Fort Frances mayor joins new border towns alliance

Fort Frances - The mayor of Fort Frances has joined an alliance that he says aims to protect the rights of Canadian border towns as the U.S. government continues to threaten Canada with high tariffs.

At Monday evening's regular meeting, Fort Frances Mayor Andrew Hallikas gave his regular report to council and announced that he had been invited to join the Border Mayors Alliance along with other mayors of Canadian border towns.

The alliance, led by Windsor, Ontario Mayor Drew Dilkens, was formed as a united front in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's promise to impose a 25% tariff on all goods imported from Canada to the U.S. According to a CBC report on the alliance, Dilkens said the tariffs would "impact cross-border joint ventures, ripple through border communities, and affect 'every level.'"

Hallikas noted that he accepted the alliance's invitation, and although he was unable to attend their first meeting because he was on his way to the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference, he said the alliance has kept him informed.

Hallikas said: "Now, with the U.S. president making various threats against Canada, including threats of tariffs, this issue has really come into focus."

"The Windsor mayor first called on mayors of border communities to work together, and this involves border communities across Canada, not just Ontario. So I was invited to join, and I joined. They held their first meeting, and unfortunately, it was a virtual meeting, and we were on our way to Toronto at the time, but I did email them to say I couldn't attend that meeting, but I definitely wanted to be part of it, and I've been kept informed. We've already issued a first press release... this Border Mayors Alliance will be making more comments, and we will be speaking with one voice on border issues."

In the CBC report, Dilkens said the alliance has begun looking for alternative supply chains to "mitigate the immediate disruption once tariffs take effect" and to "develop contingency strategies together," calling on federal and provincial politicians, industry leaders, and "our American neighbours" to join them in a "critical moment for unity."

Touching on other international issues affecting the region, Hallikas also addressed ongoing allegations that American fishing guides are exploiting the system to benefit their clients, to the detriment of Canadian tourism and industry. Hallikas noted that while he has been in talks with Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Marcus Powlowski on the issue, it is also starting to gain more attention from other municipalities in northwestern Ontario.

"The issue of American fishing guides bringing Americans staying at U.S. resorts into Canada... this catch is still alive, it only exists in the water, doesn't touch land, uses Canadian resources, and doesn't contribute anything to the Canadian economy," Hallikas said.

"It has subsided somewhat in the winter, but I did meet with a local fishing guide, and we discussed the issue in detail. I've already been in contact with our MP, Marcus Powlowski, about this. He's still working on it, and I want to mention that I will be attending a stakeholder meeting in Sioux Narrows. So it's not just us anymore; Kenora is involved, and Sioux Narrows is involved."

Hallikas also seemed to hint that the new Border Mayors Alliance might discuss the issue in the future, as the international nature of the dispute could affect other cities that share waterways with the U.S.

Finally, the mayor provided an update on the town's delegation to the ROMA conference held in Toronto from January 19 to 21, 2025. Hallikas said that he, Councillor John McTaggart, and Fort Frances Chief Administrative Officer Marcel Michaels met with representatives from the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and the Office of the Attorney General during the conference, and he felt their voices were heard.

"It was a great conference," the mayor said.

"I do want to thank Councillor McTaggart and our CAO, who played a key role in these meetings and getting our points across. They were both very, very good at speaking to the issues we raised, and our voices were heard. We had four very, very good meetings. In fact, one of them, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, has already contacted our CAO for a follow-up discussion."

The town's Facebook page shared a post from Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra dated January 21, 2025, in which the minister noted that he and his team had an "informative conversation" with Fort Frances delegates about "how we can ensure they can get shovels in the ground on projects that are ready to go so their community has the housing they need."

Notably, at ROMA, Hallikas shared that the meeting with the Attorney General's office was particularly important given the unexpected increase in the town's policing budget. While the government stepped in with one-time relief funding, the mayor said bluntly that the issue remains unresolved for next year, so they are seeking changes to how Ontario funds police for small and rural communities in the future. Hallikas noted that the town's conversation with the Attorney General's delegation was "excellent."

Hallikas said: "Councillor McTaggart, who was the previous chair of the police services board and the new chair of the OPP detachment board, played a key role in conveying some very, very good points."

"One thing that made me very happy was that they did mention they will be reviewing the funding formula in the fall. So hopefully we'll see some relief, because we're certainly not the only municipality concerned about police funding."

Source: https://www.nwonewswatch.com/local-news/fort-frances-mayor-joins-new-border-town-alliance-10154064?utm_source=tbnewswatch.com&utm_campaign=tbnewswatch.com%3A%20outbound&utm_medium=referral