$900,000 in provincial funding to aid four Fort Frances area projects
The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is granting almost $900,000 to four projects in the Fort Frances area.
The town is receiving funding for projects at the museum, Sorting Gap Marina and East End Hall.
Mayor Andrew Hallikas is grateful for the financial assistance.
“Municipalities can’t maintain their infrastructure on property taxes, and we definitely require assistance from the province and the federal government. So we’re very grateful for the help we get,” says Hallikas.
Half a million dollars is being used to replace the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system at the Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre.
Hallikas says the project has been long-requested by museum staff.
“And you can’t just put any old HVAC system in a museum. It has to be one that can fine-tune humidity and temperature. So that’s huge for us, and it’s going to allow us to preserve our history.”
Another $143,175 will be used at the Sorting Gap Marina, where repairs will be made to the dock access ramps, retaining wall stones and docking timbers, and new light poles will be installed.
An additional $56,250 will be spent on renovations to the East End Hall.
The plans there call for excavating the basement, installing damp proofing and weeping tile, and replacing roof shingles and components of the building’s HVAC system.
“That edifice is used for a variety of events, whether it’s voting, community events, stags and weddings. It brings the community to a neighbourhood, and we really want to preserve it for the future,” says Hallikas.
The Watten Fire Protection Team is also benefiting from NOHFC funding.
Two hundred thousand will be used to expand its fire hall to accommodate larger fire trucks.
“We appreciate being able to utilize the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation to upgrade the Watten fire hall building,” states Sabina Rossi, Project Manager for Watten Fire Protection, in a release.
“We can now look forward to being able to accommodate newer fire trucks and provide space for residents to enjoy multi-use activities in the future upgraded fire hall.”
