We have had a warmer than expected winter to date. It has also brought less snow than one might expect, and I hope that I am not jinxing our spring. My side yard now has a skating rink thanks to the rainfall of Sunday afternoon and evening. The sidewalks are […]
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
Growing up in the 1950’s in Fort Frances where the back alley turned into bush across the sprawling former Shevlin Clarke wood storage area, the area was our playground. In the spring we hunted tadpoles in the ponds behind our home. Summer and fall we built forts out of the […]
I heard a new term the other day describing families between the ages of 40 and 65 who are supporting both a young adult at home and their senior parents. They are called the sandwich generation, and it is growing in numbers. This group is often the primary caregivers to […]
A survey released earlier this month found that 81 per cent of Canadians are more worried about paying for basic necessities like food, mortgages, rent than saving for retirement. In Fort Frances and across the district the one of the fastest growing groups seeking support from food banks are seniors […]
Now that five hockey players from the 2018 gold medal Canada Junior Hockey team have been arraigned in court, it is worthwhile to consider the implications and changes that should be brought forth not only for registered hockey players but for all registered amateur athletes in Canada. Four of the […]
On our way to visit our granddaughters in Calgary we cross the Prairies in almost a day. We notice the road signs announcing places like Whitewood, Grenfell, Gull Lake, Kindersley, Wynard Saskatchewan. We don’t stop, but whether visiting relatives in Saskatoon, we ended up at the Biggar Hospital with my […]
Canada is grappling with a housing crisis and both senior levels of government are looking for targets to blame and trying to produce instant solutions. On Monday Immigration Minister Mark Miller announced a decision to reduce the number of foreign student work visas for the students attending colleges and universities […]
We seldom wonder about electrical power in our homes. We walk into a darkened room and reach for a light switch and the lights go on. We put toast into a toaster in the morning and lower the bread and the heat turns on. But in this cold weather, Canadians […]
We have all heard the term “NIMBY” – Not In My Back Yard. It is a growing problem in Ontario for electrical generation. When the Ford government came into power in 2018, it gave municipalities across the province the ability to veto electrical generation projects, when the government rescinded the […]
The Christmas tree is down. The Christmas ornaments around the house have been safely stored until next November. I could pick up all the outdoor lights but will leave them through the historic Ukrainian Christmas. 2023 has come to an end and we have welcome in 2024. As I look […]
Christmas can’t come fast enough for my granddaughters. But then again travelling to Calgary to enjoy Christmas with our granddaughters can’t come fast enough for us. Just as four-year old Delsie is counting down the days until that gentle old elf comes sliding down their chimney, Marnie and I are […]
I wake up in darkness. For the third consecutive day the sky is clouded over and in late afternoon, we all will return to darkness. December leading to the winter solstice is a dismal time of year. After the invasion by Hamas and the slaughter of 1400 Jewish children, women […]
