Alarm bells should be ringing in municipal offices across the Rainy River district since the release of the 2001 census results on Tuesday. The overall population of the district has declined by 4.4 percent. Statistics Canada numbers show a Fort Frances drop of 5.4 percent to a population of 8,315. […]
Editorials
Dr. Pete Sarsfield has taken the Northwestern Health Unit’s anti-smoking crusade a big step further by notifying municipalities in the Rainy River and Kenora districts that second-hand smoke is a “health hazard.” This, in turn, opens the door to possible legal action down the road if municipalities don’t voluntarily pass […]
To say Canada’s Olympic team got off to a slow start in Salt Lake City is probably the understatement of the year—crowned by that image of speed skater Jeremy Wotherspoon sprawled on the ice (“like Bambi,” as one sportswriter put it). But, wow, what a finish! Heading into the final […]
Amazing, isn’t it, just what a politician will do, say, or promise in their desperate quest for your vote—whether it’s during a general election, or a leadership campaign like the Ontario P.C. party is going through these days. Most, if not all, of the five candidates vying to succeed Mike […]
You can’t say the Rainy River District School Board isn’t giving the public ample opportunity to voice their opinion on the proposed closure of three elementary schools in favour of an expanded J.W. Walker here. The plan has been discussed at the board table—and covered extensively in the media—for almost […]
With just two days to go until the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, there’s been a decided lack of excitement surrounding these Games, at least until now. In fact, ask most Canadians to name five individuals making up Team Canada and you might get Elvis […]
The decision last week by the Fort Frances Rotary Club to turn in its charter has left our community weaker for it. On the one hand, it’s just another in a list of casualties among local service clubs, such as the Jaycees and Kinsmen. But on the other, is it […]
Taken on its own, word last week that Abitibi-Consolidated is cutting its salaried staff at the mill here by about 10 positions over the coming year, and not replacing them, was not earth-shattering news. The same holds true with the news that both Bob Jeffery and Ken Allan are leaving […]
To say our “blue box” recycling program is in deep trouble may be the understatement of 2002—and the year is barely two weeks old. Kenora was the first to serve notice it intended to leave the Northwest Ontario Recycle Association when its current contract expires in June. And area municipalities […]
Should town council pass a bylaw to make our community smoke-free? That’s what the Northwestern Health Unit will be asking residents through a petition being mailed out next week. And there’s no doubt which side of the issue the health unit is on, claiming such a bylaw is needed to […]
One doesn’t have to look very hard to find a reason to feel pessimistic—even downright gloomy—these days. The aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks still lingers, with people nervously wondering when and where another strike will be launched. India and Pakistan, both nuclear powers, are threatening to go to […]
When the mayor and council announced their strategic plan, they did more than announce the direction the town would take during the balance this council’s mandate—they set in place their own goals for Fort Frances. It may be symbolic the document was published on red paper, but this council will […]
