It’s a fair bet to say most Ontarians are in favour of higher standards in the classroom, and a return to the basics. Parents are well aware of the need for their children to have the best education possible in order to compete on the job market of the 21st […]

Dear editor: What has happened to democracy in Ontario? The Harris government continues to bulldoze over the people of Ontario. Bill 136 and the proposed teachers’ legislation will give the government complete control of the education system and the personnel who work within it. Education workers have struggled for many […]

Dear editor: The “Dial a Ride” is working. I’m picked up at my residence and let off at my destination, or visa versa, on the hour in the east end and after the hour in the west end. And the price is right. All you need to give is 15 […]

Although exact numbers won’t be known until Sunday afternoon, about 140 people are expected to take part in this year’s Terry Fox Run here–if not more. Run organizer Cst. Steve Maki said people have been picking up pledge sheets all week, and started the door-to-door canvassing to raise funds for […]

The Rainy River Valley Safety Coalition will get $25,000 over the next two years to work towards earning a “safe community” designation with the World Health Organization (WHO). And that could mean up to a 75 percent savings in Workers’ Compensation Board premiums for area businesses that choose to participate […]

A plebiscite is a way to measure public sentiment but municipal councils are not legally bound to act on results of such questions tacked on to the municipal election ballots. Fort Frances Clerk Glenn Treftlin said a “plebiscite”–the questions included on the ballot–usually zeros in on issues council wants to […]

With a world spinning on rapid advances in technology, and within arm’s length of the turn of the century, are the spiritual needs of a fast-paced society changing? How do parish leaders keep up while remaining true to the diverse doctrines of Christianity? With faith, hope and the attitude that […]

To gamble or not to gamble? That is the question. Town council Monday night unanimously supported asking voters if they were in favour of having a part-time charitable casino located in Fort Frances–as well as if they support VLTs here–as plebiscites held in conjunction with the Nov. 10 municipal election. […]

Mayor Glenn Witherspoon will seek a third term in November’s municipal election. He said yesterday the challenge of the position, and the different results achieved, were what spurred him to file his nomination papers again. And with the downloading of services by the province starting in January, he felt the […]

The deadline for the release of “real” download numbers has been pushed back a week as the Ministry of Finance and municipal treasurers, including Dryden’s Paul Heayn, continue to compare figures in Toronto. While municipalities were slated to get the figures this past Monday, Mayor Glenn Witherspoon explained their meeting […]

Making the grade under Ontario’s new guidelines isn’t going to be easy for the pupils—or the teachers, who may find themselves understaffed and overworked under the new curriculum. Tom Fry, who works in curriculum services with the Fort Frances-Rainy River Board of Education, said students who are not making the […]

After being plagued by the issue for more than a year, town councillors appear ready to let voters decide whether they are in favour of resurrecting a municipally-run and funded bus service in Fort Frances. At the request of the Northern Action Group, council passed a resolution Monday night to […]