FORT FRANCES — The Town of Fort Frances has officially begun its annual budget process, and has heard from several citizens regarding where its attention, and a portion of its money, should be spent.
At last Monday night's meeting of town council, the 2025 budget process was officially started with deliberations and a public consultation period. The floor at the Fort Frances Civic Centre was opened to members of the public who wished to present some option for budget consideration.
The town had also received letters from the public with the same purpose that had been bundled into the council meeting's agenda for that night.
In total, council received two written submissions regarding the upcoming budget, and heard from two members of the public during the open portion of the meeting.
One of the residents who addressed council was Nathalie Donaldson, who had also submitted one of the letters the town had received and placed on the agenda. She explained to council that she had thought of several additional points she had wished to add to her written submission and so chose to read her letter with additions at the meeting.
Donaldson said that she felt the town should examine the possibility of adding some form of safety measure at an intersection east of Scott Street and Armit Avenue, noting that the intersections along that stretch of road are relatively busy and have a number of children trying to cross one of the town's busiest streets to either get to Robert Moore School, the Memorial Sports Centre, Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre, the skate park and more.
The businesses and parking lots located at intersections along that eastern portion of Scott Street add to the hazards, she added.
“The corner of Scott Street and Crowe Avenue is a particularly busy intersection because of the taxi service being right on the corner with taxis hurrying in and out (I’ve seen them sometimes driving directly off the corner of the lot), and people picking up packages,” Donaldson said.
“Across the street from that is where the Purolator trucks drive in and out to refill from the back of the Tichborne’s building. It can be especially dangerous in winter with high snow banks and slippery conditions.
"With people parking down Scott Street at apartments and homes, it can be very difficult to spot oncoming traffic, especially for children crossing for school or anyone in a wheelchair or mobility scooter who can’t see over the parked vehicles.”
Donaldson said she has seen plenty of “near misses” in her time living in that neighbourhood, and walks her children and others to school each morning to ensure they are able to safely cross Scott Street without having to go out of their way to use the intersection at Scott Street and Armit Avenue.
“I can think of no better use of budget funds than to help protect our most vulnerable citizens and work towards creating a more walkable and safe community,” she said.
“The kids have expressed to me many times over the years that they feel there should be additional traffic lights or stop signs so I told them I would write to Council to see what could be done. I want them to know that they matter to the community and their safety is worthy of our tax dollars.”
In her letter, Donaldson said she is hoping the town will consider any additional safety measure at some point along that eastern stretch of Scott Street, including “traffic lights, a four-way stop, a crosswalk, speed bumps, school crossing signage, etc.” and that she also felt that consideration should be given to placing a crosswalk at the Memorial Sports Centre on Second Street East where students are picked up and dropped off by schoolbus.
“I'm thinking, even if people see lights or a crosswalk in the distance, they're not going to speed up so much,” Donaldson said.
“But that is a particularly dangerous intersection that I've noticed just because I live just down from that corner.”
The second letter received by the town and included on Monday night's agenda came from Sheri De Gagné, who asked that the town consider installing a sidewalk along the south side of Nelson Street, beginning at Victoria Avenue and ending at the town's parking lot on Nelson.
De Gagné noted that those looking to walk from the parking lot on Nelson to the Fort Frances Senior Centre can either cross the street in the middle of the block, which is also a route used by large transport trucks that come through the area, or they can walk along the grass in the summer months, which puts their backs to traffic and more potential hazards.
De Gagné also asked that the town consider spending money to update signage in the Nelson Street parking lot, leading to confusion and misunderstanding that it is indeed owned by the town, not by St. Mary's Church.
The final submission from the public came from Scott Krienke-Turvey, who expressed frustration over rising property taxes and asked council how they calculate tax increases, how they “intend to rectify the out of control increases in the next, one, three and five years,” and what the town is doing to “attract new builds and improvements to impoverished dwellings, to increase tax revenue, to help hold taxes down.”
“My ultimate question is, if the current trend of tax increases occurs, just how are young families and seniors going to afford to live in Fort Frances?” he concluded.
Council did not provide responses to Krienke-Turvey's questions or any other input received for the meeting.
All comments received during the public consultation will be considered during the ongoing budget deliberations.
Fort Frances Times / Local Journalism Initiative
