It is quite easy to forget how valuable electricity is to us. Shortly after my father built our cabin on Rainy Lake, we gave up Coleman lanterns and replaced our lights with electricity. We had a small diesel generator that provided enough power to light the cabin and run a […]
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
It is July 1 and the 151st birthday of Canada. In typical Fort Frances fashion, the sun gods rained on the Fort Frances parade. You almost can predict that July 1 will be a rainy day. The thermometer only was reading 17 C but The Weather Network said the rain […]
Doug Ford has hit the ground running and with a few announcements even before being sworn into office, he clearly has demonstrated things will be different. Gone are the working luncheon caucus meetings with supplied food. Instead, the PC caucus will be expected to “brown bag” it. Or perhaps Mr. […]
We are in the season of graduations. Universities and colleges are finalizing their graduation programs. Nursery schools, elementary schools, and high schools all have graduation ceremonies across the district this week. Proud parents and grandparents look to this occasion as each ceremony brings a new chapter into the lives of […]
The Greeks have a special word that describes a family joining a Greek family as a result of a marriage. It is a wonderful term that explains the joining of two families through marriage. We hadn’t thought of the expansion of our family to our Brendan’s wife family when they […]
What a difference 10 days can make. Marnie and I drove from Fort Frances to Calgary on the long weekend in May, returning 10 days later. It was a great trip having never crossed the Prairies at this time of year. We wondered what the vast fields of grain would […]
Senior retirement housing, long-term care, and subsidized senior housing all are on the minds of Ontario residents in this year’s provincial election. It also will be part of municipal elections in the fall. Housing for seniors is an issue. For instance, what types of senior housing do we require in […]
Will we be bought with our own money again this provincial election? It is a question all voters should be asking themselves as the “robot-calls” light up our phones at meal times. Which party can bribe us best? When Kathleen Wynne unveiled her election budget in March, she promised free […]
It is the big question on the minds of district residents these days. It has nothing to do with the provincial election. It has nothing to do with municipal elections. It is all about ice. Bill Naturkach reminded me about a visit by delegates from our sister community of Paris, […]
Sunday marked “Earth Day” in Canada. It also was the warmest day in Rainy River District so far this year, embracing the warmth of spring. Earth Day is celebrated around the world, having begun as a mission of U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970. I look around my yard and […]
The merchants of Emo have geared up for “Spring Fever Days” again this year. The festival, now more than 50 years in age, has become the signal that winter is officially over. Kudos to the foresight of Ted Corrigan, Charlie Tompkins, Bill Mosbeck, Gordon Meyers, and Dennis Degagne, who believed […]
When I click on my cellphone to awaken it, I am perturbed by the advertising that pops up on the screen before I even type in my password. It is annoying and now I know that every time I view a car rental, flight rental, or hotel rental, I can […]
