Local News

A story appearing on page A1 of yesterday’s Times incorrectly quoted Coun. John McTaggart saying, “For us to allow people to use the facility that aren’t taxpayers seems unfair.” To clarify, Coun, McTaggart wants everyone to use the town’s facilities, but not at the same rate as local taxpayers. The […]

A planned cut to legal aid funding in April 2020 has been cancelled but a 30 percent budget cut made earlier this year has been made permanent. Ontario’s attorney general, Doug Downey, announced on Monday that current funding levels will continue as is. “The good news there is that there […]

McDonald’s is offering up a new way for families to spend time together during the week. Since early November, McDonald’s restaurants across the country, including here in Fort Frances, have been holding Family Nights on Wednesdays from 4-7 p.m. McDonald’s Fort Frances assistant manager Bobbi Hudon explained that the event […]

Earlier this year, a Fort Frances municipal councillor requested information from the province about waiving the repayment of a $23 million loan that was given to Resolute Forest Products for the local mill. The funding was designated for the construction of a bio-mass boiler at the mill, which was completed, […]

Individuals living outside of Fort Frances will have a reduced financial burden when using the town’s facilities in 2020. Following a 5-2 vote, council passed a motion to eliminate non-resident user fees on a one-year trial basis. It is hoped that through the elimination of non-resident user fees, more people […]

In the wake of last week’s Speech from the Throne by the newly-elected Liberal government, Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Marcus Powlowski said he looks forward to passing a federal tax cut for working and middle-class Canadians. This government’s throne speech placed special emphasis on working with Canada’s different regions to […]

One of the programs at Confederation College has partnered with a local business to teach its students some important life and food skills. Students from the Community Integration through Co-operative Education (CICE) program recently spent time with the staff and students at The Caf Co, which operates the cafeteria at […]

The Fort Frances Jail has set records in the province of Ontario for being the oldest, at 110 years and smallest, with a capacity of just 22 inmates. But now the jail is being recognized for having the highest daily cost per inmate in the entire province. A new report […]

A report from the Auditor General has revealed that while the Fort Frances Courthouse has a large backlog of cases, it is being under-utilized. The local court is used for an average of 1.3 hours per day, compared to 2.2 hours in northwestern Ontario or 2.8 hours across the province, […]

Sewer and water rates are set to increase here in the new year. There will be a 2.8 percent increase for residential users and a 3.22 percent increase for industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI) users. The 2.8 percent residential increase will cost an additional $27.79 per year, bringing the overall […]

Improvements could soon come to the Northern Health Travel Grant, which reimburses residents of northern Ontario who have to travel significant distances to receive healthcare. NDP MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan Judith Monteith-Farrell presented a bill to the legislature on Nov. 19 that looks to fix some of the issues surrounding […]