CHAMBER

CHAT

2011 Board of Directors

President Mark Caron

1st Vice President

Leo Melanson

2nd Vice President Robin Payeur

Past President

Cathy Emes

Directors Barb Cournoyer

Lisa Plourde

Kevin Langford

Krista Gushulak

Jennifer Horton

Luke Skaarup

Myles Kuharski

Appointees

John Albanese

Angela Halvorsen

Gord Winik

Christine Joudain

Tim Gauthier

Ex-Officio Jane Gillon

Staff

Anthony Mason

CHAMBER

CHAT

sponsored by Holmlund Finan-

cial, went to Kristi McQuay.

The Fort Frances Chamber of

Commerce is extremely

pleased with the response from

the event. They had an esti-

mated 850 people in atten-

dance, a marked improvement

from last year‟s ticket sales.

They would like to extend their

thanks to the Faculty, who per-

formed with all the contestants;

the volunteers; the Fort Frances

Bass Championship; David

Bishop from B93, our emcee;

Our judges, Lindsay Hamilton,

Sandra Allan, and Christa Pare;

and especially to our sponsors;

without whom this event would

have been impossible.

Despite the heat Wednesday

night, Quest for the Best com-

petitors pulled out all the stops

onstage in an attempt to win the

Grand Prize of $1000. The com-

petition was fierce, and the stage

was full of talent all night, in-

cluding the amazing duet style

battle song (Don‟t Stop Me Now

by Queen) that finished off the

evening between the two First

Place winners.

Newcomer Charity Alverson

took home the top prize, win-

ning First Place in the first

round, moving on to compete in

the final „Battle Song‟. First

Place winner, and Battle Song

competitor from the second

round was Brittany Hayes. The

two put on an amazing show,

singing Queen‟s „Don‟t Stop Me

Now‟, in a duet style, to spec-

tacular effect. In the end, the

judges deliberated and although

it was „close‟, Alverson took

home the Grand Prize for the

evening, sponsored by NCDS.

Alverson also took home the

Show Sponsor Award, and the

Dark Horse Award, sponsored

by B93 and Daryl‟s Custom

Landscapes. Both First Place

Awards were sponsored by

Fort Dental Centre.

The Second Place Award in the

first round, sponsored by Good

Impressions Printing, went to

Allan McDonald, Zach Joli-

coeur, and Jeff Gustafson for

their rendition of Lynyrd

Skynyrd‟s “Freebird.” The

group also took home the Au-

dience Response Award, spon-

sored by ML Caron Electric.

Second Place in the second

round, sponsored by Super 8,

went to Kayla Lauzon, who

sang Lady Gaga‟s „Edge of

Glory‟, and even dressed like

the infamous pop star. Lauzon

Also took home the People‟s

Choice Award for the second

round, sponsored by McPher-

son Construction. People‟s

Choice for the first round,

Quest for the Best Entertainment „Sizzles‟ Onstage

October2011

The Voice of Business Since 1909

CHAMBER

CHAT

Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce

Left: Charity

Alverson battles

for the Grand

Prize with fellow

1st place winner

Brittany Hayes

Right: Nelson

Bragg and Chris-

tina Empey pe-

form „Wild at

Heart‟ by Glo-

rianna as one of

the night‟s duets.

The Rainy River Future De-

velopment Corporations

(RRFDC) and the Fort Frances

Chamber of Commerce are

pleased to announce the em-

ployment of three students

who will work to facilitate an

increased economic return

from our community‟s special

events and festivals. They will

be working this summer on

events and programs such as

the BIA‟s Market Thursdays,

the Canada Day Celebrations,

the International Tug of War,

Quest for the Best, and the

Fort Frances Bass Champion-

ship.

Brianne Hebert graduated

from the University of Mani-

toba in February with a Bache-

lor of Recreation Management

and Community Development.

She will be attending Lake-

head University in the fall for

further studies. Sarah Hallikas

is currently attending Brandon

University, and will be return-

ing in the fall to complete the

last year of her Bachelor of

Music. Sara Roach is a recent

high school graduate. She

will be attending Lakehead

University in the fall.

