Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Read by hand, Oct 2026Details

This is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date. Check the sources, and tell us if you spot a mistake. What this site can't tell you
Read by hand. We read Fort Frances's own documents for this site in October 2026; the Sources page lists which ones. The comparisons with other places still come from the Province's yearly reports.

The money · 2025

How Fort Frances' money works

A town is a bit like a household. Money comes in (mostly taxes and grants), and money goes out to pay for services like roads, fire trucks and the arena. Here is what that looked like in 2025, the latest year the town has reported to the Province.

Why 2025 and not this year? A budget is a plan. These figures are what actually happened, checked by an auditor and reported to Ontario.

Money in: $37.8M

Where the town's money came from in 2025.

38%

10%

19%

27%

Property taxes$14.3M38%
Money from Ontario (no strings)$3.8M10%
Grants for specific projects$6.9M19%
Fees people pay$10.1M27%
Other$1.4M4%
Everything else$746K2%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Property taxes	$14,283,054	38.4%
Money from Ontario (no strings)	$3,817,800	10.3%
Grants for specific projects	$6,912,060	18.6%
Fees people pay	$10,053,663	27.1%
Other	$1,351,570	3.6%
Everything else	$745,831	2.0%
Total	$37,163,978	100%

What each source means

Property taxes: What home and business owners pay each year, based on what their property is worth.
Money from Ontario (no strings): A yearly grant from the Province that the town can spend on anything. Small rural towns get more.
Grants for specific projects: Money from Ontario or Canada that must be spent on a certain thing, often a road or building.
Fees people pay: Water and sewer bills, dump fees, arena rentals, permits and similar charges.
Other: Interest earned, donations, sales of land and equipment.

Money out: $27M on services

Day-to-day spending in 2025, by service. On top of this, the town recorded $5.8M of "wear and tear" on things it owns. That is an accounting cost, not cash out the door, so it is left out here.

17%

20%

15%

18%

16%

Running the town office$4.5M17%
Police, fire and safety$5.3M20%
Roads and snow$3.9M15%
Water, sewers and garbage$4.9M18%
Health$2.0M7%
Social services$320K1%
Housing$1.0M4%
Parks, arena and library$4.3M16%
Planning and business$707K3%

Show as a table

Category	Amount	Share
Running the town office	$4,536,710	16.8%
Police, fire and safety	$5,286,095	19.6%
Roads and snow	$3,911,513	14.5%
Water, sewers and garbage	$4,925,923	18.3%
Health	$1,971,416	7.3%
Social services	$320,005	1.2%
Housing	$1,027,345	3.8%
Parks, arena and library	$4,266,225	15.8%
Planning and business	$706,726	2.6%
Total	$26,951,958	100%

Police, fire and safety

$5.3M

Paying for police, the fire department, building inspectors and by-law officers.

+25% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Police (OPP contract)$3.0M+14%
What the town pays for policing.
Fire department$1.6M+47%
Firefighters, trucks and fire halls.
Traffic court$314K+39%
Handling tickets and fines.
By-law and animal control$181K+9%
Enforcing town rules, like noise, parking and dogs.
Building permits$117K+27%
Checking that new buildings are safe.
Emergency planning$68,759
Getting ready for floods, storms and other emergencies.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Police (OPP contract)	$2,958,839	+13.6%
Fire department	$1,646,630	+46.9%
Traffic court	$314,101	+39.5%
By-law and animal control	$181,072	+8.5%
Building permits	$116,694	+27.4%
Emergency planning	$68,759	–

Water, sewers and garbage

$4.9M

Clean tap water, the sewer system, garbage pickup, the dump and recycling.

