By Liam Oliver Neilson
Staff writer
lneilson@fortfrances.com

There are no current plans to restart efforts to rename Colonization Street in Emo, Ont., and the street name will remain for the foreseeable future, according to the township’s mayor. Emo Mayor Harold McQuaker said the committee of residents living on the street came to the decision themselves over concerns […]

By Andrew Flynn
Editor-in-Chief
aflynn@fortfrances.com

The District of Rainy River Services Board (DRRSB) has approved a $38.6-million budget for 2026 that maintains spending in key areas but acknowledges “financial pressures” being felt by municipalities and service system managers across rural and Northern Ontario. The budget, which increased the municipal levy by 4.63 per cent, did […]

By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com

For the Fort Frances High School students who run it, Muskie Mart is far more than just a school spirit shop – it represents an opportunity to get real-world experience they can take along with them after graduation. From pricing items to sorting inventory and providing customer service to marketing, […]

By Allan Bradbury
Staff Writer
abradbury@fortfrances.com

Local curler Aili Chabot will be headed to Timmins for the U-18 nationals in just a few weeks to represent team Northern Ontario as a member of Team Lily Wright, curling out of the Kakabeka Falls Curling Club. “I was playing mixed doubles at Kakabeka Falls last year and [coach] […]

By Liam Oliver Neilson
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
lneilson@fortfrances.com

Knox United Church prepares to continue its relatively new tradition of “Soup for the Soul” with a freezer full of various soups ready to be sold this Saturday. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, staff at Knox United in Fort Frances quickly became aware that the regular plan for […]

By Allan Bradbury
Staff Writer
abradbury@fortfrances.com

The Fort Frances High School Muskies boys and girls teams will combine to take on first responders from the region tomorrow night on the Ice For Kids rink. The event is organized by OPP Cst. Kristina Bombay who is also a Mobile Crisis officer in the region. “Last year we […]

By Clint Fleury
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch,com

THUNDER BAY – The municipality, businesses, and organizations in the city are now eligible to apply for provincial funding under a program designed to help boost rural economies. Local officials have been successful in lobbying for Thunder Bay to be a part of the Rural Ontario Development Program, according to […]

By Matt Prokopchuk
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch.com

IGNACE — The phone call came as a surprise to Ignace Mayor Kim Baigrie. On the other end of the line, she said, was an official from Domtar telling her the news that the company’s sawmill in Ignace will be shutting down indefinitely. “I was shocked, I was upset,” she […]

By Matt Prokopchuk
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch.com

NAKINA — There is a single student at École secondaire catholique des Satellites in Nakina, for now. The distance learning French high school is working on growing as it continues to promote itself throughout the region. The school offers classes in French to high school-aged students in communities outside Thunder […]

By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Chatham Voice

Every woman faces it, but most feel alone in their menopause journey. Author Michaela Cummings is hoping to change that. The Chatham-based writer, who has penned a book called “The Meno Change Diary,” is looking to bring a message of fact-based hope to women dealing with the challenges menopause can […]

By Matt Prokopchuk
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch.com

EAGLE LAKE — A First Nation challenging the Nuclear Waste Management Organization in court says the ongoing assessment of a proposed nuclear waste site should be suspended. Eagle Lake First Nation filed an application for judicial review of the nuclear industry-funded not-for-profit’s site selection for the deep geological repository in […]

By Andrew Flynn
Editor-in-Chief
aflynn@fortfrances.com

In an editorial yesterday, I indicated that after weeks of trying, we had failed to get any response from Canadian Tire about what’s going on with the Fort Frances store that was closed due to a fire on Dec. 18, 2025. As fate would have it, the Times received a […]