The Fort Frances Chamber of

Commerce is a membership

driven organization. They are

the recognized leader influ-

encing change to create a

favourable business climate.

Since 1909, they have

worked to improve trade and

commerce, and the economic,

civic, and social well-being

of the district.

The Rainy River Future De-

velopment Corporation is a

community future develop-

ment corporation whose eco-

nomic development branch

acts as the Town of Fort

Frances‟ economic develop-

ment office. They are funded

through federal, provincial,

and municipal sources.

Summer Students Hired to

Assist with Special Events

Page 2

The Voice of Business Since 1909

Message from the President

Hello for those that do not

know me, my name is Mark

Caron, President of M L Caron

Electric Ltd. We were estab-

lished in 1997. We employ an

average of 8 people. We are

an electrical contracting com-

pany that has done many small

and large projects throughout

the Rainy River district. In

2008, we also acquired another

business called Bud‟s Electric

Motors which has been in busi-

ness for almost 40 years. We

are proud to be operating a

business in the Town of Fort

Frances.

Over the past year I have been

pleased to play a major role in

organizing community events

and making Fort Frances flour-

ish into an even happier place

to live and get involved. I am

glad to see our community‟s

enthusiasm to every event that

takes place throughout the

year.

This year has been a very pro-

ductive year filled with events

that have brought joy and ex-

citement to many businesses,

as well as everyone in the com-

munity of all ages.

The beginning of the year

started out with a bang in Feb-

ruary with our 15th annual

Rainy River District Business

awards which rewarded local

businesses for their excellence

in the past year.

On April 29th to 30th, we hosted

the annual Fort Frances Home

and Leisure show, which

showcased many older busi-

nesses in our area as well as a

few new businesses. The

Tradeshow is still an excellent

way to inform locals as well as

tourists about our local busi-

nesses, how they work, and

new products available.

Fort Frances also hosted its

first “Strong-man” competition

this year with a great turn out.

The competition was tough but

one man, Luke Skaarup, of Fort

Frances had the advantage over

everyone else.

In the beginning of summer,

businesses of Downtown Fort

Frances created a weekly event

called Market Thursdays. Every

Thursday, local businesses

downtown would advertise their

products outside of their stores

with discount prices to raise

business with consumers. Mar-

ket Thursdays was a huge suc-

cess for their starting year. We

hope to see it all again next

year.

On July 2nd, Fort Frances and

International Falls hosted the

annual International Tug-Of-

War. The event symbolizes how

our two communities work to-

gether in unity. Last year the

International Falls had won the

competition, but we got the rope

right back this year.

Mid-way though summer, be-

tween, July 18th and 23rd, the

annual Fort Frances Canadian

Bass Championship took place

bringing in many tourists from

all over Canada as well as the

United States. The event also

included “Quest for the Best”

where new talent and Quest

veterans competed for the win.

2011 may almost be over, but

there is still many community

events coming up between now

and December. The Fort Fran-

ces Great Canadian Chilli Cook-

off for example, is coming in

October. We expect many to

show their delicious cooking

skills and have a great time.

With so much going on, I am

pleased to be a part of it all and

I am looking forward to seeing

you at these many events for the

years to come. I believe our

great attitude towards others,

whether it is locals or tourists,

makes our town strong, courte-

ous, and just an overall fun

place to live. I will continue to

help everyone enjoy the com-

munity and do all in my power

to keep our town strong.

There are a wide range of kitchen

sink styles and materials available

today. As well, quality can vary a

great deal from one manufacturer

to another and this difference is

not always readily apparent. Mar-

keting language describing gauge

of steel or composition of material

can be misleading and may not

always be relevant to the perform-

ance of the product. So what are

some things to look for and look

out for?

