Charges have been laid in connection with a sudden death that occurred in Pikangikum First Nation in April 2024. On April 3, 2024, members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Pikangikum Police attended a residence in Pikangikum First Nation for a report of a sudden death. Upon arrival, police […]
District News
By Ken Kellar
Editor
kkellar@fortfrances.com
Editor
kkellar@fortfrances.com
It’s that time of year again when performers across the district are called to take part in the Rainy River District Festival of the Performing Arts. The Festival returns for its 83rd year in 2025, with competition beginning on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, with the French drama and speech arts […]
The Rainy River Valley Agricultural Society will be presenting a Home Town Hoedown old-fashioned barn dance on Saturday, May 3. This is a special year for all involved with the 2025 fair as it’s the 125th anniversary of the Emo Fair. There will be a barn dance/gala which is the […]
By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com
150 doctors across the province hand-delivered a presentation on Ontario’s worsening “healthcare crisis” on October 21, 2024, to underscore the severity after the provincial legislature resumed this past Autumn. But, since then, Dr. Dominik Nowak, a family doctor in the Greater Toronto Area and President of the Ontario Medical Association, […]
By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com
In 2018, Natural Resources Canada started a Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities (CERRC) program. With a funding commitment of $453 million until 2027, the Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities initiative has supported 190 renewable energy projects to “reduce diesel use for heat and power in rural […]
By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com
A news release by government officials on February 24, 2025, from the Canada Water Agency says the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation will receive funding from the federal government “to address challenges related to algae blooms” for this “essential body of water.” Along with the Metis Nation of […]
By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com
Since arriving in Thunder Bay from India in 2022, Mohit Dudeja, a researcher, lecturer, and psychotherapist working on their PhD, has experienced difficulties transitioning to their new life in Canada, including finding affordable housing. However, Dudeja’s struggle is not unique. According to Dudeja, “lots of students” were homeless in Thunder […]
By Sam Laskaris
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Windspeaker.com
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Windspeaker.com
Sandra Laronde, a member of Temagami First Nation in northern Ontario, is the 2025 recipient of the Lifetime Artistic Achievement in Dance honour from the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards. Laronde is a director, producer, choreographer and author, and the executive and artistic director of Red Sky Performance, a company […]
From Marcus Powlowski
destruction and a tragic loss of life. While Ukrainian forces have continued to show incredible resilience in the face of Russian aggression, the path to lasting and durable peace after the war is not clear. Russia and Ukraine must agree with, and have confidence in, the eventual peace agreement. Recently, […]
By Ken Kellar
Editor
kkellar@fortfrances.com
Editor
kkellar@fortfrances.com
New hands are at the wheel of a cherished area business, and one of the owners said he’s hopeful that the business will continue to serve all of the district’s meat-eating needs. Tim Petermann and his business partner Rys Norman are the new owners of Rainy River Meats, an Emo […]
By Clint Fleury
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch.com
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch.com
THUNDER BAY — Thunder Bay is near the top of a list of cities in Ontario that will suffer deep economic impacts from a trade war with the United States. A recent report ranked Thunder Bay the third most vulnerable city in the province to tariff impacts, Intergovernmental Affairs Committee chair couns. Kristen Oliver told council on Monday. […]
By Sandi Krasowski
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal
The two-month Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) break for groceries and holiday essentials that began on Dec. 14, 2024, came to an end on Feb. 16, requiring all registrants selling goods and services that qualified for the tax break to update their accounting and point-of-sale systems to resume […]
