Yesterday’s stunning announcement that Abitibi-Consolidated will permanently shut down one newsprint machine at its Kenora mill, and idle the other two there until at least this fall, is devastating news for that community. Almost 150 employees will lose their jobs permanently, with another 333 to be temporarily laid off. And […]
Editorials
Tragically, the boating season is only just underway and already there has been an accident that claimed the life of a local man. And sadly, as is too often the case in such incidents, the victim was not wearing a lifejacket at the time. For those who have grown up […]
What will you remember about your prom night? a). how good you looked, before your threw up on your date b). nothing, you passed out before the dance even started c). explaining to your parents why the police drove you home d). it was the best night of your life […]
When mayors, reeves and councillors meet this weekend for the NOMA (Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association) annual general meeting, much of their discussions should focus on the recently released provincial government’s Task Force on Rural Economic Renewal report. The report indicates that rural Ontario residents are committed to the development of […]
While winter has been long in departing, the collection of refuse one sees along the streets of Fort Frances and the highways leading into our community indicates we continue to disregard basic environmental care. It is a seven-month collection. And it is a sad statement of the way we disregard […]
April is the cruelest month, it’s said, and you certainly don’t have to tell that to organizers of the annual District Festival for the Performing Arts. The sudden blizzard Easter Sunday forced them to postpone the start of the festival Monday morning because one of the adjudicators could not make […]
If the truth be known, the Rainy River District School Board is surprised–and disappointed–over the relative lack of feedback on its proposed expansion of J.W. Walker School here while closing Alexander MacKenzie and Alberton Central schools. About 10 years ago, when Alexander MacKenzie was first on the chopping block, a […]
Grade 10 students in the Rainy River District School Board had the highest failure rate (41 percent) in Northwestern Ontario on the provincial literacy test taken last fall. And there’s word those at Fort Frances High School fared even worse than that compared to their counterparts in Rainy River and […]
There was a special atmosphere at La Place Rendez-Vous on Sunday night as people from across the district gathered in support of the fourth-annual Community Benefit Dinner. And support they did–raising just over $25,000 altogether for local families facing expenses due to medical reasons through ticket sales, the live and […]
By Carolyn McTighe
Staff writer
Staff writer
Did you know greeting cards are a billion-dollar business? It’s estimated North Americans alone spent more than $6.3 million on them last year. If you consider that Valentine’s Day comes second only to Christmas in the greeting card wars, then you can figure a few dollars went into those sweet, […]
Arguably the biggest Minnesota Viking fan in Fort Frances, my father-in-law, who shall remain nameless to spare him from having to admit in public that a Dallas Cowboy fan is, in fact, his son-in-law, could barely sit still from his prime vantage point on the couch–Viking cap firmly planted on […]
John McTaggart could not have summed it up better here Monday morning as he joined Jim Krag and Wayne Woods to announce the “Care Close to Home” fundraising campaign had topped its $3.5-million goal. In just over six months, to boot. Beginning with the “stretcher push” down Highway 11 from […]
