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

The explosion of artificial intelligence in recent years has sparked a range of public reaction from horror to confusion to optimism, and the Rainy River District School Board (RRDSB) is tackling the issue head on by providing students and staff with guidance around smart and safe use of the technology. […]

By Liam Oliver Neilson
Staff writer
lneilson@fortfrances.com

The Devlin Community Hall in La Vallee, Ont. will get more than $250,000 from the province to fund renovations, keeping the local event venue running for years to come, Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford announced on Feb. 12. The investment comes from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), which […]

By Times Staff

Two individuals from Toronto are facing charges following the execution of a search warrant in Dryden. According to a release from the Dryden Detachment of the OPP, the pair were arrested and charged on Feb. 13, following the execution of a search warrant issued as part of an ongoing drug […]

By Sandi Krasowski
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal

Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce president Charla Robinson says there are several steps the Ontario government can take in its 2026 budget to help the city achieve its growth potential. The chamber forwarded its priorities to the government last month during the province’s pre-consultation process for a budget document that […]

By Matt Prokopchuk
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch.com

KENORA — The mayor and council in Kenora now know more about what it could cost if the city were to return to a municipal police service. Consultants with MNP presented at Kenora council’s meeting on Feb. 10 and took questions from those around the table. The consultants’ report says it would cost roughly twice […]

By Clint Fleury
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch.com

THUNDER BAY – The Ministry of Education decided student safety requires all educational staff, including educators, support staff and volunteers, to get a regularly updated police record check. Carlos Santander-Maturna, president of the Lakehead District Labour Council, says the new regulation doesn’t make sense. “It’s going to create more problems […]

By Sandi Krasowski
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal

Time is running out to obtain Thunder Bay Historical Museum 50/50 tickets, which will be available until Feb. 26 at 12 p.m. The draw, which is the second since last fall, will be a quarterly event for the museum, replacing the annual car raffle. Scott Bradley, museum director, said when […]

By Owen Fullerton
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
YGK News

After years of lobbying the provincial government to lift a tuition freeze enacted during COVID, post secondary institutions in Ontario are celebrating the province’s recently announced funding changes. Universities and colleges in Ontario will be permitted to raise tuition by up to two percent for the next three years, followed […]

By Connor McDowell
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Brandon Sun

The manager for the Municipality of Gilbert Plains has sparked conversation across Manitoba about growing hostility towards municipal staff and councillors. The manager, Courtney Kostesky, wrote a public letter in January complaining of how hostility is impacting governance in Manitoba. She called for citizens to be more constructive in their […]

By David Briggs
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
BayToday.ca

Hospitals in Ontario, North Bay’s included, are severely underfunded, and the detrimental effects of this underfunding will only increase over the years, a new report from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) explained. The report, written by Doug Allan, a senior researcher with CUPE, reveals that at the current […]

By Thomas Kent
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Woolwich Observer

Strategically planting trees along the northern edge of Canada’s boreal forest could remove multiple gigatonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by the end of the century, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Waterloo. The research, published in Communications Earth & Environment, provides one […]