Kenneth J. Egan
Dear editor:
There is much to think about as one ponders the future of Fort Frances and district and its citizens.
There is activity (i.e., the new school to replace the present Robert Moore, the new library and technology centre, and the moving of the Hallett), although there is also a degree of dissatisfaction with the location of the new library, as well as the relocation of the Hallett.
In the case of the library, it comes at a time when girls’ and women’s hockey is progressing in terms of participation at a very rapid rate. This could result in the need for an additional artificial ice surface to allow for a fair distribution of ice time for all participants.
What better place to locate a practice ice surface than at the present Memorial Sports Centre complex?
If town council offered the library committee the location selected because they committee had to have equity to access the grants they were requesting, perhaps that could have been better explained to the tax-paying public at the outset.
Meanwhile, the present location of the Hallett would seem to be ideal. It is sitting beside the rapids where it did its most dangerous work. With the high water of summer, one can visualize the captain and crew sluicing their town through the bridge at midnight.
In fact, there is a local story of how the boat got caught in the eddy of the rapids and tilted at a 45-degree angle. They thought she was going to go right over, but her crew and captain prevailed and the Hallett lived to tow again.
It is almost surreal to view the tugboat lit up at night. One can almost see the men of yesteryear going about their duties.
One can visualize the La Verendrye Parkway being extended, anchored at one end by the Hallett at its present location and by a heli pad at the Victoria Avenue end. What a beautiful stretch for a good, healthy walk, run, or cycle.
Again, if there was no choice on whether or not to move the Hallett from its present—seemingly ideal—location, perhaps that could be explained to the tax-paying public.
Meanwhile, Mayor Avis’ open letter to the residents of Fort Frances outlines, in general, what is happening with Pither’s Point Park. None of the negotiators involved in the original Pither’s Point Municipal Park agreement are around, so it is the representatives of the present bands and the representatives of the Town of Fort Frances who must wrestle with the dispute.
Many members of both the aboriginal and Fort Frances communities can go back to their memories of the east entrance to Fort Frances and Pither’s Point Park. There was a beautifully-groomed nine-hole golf course maintained by the Rainy Lake Golf Club, which complemented both Couchiching reserve and Fort Frances as one entered the east area of town.
The park was adjacent to the golf course and it, too, was well-groomed and maintained.
As time went by, the park’s facilities were improved and came to include a cookhouse, a tenting campsite, a trailer park, a ball park with lights, bathhouses for swimmers, a dance pavilion, a Parks Board storage building, and an administrative office. Picnic tables also were available throughout the park.
All of these facilities were complemented by well-kept lawn areas and beautiful flower beds, with our flag proudly waving over it all.
This municipal park was available for lake traffic and also accommodated many swimmers.
The park, when in this condition, attracted untold traffic during our sometimes short but always beautiful summers. Local couples who are now seniors will remember taking their kids to the beach for the day, lunching at picnic tables, and forgetting the long, cold winter.
Canada Day and Labour Day saw much activity, with July 1 being a day for visiting and renewing old friendships with those coming home for the holidays. There was much “joie de vivre!”
There was always awareness of the so-called 99-year lease, but when you are young, 99 years is a long time!
Then one day, the golf course lease expired and the area began to change. People became aware that even 99 years could elapse. It seemed that as the park lease expiration date neared, there was less and less interest in improving or maintaining the area.
People became resigned to the possibility of losing the park and feared it would become like the former golf course, which seems to have benefitted no one.
Now there comes the question of ownership of the Seven Oaks area where the Hallett is presently located. Many people always assumed the DWP rail line was the boundary of Pither’s Point Park.
The Point park can be the attraction it once was as long as it has the facilities it once had, otherwise it will blend in with the area where the golf course once was and not be the jewel it once was.
Recent media reports Abitibi is attempting to sell a generating facility in Quebec. This is also an indication that Abitibi would like to sell the power generating facilities at the Fort Frances mill. Could this also include the new biomass generating facility?
If this was allowed to happen, what becomes of the rest of the mill? What happens to our international bridge and this point of entry?
This is the time of government stimulus to improve infrastructure and, as a TV commentator said, to build bridges. Perhaps the four bands and the town could consider a new bridge on the Rainy Lake side of the Ranier rail bridge, and highlight our beautiful lake and river.
Maybe, too, they could spend the million dollars on extending the La Verendrye Parkway and leave the Hallett where it is.
Tourism and our waterfront development may be the industry of the future.
Signed,
Kenneth J. Egan
Fort Frances, Ont.
