Town to re-apply for library funding

In its continued efforts to get funding for the new Fort Frances Library and Technology Centre, the town is re-applying to the province for more dollars.
At a special meeting yesterday afternoon, town council passed a resolution to support a funding application to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. (NOHFC) to the tune of $480,000.
The town previously had applied to the NOHFC for library funding, but was turned down. An appeal also was rejected.
But then mayor and council met with Northern Development and Mines minister Michael Gravelle this spring and learned that while the NOHFC does not fund libraries per se, the town could re-apply for funding specifically for a new technology centre.
Accordingly, the application this time around is for the “Fort Frances Technology Centre.”
“We’re knocking on doors to try and get more funding for the library,” Mayor Roy Avis said in an interview yesterday afternoon.
Community Services manager George Bell said yesterday he should hear back from the NOHFC regarding the funding application by the end of September.
Also at yesterday’s special meeting, council passed a resolution to reschedule its Aug. 25 regular meeting due to the fact not enough councillors would be in town for a quorum that evening.
Instead, the meeting will be held Thursday, Aug. 28. The agenda and start time will be announced closer to the meeting date.
Despite the date change, the meeting still will be broadcast on Shaw Cable (channel 10).
Subsequent council meetings will continue to be scheduled on the second and fourth Mondays of the month.