Local News from Across the Rainy River District
With the official ratification of nominations on Monday, a contest for both mayoral and council seats has opened up in Fort Frances, with 11 candidates running for local office—nine for council and two for mayor. Election Day, Oct. 26, is just over eight weeks away. Now that ratification is complete, […]
Fort Frances Town Council is eyeing the space south of Lillie Avenue and west adjacent to Legion Park as an area that could be used for RV camping in a central location of town. The concept was initially brought forward as a motion from Coun. John McTaggart during the April […]
Last week, a Human Rights Tribunal (HRTO) adjudicator ruled that a decision requiring the Township of Emo to pay $10,000 and Mayor Harold McQuaker $5,000 to cross‑border LGBTQ2+ community organization Borderland Pride will stand. The ruling was the latest development in a bitter and complicated six-year battle between Emo’s council […]
As the Emo Fair Logger’s Competition kicked off at 9 a.m. last Friday morning, contestants began sawing frantically through lumber to prove their mettle as the top lumberjack The Logger’s Competition is a staple of the annual fair. With records of its winners dating back over four decades, it’s become […]
The revamping of the Church Street and Veteran Avenue crosswalk has been postponed to 2027, but the commemorative painting to honour veterans will still be done this year. Modernization of the pedestrian crossover outside the Fort Frances Legion to make the intersection compliant with current Ontario Traffic Manual (OTM) standards […]
The Memorial Sports Centre will receive a roof full of solar panels that has the potential to generate savings on power costs after only a year and a half of use. Recognizing that the multi-use complex is the most energy-intensive building operated by the Town of Fort Frances, the town […]
A Human Rights Tribunal (HRTO) ruling that requires the Township of Emo to pay $10,000 and Mayor Harold McQuaker $5,000 to cross‑border LGBTQ2+ community organization Borderland Pride will stand, a tribunal adjudicator has ruled. The Township and McQuaker had asked the tribunal to reconsider its 2024 decision, which ruled that […]
The original plan for the rehabilitation Fort Frances’ shoreline was scrapped by Town of Fort Frances Council on Monday night after the awarded contractor failed to initiate the project. Town council now looks to award the work to a pricier firm, limiting the project to areas in most dire need […]
Fort Frances will face possibilities for large-scale economic opportunities by developing industrial power assets in town, said Mayor Andrew Hallikas. Since the closure of the pulp and paper mill in 2014, the town has been searching for opportunities to draw in new industry, promoting itself as a community ready for […]
An integrity commissioner’s report has recommended that Emo Mayor Harold McQuaker be reprimanded and have his pay suspended for 60 days following the mayor’s failure to report funds donated to help with legal costs stemming from a 2024 Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) ruling. The recent report from Integrity […]
The Township of Emo is once again searching for a new CEO/librarian following Mellisa Gallagher’s resignation after just six months on the job. Gallagher started in the role last March when the township hired her to take over the position that had been vacant since the end of December 2025, […]
Sure, the Emo Fair is all fun and games for most, but if you’re into serious competition, the place to be is Exhibition Hall, where just about anything you can raise, grow, build, bake, knit, craft, carve, pickle or crochet can be submitted for judgment—and win prizes. The Exhibition Hall […]
