Trees are in full bloom in front and back yards across Fort Frances. The flowering crabs in front of the courthouse are full of brilliant pink flowers. As you drive through town, the variety of pinks is amazing. Everything from soft baby pinks to robust deep reds are in their […]
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 6 a.m. and I’m the only person in the emergency ward. It is eerily quiet compared to Monday afternoon. Cathy, the nurse in charge, has just started the IV drip and I will lie on my back for the next two hours. I will be back again in […]
I’ll admit I’m both a news junkie and a political junkie. Give me an election contest and I will follow every blog and political columnist in the area where the election is taking place. For me, watching the start as the candidates break out of the gate—until they gallop across […]
We spent the weekend at the cabin and the water in Rainy Lake has not risen. Alas, our boat that we went to the cabin the previous weekend refused to start. Even the trolling motor batteries, which we thought we had charged, couldn’t get the motor to turn over. The […]
The flyers that will be distributed later this week are filled with outdoor living items. Flowers, plants, and shrubbery, along with gardening, and yard maintenance tools, all are being advertised. If you are into boating or improving the look of your yard, the ideas are all laid out. Spring is […]
When I think about what are truly Canadian foods, I usually find myself at a loss. “Tourtiere,” a dish we often associate with Quebec, comes to mind. It is common to both Quebec and the bordering New England states, and often is associated with Christmas. It is made with finely-diced […]
The 48th edition of “Spring Fever Days” will unfold in Emo this Thursday to Saturday (April 16-18). Back in 1968, the businesses had their own door prizes. Later, with the assistance of a former resident, the Emo merchants had a draw for accommodations, tickets, and spending money to the Calgary […]
Marie Antoinette, prior to the French Revolution, may have chided the crowd by saying “Let them eat cake” when told her French subjects had no bread. She became the most hated symbol of the French aristocracy. The end for Marie Antoinette was that she lost her head. I couldn’t help […]
Former premier Dalton McGuinty wanted to turn Ontario into a “green” energy province. He chose to close down coal-fired power plants and replace those electrical energy-producing operations with solar- and wind-powered energy. He turned the development of wind and solar energy to private enterprise. We know where that has taken […]
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has sharpened his spear in preparation for the coming fall election. He is working hard to convince the Canadian electorate that terrorists are lurking behind every tree and telephone pole in the country. He is worried that citizens in rural Canada live in fear and they […]
Last week, sitting idly in the train yard in Fort Frances, was a train made up entirely of tanker cars. It was only one of the 29 trains that pass through our community (and district) every day of the year. If you watch the trains from one of the level […]
If you could sit down and plan for a community, what would be your most important considerations? As we look to the future, the communities of Rainy River District have to deal with their histories and also with their futures. They do not have the luxury of beginning with a […]
