Local News from Across the Rainy River District
Justina Di Stasio, a member of Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba, took another step toward fulfilling her lifelong dream of representing Canada in the women’s wrestling competition at this year’s Paris Olympics. In mid-December she took top honours in her weight class at the Canadian team trials held in […]
It took only one puff of drugs cut with xylazine to knock the tall, solidly built William Bernier out for an hour. Bernier, who didn’t know he was taking xylazine, was alarmed by the sudden powerful rush despite having more than a decade’s worth of experience using drugs. First, he […]
(KENORA, ON) – The Kenora Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is seeking the public’s assistance in investigating a mischief. On December 30, 2023, shortly after 11:00 p.m., the Kenora OPP Detachment received information about a mischief incident at the intersection of Main Street South and Second Street South […]
Members of local fire departments, Treaty Three Police, and staff from a nearby provincial park were among those who received training on how to lead search and rescue (SAR) efforts in December. The training was sponsored by Indigenous Services Canada. Students learned about the technical capabilities of GPS units, search […]
The shortage of Firefighters across Canada is a growing crisis, as well as a disaster. In 2016, when I became Fire Chief, there were over 126,000 volunteer firefighters in Canada. In 2023, that number diminished by over 37,000. The unfortunate clarity of the shortage of firefighters makes many communities, including […]
Observed today for the second time, National Ribbon Skirt Day originated in 2020 when 10-year-old Isabella Kulak wore a ribbon skirt on her school’s “formal wear day” and was shamed by a staff member. According to the ribbonskirtproject.ca ribbon skirts are an ancient tradition among the different Indigenous groups across […]
(Fort Frances, ON) – December 21, 2023, at approximately 11:29 a.m. the Fort Frances Fire Rescue Service responded to a structure fire (house fire) in the 400 block of Sixth Street West. Six fulltime firefighters, four part-time firefighters, and the fire chief responded with a pumper truck, an aerial ladder […]
Fort Frances mayor Andrew Hallikas, left, Alzheimer Society of Kenora-Rainy River client services co-ordinator Mary O’Connor, centre, and supporters of the Alzheimer Society joined together on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 3, 2024, for the raising of the Alzheimer Society flag at the Fort Frances Civic Centre to mark the […]
OTTAWA – The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) is marking January as the inaugural Firefighter Cancer Awareness Month in Canada. Nearly all professional Canadian fire fighters have felt the pain of losing colleagues in the line of duty from occupational cancers. In the five-year period 2018-2022, an average of […]
Growth in the Thunder Bay region’s new-business startups and expansions has intensified the search for funding sources. The Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre hosted a Meet the Funders event and added three more funding sources to their previous dozen. Funders have been vital to the survival of the region’s businesses, both […]
It’s been years since anyone in the Tataskweyak Cree Nation (TCN) could drink water unless it was either boiled or sent in on a delivery truck. But thanks to a billion-dollar settlement reached with the feds, the far north community is now anticipating a chance to finally put an end […]
Shortly after cannabis was legalized in Canada 2018, retail cannabis stores started popping up like weeds. At the time, it seemed like a new pot shop was opening on every corner. Many of them are gone today, victims of an overzealous retail market that couldn’t support the many small ‘mom […]
