An excessively long wait period associated with getting criminal record checks done has prompted The Northwest Catholic District School Board (TNCDSB) to temporarily change its requirements for criminal record and vulnerable sector checks to help fill staffing shortages. The issue was included on the agenda as a report at the […]
News
By Clint Fleury
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch.com
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch.com
THUNDER BAY – Northern Ontario’s living wage has risen from $20.30 to $21.10 per hour this year, according to a new study by the Ontario Living Wage Network. Craig Pickthorne, director of communications for the network, says the average living wage increased across the province from 3 per cent to […]
By Jon Thompson
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Ricochet
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Ricochet
A northwestern Ontario First Nation that’s struggling through a decade-long social crisis has directed its leaders to blockade the highway if the province grants mineral extraction permits near its water source. Onigaming First Nation Chief Jeff Copenace says elders have instructed him to notify a partnership between First Mining Gold […]
By Sandi Krasowski
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal
An Indigenous political advocacy organization says the provincial government’s Buy Ontario Act fails to recognize and capitalize on the economic potential of First Nations procurement strategies. Anishinabek Nation criticizes the new act’s “narrow emphasis” on procurement policies. The Ontario government’s Buy Ontario Act is aimed at protect the province’s workers […]
By Maggie Macintosh
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Winnipeg Free Press
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Winnipeg Free Press
The Kinew government is drafting legislative changes to better track schoolchildren and ensure more of them attend classes regularly. Premier Wab Kinew revealed the “Reach Out, Reach Up” initiative is a priority for this session, but few details were included in the Nov. 18 throne speech. The program will address […]
By Carl Clutchey
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Chronicle-Journal
Anyone in rural areas near Thunder Bay wanting to gain some insight into the workings of their local police force, and how it deals with crime, may want to take a look at the organization’s latest operational review document. The Ontario Provincial Police last week released its annual report for […]
By Matt Prokopchuk
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch.com
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
TBnewswatch.com
THUNDER BAY — Superior North EMS paramedics in communities outside Thunder Bay will be in a legal strike position Wednesday if a new deal isn’t reached by then. Officials with Unifor, the union that represents the district paramedics, and the land ambulance service are slated to be back at the […]
By Allan Bradbury
Staff Writer
abradbury@fortfrances.com
Staff Writer
abradbury@fortfrances.com
November is Woman Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month and organizations around Fort Frances and the Rainy River District are working to support women and girls who find themselves the victims of abuse. Jacquee Loerzel is a Community Family Violence Councillor with Riverside and helps coordinate the campaign locally. “Shine the […]
By Allan Bradbury
Staff Writer
abradbury@fortfrances.com
Staff Writer
abradbury@fortfrances.com
For 50 years, Northern Community Development Services (NCDS) has helped Rainy River District residents work on their resumés, cover letters, and prepare for job interviews, and while they’ve been celebrating all year, on Nov. 5 their official birthday took place with a cake cutting and celebration. To celebrate the milestone […]
It may be just out of the way, but the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau is a bustling place full of different programs aimed at helping the community and those in need. Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., the Volunteer Bureau, located in the old CN […]
By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com
November 20, 2025, marks the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day meant to honour the memory of transgender people whose lives have been lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. As the transgender community continues to face persecution and violence, both in Canada and beyond, the day offers a time to […]
By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com
Although I don’t yet know what it is like to be a trans person in Fort Frances (which is a long and complicated tale for another time), I do know what it’s like to live in a place where I don’t always feel accepted. Sure, many people will feel they […]
