Upcoming Events in Fort Frances...

Join us for the 2nd Harmony of Nations Music Festival happening next week in Fort Frances under the big tent at the Sorting Gap Marina, July 17th & 18th.  Visit www.harmonyofnations.ca for more information and details.

Then following the Festival, the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship will be held July 23-25th at the same location. Visit www.canadianbass.com for more information... 

Quest for the Best - July 23 - Sorting Gap Marina, under the Events Tent
in conjunction with the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.  Visit www.fortfranceschamber.com or call 274-5773 for more information

Snowbird Airshow coming to Fort Frances June 10th

Harmony of Nations Music Festival, this July !!!!

KRAFT~TSN Celebration Tour Coming to Fort Frances !!!!

The Fort Frances Curling Club, Kraft and TSN proudly present the Kraft Celebration Tour 2013 coming to Fort Frances on Sunday, August 25, 3pm-6pm at the Fort Frances Sorting Gap Marina, on the waterfront.

Join TSN Sports Centre hosts, Darren Dutchyshen and Jennifer Hedger for an autograph session at Safeway from 12 pm to 1 pm. After that, head on down to the Sorting Gap Marina for some Celebrity Street Curling from 2 pm to 3pm. 

A free community BBQ will be held at 3 pm, with the $25,000 cheque presentation being made to the Fort Frances Curling Club at 4:15 pm.  

Following that, TSN Sports Centre will be broadcasting LIVE from the Sorting Gap at 5 pm.   

Bring your signs, dress like a Kraft product, decorate your homes and businesses.  We had the MOST votes, so let's have the biggest WELCOME for Kraft & TSN in Fort Frances!!!!!!

THANK YOU to everyone who voted and supported this event.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO ATTEND

If you can't make it down to the Sorting Gap, be sure to watch on channel TSN.

www.fortfrancescurlingclub.ca

Fort Frances Named as 10th Community on Kraft Celebration Tour 2013 !!!

*edited for change of location...

From TSN:  http://www.tsn.ca/other_sports/story/?id=428217

After two weeks and more than 3 million votes, Canadians have chosen the 10th and final winning community for the 2013 Kraft Celebration Tour, with Fort Frances, Ont. winning a national, head-to-head online vote over Dryden, Ont. Fort Frances garnered 518,082 votes to Dryden's 272,292, which total as the most and second most votes cast in this year's campaign. As part of the Kraft Celebration Tour, Fort Frances receives $25,000 to put towards maintaining the Fort Frances Curling Club.

Fort Frances will also host a special edition of SPORTSCENTRE featuring anchors Darren Dutchyshen and Jennifer Hedger when they wrap up the 2013 Kraft Celebration Tour live from the northwestern Ontario community on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. ET on TSN.

“It's great to see the growth of the sport of curling in Fort Frances,” said Jack Hewitt, Vice-President, Marketing Insights and Services, Kraft Canada. “We're very pleased to support the Fort Frances Curling Club and invest in ensuring the facility continues to play an important role in inspiring youth and adults to get and stay active.”

***************************************************

From RRFDC staff:  

Thank you to all who voted for our community last Friday/Saturday in the Kraft Celebration Tour 2013 match up between Fort Frances and Dryden, Ontario. All of your votes (over 1/2 million)  has helped our community win the match against Dryden and give us the chance to be part of the TSN~Kraft Celebration Tour 2013.  

We would also like to thank The City of Dryden for being our competitor in this event and giving us a great challenge.  

We especially appreciate all those who kept on voting and voting, for hours on end, to make this happen for our community.  It is amazing to see how our community, along with our friends in the rest of the District, across the Border in International Falls, other areas of Northwestern Ontario, and across the world, can pull together and support us.  

*Be sure to attend the TSN visit on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 5 p.m at the Sorting Gap Marina in Fort Frances, where a community BBQ, sponsored by Kraft Canada and TSN will be held,  or watch live on TV,  TSN sports channel @  6 pm EST, 5pm local time. Everyone is welcome.

Dragon Boat Festival

Fort Frances Marina ~ Monday July 1, 2013 ~ 10:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.

Come on down to the Sorting Gap and join in the fun at the 2nd annual Boundary Waters Dragon Boat Festival!  This FUN event features amateur crews competing against each other.  2012 Dragon Boat Photos 14 paddlers on each team, plus one drummer. Team members between the ages of 14 and 18 must obtain a guardian's signature to participate. There must be a minimum of 8 females on each team.
 $25 per person* registration fee covers event costs.
*Non-refundable and non- transferable.
 
