By Matt Prokopchuk
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
NWOnewswatch.com

CAT LAKE — Several winter road construction projects have received provincial funding, and one First Nations council manager says those corridors continue to be crucial lifelines. Jonathan Salo is the technical unit manager at Windigo First Nations Council. The organization provides a number of social, economic development and other services […]

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

A coroner’s inquest will be held into the death of 18-year-old Justin Fiddler, who died in hospital in Thunder Bay in 2019 after sustaining injuries at the Ge-Da-Gi-Binez Youth Centre in Fort Frances. The inquest will investigate the circumstances of Fiddler’s death while in custody at Ge-Da-Gi-Binez, which opened in […]

By Times Staff

A Fort Frances resident has been charged following a traffic stop earlier this month. According to a press release from the Rainy RiveR District Detachment of the OPP, on Sunday, March 8, officers conducted a traffic stop after observing a vehicle fail to stop at an intersection on Armit Avenue. […]

By Sandi Krasowski
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal

Final Drives Canada, a Thunder Bay-based international distribution company, is expanding and relocating to Dawson Road thanks to $78,000 given from the Ontario government. The funds, which are made possible through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), are part of the province’s spending aimed at providing northern businesses the […]

By Carl Clutchey
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal

Neebing’s fire chief is urging the province to add medical first responders to a list of crew members eligible for compensation should they become ill with cancer following exposure to carcinogenic materials at emergency scenes. In a letter last month to various provincial agencies, including the Workplace Safety and Insurance […]

By Jacqueline M. St. Pierre
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Manitoulin Expositor

NORTHERN ONTARIO—Across much of Northern Ontario, the demographic equation has quietly flipped. In town after town, the math of life itself has turned upside down: more funerals than births, more grey hair than diapers. Population growth, once driven by families putting down roots, now depends increasingly on newcomers arriving from […]

By Matt Prokopchuk
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
NWOnewswatch.com

MARATHON — The federal government should improve the Trans-Canada through northern Ontario as part of committed military spending. That’s according to the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association, the organization that represents and lobbies for 37 municipalities in the Northwest. Its president, Rick Dumas, sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney […]

By Ken Kellar
Editor
kkellar@fortfrances.com

Downtown Fort Frances is poised to become much more colourful, and local artists will be at the heart of it. The Fort Frances Downtown BIA and Chamber of Commerce are joining forces to implement a project called Windows Alive that will see the windows of Scott Street area businesses painted […]

By Allan Bradbury
Staff Writer
abradbury@fortfrances.com

After weather derailed the playoff tournament schedule, it would take the Muskies an additional three days to retain the hockey title they captured a year ago. The Muskie boys were in tough in their semi-final match against the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints out of Kenora when they finally had their […]

By Allan Bradbury
Staff Writer
abradbury@fortfrances.com

A repeat performance wasn’t in the cards for the Muskie Girls as they wrapped up their season with a 5-1 loss to the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints in the NorWOSSA hockey finals. After a dominating 16-0 win over the Beaver Brae Broncos on Friday, Saturday just didn’t go their way. […]

By Sandi Krasowski
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal

Thunder Bay stood out as a strong mining hub in Northwestern Ontario and shone on the international mining stage during the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention 2026 last week in Toronto. The Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC), along with Lakehead University and Confederation College, presented Thunder Bay as global interest rises in the region’s […]