+36% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Sewage treatment$1.1M+36%
Cleaning sewage before it goes back into nature (Tweed uses lagoons).
Water pipes$1.1M+53%
The pipes that bring water to homes.
Water treatment$887K+5%
Making lake or well water safe to drink.
Sewer pipes$851K+115%
The pipes that carry sewage away from homes.
The dump (landfill)$391K+34%
Running the landfill, and saving up to close it safely one day.
Garbage pickup$287K+56%
Trucks that collect garbage.
Recycling$250K−7%
Recycling and composting.
Storm drains$52,674−44%
Drains that carry away rain water.
Rural drainage$43,795+33%
Ditches and drains in the countryside.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Sewage treatment	$1,086,258	+35.5%
Water pipes	$1,076,687	+52.9%
Water treatment	$887,366	+5.3%
Sewer pipes	$850,840	+114.7%
The dump (landfill)	$391,433	+33.8%
Garbage pickup	$286,897	+55.7%
Recycling	$249,973	−6.6%
Storm drains	$52,674	−44.1%
Rural drainage	$43,795	+33.4%

Running the town office

$4.5M

Council, managers, the clerk, accounting, computers, insurance and the town hall itself. Every town needs some of this, but it does not fix a road or put out a fire.

+79% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Office and administration$2.3M+25%
Office staff, finance, IT, insurance, legal and the town hall. Towns share this cost out across other services.
Council$1.9M+487%
Pay and expenses for the mayor and councillors, and council meetings.
Senior management$407K0%
The top managers who run the town day to day.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Office and administration	$2,273,235	+25.2%
Council	$1,856,251	+486.7%
Senior management	$407,224	+0.1%

Parks, arena and library

$4.3M

Parks, the arena, the pool, sports fields, programs and the library.

+10% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Arena and buildings$1.6M+16%
The arena, pool, community centre and halls.
Parks$742K+5%
Parks, beaches, trails and green spaces.
Programs$728K+10%
Classes, camps and activities.
Library$645K+2%
The public library.
Museums$297K−3%
Local museums.
Golf, marina, ski hill$236K+35%
Town-owned golf course, marina or ski hill.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Arena and buildings	$1,617,686	+16.3%
Parks	$742,400	+5.4%
Programs	$727,974	+10.3%
Library	$644,720	+2.4%
Museums	$297,330	−2.7%
Golf, marina, ski hill	$236,115	+35.4%

Roads and snow

$3.9M

Fixing and paving roads, bridges and culverts, ploughing snow, and street lights.

+12% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Roadsides and signs$1.7M+13%
Ditches, signs, line painting and roadside brush.
Airport$844K+33%
A local airport or airstrip.
Paved roads$686K+7%
Fixing and repaving paved roads.
Snow ploughing$188K−9%
Ploughing, salting and sanding roads in winter.
Accessible transit$164K−26%
Rides for people who cannot use regular buses.
Street lights$153K+21%
Power and repairs for street lights.
Gravel roads$66,872+7%
Grading and fixing gravel roads.
Sidewalk snow$62,327−4%
Clearing sidewalks and parking lots.
Bridges and culverts$3,663
Keeping bridges and the pipes under roads safe.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Roadsides and signs	$1,744,142	+13.2%
Airport	$843,921	+32.5%
Paved roads	$686,216	+6.8%
Snow ploughing	$187,535	−9.2%
Accessible transit	$163,811	−25.9%
Street lights	$153,026	+21.4%
Gravel roads	$66,872	+6.8%
Sidewalk snow	$62,327	−4.4%
Bridges and culverts	$3,663	–

Health

$2.0M

Public health, ambulances and cemeteries.

+11% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Ambulance$1.1M+3%
Paramedics and ambulances.
Public health$456K+21%
Health inspections and programs.
Cemeteries$352K+33%
Looking after town cemeteries.
Hospitals$68,0000%
Money given to hospitals.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Ambulance	$1,095,569	+3.0%
Public health	$455,701	+21.2%
Cemeteries	$352,146	+33.2%
Hospitals	$68,000	0.0%

Housing

$1.0M

Affordable and social housing.

