Fort Frances council is expected to authorize a bylaw amendment request submitted by Tom Veert Contracting Ltd. to change 1150 Portage Ave. from a living area to an employment area with the inclusion of a boarding house. The boarding house will be used for out-of-town travelling employees.
Fort Frances is now the first municipality in Ontario living with a ban on single-use plastics in 2021. The bylaw came into effect on New Year's Day.
Tour de Fort, a non-profit organization that has been organizing entertainment performances in Fort Frances for 26 years, decided to put their entertainment series on hold because of restrictions around gatherings brought by COVID-19.
Charles Fisher, president of the board, said they will not be able to organize any shows with the current COVID-19 numbers in the province.
The Performing Arts Festival set to take place in April will now be held virtually. The committee responsible for bringing the festival to fruition came to that decision last week as the numbers of COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the Rainy River District.
The COVID-19 pandemic has left many without a job, but an increasing problem in the Rainy River District is job advertisements left unanswered.
Dana Cridland, human resources coordinator for community living in Fort Frances and the Rainy River District, said hiring for jobs has become very challenging.
In light of the recent break and enters in Fort Frances, Sgt. Mike Golding, media relations coordinator for OPP in North West Region, said they have seen a spike in break and enters in communities in the northwest region.
Golding noted that this spike is coupled and strongly related to the use of methamphetamine.
A 30-year-old local man from Fort Frances has been charged with multiple break and enter incidents that took place last week.
The accused has been charged with a dozen offences including four counts of break and enters, two counts of thefts under $5,000, mischief under $5000, four counts of possession of property obtained by crime and possession of heroin.
Greg Rickford, MPP for Kenora-Rainy River, said in a media scrum held on Tuesday afternoon that the decision to declare a state of emergency and issue a stay-at-home order was difficult but a necessary one to make.
Under this order, all Ontarians are to stay at home expect for essential trips to the grocery store, the drug store and other approved activities.
The Canadian Women's Foundation received $19.6 million to give as grants for women's and other organizations offering gender-based violence support. These grants were given from the federal government to help organizations deal with the surge in reported gender-based violence incidents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The province of Ontario has renewed the lease agreement with the Town of Fort Frances to rent the vacated OPP building. The extension came after the OPP moved to their new location on McIrvine Road.
