Editorials

There was a smaller turnout this year for the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce’s annual Home and Leisure Show, down by about 1,000 people over the two days, which understandably left organizers disappointed and scratching their heads.

Sarah Campbell had big shoes to fill in replacing longtime MPP Howard Hampton at Queen’s Park but she’s done just that so far—and barely seven months into the job to boot.

Area tourist camp operators no doubt are fuming over news that disgraced media baron Conrad Black was granted a one-year temporary resident permit by Citizenship and Immigration so he can return to Canada following his release from a Florida prison on Friday.

It appears local MP John Rafferty has seen the light.
His reward? A position in the shadow cabinet of NDP leader Thomas Mulcair as the critic for the Northern Ontario Economic Development Initiative (better known as FedNor)—a key responsibility for our region given the recent Tory cuts to the program that surely will be sorely felt locally.

Coming up a win short of the SIJHL crown, after having three cracks at it, was a disappointing end to the 2011-12 season for the Fort Frances Lakers. But there’s certainly no reason for anyone to hang their heads.

Word that town council is disbanding two committees due to lack of public interest is troubling news, indeed.
Despite several calls for residents to fill vacancies on the Children’s Complex and Recreation Advisory committees, no applications came forward and the town was left with little choice but to dissolve them.

Without any discussions with tourist operators and cities across Ontario, seven Ontario Travel Information Centre (OTIC) sites will close on April 30.
While 181,000 American visitors cross the International Bridge at Fort Frances, they will see that Ontario really doesn’t value their financial contribution to the economy of Northwestern Ontario with the tourism office closure here.

A game of “chicken” is sure to play out at Queen’s Park in the days ahead—and hanging in the balance is another provincial election barely five months after Ontarians last went to the polls just before Thanksgiving.

There is understandable outrage that disgraced former junior hockey coach Graham James was handed only an additional two-year jail sentence after pleading guilty to sexually abusing two other players under his wing, including former NHL star Theoren Fleury.

Emo residents are determined Donald Young School won’t suffer the same fate as Alexander MacKenzie, Sixth Street, and Huffman here in Fort Frances.
That certainly was the message delivered loud and clear by the 80 people who turned out last Wednesday night for the fourth and final public consultation by the Pupil Accommodation Review committee looking into what to do with DYS.