Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada - The Gateway to Sunset Country

Fort Frances is the largest town in the Rainy River District with a population of 8000. The town is the gateway to Sunset Country and offers much to stop for. Fort Frances is located on the shores of Rainy River, and along the Canada-US border. The town is linked by a bridge to International Falls, Minnesota. Fort Frances has a fully-developed waterfront along Rainy Lake. Rainy Lake extends north and east from Fort Frances and is home to many hunting and fishing resorts. Rainy Lake is famous for its smallmouth bass fishing. The community is home to the Fort Frances International Bass Classic fishing tournament. The community is a full-service town, with plenty of shopping and services. Accommodation choices range from hotels and motels to lodges and resorts to outpost cabins to campgrounds.

Fort Frances is the oldest community west of Lake Superior. A view of the early pioneer life, aboriginal life, and displays of local arts and crafts can be found at the Fort Frances Attractions such as the Fort Frances Museum and Cultural Centre, located in the heart of the Downtown shopping district. Get some exercise by walking along the waterfront out to the rapids where Rainy Lake flows into Rainy River. The next half-mile takes you through Pither's Point Park and onto the shores of sparkling Rainy Lake. The Fort Frances Museum was completely renovated in 2007 and includes information on attractions and history of all of Northwestern Ontario. Stop and check out the logging boat Hallett. The 60-foot, 57-ton boat was built in 1941 and once was the largest and most powerful boat on Rainy Lake.

Winter Vacations in Fort Frances
The Winter months in the Fort Frances are not a time to hide inside. Dressed properly, the five feet of snow which falls in an average winter can be enjoyable in many activities. Snowmobiling the groomed trails, ice fishing, curling, cross-country skiing, broomball and hockey are just a few of the activities enjoyed by residents and visitors in the area.

For a list of accommodations, gift shops, restaurants and more in Fort Frances, scroll down to the bottom of this page to link to the business' websites.

Main Industries:
Due the abundance of wooded areas, the main industry is the local Abitibi Consolidated Inc. Paper mill.

Population: 8,000

Distance to nearest towns from Fort Frances:
to Emo - 30 km or 19 miles (23 minutes)
to Rainy River - 90 km or 56 miles (67 minutes)
to Nestor Falls - 95 km or 59 miles (70 minutes)
to Sioux Lookout - 135 km or 84 miles (100 minutes)
to Kenora - 210 km or 130 miles (157 minutes)
to Atikokan - 150 km or 93 miles - 112 minutes)
to Dryden - 180 km or 112 miles (175 minutes)
to Thunder Bay - 335 km or 208 miles (251 minutes)
to Winnipeg, MB - 392 km or 245 miles (299 minutes)
to Minneapolis, MN - 474 km or 284 miles (365 minutes)

Visitor Information Centre
You'll find travel information and maps at the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce as well as at the Ontario Travel Centre. The Chamber is located at 474 Scott St. The Ontario Travel Centre is located near the Canada/US border. As soon as you cross the bridge from International Falls and enter into Canada, you'll go through customs and as you are leaving customs, turn left and you'll see the Information Centre.

Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce - 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday year-round
Ontario Travel Centre - Summer hours 7am - 7pm, Winter hours 8:30 - 5 pm, 7 days a week

For more information please call the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-820-FORT. Be sure to stop at the Ontario Travel Information Centre as soon as you cross into Fort Frances from International Falls. The building is on your left - it's loaded with maps, brochures and everything you may need to get you to where you are going.