By Rachel Morgan
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Pointer

Pandemic lockdowns will be remembered for the amount of time they forced us to stay indoors. For many teachers trying to keep young minds alert and educated over the last two years, they decided to do the opposite. When public health measures were put in place to slow the spread […]

By Eric Shih
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Thunder Bay Source

The federal government is expanding and extending a program that helps create a pathway to permanent residency for skilled foreign workers wanting to live in the region. On Friday, Sean Fraser the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced the changes to the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot. Thunder Bay […]

By Mia Jensen
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Sudbury Star

A new report on opioid-related deaths in Ontario is just the latest alarm bell in Sudbury’s ongoing opioid and overdose crisis. According to the report from Ontario’s Office of the Chief Coroner, Sudbury, like other cities across Northern Ontario, has seen a significant increase in the number of opioid-related deaths […]

By Morgan Sharp
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Canada's National Observer

Ontario’s science table advising the provincial government on the COVID-19 pandemic will be disbanded early next month, the group said, a day after issuing a back-to-school note on how to deal with a virus set to affect its fourth school year. “The COVID-19 pandemic continues, and it contributes to Ontario’s […]

By Eric Shih
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Thunder Bay Source

NORTH WESTERN ONTARIO– Hospitals in the Northwest are trying a new way to help lessen the workload of emergency room doctors by using nurse practitioners and physician assistants The approach came from a pilot project started at the Geraldton District Hospital earlier this year. Now that hospital as well as […]

By Mia Jensen
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Sudbury Star

Northern Ontario municipalities are not adequately addressing homelessness, addiction, and mental health—and don’t have the extra cash to do so.  A new report from the Northern Policy Institute aimed to examine the question of whether Northern Ontario municipalities had the capacity to improve their strategies for addressing these issues within […]

Elisa Nguyen
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Over the past few years, fire departments in northwestern Ontario have been losing members. In hopes of building back their roster, the Alberton, Chapple, Emo & La Vallee Fire & Emergency Services (ACEL) is now urgently recruiting volunteer firefighters — an opportunity to team up with brave individuals to help […]

By Daniel Adam
Staff Writer
dadam@fortfrances.com

“Walking around with the crown, it’s a pretty big confidence booster,” said Mickenna Ryll, who was named this year’s Fair Queen on Thursday night in front of an audience of family and friends. “It feels really good,” she said. “All the hard work that me and my family put in […]

The campaign has officially begun for the 2022 Municipal and School Board elections. Voting day is October 24. The following is a confirmed list of nominated and acclaimed candidates. HAVE YOUR SAY – as voters, what would you like to know about the candidates? if you have a question you’d […]

By Michael Riley
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Bancroft Times

As of July 29, there were 803 cases of monkeypox recorded here in Canada, with most of those cases, 726 of them, in Ontario and Quebec. The Bancroft Times speaks with Dr. Golden Gao, a medical consultant with Hastings Prince Edward Public Health about what people should know about Monkeypox […]

By Jennifer Ashawasegai-Pereira
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Parry Sound North Star

“Biindigen. Mii gwi Anishinabek wewana nkenmaaminak dependajig maa kiing. We acknowledge in a good way, the original people of the land  here. We value the cultures, histories and relationships with the  Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (North America).”  That’s the generic Land acknowledgment on the Near North District  School Board […]

Staff

Sunset Drive, which turns to Highway 602, has been a favourite detour around the Fort Frances Kings Highway construction light this summer. But with heavy traffic expected this weekend for the Emo Fall Fair, Alberton clerk Dawn Hayes wants everyone to be aware of the state of a bridge along […]