The gauge of a stainless steel sink

refers to its thickness. The thicker

the steel, the stronger it is. This

can be confusing to buyers as the

higher the gauge, the thinner the

stainless steel. A premium-quality

stainless steel sink will be 18

gauge while the more economical

variety is 20 gauge. What does

this mean? For better quality and

strength, select 18 gauge over 20,

but beyond that (16 gauge or

thicker) it doesn‟t really make a

difference, and the gauge can

sometimes not be consistent

throughout the sink. At this level,

manufacturing craftsmanship and

technology are also a factor in

overall quality.

Look for "18/10" which refers to

the chrome-nickel content, mean-

ing that the stainless steel is com-

posed of 18 % chrome for luster,

durability and protection from cor-

rosion, and 10 % nickel for hard-

ness and strength. But again, the

manufacturer does not have to give

you all the information on the con-

tent of the material and it‟s not ob-

vious to the consumer by looking at

it.

How the sink is manufactured or

crafted varies among manufactur-

ers. If you look closely, you can see

the weld marks on the topside of

stainless steel sinks that are poorly

made. High-end, premium stainless

steel sink manufacturers use single

piece construction with no visible

weld marks, ensuring a smooth and

flawless surface.

It may not be apparent at first

glance but there are differences in

the surface finish of stainless steel

sinks across different manufactur-

ers. Look closely and you will see

the grain pattern of the sink which

can vary and you can also see dif-

ferences in how the finish reflects

light.

Since quality is not always easy to

judge, it may be best to go with a

trusted brand as your guideline for

quality and craftsmanship. Imports

on the market that are made of poor

quality stainless steel or poorly

manufactured are not always easy

to judge. Watch for another kitchen

topic in the next Chamber Newslet-

ter - or - for a design consultation,

contact me at 807-274-6933 or visit

www.NorthlandKitchen.com

How to Select the Perfect Kitchen Sink Design tip of the month from Northland Kitchen & Design Consulting By Tonia Dolph

Page 3

Chamber Chat

Best Celebrity Portrayal award,

won by Lowery‟s for their rep-

resentation of Canadian game

show host Alex Trebec. The

winners enjoyed morning cof-

fee brought to them by the

Chamber of Commerce for

their efforts. Congratulations to

the winners, and many thanks

to all who participated!

The Canada Day Celebrations

were a huge success, drawing

large crowds all day, and into

the night for the fireworks dis-

play. There were family

friendly activities all day, in-

cluding the Canada Day Pa-

rade, a Mini King/Queen con-

test, BINGO, a Karaoke com-

petition, a fun run, and several

different food booths to try.

The turnout throughout the day

was great, and t he Canada Day

Celebrations Committee were

very pleased with the overall

event. They have already

started planning for next year.

The International Tug of War

took place July 2nd, part way

This summer has been a busy

one! The Chamber of Commerce

was pleased to be involved in so

many successful programs and

activities in the community.

Starting off the summer, we

celebrated Canada‟s 144th birth-

day with several fun and excit-

ing activities. The week leading

up to Canada Day, The Fort

Frances Chamber of Commerce

held a Window Display contest

for local businesses with a theme

devoted to Famous Canadians.

With so many wonderful entries,

the judges had a hard time

choosing, but eventually man-

aged to decide on four winners,

based on the categories given to

stores. The Don Cherry award

for the most extravagant win-

dow, won by Northwood‟s Gal-

lery and Gifts; The Alexander

Graham Bell award for the most

creative/inventive window, won

by NCDS; The Jim Carey award

for the most humorous window,

won by McTaggarts; and the

between our Canada Day, and

International Falls Independ-

ence Day. This annual event

promotes the idea of peaceful

borders, and a feeling of ca-

maraderie between communi-

ties. It has grown a lot in the

last four years, and hasn‟t lost

any steam.

This year featured two tugs, a

celebrity tug, and

the Tug for the Trophy, with

Canada prevailing in both

events. Next year‟s Interna-

tional Tug of War promises to

be even bigger and better!

Quest for the Best was an

amazing event this year! The

Chamber devoted most of the

month of July towards orga-

nizing this year‟s Quest, and

couldn‟t be happier with the

outcome.