 Teams participate in 250 metre sprints followed by the semi-finals then the final race. You don't need to be a superstar; Dragon Boating suits all ages and athletic abilities!  Each team will attend one practice for one hour during the week prior to the Festival.

Register today as a team, or as an individual - and we will find you a team! Click on the Registration page or call Sarah at 274-2282.
 
We are also looking for volunteers to help out during the event.  To volunteer, please call Sarah or fill out a volunteer form and drop it off at NCDS or fax to 274-2352.

Website:  http://www.bwdbf.ca/
Volunteer Form:  http://www.bwdbf.ca/VolunteerForm.pdf
Registration Page:  http://www.bwdbf.ca/regform.htm

Fort Frances Fly-in Drive-in BBQ

Upcoming Community Events

“Hope & the City”—billed as a fun, flirty, and fabulous event to benefit women’s cancer research—is planned for Friday, November 23 at 6 p.m. at La Place Rendezvous.  Tickets cost $35 each, which are available at the Rendezvous, Fort Floral and Bombshell.

An introduction to prospecting workshop is slated for Friday, November 23 from 6-9 pm, Saturday, November 24 from 9-4 pm and Sunday, November 25 from 9-4 pm at Confederation College (Fort Frances).  The cost is $125 (materials incl.)  For more information, contact program officer Kathy Egan at 274-5395 ext. 4804 or email kregan@confederationcollege.on.ca

A craft and bake sale will be held Saturday, November 24 from 1-4 pm at Rainycrest.  There also will be free popcorn and apple cider, as well as a penny table.

The 55^th Annual Christmas “Parade of Lights” going from the Memorial Sports Centre parking lot to Mowat Avenue, via Scott Street, is slated for Saturday, November 24.  Parade lineup will start at 3 pm, with it getting underway by 430 pm.  The theme this year is “A Christmas Story”.  To pre-register a float or to volunteer, contact Causeway Insurance (274-6688) or the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce (274-5773).

Yuk Yuk’s Stand-Up Comedy Tour, featuring Ian Sirota and Graham Critterden, is coming to the Townshend Theatre on Saturday, November 24 at 7:30 pm.  Tickets cost $25 each, which are available at Fort Frances General Supply, International Travel Services, and the Super 8 Motel.

The “Spirit of Christmas” featuring a silent auction, coffee/dainties, and draws/door prizes, returns Sunday, November 25 from 2-6pm at La Place Rendezvous.  Admission is a toonie, with proceeds going toward the new digital mammography unit.  To donate an item and for pick-up, call Liz Clark (274-5839), Linda Hamilton (274-8782), Jan Gustafson (274-6482), or Diane McManaman (274-6196) or drop it off at Tichborne’s.

How to Start a Small Business, a free seminar offered by the Rainy River Future Development Corp., is set for Thursday, December 6 at 2 pm, at the RRFDC office (608 Scott Street). For more information or to register, call 274-3276.

If you have an event that you would like to be posted on this blog, please call the RRFDC 274-3276 or email us at info@rrfdc.on.ca

Quest for the Best - July 26th !!!

Jessica Whalen at Quest for the Best
Photo courtesy of FF Times

The Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce and 93.1 The Border, in conjunction with the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship, announce that Quest for the Best will held on July 26th, at 7:30 pm, in the Fort Frances Memorial Arena.

Both organizations are proud to provide a venue to showcase the best performers that the Rainy River District has to offer. The live music and song styling's of Quest participants are sure to provide an evening of entertainment that the entire family can enjoy.  And, back by popular demand, will the VIP section which will be bigger and better than ever!

Singers.... warm up your vocal cords, find a song to share, and get ready for Quest for the Best.

Tickets for this year's Quest are on sale now at the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce office or Canadian Tire.  Get yours now for only $15 each or a VIP table that seats 8 persons right up front, with drink service and snacks.  The cost for VIP seating is $180 per table.  To book your VIP table, call the Chamber office at 807.274.5773

For more information please contact Sarah Hallikas at the Chamber Office 807-274-5773 or email info@fortfranceschamber.com

See you at QUEST FOR THE BEST !!!

