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Fort Frances town sign with Boundless staff photo

Fort Frances to continue work on finding new marketing tagline

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The decision on a new marketing catch phrase for Fort Frances is being handed off to the next council.

The current council was not sold on any of the recommendations to replace “Boundless” and voted at their recent meeting to defer the decision to the next council.

Councillor Wendy Brunetta felt it would be a good exercise for the new council as they draft a new strategy plan.

“I also believe that a new council working together on what’s ahead of the community, it’s important to have something like a tagline and a strategic plan and a vision and mission to really work on that together as a group,” says Brunetta.

“I think that’s something that would be really great for the new council to work together to build a cohesive focus for the new, for the future of the organization.”

Councillor Bill Morrison says deferring a decision could also allow for further suggestions to come forward.

“I understand why you’d like to go forward, but I’d rather get it right than not get it right,” says Morrison.

“I think we should keep on and then somebody might come up with a winning one that appeals to the next council.”

The town spent the last two years trying to find a new name after council decided to phase out the Boundless phrase.

The term was created by a consulting firm and used for about a decade, but drew criticism and confusion from some members of the public.

A list of five potential phrases was brought to council, but none found overwhelming favour.

Fort Frances town sign with Boundless staff photo

Fort Frances council to discuss new tagline

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Administration is looking for a decision from Fort Frances council on a new tagline.

The town has worked for almost two years on replacing “Boundless.”

That tagline was created by a marketing firm more than a decade ago, but drew a poor reception from the public.

Five new ones, created with public input, were presented to Council last month.

They include Where Sunset Country Begins, Hooked on Rainy Lake, Canada Plays Here, Our Northern Light, and Catch the Moment.

Council was presented with the options at a meeting last month, but some councillors were not sold on any of them.

In a report, administration offers Council the ability to defer a decision or scrap the process in its entirety.

It also suggests the town could again hire a marketing firm or simply go without a tagline.

The report does note that many communities across Canada do not have a tagline, but does not recommend that Fort Frances do the same.

“There are benefits to having a tagline, most notably that it can help position future branding,” the report reads.

“Without a tagline, there is nothing to anchor the future branding to or to build future branding around.”

Administration also addresses the time taken for the process.

It says the town used in-house expertise in public relations and branding to keep costs to a minimum.

It does estimate that close to $500 was spent on surveys and other community engagement efforts.

The town spent $50,000 on the Boundless brand.

The issue comes to Council on Monday.

Fort Frances Boundless large

New potential new taglines getting lukewarm reaction from Fort Frances council

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Efforts to find a new tagline for the town of Fort Frances continue.

Five potential replacements for the phrase Boundless were recently presented to council.

  1. Where Sunset Country Begins
  2. Hooked on Rainy Lake
  3. Canada Plays Here
  4. Our Northern Light
  5. Catch the Moment

All were submissions based on public comments.

However, none are getting strong support from council members.

Councillor Kaleb Firth says he is drawn to “Hooked on Rainy Lake” and “Canada Plays Here” but does not see a clear favourite.

“I think it’s a great foundation. My personal opinion, I just don’t know if we’re there yet,” says Firth.

Councillor Wendy Brunetta is concerned about a tagline that gives the perception that the community is only about fishing.

“I don’t want to appear that we’re only doing certain things,” says Brunetta.

“To catch that broad scope of what we want to portray our community as being, I think, is the most difficult thing.”

Brunetta says she is drawn to the phrase “Where Sunset County Begins” because of the large number of sunset photos she has taken.

Councillor Bill Morrison offers no favourite, but notes that it is important they take their time in coming to a preferred replacement.

“None of them really struck out with me too much,” says Morrison.

” I think we need something that’s going to be catchy and people are gonna see it and then something that remembers, this is where Fort France is about.”

Mayor Andrew Hallikas notes that a lot of work has gone into the process, which received a good response from the public.

“You’re never going to please everyone, please all of us,” says Hallikas.

“But however it comes out, this is community input. This is our community giving us their input. So I really like that.”

The town started its work on a new tagline in 2024 when council decided to end the use of the phrase Boundless, but keep the colours and logo.

All were developed by a consulting firm for $50,000 and adopted by council in 2014 as part of a new economic development strategy.

Poor public perception of the phrase led to council’s decision to seek a new one.

Fort Frances boundless adjusted

Fort Frances gathering public input on new marketing tagline

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The town of Fort Frances is continuing its search for a new marketing slogan.

It has now released a survey that lists 26 potential options.

Gateway to the Outdoors, Naturally Wild and Where Sunset County Begins are among them.

They were submissions made in response to a previous survey.

The town is looking to replace the catchphrase Boundless, which it was used for marketing and promotional purposes since 2014.

Town council agreed to phase out its use out 18 months ago.

To gather further input, the survey asks the public for its opinion on what a new slogan should represent.

It also offers another chance to put forward a slogan for consideration.

The town also indicates that it is looking at public sessions later in the month to gather further comments.

To participate in the survey, click here.

Here is a list of suggestions identified in the survey;

  • Canada Plays Here
  • Where Sunset Country Begins
  • Welcome My Deer
  • Grab a Paddle
  • Community, Legacy, Growth
  • Hooked on Rainy Lake – Your Adventure Awaits
  • Nature’s FORTune
  • For All Your Outdoor Experiences
  • Harnessing Potential, Shaping Tomorrow
  • Naturally Wild
  • A Heritage of Time, a Future of Growth
  • Discover the Lake Agassiz Basin
  • Embracing Change, Inspiring Growth
  • Discover the Heart of Sunset County – Stay, Explore, Unwind
  • Legacy Built by Community
  • Northwestern Ontario’s Lake Country
  • Gateway to the Outdoors
  • Connecting Border, Building Community
  • Experience Nature, Tradition and Tranquillity in One Place
  • Nature’s Gateway
  • Explore, Relax, Belong
  • Find Somewhere to Grow
  • Watching Storms Roll By
  • Strong – Forte – Mashkawizi
  • Bridge to the Northwest
  • Bridge to Rainy Lake

The survey will remain on the town’s website until April 3rd.