A special delegation from the Town of Fort Frances, along with a number of business and community representatives, will be travelling to Paris, Tenn. in October to explore business opportunities and other matters of mutual interest.
Mayor Glenn Witherspoon said last Friday the town is planning to take a delegation of 20 people to visit the city that is in the process of becoming twinned with Fort Frances—and there is room for more people to come along and bring their own ideas to the conference.
“We want the community to be aware of the benefits of this twinning,” Mayor Witherspoon explained.
“We’ve made our initial contacts and now we want to move on.”
A group of community and business leaders from Paris came to Fort Frances last April and now the mayor is leading a larger delegation to Paris.
“So far, we have seven people lined up and there is room for 13 more,” the mayor explained.
So far, Mayor Witherspoon, development advisor Jeff Gillon and CAO Bill Naturkach are slated to lead the group, which currently consists of Fort Frances Times publisher Jim Cumming as well as representatives of the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship, the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce and Couchiching First Nation.
“We’re calling it ‘Team Fort Frances,’” the mayor quipped.
The delegation will leave International Falls on Thursday, Oct. 23 and will be treated to a reception in Paris on Friday, after which it will be split up into smaller groups of mutual interest. They will return on Sunday, Oct. 26.
“The agenda is very flexible,” said Mayor Witherspoon.
“There will be a series of informal workshops and seminars hosted by a number of different groups,” he explained.
The mayor said he is hoping to see local community groups, businesses, fund-raising organizations, service clubs, First Nations, church groups, tourist operators, representatives from neighbouring jurisdictions and members of the BIA step forward and get involved.
Paris city manager Carl Holder said there will be an emphasis on matching up people from here with others of common interest down there in order to get the most out of the experience.
“We intend to divide (the delegation) into groups of two or three and assign them a person of like interests and concerns,” said Holder from his office in Paris.
Holder said there is also a barbecue and fish fry in the works, so it won’t be all work and no play.
Mayor Witherspoon emphasized the opportunity for studying the problems Paris has had and the solutions it has developed.
“There’s a lot we can learn down there,” Mayor Witherspoon stressed. “That community (Paris) has already grappled with the big box store (Wal-Mart) issue and they have their own bass tournament. There is much we have in common,” he added.
The price for this excursion is $500 Canadian, which the mayor described as “a real good value.” That price includes air fare, accommodation and some meals. The balance is being picked up by the hosts.
The remaining 13 spots will allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and the town would like to have them filled by mid-September so plans can be solidified.
Anyone interested in joining the delegation should contact Jeff Gillon at 274-5484 or the mayor’s office at 274-5323 Ext. 234.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
