Local News from Across the Rainy River District
Members of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) returned from the Rural Ontario Municipal Association Conference in Toronto this week where sessions reaffirmed provincial commitment to advancing priorities of the Northwest’s 37 municipalities. Rick Dumas, NOMA president, told The Chronicle-Journal that they met with provincial ministers, associate ministers, parliamentary assistants, […]
Last year made the top 10 in insured weather damage, with costs exceeding $2.4 billion. According to Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc, 2025 is the 10th costliest year on record for weather-related insured losses. The most costly event was the late-March ice storm in Ontario and Quebec, at $490 million […]
As farmers plan for the 2026 growing season, many are making deliberate decisions about which technologies to leave on the shelf. Despite a steady stream of agricultural innovation, from biological inputs and precision equipment to artificial intelligence, adoption across Canadian agriculture remains uneven. The reasons are not rooted in resistance […]
It’s 7:30 a.m. on a Friday. Niagara-on-the-Lake was just hit with a huge snowstorm the day before, but on this day, the weather is calm, sitting at around -11 C with a light wind. The sun is rising over Niagara College’s teaching winery, where dozens of students are huddled among […]
IGNACE — It’s not up to federal officials whether to extend a month-long public comment period for the proposed deep geological repository near Ignace. That’s according to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. It, along with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, is responsible for the integrated impact assessment process that […]
Grand Council Treaty #3 is advising members who live in or are passing through the United States to take precautions when they cross the border or visit the U.S. after reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are targeting First Nations citizens. “Recent reports indicate that some First Nation […]
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 […]
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 […]
It takes a lot of courage and tenacity to strike out onto the big stage, but for Rustin Chartier, his trip to Manitoba late last year has taught him plenty of valuable lessons. Chartier was in the prairie province across late October and early November 2025 to bring his Charolais […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
