Fort Frances Time Online Edition - February 1, 2017

Carole Mackintosh delivered the traditional “Ode to the Haggis” with a great deal of drama and humour Saturday night during the annual Robbie Burns Supper hosted by the Emo and District Lions Club at the Emo Legion. Although spoken in Gaelic, Mackintosh conveyed the meaning through her facial expressions and body language. She later explained that Burns wrote the address in jest.

Voting is underway for the 21st-annual Rainy River District Business Awards, with the online process to end at 5 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 3).

The Highland Dancers from the Fort Frances Highlanders did an excellent job of demonstrating some of the traditional Scottish dances during the Robbie Burns Supper on Saturday night, which was well-attended by people from across the district.

From the birch bark canoes of the indigenous peoples to the logging boats that hauled wood from the forest to the mill to the high-speed bass boats of today, watercraft always have played a major role in the lives of Borderland residents.

Veterans, their families, and local officials joined local MP Don Rusnak last Thursday for the re-opening of the Veterans Affairs office in Thunder Bay.

The venue is ready, the swag bags are loaded with all the great stuff, and the cooks are standing by ready to prepare an outstanding meal for you.

Adele has confirmed that she will be performing (a.k.a. Melanie Williams).

Meanwhile, Fort Frances General Supply has received the trophies so the evening is all set to go.

With this year being Canada's 150th birthday, the Fun in the Sun committee is hoping to make this July 1 bigger and better than ever.

But they'll need the community's support to help make this happen.

One way the public can help raise funds is by attending the “Sync or Swim” social slated for Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Memorial Sports Centre auditorium.

Ontario is supporting local projects that will attract investment, create jobs, and boost economic growth in rural communities through the renewed Rural Economic Development (RED) program.

Steamboats such as the “Algoma” (seen here) were used to tow the immense log booms from the forests to the mills in the early days of the local timber industry.

Starting a battle with cancer is a daunting challenge but a couple of local home-based businesswomen will be happy if they can bring smiles to the faces of dozens of new chemotherapy patients.

Jessica Ogden and Donna Kowalski, who sell Thirty-One (a line of bags, purses, and organizing items), have been getting people to sponsor “chemo comfort bags” for the past month.

Two resolutions passed at the Rainy River District Municipal Association's annual general meeting Saturday in Rainy River were calls to address the railway tax inequity and the increasing struggle to get building inspectors.

Fort Frances Coun. Ken Perry explained the resolution received from the Town of Fort Frances concerning property taxes paid by railway companies in Ontario.

On Jan. 24, the Ear Falls OPP was notified by a local business about receiving a fraudulent invoice for printer supplies from a company with a B.C. address.

Police conducted an online search into the company, which revealed it already had been flagged by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) for a similar type activity.

Times' columnist Wendi Stewart will attend the Berton House Residency—Canada's most sought-after writers' retreat—for three months later this year.

A reminder that the Early Years registration for the 2017-18 school year takes place next Wednesday (Feb. 8) from 1-5 p.m. at Crossroads School here in Devlin.

For more information, call the school at 486-3329.

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Congratulations to Jason and Michelle Webb (nee Difelice), who were wed Jan. 12 in Punta Cana.

Our community sends you all the best in your marriage.

Wendi Stewart has been selected for one of Canada's greatest writing opportunities.

The Berton House Residency is Canada's most sought-after writers' retreat, and takes place in the historic home of Canadian writer Pierre Berton in Dawson City, Yukon.

Kitchen boats (or wanigans) served kept boat crews fed during the days when logging was done on the river. Wanigans typically did not have engines so they had to be towed by other boats. They often were parked in calm bays near logging operations. Although large boats, like the “Hallett,” were big enough to have kitchens, most others did not.

The Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board approved its 2017 annual budget of $20.52 million at the board's regular meeting held Jan. 19.

The overall budget reflects a decrease of 3.44 percent on costs to district municipalities.

The budget is reflected below:

Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls Mayor Jerry O'Leary used the Rainy River District Municipal Association's annual general meeting on Saturday to voice his displeasure about the state of health services in district.

This year's Robbie Burns Supper, hosted by the Emo and District Lions Club, was deemed a success by everyone on hand.

About 80 people enjoyed a fantastic roast beef supper, including the traditional haggis, on Saturday night at the Emo Legion.

The evening kicked off with the traditional piping in of the haggis by Piper Bruce Lidkea from the Fort Frances Highlanders.

Nearly a decade after it launched its Thunder Bay-Fort Frances service, Caribou Coach is experiencing a dramatic drop in ridership and has cut service to one round trip a week.

“We are down 55 percent over the past year,” noted owner Sandy Smith.

“We were down 85 percent in the week before Christmas, usually one of our busiest times,” he added.

Jessica Ogden showed off what one of the “chemo comfort bags” look like.

Police and emergency personnel responded after an eastbound delivery truck collided with a westbound pickup truck on the 300 block of King's Highway near the Fort Frances Cemetery yesterday around 10 a.m. Both drivers (the lone occupants of the vehicles) were taken to hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Jesse Homer expressed his artistic side Saturday afternoon during “Drama & Art for Children & Families” at the Fort Frances Museum. Led by Lauren Hyatt, the workshop will be held there again Feb. 25, March 25, and April 22 from 1-4 p.m. The cost is $2/child or $5/family, with drop-ins welcome.

DETROIT — Two luxury electric vehicles the Tesla Model S and the BMW i3 fell short of getting the highest safety ratings in new crash tests by the insurance industry.

SAN FRANCISCO — A tiny unborn hummingbird is getting in the way of a big bridge project in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The discovery of a nest and egg in a tree is stalling the start of upgrades on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge about 30 miles north of San Francisco, officials said Tuesday.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has nominated Neil Gorsuch, a fast-rising conservative judge with a writer’s flair, to the Supreme Court, setting up a fierce fight with Democrats over a jurist who could shape America’s legal landscape for decades to come.

In the quest for Big Crowd Food, lasagna reigns supreme. And at this time of year, you may find yourself entertaining a big crowd for a football game party, for the Oscars or another awards show, or just because it’s cold out and it’s nice to put together a cozy gathering.

It will be cloudy tonight, with an overnight low of minus-22 C (eight below zero F) that will feel more like minus-30 (22 below) thanks to west winds gusting up to 22 m.p.h.

Tomorrow will be partly sunny and cold, with a high of minus-16 (two) and a low around minus-20 (five below).