The New Year is a time of reflection for many; a time to take stock of the past year, and look forward to the future. This year at the Times we have a lot to look forward to. Public events are bouncing back across the District. Municipalities and First Nations are forging ahead with exciting new development plans. 2022 was a difficult year for many of us, but there’s a lot to be excited about in our future.
We’ve also been reflecting on the Times family we have built, and how much they mean to us.
We said goodbye to many team members in 2022, as they moved on to new jobs or retirement. John Pierce and Susan Taylor are our two most recent retirements, each contributing decades to the success of the Times. But we’ve welcomed new faces in their place. Sue Bragg and Darren Derendorf have joined advertising, Jeff Carlson has joined our production team, and Elisa Nguyen has joined our newsroom. They all bring fresh outlooks and new perspectives. As the media landscape evolves and migrates to the digital world, their new ideas will be invaluable to our future.
Many shifts have taken place with our contributors this year. Rick Neilson has decided to take a well deserved retirement from writing his regular Focus on Farming column. His lifetime of knowledge and experience has been invaluable to our team and the District. Jack Elliott, a long-time member of the Times family, has decided to step away from Squirrel Pie to enjoy some travel and time with family. His column brought some much-needed smiles during a difficult year of floods and turmoil, and will be very missed by many. Our Page 5 hasn’t been the same without him. But, we haven’t sen the last of Jack Elliott – we look forward to seeing him out pushing pontoon tickets, riding his trike and writing Times articles for the WRRD Lions.
As good things come to an end, new beginnings emerge. We are so excited for the recent retirement of Devlin resident extraordinaire Robin McCormick, because it has given her more time to write for us. The stories, features and Focus on Farming columns she has written have added so much depth to our newspaper, and highlighted what a wonderful community we live in. We’re very lucky to have her on board.
We’ve also welcomed professional Life Coach Elizabeth Adam to our line-up. She’ll be writing monthly to help readers manage life, stress and expectations. Although she hails from Winnipeg, she has deep roots in our community. Her father and many other relatives live in the district, and her son, Daniel Adam, was our summer student last year, while he bunked with his Grandpa near Emo. Both she and Daniel are talented writers, and welcome additions to the Times family. Beyond being a life coach, Liz is a published author, having penned a book titled “Mother Love: Portraits of its Power.”
With today’s uncertain economy, we have also begun publishing Ask the Money Lady, with current advice on Canadian money matters. Financial planning is important for everybody, regardless of income, and she presents practical tips and ideas you can use to tweak your own financial future, and discuss with your financial planner.
As we look forward to this new year, we would like to give a heartfelt thanks to Times team members who’ve passed the torch, and a warm welcome to those who’ve taken it on. And a very special thank you to our readers – without you, there simply wouldn’t be a Fort Frances Times. Thank you for welcoming our family into your homes every week.
Happy New Year, everyone. May 2023 be filled with health and happiness.
By Megan Walchuk
mwalchuk@fortfrances.com
