With television, messaging, and “YouTube” available to all of us, we immediately can feel the force and wonderment of Mother Nature. On Rainy Lake, we have watched winds blow ice from one shore to another—often sliding up shores and toppling tall red and white pines. We have witnessed the ice […]
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
Rainy Lake’s ice finished sinking to the bottom over the weekend and the first boats started filling marinas. Everyone seems to be rushing to get their boats on the water. I wasn’t the first to put my boat in this year. The blue water beckoned and Badiuk’s had my boat […]
The world and research constantly is changing its opinions on what foods are safe to eat. The most recent change has come with the rehabilitation of butter. Back in the 1950s, very few people were fat. Most households in Fort Frances had very rich milk, where the cream would separate […]
This is a busy weekend coming up and the district should be moving with so many events to take in. There will be lots of reasons to travel up and down the highway on Friday and Saturday. The final touches for the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business & […]
In 1964, then-Prime Minister Lester Pearson formed a committee to create a new Canadian flag to replace the Red Ensign. The committee eventually selected an 11-point maple leaf centered on a white background between two red bands on either side. There was serious and rancorous debate between the parties—and the […]
If the current weather trends continue, I hope to be able to both attend Spring Fever Days in Emo and rake and clean my yard by April 22. Looking ahead on my cellphone, 10 days out gives hope that the days will be warmer. I am hoping the lawn will […]
Easter was once a great selling season. I remember walking into Wilkin’s Flower and China shop located on Scott Street and walking to the rear of the retail space and choosing either an Easter Lilly for my mother or a pink Hydrangea. They were, and continue to be, traditional flowers […]
That first blush of spring is a season for renewal. The buds on trees in my yard have begun expanding. My day lilies are pushing their shoots through the frozen earth and appearing above the last of the snow in my yard. Five months of winter has left the yard […]
The outside temperature read 11 degrees C on Sunday and the forecast for the remainder of the week is calling for continued mild weather. The snow is melting rapidly and rivers of water are now flowing along the streets into the storm sewer drains. The water is making its way […]
I began thinking about how long I’ve been a swimming official while at the Dryden pool complex on Saturday morning. When my eldest son was eight, I agreed to take a timing course to assist at a swim meet in Fort Frances. Later that year, he was attending a swim […]
American politics are brutal. Just watching the U.S. primaries and debates play out on TV, our own brand of politics is so much more civilized. At one time in my life, I often envied the U.S. style of politics in the way that U.S. politicians responded to the needs of […]
There has been a great deal of negative reporting about the state of journalism over the past few months. As I read the news items and listen to the commentators, one would think that newspapers, independent television stations, and radio stations are about to die. Yes, there will be some […]
