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 […]
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
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 […]
I remember flying into Chicago when I was 16 years old with my father and as the plane began its decent into the airport, we passed through a greenish, yellow zone. It was a visible air quality issue. The yellow cloud was easy to distinguish. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went […]
While Canada has backtracked somewhat on the time frame, some 25,000 immigrants will win the lottery and become permanent residents of Canada by the end of February, including 10,000 by the original target date of Dec. 31. The refugees that Canada is choosing to welcome are women, children, and families. […]
As I walked through my front door Friday afternoon, my wife asked me if I was aware of what was unfolding in Paris. Earlier in the day, I had stopped following the news feed and was not aware of the attacks in the “City of Lights.” Afterwards, we discovered eight […]
