Did we just miss spring? I wonder as our timing of seasons continues to change. We still had snow and ice through the last weekend of April. For three weekends in May, the thermometer struggled to get into double digits. And last week we welcomed summer temperatures. They did not […]
Jim Cumming – From the Publisher Emeritus’ Pen
Jim is the former publisher of the Fort Frances Times Ltd. He writes a weekly column and can be contacted at jcumming@fortfrances.com
Is the tail wagging the dog in Alberta? Separatists, led by Mitch Sylvestre, who believes that King Charles III has set out to assassinate him, have rallied 300,000 Albertans to sign a petition to secede from Canada over their grievances. (There are, of course, more than 700,000 Albertans who do […]
What does 24 Sussex Drive say about a country when its leader can’t live in the house that is designated for him? Stephen Harper was the last prime minister to occupy the official residence of the prime minister of Canada, and his successor, Justin Trudeau, refused to live in the […]
We are in a municipal election year. For eight years, we have had a caretaker government looking after Fort Frances. That is not a bad thing. But after eight years, it would be a welcome sign for a candidate to step forward with a dream of building something better for […]
My wife and I have been on the road for almost two weeks. When we departed, Rainy Lake was frozen solid, as were all the lakes from the Fort to Thunder Bay. The harbour in Thunder Bay was still frozen, as were bays across Lake Superior. Snowbanks in Wawa were […]
On Friday night at the Ontario Community Newspaper Awards Hall of Fame banquet, I listened intently to one of the recipients, who is also a Canadian Armed Forces historian. His message was that it was important for newspapers to be vigilant and to always get to the truth. He related […]
Today is “Earth Day.” The month of April is considered Earth Month, but on this day, we look to promote environmental protection and raise awareness about pollution and climate change. Since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated on April 22 to promote environmental protection, raise awareness about pollution and climate […]
Our Maytag washer is on its last legs. Chris from C-Tech let us know on Friday that a part that needs replacing is no longer available and then made a minor adjustment letting us know that we might get as much as two years more use from it. The machine […]
Along with many developed nations, Canada is experiencing a falling birth rate, and that will affect the country’s future. It is not a new problem, but one that has been growing for more than half a century. If we examine our family histories, we see that in the last 100 […]
The Iran war has shocked us. We are shocked by the audacity of the United States to enter this Middle East war. We are shocked that this war has impacted us economically. We are shocked at the prices we pay at the pump, the increased prices to transport goods from […]
Spring keeps peeking around the corner. The calendar tells us it is spring, but winter keeps holding on. Swans have been seen in the river. The first Canada Geese are back, and my wife reported that she could hear birds singing Monday morning as she left the house. The ugliness […]
For almost 47 years, a Canadian flag has flown from the front of our home. The only time it disappears is in the time of Christmas lights. I returned it to its position this past Sunday, and as it began waving in the breeze, I realized again how proud I […]