Thanks to all the sponsors

and volunteers, the Fort

Frances Canadian Bass

Championship

Summer Activities at the Chamber

Page 4

Chamber Chat

International Falls Mayor Shawn Mason hands the Tug of War

trophy over to Mayor Roy Avis after our win.

Team Fort Frances digs in and pulls hard in what will be a suc-

cessful attempt to win back the trophy.

Frances Canadian Bass

Championship, the local

musicians, The Faculty, the

judges, and the amazing

audience for making this

year‟s Quest for the Best

one to remember!

The staff at the Fort Frances

Chamber of Commerce also

helped out with the Eco-

nomic Impact survey the

RRFDC did during the Fort

Frances Canadian Bass

Championship. This survey

is meant to provide impor-

tant information on the fi-

nancial and economic de-

velopment impact the an-

nual tournament has on the

town of Fort Frances.

The Fort Frances Chamber

of Commerce is also cur-

rently updating our website!

Keep checking our site for

updates, and let us know

what you think of our new

site when it‟s completely

finished in the new year!

The RRFDC is the only comprehensive regional economic development organization within the Community Futures Devel-opment Corporation’s (CFDC) region. The RRFDC prides itself on partnership development and in maximizing the re-sources available to a pro-ject or activity. The RRFDC works closely with all District municipal gov-ernments, First Nations, and other organizations involved in forwarding the District’s economy. The RRFDC operates with a nine member Board of Directors responsible to the membership. There are three main operating Committees; The Business Investment Committee (BIC), the Regional Eco-nomic Development Com-mittee (REDC) and the Local Initiatives Committee (LI). The RRFDC continues to serve the area’s busi-nesses in need of com-mercial financing that are unable to secure funds from traditional lenders. The Business Investment Committee (BIC) continues its move towards a more

focused approach to its lending. The Committee uses its targeted invest-ment strategy to assist it in prioritizing its loans. The strategy focuses on diver-sifying the economic base, including value added and manufacturing businesses. While looking to focus more lending on value added business, the RRDFC continues to place an emphasis on client ser-vices in the form of ongo-ing technical advice and counseling. In addition to business training courses, we offer several initiatives to help our clients on their journey to entrepre-neurship. These include the Self-Employment Benefit Program (through our partnership with LOW-BIC in Kenora), the Busi-ness Planning Initiative, Youth Loans, and access to high-speed internet for business plan develop-ment and research. RRFDC is joined with five other Community Future Development Corporations in Northwestern Ontario to create an investment pool (NWOIP). This pool allows us to offer businesses loans exceeding the nor-mal lending cap of

$150,000 up to as much as $500,000 for new and existing businesses. To date, the NWOIP has in-vested in 19 businesses in Northwestern Ontario. RRFDC has had three loans financed through this program and is actively seeking out other potential NWOIP loan clients. Another initiative of the investment fund is the storefront loan. This loan fund stemmed from the 2004 Business Enhance-ment project, which fo-cuses on customer ser-vice, regional marketing, and storefront loans. These loans, of up to $10,000, are available to businesses throughout the District that have a visible storefront in a business section of their community. To date, we have ap-proved four loans under this program and are seek-ing more throughout the District. These loans pro-vide a lower interest rate, with flexible repayment terms, to enhance the out-ward appearance of the business with the expected outcomes of increased revenue and stability.

Page 5

Chamber Chat

Business Profile:

Rainy River Future Development Corporation

Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce

The Rainy River Future

Development Corporation

recently held a reception

for several mining compa-

nies this past June. The

companies used this recep-

tion to present projects on

exploring local mining to

local business owners and

municipal leaders.

Bending Lake Iron Group

Ltd. and Rainy River Re-

sources Ltd. were in atten-

dance to discuss possible

exploration for their pig

iron and gold operations

respectively. Coventry

Resources also attended

regarding their gold pro-

ject at Cameron Lake, but

did not make a presenta-

tion.

