What a difference one week can make in a country. A new government is being formed. A new prime minister is assuming the role of leader of Canada. “Sunny ways” Trudeau spoke to in his campaign and on election night. He and members of the Liberal Party promised much over […]
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
The Rainy Lake Hotel is down to a pile of rubble. For decades it was the social and cultural centre of the Town of Fort Frances. Huge balls organized by fraternal or sorority groups filled the ballroom with party-goers and dancers. Regional conventions booked up the rooms. Brian Mulroney was […]
Across Canada this coming weekend, we will come together to celebrate our good fortunes that have united us as a nation. We very much are a nation of immigrants—welcoming newcomers from across the world who have left their native countries in search of better opportunities here in Canada. I can’t […]
I am beginning to understand the U.S. Republican race to represent that party in the presidential election in 2016. For the longest time, I could not understand how candidates like Donald Trump, Scott Walker, and Ted Cruz (a former Canadian) could develop a wide following supporting and funding their campaigns. […]
In Canada we are governed by the parliamentary system. Voters in each riding elect a person to represent them. The Governor General of Canada offers the political party with the most elected members the opportunity to form the government. Looking back in time, the local citizens of the riding paid […]
This past week was our summer vacation. Marnie and I had a “staycation” at our cottage on Rainy Lake. My eldest son, Brendan, arrived from Calgary on the Friday prior to Labour Day and joined us at the cottage with his cousin and new bride and aunt and uncle. Jeff […]
What has happened to Stephen Harper’s commitment to build seven Arctic icebreakers back in 2007? Why, in 2015, are we still waiting for just one Polar-class icebreaker to be ready for work in 2021? The whole plan keeps being deferred as the need for more study in Ottawa continues to […]
We have grown older. Our children have married beautiful women who do not appreciate the rustic cabin life, and now we are creating an indoor washroom at the cottage. It probably has been long-imagined and began when my father purchased a Sun-Mar composting toilet in the early 1990s which he […]
The saying goes something like this: what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. What we are learning, however, is that what is written on the Internet has an infinite life span. It always can appear to be current. Whether it is texting, tweeting, or in an e-mail, the record lasts […]
How difficult is it to do business across Canada? If you are a corporation doing business across the country, you are faced with a variety of barriers with regards to provincial taxes, different provincial regulations regarding employment standards, different regulations regarding employment qualifications, and even problems moving parts between provinces […]
It is either the 115th or the 116th annual Rainy River Valley Agriculture Society fair. It is unclear if the fair began in 1900 or 1901. The fair continues to be a tradition in the Rainy River District. Back then, Emo boomed at fair time as it does today. When […]
The federal election campaign for the Oct. 19 vote officially is underway. Polls show the three major parties are in a neck-and-neck race, with 60 percent of eligible voter undecided and wavering between all three. The electorate is volatile. Historic “safe” seats for the political parties may be up for […]
