With the Canadian dollar now trading at par, or even above, the U.S. greenback, the temptation for district residents to stream over the border in search of bargains is strong—and understandable. After all, who doesn’t want to stretch their hard-earned money as far as possible? The troubling downside, of course, […]
Editorials
Getting the message through to teenagers about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse, and other risky behaviour, is tricky at best. They certainly don’t like being lectured, and issuing edicts could well have the exact opposite effect—encouraging them to do things whether out of spite or curiosity. Compounding the […]
We all know it’s better to pull off a Band-Aid in one quick motion rather than try to peel it away gently—the short stab of pain being preferred over the longer, albeit duller, ache. In a sense, that’s precisely the situation voters are faced with: whether we should have an […]
The latest provincial election is looming next Wednesday (Oct. 10)—and with it a familiar refrain: “Why bother to cast a ballot? My vote doesn’t matter, anyway.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Your one vote could determine which candidate captures the Kenora-Rainy River riding. And that one riding, in […]
It’s no secret that Northern Ontario’s voice barely registers as a whisper down at Queen’s Park. The current election campaign certainly hasn’t done anything to dispel that complaint. The two main contenders for the premier’s job—Dalton McGuinty and John Tory—are busy arguing over public funding for faith-based schools and the […]
Coun. Tannis Drysdale’s abrupt resignation Monday (she cited “personal repriorizations” in an e-mail to the Times this morning) leaves town council with a decision on how to fill her seat. No doubt everyone remembers the mess the previous council created when it faced such a decision after Coun. Struchan Gilson’s […]
There certainly were two good news stories on the medical front here this past week. Just yesterday, Riverside Health Care Facilities, Inc. received formal approval from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to proceed with purchasing a CT scanner for La Verendrye Hospital here. District residents clearly showed they […]
Bill Michl inspired an entire district last October when he ran 60 miles from Rainy River to Fort Frances in one day to kick off the “Just Imagine” fundraising campaign to purchase a CT scanner for La Verendrye Hospital here. But long before Mr. Michl hit the pavement, Tom Bruyere […]
Town council often faces tough decisions—ones requiring long debate, delicate compromise, and perhaps a little soul-searching. Then there are times when the decision is much easier. Giving the Fort Frances Jr. Sabres the “residential” rate for ice rental fees is one of those no-brainers. Yes, team owner and president Carolyn […]
“Ontario… yours to discover.” The marketing slogan has been used for over a decade and this year an additional part of the message is to “get comfortable in Ontario.” Just last Friday, Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci announced a grant of $11,200 to help establish a Destination […]
For almost a decade, the Rainy River District Substance Abuse Prevention team has been raising the awareness of the growing abuse of prescription drugs across the region. Last November, Connie Peterson of Oh-Shki-Be-Ma-Te-Ze-Win went on the record with the startling information that 75-80 percent of youth aged 13-15 […]
There’s no question the so-called “First-Past-the-Post” electoral system, the one currently used federally as well as in most provinces, including Ontario, has its drawbacks. The biggest one, especially in a multi-party system like ours, is that the winner in each riding is the one who gets the most votes; […]
