request for financial support to the 2012 budget process for consideration (the financial support requested is $5,284 to offset arena charges); and
•encourage the FFCBC committee to apply for available funding for significant community events.
