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 […]
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
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 […]
How will we know that it is safe to ease restriction of social distancing and community lockdowns? Will we be responsible enough to protect one another? Each province, city and town will be faced with their own decisions. Each regional health authority will offer guidance. We have learned during this […]
It is Victoria Day and I am writing my column from the sunroom of our cabin. My wife and I arrived Thursday afternoon with a full load of supplies to restock the shelves and replace everything that we brought home when the cabin was closed last fall. I suppose everyone […]
A debate is forming on Facebook. Should the border be opened to out of area summer residents or remain closed to protecting residents of the district from the virus. Both sides have solid arguments. I have mixed emotions. Our summer residents on our island hail from Wisconsin and Texas. We […]
My lawn has been raked. The grass grows greener by the day. Almost two weeks of sunshine and being outside in the yard makes me feel almost whole again. Buds are forming on the branches of the trees in my yard. Green leaves are starting to shoot our from the […]
Councils across the district are going to have to face the realities of the new norm. A loss of revenue for arenas, curling rinks, halls and municipal parks will create enormous strains on their budgets. Fort Frances, Couchiching, Emo and Rainy River all have experienced a shortening of their ice […]
I watched in horror through the weekend as protesters in various US states marched on their state capitals, demanding that governors open their states and reduce the isolation restrictions. I, like a lot of Canadians, would like to go back in time and enjoy all the pleasures that we enjoyed […]
