By Andrew Flynn
General Manager and Editor in Chief
aflynn@fortfrances.com

Having joined the staff of the Times in late August and moved with my family to Fort Frances at the end of October, it’s high time I introduced myself to you, our readers, as the paper’s new general manager. Stepping into the role of GM and editor-in-chief has been both […]

By Deb Ewald
Rainy River Mayor
Special to the Times

On behalf of myself and Council I would like to extend Warm Wishes and Holiday Greetings to everyone in the Rainy River District. As 2025 draws to a close, I look back on the Town’s achievements over this past year and they have been many. The building of the new […]

By Andrew Hallikas
Fort Frances Mayor
Special to the Times

It’s been a busy year but a good year. The purpose of the municipality is to provide services to residents that make the community a better place to work, live, and play. I always like to start my annual summation with a comment on this. As usual our Town employees […]

By Matt Prokopchuk
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch.com

KENORA — A dedicated provincial fund for airport improvements would make a big difference for sites too small to access federal dollars. That’s according to Shari Gentes, the Northwest’s regional director of the Airport Management Council of Ontario. The organization has, for over a year, been pressing the Ontario government […]

By Clint Fleury
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch.com

THUNDER BAY – Fire and rescue services across the Thunder Bay area have received a total of nearly $446,000 to protect firefighters. About $135,800 was given to Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue through the province’s fire protection grant. Deputy fire chief Dave Tarini told Newswatch that the majority of the […]

By Clint Fleury
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch.com

THUNDER BAY – Homeowners and landlords will be required to have carbon monoxide alarms on all levels and outside sleeping areas. “Carbon monoxide is a silent killer, so you can’t smell it, you can’t see it like smoke,” Kevin Anderson, acting division chief at Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, told Dougall […]

By Thomas Kent
Local Journalism Initiative
Reporter
Woolwich Observer

A new report from Export Development Canada (EDC) stated that Canada’s agriculture sector has emerged as a rare bright spot in the country’s trade performance, with agricultural exports growing three times faster than overall Canadian exports over the past decade. In practical terms, this means agriculture has been one of […]

By Thomas Kent
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Woolwich Observer

Last week in Montréal, Canada hosted a pivotal two-day summit of G7 industry, digital, and technology ministers, sparking vital discussions on artificial intelligence, supply-chain resilience, and digital infrastructure. Experts believe these conversations could have significant, lasting impacts on businesses and employers across Waterloo Region and Wellington County. The meeting, held […]

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

Residents of Fort Frances might have noticed a somewhat-familiar character on the side of the water tower since the scaffolding has started to come down – a beaver with a paddle in hand clad in voyageur regalia, a new version of a well-known local mascot. As part of significant work […]

By Times Staff

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is reminding travellers to plan ahead when travelling to Canada this holiday season. Between January 1 and October 31, 2025, the CBSA says they welcomed more than 70 million travellers while also intercepting over 30,790 kg of illegal drugs and 13,500 weapons and firearms. […]

By Mike Stimpson,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Thunder Bay Source

THUNDER BAY — Ontario’s legislative assembly is taking a 14-week break after having already taken a 19-week summer break and sitting only 51 days this year. And the MPP for Thunder Bay-Superior North doesn’t like it one bit. “It’s appalling, really,” Lise Vaugeois, a New Democrat, said of the Progressive […]