With a common voice, area reeves, mayors, and chiefs came out in support of Fort Frances council last night to pass a resolution holding the provincial government accountable for making wood from the Crossroute Forest available to any new operator of the idled mill here. It was a great night […]
Editorials
The Town of Fort Frances has been working with Repap, a company formed to acquire the Fort Frances paper mill from Resolute Forest Products. Acting on the best interests of the town, surrounding First Nations, and municipalities, the town has made multiple representations to provincial cabinet members to encourage the […]
Whether it is the Ontario Health Coalition, the Progressive Conservative Party, or the New Democratic Party, everyone seems in agreement that the provincial health-care system is not meeting expectations. Since taking office last June, the Ford government has appointed the Premier’s Council on Improving Health Care and Ending Hallway Medicine. […]
In order to ensure the long-term viability of our rural area of Ontario, we must begin to develop strategies to attract immigrants to fill the jobs that exist here. Last week, for instance, more than 50 jobs seeking both skilled tradespeople and professional persons were promoted on various mediums in […]
As Ontario reaches full employment, many jobs go begging for people. Often it is the case that training is a prerequisite, whether you are an teacher, doctor, nurse, engineer, scientist, electrician, construction worker, brick layer, heavy equipment operator, or any number of the hundreds of jobs that go unanswered every […]
A headline in Friday’s Chronicle Journal read “Economy relies on people.” It could have read “It’s the population, stupid.” Our biggest challenge across Rainy River District, and all of Northwestern Ontario for that matter, is attracting immigrants to take up jobs in our communities. Somehow, we need to develop policies […]
Have you every awakened and discovered you have to hurry to catch up to the day? The district is much like that. The year 2000 was ushered in with great hope and optimism. We coasted on the good fortune of the paper mill producing jobs and household riches. Then it […]
With the dawning of a new year, it’s only natural that we see it as a chance to wipe the slate clean, so to speak, and start fresh; to put the past behind us and look to the future in the hope of better times ahead. Reality doesn’t work that […]
As we get set to close the books on another year, it’s clear 2018 offered plenty of “firsts” here that all helped foster a definite sense of change in the air. Back in October, voters elected June Caul as the first female mayor in our town’s 115-year history–finally breaking a […]
Hats off to the local Valley Adult Learning Association (VALA) for staging a “Newcomers Meet-and-Greet” back on Nov. 30 at the Super 8 Motel. With the aim of welcoming those who recently immigrated here from foreign countries, as well as to help them better connect with fellow immigrants, the event […]
New councils bring new opportunities to communities. Across the district from Rainy River through to Fort Frances, new councils sworn in this week. New councillors, mayors, and reeves bring new insights to their communities and the priority of projects they will pursue. Hoped-for projects that were touted during campaigns often […]
Fort Frances said good-bye this week to a combined 70 years of municipal experience in Mayor Roy Avis, who is closing the book on 21 years at the council table just himself, and Couns. John Albanese, Doug Kitowski, Ken Perry, and Paul Ryan when the current town council held its […]
