By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com

Whenever a troubling trend establishes itself among people who take street drugs in Northwestern Ontario, the Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU) puts out a drug alert to help people who use drugs, organizations, and healthcare professionals prepare to adapt to the unpredictable and unregulated sale of street drugs. NWHU’s Program Manager […]

By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com

Cassandra Spade, a local lawyer and member of Mishkeegogamang First Nation, will be featured in the Grand Council of Treaty #3’s Here’s a Thought virtual speaker series on March 17, detailing her personal journey in learning to speak Anishinaabemowin as a second language and teaching it to others. “My session […]

By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com

Crossroads Public School in Devlin has introduced their fifth student candidate for the Principal for a Block program, which allows students the chance to test drive being a principal and feel what it’s like to sit in the big chair. “I think it’s a good experience, because you’re allowing younger […]

By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com

The explosion of artificial intelligence in recent years has sparked a range of public reaction from horror to confusion to optimism, and the Rainy River District School Board (RRDSB) is tackling the issue head on by providing students and staff with guidance around smart and safe use of the technology. […]

By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com

If you’re wondering if regularly scheduled commercial flights will return to Fort Frances since Bearskin stopped its service to the airport, you’re not alone. While no agreement has been reached so far between the airport and a commercial airline, that could change this year, according to Tom Batiuk, airport supervisor […]

Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com

Rainy Lake Square, the Fort Frances Museum and the former Sunny Cove Camp were on the agenda for Monday’s meeting of the Fort Frances Town Council. Rainy Lake Square saw a decline in use by about 29 per cent in 2025 over the prior year, according to a report by […]

By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com

Some students in the Rainy River District are getting a hands-on look at what it’s liketo be a school administrator. As a way to get students ready for the workforce, post-secondary, apprenticeship, and more, the Rainy River District School Board (RRDSB) developed the Pathways to Success program. From Grade 7 […]

By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com

Addiction support, housing shortages and homelessness remain unsolved issues in the Rainy River district despite years of efforts by social welfare agencies, but a recent report is shedding new light on previously undiscovered parts of the conversation. The report, co-sponsored by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Ontario and the […]

By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com

Nearly a dozen individuals will be getting hands on experience with a traditional craft next week. Grand Council of Treaty #3 will be holding a drum making workshop at the Fort Frances Public Library and Technology Centre (FFPLTC) on February 3 and 4 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., led […]