Sheila Ann Vivie, 51, of Fort Frances, Ont., passed away Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at La Verendrye General Hospital in Fort Frances. Sheila was born on Saturday, July 16, 1960 in Emo, Ont. to the late Wallace and Hilda Wilson. She had worked as a counsellor for Weechi-it-te-win Family Services […]

It appears local MP John Rafferty has seen the light. His reward? A position in the shadow cabinet of NDP leader Thomas Mulcair as the critic for the Northern Ontario Economic Development Initiative (better known as FedNor)—a key responsibility for our region given the recent Tory cuts to the program […]

Sunday was Earth Day. I hadn’t paid much attention to the day until I watched the news on CBC that evening and saw the parades and people working to cleaning up waterways and parks across Canada. People also planted trees along roadways and replaced fallen trees in parks. In my […]

Local business is the backbone of our community yet sometimes we forget the significant impact our purchasing decisions can have. By purchasing goods at local shops, farmers’ markets, and craft shows, or other items that have been produced in our region, we help keep jobs in our communities. This money […]

Even though Parliament wasn’t sitting, it was quite an eventful week in Ottawa with two new appointments for me and a shadow cabinet announcement by NDP leader Tom Mulcair. It was a great honour to learn that Tom has appointed me to be our caucus critic for the Northern Ontario […]

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is my favourite book of all times. Although a few others have come close, none move me the way Harper Lee’s writing does. I carry the novel around with me like a Bible—a source of inspiration and comfort and hope. I often have it in my […]

Those of you who follow my column likely have read some of my stories about shed hunting in the past and know what I’m talking about. For those of you that have not heard the term shed hunting before, it refers to looking, or “hunting,” for shed deer and moose […]

Christina Romyn (nee den Boer), formerly of Stratton, Ont., passed away peacefully on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 in Portage la Prairie, Man. at the age of 97. Christina, or “Oma” as she was fondly called by many, is survived by her daughters, Elsie Van Dyk, (George), Connie Bruinooge, Audrey Dalberg […]

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Kurt Allan Schulz of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. (formally of Fort Frances, Ont). Kurt passed away March 27, 2012 in Edmonton, Alta. after a courageous battle with cancer. Kurt was born on April 28, 1953 in Emo, Ont. and was […]