Jim Cumming – From the Publisher Emeritus’ Pen

This past weekend, I was discussing the value of travel in young peoples’ education with parents from Kenora and Dryden. It is interesting to note that the current generation of young people are more informed, more mobile, and more adventurous than previous ones. When I was growing up, the big […]

It is the first flower of spring. It is Mother Nature’s symbol of hope. The daffodil, with its brilliant yellow petals, has been sold every year in Fort Frances by the sororities as their way of supporting the Canadian Cancer Society. In my household, I’ve been bringing those fresh daffodils […]

Sunday teased us that spring actually might be happening. The rain gutters melted out. The downspouts were shooting water across my sidewalks into the banks of snow that were ready to soak up all that moisture. I suspect that the water eventually worked its way across the yard and onto […]

We must be gearing up for a provincial election. Even with the chills of winter still storming around us, Premier Kathleen Wynne appears to have rallied her troops this past weekend to be ready to pound on doors and wear out shoe leather on the sidewalks. She pummelled the Harper […]

According to the World Health Organization, that glass of orange juice in the morning no longer is healthy. Under its new guidelines for sugar intake, an average glass of orange juice exceeds the six teaspoons of sugar an adult should consume in a day. The proposed recommendations would cut the […]

This past Sunday, my wife and I were in Grand Rapids, Mn. to hear the Soweto Gospel Choir perform at the Reif Performing Center. We had taken accommodations at the Morning Glory Bed and Breakfast, where we have stayed previously. One of the benefits of staying at a B&B is […]

I believe the whole country is talking about the cold and length of this winter. In fact, I would suggest that most of North America has experienced more cold this year than in the previous 35. Historically, one of the coldest days recorded across Ontario happened on March 3, 2003, […]

I spent the weekend reading through the decision of Mr. Justice J.S. Fregeau, who presided over the trial of Couchiching FN et al v. AG Canada et al. I didn’t attend any of the court hearings, which ran here from Feb. 19 through March 28 last year, and now I’m […]

The garden seeds are in the stores. So, too, are the starter kits for flowers, tomatoes, and other plants that will be transplanted later this year. The days are growing longer and there still is light after six p.m. In the mornings, I almost can see daylight now as I […]

There wasn’t a dry eye in our household when we watched the Dufour-Lapointe sisters receive their gold and silver medals as the Canadian flags rose above their heads. On Saturday, we watched how excited 19-year-old Justine was when she nudged out her sister, Chloe, to capture the gold. And when […]

Give a child a mountain of dirt or snow and a group of children can be amused for months. In climbing to the top of a dirt pile, the only one disappointed is the washerwoman who has to clean ground-in dirt. When climbing to the top of snow piles, even […]

My childhood home was the second one built on the 800 block of Third Street East in Fort Frances. Art Debenedet had built the first home, which stood at the corner of Third and Frenette Avenue. There was another home at the corner of Third and Shevlin without any between. […]