By Allan Bradbury
abradbury@fortfrances.com

Toronto-based soul and roots performer Sandra Bouza is starting a tour that will see her play shows from Sault Ste. Marie all the way to western Saskatchewan and back east into Quebec, and she’s got a stop planned for Fort Frances. Bouza, pronounced Bo-zah, says a lot of her music […]

By Allan Bradbury
abradbury@fortfrances.com

Chris McKhool – 7x Canadian Folk Music Award winner, 2026 JUNO nominee for Children’s Album of the Year, and one of the country’s most beloved family entertainers – will be undertaking an eleven-date northern Ontario tour in celebration of his long-awaited new album Little Leaf. Stopping in Fort Frances on […]

By Mike Stimpson
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Snnewswatch.com

THUNDER BAY —The annual Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) conference is “very important for the region,” NOMA president Rick Dumas says. “Obviously, NOMA’s been doing this for many, many years — or decades, for that matter,” Dumas, who is also mayor of Marathon, said on the first day of the […]

By Mike Stimpson
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
SNnewswatch.com

THUNDER BAY — The provincial government is “taking action now” for safer highways in the north, Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said Wednesday at the 2026 Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) conference. “Highway safety is a top priority for this government,” Sarkaria said. Highways 11 and 17, which together are Ontario’s […]

By Sandi Krasowski
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal

With the chosen deep geological repository site for Canada’s used nuclear fuel in Northwestern Ontario undergoing a multi-year regulatory decision-making process, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has begun to search for a second such site. The NWMO released a discussion document last June on its proposed approach for siting […]

By Meg Deak
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Woolwich Observer

The Ford government’s Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, has been a source of controversy since its introduction last June. Rolled out amid economic uncertainty, partially due to U.S. tariffs, the bill aims to accelerate development and major infrastructure projects, such as mining and electric vehicle […]

By Meg Deak
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Woolwich Observer

Canada is taking steps to protect soil health with the government’s announcement of plans to develop a national soil health strategy starting this spring. The plan was proposed last year by Sen. Robert Black, though action on soil health is something he’s advocated for since his appointment to the Senate […]

By Meg Deak
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Woolwich Observer

Wellesley will soon be greener as the township looks to expand its tree canopy through a planting initiative in a partnership between the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and Reep Green Solutions. The goal is to plant 5,000 trees by 2027 along roadsides throughout Wellesley, aiming to cultivate more vibrant green […]

By Connor McDowell
Local Journalism Initiative
Reporter
Brandon Sun

POLONIA – A farmer took charge of an open house in Polonia last week by initiating a group question period on stage about the ‘Fleury Winds’ project that is proposed to install dozens of wind turbines in the farming community. Matthew Atkinson, a Neepawa-area farmer, walked on stage during the […]

By Allan Bradbury
abradbury@fortfrances.com

On Thursday night, at their final passport season show, Tour de Fort announced the lineup for next year’s season series starting in September. The series will kick off on September 16, 2026, with Juno winner and famed Canadian female rocker, Sass Jordan. According to her bio, Jordan has been a […]

By Liam Oliver Neilson
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
lneilson@fortfrances.com

The next steps for a proposed Central Avenue roundabout are on hold after a tied council vote to award the design contract pushed the decision, potentially to next year. Talks of a potential redesign for the intersection connecting Central Avenue to 2nd, 3rd and 4th Streets initially sparked in October […]