There are times that you often regret not doing something. I hadn’t thought about this until I received a call from Irene Baranowski at my cottage on the weekend. Her husband, Mike, had been determined that I should catch a musky and for the last few years, we have arranged […]
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
Just as the horse-and-buggy changed the mode of transportation, driverless cars are set to change our lives dramatically in the coming decades. We already have witnessed the self-parking vehicle. And Google has pioneered a fleet of cars that currently are travelling hundreds of thousands of miles to prove they are […]
We have begun marking the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I. It supposedly was the “war to end all wars” but looking back, issues that caused the war—and the festering in nations created by the Versailles treaty that divided up the world again—are causing worry and problems […]
Volunteers help make the world go around. And as we examine all the activities that take place in a year across Rainy River District, it would be difficult to measure the value volunteers contribute to the economy. One only has to follow the Fort Frances or Emo minor hockey programs […]
For the past two weekends, I have been helping my brother build a deck at his cabin. I chuckle when I think about this and our competitive nature when my father used the two of us to carry lumber to our cabin on Turtle Island. Over 45 years ago, we […]
Travelling through Europe this past spring, I was amazed at the number of small book stores that were found in the centre of the cities we visited. I couldn’t help but wonder why in Europe, small book stores could be so successful. Yet here in Canada, we seem to see […]
I was wondering the other day if by living in a simpler time, in a remote area of the province, our quality of life and lifestyle was greatly improved over today. Back in the 1960s when I was in high school, almost everyone had an after-school job that often carried […]
We are at the whim of the weather. Emergency planners across Rainy River District have gone to extreme lengths to protect property and infrastructure over these past two weeks. And as the water has risen, everyone is looking at the skies—wondering if the darkening clouds are the precursor to more […]
Coming up this weekend, and through to Tuesday and the following weekend, are celebrations marking both Canada Day and the Fourth of July across Borderland. A combined effort on both sides of the border has created a week-long celebration, although the flood threat unfortunately has forced both the Dragon Boat […]
In a little more than a decade, Rainy River District has experienced two extreme rainfalls. They may be a result of climate change that is affecting our weather patterns. What was a 50-year extreme in 2002 is now repeating itself—and may mimic a 100-year extreme that brought on the flooding […]
Will your voice be heard at the ballot box? Or are you among the 50 percent of Ontario citizens who are going to let someone else make the decision for you about who will govern the province following tomorrow’s election? Around the coffee table, it appears no one is excited […]
The provincial election will be held June 12 but the advance polls already are open and voting is underway. As I watch the campaign unfold, I’m struck by how mean-spirited it has become among the three party leaders. Integrity and honesty seem to have been forgotten, and many of the […]