Dragon Boat Festival

The 1st Annual Boundary Waters Dragon Boat Festival will be held at the Sorting Gap Marina in Fort Frances on Sunday, July 1st from 10:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

For more information or how to register for this event, visit http://www.bwdbf.ca/

Tribute to the Legends of Country Music...

The Rainy River Valley Agricultural Society presents


Tribute to the Legends of Country Music
Dolly, Patsy, Loretta, Kitty, Jeannie, Jim Reeves, Hank Williams Sr., 
Johnny Cash, Statler Bros., Willie Nelson, etc.


Performed by
Country Blend


Sunday, June 3, 2012
Emo Royal Canadian Legion

Show Time:  7:00 p.m.
Tickets:  $20.00


Tickets are available at Causeway Insurance (Fort Frances), 
Tompkins Hardware (Emo) , by calling the 
RRVAS Board Secretary at 482-2428  or at the door


Proceeds go to improvements on the Emo Fair Grounds

13th Annual Fly-In Drive-In BBQ

The 13th Annual Fly-in, Drive-in BBQ will be held on Sunday, June 3, 2012 from 10 am to 2pm at the Fort Frances Airport.

On display this year will be Homebuilts, Wheel Planes, RC Aircrafts,  and Amphib Planes.  There will also be an Antique Car Show sponsored by the International Early Iron Car Club.

This year's BBQ will be catered by the 908 Rainy Lake Air Cadets, and tickets will be available on site.

For more information about this year's event, please contact Bruce Caldwell at 807-274-3070.

Hope to see there!!!

Home Show 2012

The Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce Annual Home & Leisure Show will be held this weekend at the Fort Frances Memorial Sports Centre.

Friday, May 11th ~ 4pm - 9pm
Saturday, May 12th ~ 9am - 4pm

The Strongman Competition will also be held at the event...

Heart of the Arts

The Sunset Country Métis, the Rainy River Arts Collective, and the Fort Frances Museum and Cultural Centre invite you to enjoy ...

Local Talent.

Local Culture.

Local Pride.

‘Heart of the Arts’

Benefit Concert, Auction, Art Exhibition & Market

Feb. 16th at the Townshend Theatre in Fort Frances

Art Exhibit & Market, Busking, and Auction
begin at 6:00 p.m.

Main Stage Concert begins at 7:00 p.m.

You will have an opportunity to view artwork from artists such as Cher Pruys, Eric Keast and Connie Cuthbertson. You can scout out the talent of local musicians that you may want to bring in to entertain in your restaurant, lounge or around your campfire.  You can check out the jewellry, beadwork and metalwork of local artisans whose work you may want to display or sell.  Or simply sit back and enjoy a unique evening of incredible talent.

Tickets are on sale at Northwood's Gallery & Gifts in Fort Frances for $20 each.

So, Mark your calendar, get your tickets and join the fun.  We hope to see you there!

For more information, call Wanda Botsford at 807.274.6736.

Community Chest Dinner

Photo Courtesy of the Fort Frances Times

The Fort Frances Community Chest has set Sunday, Feb. 12 at La Place Rendez-Vous as the date and location for its fundraiser dinner.

The dinner has been a very popular event in the past, drawing sold-out crowds of more than 200 people while raising thousands of dollars to provide financial aid to local families facing medical expenses.

Those wanting to donate a live or silent auction item, or offer a testimonial, can call Linda Hamilton (274-3221) or Joelle Blanc (274-7008).

Tickets for the dinner will go on sale at the Rendez-Vous at the beginning of next week.
Tickets will cost $35 each, or $300 for a table of 10.  Cocktails will be served at 5 p.m., with dinner to follow promptly at 6.

Rainy River Valley Agricultural Fall Fair

The 2011 Rainy River Valley Agricultural Fall Fair is being held August 18-20 at the Emo Fairgrounds in Emo.

The parade will be held on Saturday August 20th. All participants are asked to assemble on Front Street in Emo at 10:30. Judging will take place at 11:00 a.m. sharp. The parade will proceed up to the Fair grounds at 12 noon. All information about participating in the parade is in the fair book which can be viewed HERE.

ADVANCE MIDWAY TICKETS:
Fort Frances - Wilson's Stationary & Rainy Lake Sports
Devlin - Devlynn's & Greensides
Emo - Tompkin's Hardware, Village Variety & Cloverleaf Shop Easy
Barwick - Barwick Village Restaurant
Stratton - Stratton Restaurant
Rainy River - Rainy River Drug Store

Advance midway tickets are on sale until Thursday evening August 18th - $28.00 a savings of $5.00.  Gate admission is $3.00 per person per day.  You do not need advanced midway tickets to enter the fairgrounds.  You can pay your $3.00 admission at the gate.


