Local News from Across the Rainy River District
Currently, even with immigration into Canada, there is not enough people to replace the outgoing workforce. In fact, most immigrants are settling in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Calgary are the other popular cities for immigrants. Fifty percent of all skilled workers will be retiring in the […]
After much anticipation, MPPs returned to Queen’s Park on Nov. 21 for the fall sitting of the Legislative Assembly—and it was a very busy week. The 40th Parliament formally began with the Speech from the Throne, in which the government’s plans for the upcoming session were outlined. While the speech […]
A lot can change in two months. Just ask the newly-unemployed Bruce Boudreau and Paul Maurice, for example. But after writing in this space two months ago that the then-tight SIJHL standings could hold up until the final day of the regular season, it’s nice to see that things are […]
Every time I pick up the telephone to make a call, I’m greeted by a smiling face. A tiny half-inch yellow smiley face with a huge mouth turned up at the corners and jolly smiling eyes. The same is true when I begin work on my computer or put on […]
The cyclamenis offered to us as a houseplant often are found in the fall and winter at our local florists. Because of this, greenhouse-grown cyclamen usually are forced to bloom sometime around the Christmas holiday season and into the late winter. Cyclamen have sweet-scented, small flowers (half-inch to three-quarters of […]
This past week saw the unveiling of the new Conservative plan for pensions in Canada. As you can imagine, my NDP colleagues and I have something to say about this Conservative “plan” and have a different view of what needs to be done to secure the retirement income of all […]
One could write a great “country western” song about the world’s economy. It could be called “I got sideswiped by the economy,” or perhaps “I dreamed I could retire.” Sounds funny but in watching my RRSPs right now, both titles would be applicable. London Life had me convinced that “Freedom […]
There are signs across Rainy River District proclaiming this area as a “Safe Community”—a title bestowed by the World Health Organization. The designation was earned because district communities recognized the importance of eliminating physical barriers and being inclusive to all. Today, however, would our community be capable of showing that […]
On Thursday, my colleague, Mike Mantha, MPP for Algoma-Manitoulin, will introduce a private member’s bill to remove the HST from home heating bills. This is the first step in living up to our pledge to make life more affordable for hard-working families.Fortunately, the minority Parliament gives us a chance to […]
The end of the year is not that far off and it gets me thinking about money. November and December usually finds our wallets and bank accounts slightly empty, if not drained, as we try to balance our spending for Christmas. It may not exactly be the time to be […]
Last week saw C-19 head to committee, some advancement of my work on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), and the launch of the recruitment campaigns for the Parliamentary Page and Parliamentary Guide programs. Let me fill you in on these developments. Bill C-19, the bill to abolish the long gun […]
When it comes to grandparents, I was sadly deprived. My maternal grandfather died before I was born. My paternal grandfather died when I was two years old and grandmother when I was eight. And I lost my last grandparent, my maternal grandmother, at age 17. Even though I was eight, […]
