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 […]
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
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 […]
Marnie and I began remodelling our kitchen more than a year ago. Marnie had never liked the dropped ceiling of the brilliant fluorescent fixtures that could light up the whole downstairs. So we agreed to lower the ceiling and put in all new lighting. It was only the beginning of […]
Nightly Canadians are hearing the grim story coming from Flint, Mich., where a city of almost 100,000 people are being poisoned by their water. The corrosive Flint River water has caused lead from ancient pipes to leach into the drinking water, causing extremely high concentrations of lead in 6,000-12,000 Flint […]
When I was nine or 10, our Canadian dollar was worth $1.02 compared to the U.S. dollar. Those two pennies were like gold when you exchanged your dollar into U.S. currency. During the 1962 election between Progressive Conservative John Diefenbaker and Liberal Lester Pearson, the dollar came under pressure and […]
I haven’t worn long underwear on a regular basis in almost 50 years. Growing up and playing outside, we didn’t have today’s super-insulated parkas and snow pants. What we had were lined jeans, long underwear, and felt boots that were encased in rubber boots. We all had toques that kept […]
My mother, who likes to read, was reminiscing Saturday evening about coming to Fort Frances to attend high school. Up until then, her family had lived in Hudson, Ont., where her father was the stationmaster. The library in that community back in the early 1940s was a small bookshelf, and […]
In two days’ time, we will be into a new year. Having browsed “Facebook,” the thread line of messages being put out by friends is one of hope and well-being for the coming year. The district is prospering with construction of a new gold mine. Meanwhile, new MP Don Rusnak […]
Early Monday morning, I was at the Den getting my ears lowered when Carol and I began reminiscing about the businesses on Scott Street. I have lots of memories as my cousins lived on First Street and we had the run of Scott Street. But perhaps my best memories of […]
The world has come together in Paris and reached a goal of limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius. It is a lofty goal—one not guaranteed by treaties between the 200 nations but rather optimistically hoped for. The new Trudeau government has set a deadline of 90 days to consult […]
Former U.S. president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in his first inaugural address, spoke these words: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Current U.S. President Barack Obama carried a similar message when he spoke Sunday night from the Oval Office. “Let’s make sure we never forget what makes […]