For complete fair information, please visit their website at http://www.emofair.com/

2011 Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship

The 2011 Fort Frances Canadian Bass Tournament kicks off this week with competition starting on Thursday and running through to Saturday.

In the event this year, are 102 teams who are vying for approximately $103,000 dollars in prize money.

On Wednesday, the annual Parade of Boats will start at 5 pm from the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau, and proceed down Scott Street towards the Memorial Sports Centre.  Later that evening, the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce’s “Quest for the Best” singing competition will start at 7 p.m. and will have new and returning contestants singing their way to win the grand prize of $1000.

Competition then starts early Thursday morning with boat launches starting at 5 am, and weigh-ins starting at 3 pm.  This will continue through to Friday and Saturday.  Angler awards presentation will be held on Saturday night at 7 pm… where this year’s Champions will be crowned.  Again, this year, the event is being held at the Fort Frances Memorial Sports Centre, Ice for Kids arena.

During the 3-day competition, there will be supper meals catered as follows:

Thursday………… “Chicken n Ribs” dinner by Todd Moxham of Cater 2 U for $13

Friday……………. “Flopping Fresh Fish” dinner by the Fort Frances Lakers for $13

Saturday………… “Steak Fry” by the Kiwansis Club of Fort Frances for $15

The Entertainment lineup for the weekend is:

Friday…………….Kartune Kriminals and Bed of Roses starting at 9 pm (age of majority)

Saturday…………Thinking of Pinky starting at 9 pm (age of majority)

For more information, visit www.canadianbass.com

Good Luck to all Anglers in this year’s competition!

Quest for the Best - July 20th

Quest for the Best organizers have taken out all the stops in their advertising campaign this year. Far beyond the usual newspaper and radio advertisements, ‘live’ advertising is new to the line-up. On Thursday, July 14, Quest for the Best had a table set up at the weekly Market Thursday to sell tickets for the upcoming July 20^th show. Not only did passers-by get to peruse the wonderful produce, art, jewelry, and crafts that are available downtown every Thursday, all of Scott Street was treated to a free day-long concert, featuring the talented locals that will be competing in this year’s Quest for the Best.

Throughout the day, competitors stopped by the market and sang several of their favourite songs, on a sound system donated for the day by Sight & Sound. Some of the contestants even brought their own guitars and played their whole set.

To find out more about this year’s competitors, check the display window at Betty’s of Fort Frances on Scott Street. It features all of this year’s contestants, and info on their musical background.

Tickets to this year’s Quest are $15, and are available at Canadian Tire, Betty’s, and the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce. VIP tables are also available.

For more information, contact:

Anthony Mason

Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce

(807)-274-5773

thefort@fortfranceschamber.com

Matthew Hornell to play at Little Beaver Cultural Centre July 5th...

Matthew Hornell is returning from the East to play the Little Beaver on Tuesday, July 5th! Last time he came through this area with his band "The Diamond Minds" and rocked the house with some great folksy Celtic rock and a high-energy stage show. This time he is coming by himself for a solo performance. He told us personally that he is bringing the same energy and flare for the stage as last time.

Matthew Hornell is a singer and a songwriter from Newfoundland and Labrador. After bursting onto the St. John's music scene with live shows that showcased his unflagging energy, Hornell's award-winning debut album, released in 2010, firmly established him as a vital new voice in the songwriting community of Atlantic Canada.

On the heels of his debut release, Hornell received four Music NL awards - including Entertainer of the Year and the Rising Star Award. He has shared stages with such talented musicians as Elliott Brood, Sloan, David Francey and Brian Borcherdt and brought his songs to shows and venues all across Canada. 

Tickets are $15 and the show will start at 8:00. See you there!

In addition, he has recently updated his website, so check it out! www.matthewhornell.com

Fort Frances Little Theatre

“How the West Was Won in a Dress”

June 25-26 and June 28-29

7 p.m. at the Cornell Barn, La Vallee Road North.

Tickets cost $12 in advance or $15 at the door

(available at Northwoods Gallery & Gifts, the Clover Valley Farmers’ Market, and Greensides in Devlin).

http://www.fftimes.com/node/243513