Fort Frances council seeks another study on proposed Hallett display

The Hallet could be going back into Rainy River.

Fort Frances town council, in a split vote, has scrapped the original plan to display the former logging tug on land with the Owandem, another logging tug, and directed Administration for another report related to it being placed back on cribbing in the river.

The Hallett was removed from the river in 2022 over concerns it was floating out of its cradle during that summer’s flooding.

An initial plan looked at having the Hallet and the Owandem being displayed on land at the waterfront.

Council balked at the project when costs came in almost a million dollars over the expected budget, resulting in several new options, including placing the Hallet back where it had been since 2009.

Councillor Bill Morrison feels having it back in the river is the cheapest option.

“I just personally feel the way it’s situated right now, there’s already a cement area where everybody can go on. The cradle looks in fairly good shape to me. That’s some cracking on the very top. I don’t believe it’s in the ice,” says Morrison.

He believes that was done when the Hallet was initially put in place.

Councillor Wendy Brunetta also supports the Hallet back in the water because of the money already spent on the previous display.

“The thing that I really dislike is wasting taxpayer money, and a former council sat around this table and decided the Hallett should be placed in the river,” says Brunetta.

“They spent money building a really nice platform with an accessible ramp and electricity, and if we don’t put the Hallett back there, then it’s money I feel that had been wasted.”

Operations and Facilities Manager Travis Rob had previously indicated the potential to remove it from the river if future flooding threatens the vessel again.

Councillor Mike Behan says placing the Hallett back may not be the best option in the long term.

“I’m just not convinced that we’re not going to be in the same problem again down the road with climate change and flooding that might be more frequent, more severe,” says Behan.

“I don’t think that’s the best way to go. It may be the cheaper solution over number two. I don’t think it’s the best solution. I don’t think it’s a long-term solution.”

Option two proposed phasing in the original plans, still costing $1.6 million over a period of time.

Councillor Steve Maki feels there are still unknown costs to be further reviewed.

” I find it very difficult to make a decision whether it’s two or five when we don’t even know what the cost is,” says Maki.

“We don’t have a hard and fast cost. I just can’t see agreeing to either option when I don’t know how much it’s going to cost.”

The town had received $137,500 from FedNor and $442,368 from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund (NOHFC) to display the Hallett and Owandem.

FedNOR has already requested that the town return any unused funding so that it can reallocate it to another project in northwestern Ontario that is already underway.

The town used $46,000 on design and engineering plans.