Jim Cumming – From the Publisher Emeritus’ Pen

There was a Facebook posting that said, “Could we have a 2020 do-over?” I chuckled. Yes, a 2020 do-over would be nice. Always in the backs of our minds is the question, “Can we do this activity safely and can our family and children be protected from the Coronavirus?” A […]

Everyone keeps talking about the new normal. What is it? Nine months ago I retired and began working on the new normal for a retired person. My wife and I created a routine. Breakfast, then a long walk and then we began pursuing our hobbies. I would head out for […]

It was a cold day on January 23, 1962 when my brother Don and I took over our paper route from the Burrell sisters. The route had 123 customers and ran from Central Avenue to the arena. We had one day to learn the route and then we were on […]

Friday night my brother in law walk out of the front door of the cabin and watched a lightning light show surrounding him. The lights flashed, colours blossomed in the clouds and no rumble could be heard coming across the lake. Sunday morning around three, the light shows reappeared. The […]

I grew up watching a black and white television. We had two channels CBS and NBC. Saturday morning, we watched Roy Rogers and Dale Evans chase down bandits who wore face masks. The William Tell Overture announced that the mask man was protecting people of the west. All the villains […]

I have been pondering on how the government and the boards of education across the province can begin the school year in six weeks. There are three different solutions that I see, and each comes with its own risks. The first is to begin school just as they were closed […]

My granddaughter is visiting, and she will be nine months old in less than a week. I am completely fascinated by her and I hope she is equally fascinated by me. She is talking in the background to one of her toys or stuffed animals and she uses different sounds […]

We will celebrate Canada Day tomorrow. It will be different than any previous July 1st day in the history of Canada. In Fort Frances there will be no Canada Day Parade. There will be no big celebration at the Point Park. There will be no gathering along the river to […]

Over the last 60 years, multiple plans have been developed to move traffic quickly from both the east and west to the international bridge connecting Fort Frances and International Falls. Traffic movements were studied. With the mill in full operation, much of the traffic arriving in Fort Frances terminated on […]

The windows in the cabin that look out over the lake are diamond crystal clear. The pollen that has fallen from the pines surrounding the cabin has been washed away. The grime that has been built up has been removed. The floors have been washed. The linens have been changed […]

The clouds have disappeared after the heavy overnight rains. As I look out, the flag is drooping around the pole. The winds are from the southeast today and we are on the leeward side of the island. I look out to the northwest and can see waves climbing over the […]

We became grandparents for the first time only eight months ago. Within a week my wife and I were holding our new granddaughter in our arms in Calgary. It was love at first sight. We were back at Christmas building our bonds with this new wonderful young lady named after […]