The evening was both en-

tertaining and informative,

offering a night of net-

working with the mining

companies.

RRFDC Sponsors

Mining Reception

The Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business.

Our Objective

To serve our membership and be the recognized leader

in influencing and affecting change for a favorable

business climate in our area.

Our Main Goal To improve trade, commerce and the

economic, civic and social well-being of the district.

Up Coming Events

Tour de Fort- Cantabile: October 15, 2011

Chili Cook Off: October 27, 2011 Santa Clause Parade:

November 26, 2011 Tour de Fort- DALA-

December 10, 2011 Polar Plunge: January 1, 2012 Business Awards Banquet:

February 2012 Ice Skating Show: March 2012 Home & Leisure Show: April 2012

If you have dates you would like to be listed please contact the office

474 Scott Street Fort Frances, ON P9A 1H2 Phone: 807-274-5773 Toll-Free: 1-800-820-3678 Fax: 807-274-8706

Check us out on-line... www.fortfranceschamber.com thefort@fortfranceschamber.com

CGA Ontario—Thunday Bay Chapter 240 Eglinton Ave. E., Toronto, Ont. M4P

1K8

Contact: Shannon Lammers, CGA

Email: info@cga-ontario.org

Website: www.cga-ontario.org

Phone: 807-625-5866

Harris Hill Resort RR1 Rainy River, Ont. P0W 1L0

Contact: Cheryl

Phone: (807)-488- 1116 or Toll Free: 855-

488-1116

Website: http://harrishillresort.com

Inga Design

Contact: Inga

Phone: (807)-486-3119

Website: http://ingadesign.ca

Lifetime Smiles Preventative Oral

Health 715 Nelson Street, Fort Frances, Ont. P9A

1B8

Contact: Dawn Gustafson

Phone:(807)-274-2887

Loewen Greenhouse 192 Cameron, Statton, On P0W 1N0

Phone: (807)-483-1392

Remax First Choice Realty Website: http://www.remax-oa.com

Sportop Contact: Jenn Wheeler

Phone: (807)-276-5434 or T oll Free: 1-

888-776-7867

Fax: (807)-346-5401

Website: www.sportop.com

Email: jwheeler@sportop.com

Studio Gibbous Website: www.studiogibbous.com

Sunset Country Ford 1001 King‟s HWY, Fort Frances, Ont.

P9A 2X7

Contact:

Phone: (807)-274-3236

Website:

www.sunsetcountryford.dealerconnection.

com

Page 7

The Voice of Business Since 1909

Welcome New Chamber Members MEMBERSHIP

HAS ITS BENEFITS

Membership in the Fort Fran-

ces Chamber of Commerce is

good business!

As the only organization who

focuses primarily on the

needs of the business com-

munity, the Fort Frances

Chamber of Commerce

strives to provide unique op-

portunities to develop your

business.

Why become a member?

The Chamber of Commerce

is owned and operated by its

members.

Consumers like to do busi-

ness with Chamber mem-

bers—it’s a recognized sign

of credibility.

The Chamber of Commerce

addresses matters of general

interest and concern to busi-

nesses, which individuals or

individual firms would not, or

could not attempt to do alone.

The Chamber of Commerce

is constantly working to make

the area a better place in

which to live, work, play and

conduct business!

What are the benefits?

Government Lobbying

Web-Site & E-Mail Link

Group Insurance Program

Discounted VISA & Master-

Card Rates

Advertising Opportunities

Networking & Social Events

Annual Events & Activities

Informative Newsletter

Business Referrals

Brochure Display Area

Workshops / Training

For More Information Call

274-5773

The Voice of Business Your Opinion Counts!

As the voice of business for the Fort Frances area,

the Chamber of Commerce is always addressing issues

that could impact the local business community.

As we may not always be aware of certain issues affecting

your business, we encourage you to contact the Chamber

with any municipal, regional, provincial, or federal concerns.

Your opinion is necessary to help develop strategies

on future Chamber direction. We welcome your

telephone and e-mail messages or in-person visits.