+39% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Public housing$1.0M+39%
Homes owned by government.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Public housing	$1,027,345	+39.1%

Planning and business

$707K

Deciding what can be built where, and trying to bring businesses and visitors to town.

+62% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Business and tourism$438K−8%
Attracting businesses and visitors, and helping local shops.
Planning and zoning$269K
Deciding what can be built where.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Business and tourism	$437,958	−7.8%
Planning and zoning	$268,768	–

Social services

$320K

Help for people and families who need it, and child care.

−79% since 2019 (prices rose 21%)

Seniors$118K+13%
Long-term care and seniors programs.
Income support$113K+95%
Help for people with very low income.
Child care$88,604−94%
Daycare and early learning.

Show as a table

Item	Amount	Change
Seniors	$118,384	+13.2%
Income support	$113,017	+94.5%
Child care	$88,604	−93.5%

What the money bought

The same 2025 spending, sorted by what it paid for rather than which service.

Staff pay and benefits$10.4M
Wages, benefits and pensions for town workers.
Outside companies$6.0M
Work the town pays other companies to do, like policing, paving or consultants.
Supplies and utilities$4.7M
Gravel, salt, fuel, electricity, heating, office supplies and repairs.
Money given to others$3.2M
Grants and payments to other groups, like the conservation authority.
Rent and money costs$2.6M
Renting equipment or space, bank fees, and some accounting costs.

Show as a table

Item	Amount
Staff pay and benefits	$10,397,958
Outside companies	$5,990,922
Supplies and utilities	$4,731,746
Money given to others	$3,249,162
Rent and money costs	$2,582,170

Staff

People on the town's payroll at the end of each year, as reported to the Province.

Year	Full-time	Part-time	Seasonal
2019	86	43	33
2020	74	49	12
2021	81	65	27
2022	77	66	35
2023	80	48	41
2024	85	45	46
2025	87	52	50

How things have changed since 2019

Money in compared with day-to-day spending, each year. When the orange line is above the blue one, the town spent more than it took in and made up the difference from savings or loans. Grants for big projects arrive in some years and not others, which makes "money in" jump around.

$37.8M

Show as a table

Year	Money in	Day-to-day spending
2019	$29.2M	$22.2M
2020	$28.7M	$19.3M
2021	$30.9M	$20.2M
2022	$31.7M	$22.3M
2023	$35.2M	$23.4M
2024	$33.6M	$24.3M
2025	$37.8M	$27M

Town property tax

Up 21% since 2019. Prices rose 21%.

$14.3M

Show as a table

Year	Town property tax
2019	$11.8M
2020	$11.3M
2021	$12.4M
2022	$12.6M
2023	$13.2M
2024	$14.1M
2025	$14.3M

Savings (reserves)

Money set aside for repairs, equipment and emergencies.

$24.4M

Show as a table

Year	Savings
2019	$17.1M
2020	$18.9M
2021	$22M
2022	$23.5M
2023	$23.6M
2024	$26.6M
2025	$24.4M

What the town owes

Long-term loans plus short-term (temporary) loans at year end.

Show as a table

Year	Long-term loans	Temporary loans
2019	$946K	$0
2020	$631K	$0
2021	$315K	$0
2022	$0	$0
2023	$0	$0
2024	$0	$0
2025	$0	$0

Building new things

Spending on new or rebuilt roads, pipes, buildings and equipment, compared with how fast existing ones wear out.

$13.3M

Show as a table

Year	Built or bought	Wore out (amortization)
2019	$3.6M	$4.6M
2020	$8.9M	$4.7M
2021	$6.7M	$4.7M
2022	$7.1M	$4.9M
2023	$11.2M	$5.3M
2024	$7.2M	$5.6M
2025	$13.3M	$5.8M

Source: Ontario Financial Information Return (FIR), Schedules 10, 40, 51, 60, 70, 74 and 80 (archived copy). Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Retrieved 2026-10-01. Figures are what the municipality reported to the Province for each year, prepared on the same basis as its audited financial statements.