The board of directors of the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship deserves high marks for its efforts to ensure the annual tournament is viable this year—and beyond. Chairman Gord Watson and his crew have worked diligently to cut costs, retain sponsors and drum up new ones, and try to attract […]
Editorials
Call it a sign of the times. Only incumbent MP John Rafferty chose to open a campaign office here in Fort Frances while the other three candidates—Liberal Ken Boshcoff, Conservative Maureen Comuzzi-Stehmann, and Ed Shields of the Greens—opted not to. Mr. Boshcoff cited the limitations on campaign spending, saying he […]
The Rainy River District School Board was right in re-affirming its position that David Kircher had, indeed, breached the trustee Code of Conduct and equally correct in handing down the lightest consequence—a letter of reprimand from board chairman Michael Lewis. The best news from last night’s board meeting, however, was […]
Voter turnout has been dismal of late—and there’s every indication in the early stages of Campaign ’11 that it may dip even lower when Canadians head back to the polls on May 2. Sure, part of the problem is voter fatigue. We’re now into our fourth election in seven years […]
The governing Conservatives already have unleashed yet another attack ad, accusing an unholy coalition between the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois of foisting an unnecessary election upon Canadians that will imperil our fragile economic recovery. The opposition parties, on the other hand, see a corrupt and scandal-plagued government that thumbs […]
If there is a federal election this spring, as seems imminent, and if neither of the two main parties stages a stunning breakthrough or colossal collapse on the hustings, Canadians will find themselves with a fourth-straight minority government and another raucous Parliament paralyzed by partisanship and bombastic rhetoric. No wonder […]
Town council is facing a dilemma in deciding whether to install solar panels atop the Public Works garage, Memorial Sports Centre, Children’s Complex, water treatment plant, and the Civic Centre in order to generate electricity which then can be sold back to the grid for much-needed revenue. The proposal certainly […]
The decision by the Rainy River District School Board to find David Kircher had breached the Trustee Code of Conduct was a necessary one—but it reeks of hypocrisy. As anyone who lives in a small town knows, actions and discussions which take place behind closed doors inevitably leak out at […]
The annual “sunshine list” will be out in early April and no doubt the number of public-sector employees in Ontario making more than $100,000 a year will be longer than ever. The purpose of the list is noble enough: to provide transparency so taxpayers can see where their hard-earned money […]
A regional swim meet, a girls’ hockey tournament, a youth bowling tournament, and a squash tournament filled local hotels and restaurants this past weekend. In total, more than 400 young athletes were in the community—and most brought parents with them. As such, the parking lots and streets around the Memorial […]
It didn’t take Dave Kircher long to stir the pot at the Rainy River District School Board. Ever since it was revealed that hundreds of thousands of dollars went missing from Fort Frances High School over several years, Kircher has been spearheading a crusade demanding better accountability on the part […]
There’s no harm in asking. That clearly was the mindset over in International Falls last week when Mayor Shawn Mason wrote to U.S. President Barack Obama inviting him to the dedication ceremony for the new James Oberstar Riverfront Complex on July 2—which also happens to coincide with the annual international […]
