I had a crazy week of organizing the sale of five of my purebred Hereford heifers. They left Sunday for Russia (yes, Russia) before heading to Kazakhstan. They will be quarantined near Toronto for 30 days, then they will fly from there (the plane holds nearly 200 head). We met […]
Columnists
In the fall, the annual cycle of the seasons turns once more. And one of the great phenomena of this season is the migration of the birds. Stand on the shore of one of our northern lakes some quiet evening. You will hear hundreds of tiny chirps above you as […]
The Safety Advocate
In the last three weeks, the Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service responded to three residential fire calls. During that same time period, the service responded to a number of other emergencies, as well as twice in one day to the local mill. Would your home or workplace pass a […]
I don’t watch baseball, but I do know that a baseball bat is supposed to be used in the game of baseball to hit the ball thrown by the pitcher. This is an open letter of sorts to the driver and his passenger who used a baseball bat to take […]
Before I begin this week’s column, I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to write, visit one of my constituency offices, or speak with me about the long gun registry issue over the last week. I was very encouraged by your support, and believe I have […]
I am writing this on Nov. 11, just before 11 a.m., just before we gather to bow our heads in respect, in sorrow, in gratitude, in wonder, with emotion, with a quiet heaviness in our hearts for this day of remembering. We are reminded about those things that matter, standing […]
MPP Kenora-Rainy River
Since the Oct. 6 provincial election, there has been a lot of speculation about what the 40th Ontario Parliament will look like. As a province, we are in unusual territory—having chosen to give no party a majority while struggling through one of the worst economic downturns in decades. A lot […]
I went into my closet Friday morning and looked at my collection of clothes. There were the button down white shirts, the blue shirts, and the grey shirts. All are long-sleeved and all are dress shirts (I even have one that is pink and another that is beige). I have […]
Ag rep, Emo
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is aware of suspected cases of Neurotropic Equine Herpes Virus-1 (nEHV-1) in Northern Ontario. Three horses tested positive for EHV-1 and experienced severe neurological signs, however, typing to confirm the nEHV-1 strain was not completed. On a second farm, two horses […]
Canadians were surprised to learn another Canadian soldier, Master Corporal Byron Greff, had been killed in Afghanistan. Canadian soldiers were supposed to be removed from the fighting war of that country. At least, that was what was thought when our nation withdrew from its combat mission back in July. And […]
The word “celebrity” means “the state of being well-known.” That definition begs the question, “For what? Well-known for what, exactly?” And more often than not, the response is unequivocally for nothing of any importance or for merely having more money than most. I was running on the treadmill at the […]
Another week of beautiful weather across Rainy River District. Hard to believe it’s already approaching mid-November! My helper at the Emo Agricultural Research Station (Chantelle) and I were busy this past week with the bio-mass grasses. The miscanthus has a very tough stem but the hedge trimmer worked awesome. The […]







