Partner City
Fort Frances
On the Frontier
Founded as a fur trade outpost in the 1700s, Fort Frances evolved into a logging and paper mill hub by the early 1900s. Today, remnants of this industrial past linger at the Sorting Gap Marina, where tugboats once herded log booms, and in the preserved storefronts of Scott Street, once lined with raucous frontier hotels. The Rainy River anchors the town’s charm, offering fishing, kayaking, and views of the 1912 International Bridge linking Ontario to Minnesota. Explore the Fort Frances Museum for artifacts from fur traders and mill workers, or stroll along the banks of the Rainy River, where you'll find the retired tugboat Hallett that recalls the logging era, or the attractions of Point Park. In winter, the Rainy Lake Ice Trail attracts adventurers, while summer visitors hike the 8-km Lookout Trail for panoramas of forests and waterways.
The Town of Fort Frances respects and truly acknowledges that we are on treaty three territory, the traditional land of the Anishinaabe and the Métis Nation. We give gratitude and honour to the Ancestors, Elders and all Anishinaabe and Métis People for sharing their resources and knowledge.
Tours
Explore
Fort Frances
Then and Now Photos
Wooden Sidewalks
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 987.084.011
c. 1908
People walking on Scott Street's wooden sidewalks.
Dam in the Distance
C. 1910s
A view of the hydroelectric dam on the Rainy River's Falls as seen from a distance.
G. G. Baeker Drug Store
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 996.038.082
c. 1920s
The drug store run by G. G. Baeker opened in the early 1920s.
Early Scott Street
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 979.057.001
C. 1910
A view down Scott Street, likely taken before the First World War. You can see the Scott Street School at the right, and the water tower in the distance.
Log Booms
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre
c. 1920s
Aerial view of the log booms in front of the Shevlin-Clarke Mill.
The White Pine Inn
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 2001.007.001
c. 1920
The White Pine Inn, a tourist hotel on eastern Scott Street.
A Walk on the Boardwalk
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre
C.1920s
Crowds of people out for a day at Point Park. Notice the Dancing Pavilion in the background.
Navy on Parade
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 997.007.006
ca. 1945
A Royal Canadian Navy marching band taking part in a well-attended parade on Scott Street. This photo was likely taken in 1945 and may be an event to honour troops returning from overseas after the Second World War.
East from the Water Tower
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 978.106.002
1940
A view of Fort Frances looking east from the water tower once located near where the Safeway is today.
La Place Rendezvous
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 2006.009.110
c. 1980
A view of Point Park's Beach and La Place Rendezvous taken from the Lookout Tower, which was then located in Point Park.
West from Water Tower
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 978.106.001
1940
A view of Fort Frances looking west from the Water Tower.
Parade Day
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 988.078.056
c. 1950
A huge crowd of people gather to watch a parade by the post office building. The centre of attention are the flag-bearing soldiers and band carrying out a ceremony.
Cheerleaders on Parade
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 2001.031.010
c. 1950
A group of high school cheerleaders march past the Post Office during a parade down Scott Street.
Charred and Frozen
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 990.029.006
1953
Here we see what was left of the Emperor Hotel in the aftermath of a fire that gutted the storied building. The frigid conditions have caused the water sprayed by the firefighters to freeze and encase the building in icicles.
Building the Noden Causeway
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 996.038.032
1961
An aerial view showing the construction of the Noden Causeway.
The Noden Causeway
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 988.078.078
c. 1960s
An aerial photo of the Noden Causeway taken looking towards the southwest.
St. Mary's Church
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 2006.009.040
c. 1960s
A view of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church amongst the tombstones in the Fort Frances cemetery.
The Cemetery
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 2006.009.161
c. 1960s
The well-manicured lawns of the Fort Frances Cemetery.
Cenotaph in Colour
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 2006.009.026
c. 1960s
The cenotaph can be seen here before many trees were planted on the banks of the Rainy River, so you can see in the background the mill in International Falls on the right and the dam over the falls on the left.
En Route to America
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 2006.009.171
1972
A freight train snakes towards the bascule bridge on the way to the United States. This photo was taken from the lookout tower, which is now located at the Sorting Gap Marina.
Scott in the '70s
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre
c. 1970s
A view down Scott Street during the 1970s.
Fort St. Pierre
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 996.038.037
c. 1970
A reconstruction of the pallisaded Fort St. Pierre at Point Park. The reconstructed fort has since been dismantled.
Digging up Scott
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 2001.028.013
c. 1981
A few white haired men look down into a pit dug in the middle of Scott Street during major construction.
La Place Rendezvous
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 2004.008.001
c. 1980
A view of Point Park's Beach and La Place Rendezvous taken from the Lookout Tower, which was then located in Point Park.
Watching a Parade
Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre 2003.002.026
1991
People standing in front of the Royal Theatre watching a parade go by.