Fort Frances Drafts Reconciliation Policy With Local Bands

Fort Frances is putting its commitment to reconciliation on paper, and local First Nations communities are helping write it.

The small northwestern Ontario town has released a draft reconciliation policy that Mayor Andrew Hallikas calls "a living document." The policy aims to guide how the municipality builds relationships with Indigenous neighbors and honors Truth and Reconciliation commitments.

What makes this approach special is who gets the first say. Leaders from four nearby First Nations (Couchiching, Mitaanjigamiing, Naicatchewenin, and Nigigoonsiminikaaning) are meeting with town officials in late March to review and shape the policy. Their input will help ensure the document reflects what reconciliation should actually look like.

The timing matters. Last year, Fort Frances ended a decades-long legal battle over Point Park when a judge ruled the town had no ownership claim to the land. Instead of letting the dispute damage relationships further, all five communities publicly committed to working together going forward.

The draft policy covers concrete actions. The town will fly the flag for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation each September, perform land acknowledgements at specific events, and use only local fluent speakers for Anishinaabemowin translations. It also addresses how to handle cultural practices at municipal facilities and includes requirements for Indigenous language use on signage.

Council members have specific responsibilities spelled out in the document. It commits the town to following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action that apply to municipalities.

The Ripple Effect

Small rural communities often lead the way on reconciliation because relationships matter more when everyone truly is neighbors. Fort Frances shows what's possible when a town acknowledges past harms openly and invites Indigenous communities to co-create solutions rather than just comment on them.

The policy deliberately stays flexible. An online survey collected public feedback in January, and town officials plan to keep revising the document as they receive more input from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents.

"Before you can reconcile, you certainly need to know about the harms that have been caused," Hallikas said, referencing residential schools and the Sixties Scoop. The policy acknowledges these "harsh truths" as a foundation for moving forward.

The mayor frames the goal simply: cultivate a harmonious partnership with Indigenous neighbors and work toward a better future together. In small northern communities where everyone depends on each other, that's not just idealism. It's practical.

When reconciliation policies get drafted in boardrooms without Indigenous input, they often miss the mark. Fort Frances is doing something harder but more meaningful: waiting, listening, and letting the people most affected help shape what comes next.