Fort Frances Times Online Edition - September 13, 2017

The Rainy Lake Square is on track to be completed by the month's end, with a grand-opening celebration to follow on Thursday, Oct. 5.

There's been a flurry of activity at the site in recent weeks, giving the public a much clearer idea of what the final product will look like.

Rain or shine, the first official concert in the “Rainy Lake 150” concert series is slated for tomorrow.

Upbeat roots music artist Little Miss Higgins will perform in front of the Fort Frances Museum starting at 6 p.m., economic development consultant Tannis Drysdale told town council at its regular meeting Monday night.

“We will have a concert on Thursday night,” she assured.

The new schedule for the “Country Jam” that is held each month at the Emo Legion has been released by the musicians.

The first “Jam” of the new season will be held on Friday, Sept. 22 starting at 7 p.m.

A new school year often means change and exciting new opportunities for post-secondary students studying in the district, and this year is no different.

The Confederation College campus here in Fort Frances saw almost 80 post-secondary students register, up 20 students from last year, campus manager Sandra Turner reported.

With town council and administration poised to start working on the 2018 budget this fall, the public is being asked to provide input as to what they'd like to see included.

They'll get the opportunity to make presentations at the next council meeting set for Monday, Sept. 25, Fort Frances CAO Doug Brown said during Monday night's meeting.

The Northwest Catholic District School Board held its first meeting of the 2017-18 school year on Saturday at its office in Dryden.

On the agenda was an update on the new school build project for the consolidation of St. Michael's and St. Francis schools into a single JK-Grade 8 school on the St. Francis site.

Raising a total of $19,350, an unorthodox breast cancer research fundraiser entitled “Layin' pipe in the fight” was a surprising success for its organizers.

Held Saturday in a field just west of Pinewood, the event featured a barbecue, penny table, and a chance for people to watch specially-made pink drainage tile being placed in the ground.

The clock is ticking.

With each obituary that appears in these pages, another local resident's life story is lost. So why not get that person's story down on paper before it's too late?

The Fort Frances Museum is working with local resident Sandra Brunetta to chronicle the memories of everyday life of Fort Frances' aged citizens so they can be kept there for posterity.

The Northwestern Health Unit expects Bill 148 (Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017) will lead to significantly improved health outcomes for many of its residents.

The board of health showed its support of the bill by passing a resolution at its Aug. 28 meeting commending the provincial government for taking steps to improve income levels and working conditions.

October is Healthy Workplace Month and the Northwestern Health Unit is inviting you to participate in its fifth-annual “Workplace Wellness Challenge,” which runs Oct. 2-27.

The goal of the challenge is to encourage participants to be active, to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and to get the right amount of sleep.

Marjan (“Mar”) Fraczkiewicz has turned a longtime passion for wakeboarding and other water sports into a new business venture.

Fraczkiewicz, along with his business partner, Shawna McRitchie, launched Sunset Water Sports this summer to great success, with few evenings and weekends when they aren't out on Rainy Lake with riders of all ages.

The Tech Department at Fort Frances High School has been able to add new equipment to its welding booths after receiving funding from the Canadian Welding Association Foundation.

Teacher Robert Guertin applied for the funding last year and learned in May they were successful in receiving $20,500.

Crossroads School in Devlin will hold its annual open house tomorrow (Sept. 14).

Feel free to call school for more information at 486-3329.

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The community sends sympathy to the family of Fran Nelson, who passed earlier this week.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time.

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Summer may have been a break for students but for the Rainy River District School Board, it was a busy time for improvements across its jurisdiction.

Board administration gave a report summary of the 2017 summer accomplishments update to trustees during the first regular meeting of the new school year here last Tuesday night.

New Gold Inc. last Wednesday provided an update on the construction of its Rainy River project, located north of Barwick.

Both the project schedule and capital cost estimate remain in line with New Gold's current plan (announced in late January).

August highlights include:

Ontario and Grand Council Treaty #3 are working together to transform the system of services for Anishinaabe children and youth in Northwestern Ontario.

With her volleyball career arrow pointing up, Adyson Wilson-Hands has headed out.

The Fort Frances native will spend her Grade 11 year in southern Ontario to get the chance to sharpen her spike talents on two fronts.

Nancy Evans, Taylor Jorgenson, and Dwayne Sinclair were the big winners at the Kitchen Creek club championships over the weekend.

Evans shot a 92 to beat Judi Dickey by four strokes to claim the women's crown while Jorgenson carded a 72 to also win by four shots over Muskie golf coach Jonny Lundon in the men's division.

Sekina Scheibler had just finished running more than a quarter-of-a-mile.

But he wasn't taking one more step in his post-game interview unless his demands were met.

You have to start somewhere and Wayne Strachan believed it was a decent start.

The head coach and general manager of the Fort Frances Lakers saw his team show some mid-season fight despite a 4-3 shootout loss to the Minnesota Iron Rangers in their SIJHL exhibition opener Friday night at the Ice For Kids Arena.

“I thought we got better as the game went on,” said Strachan.

More coaches hopefully will translate into more polish for the Muskie junior girls' basketball team this season.

Head coach Gord McCabe is joined by assistants Angela Petsnick, who coached the junior boys' hoopsters last year, and former junior girls' coach Alyssa Faragher.

“With three coaches, we can break the practices down into smaller groups,” Petsnick explained.

How would the Muskie golf team fare without their best player from the last few years around anymore?

Pretty well, thanks.

The contingent served notice they'll be a force to be reckoned with this season as they wound up in first in the team division of the NorWOSSA regular-season opener Friday in Sioux Lookout.

Dan Bird surveyed the scene and made the obvious analysis.

“It's definitely going to be a different year with these 10,” mused the Muskie senior girls' basketball chief strategist who, along with co-coach Mike Krueger, will do his best to concentrate on the talent he has instead of the skill players he was expecting to have but doesn't.

Amy Wilson-Hands is a big believer in being hands-off as much as possible and let her players carry the load.

The head coach of the Muskie junior boys' volleyball team, joined this season by assistants Shana Windigo and Terry “Goose” McMahon, is relying on her seven Grade 10 players to be even more of a guiding force than she is to the eight Grade 9 newcomers.

Troy Norman has been all about that bass this year.

It's been a fishing season to remember for the Fort Frances resident, who paired up with Andy Carlson of Emo to capture first place at the 22nd-annual “Bassin' For Bucks” tournament in Sioux Narrows over the weekend.

The duo had a total three-day weight of 47.52 pounds.

Steve Arpin isn't sneaking up on his rivals anymore—they already knows he's coming.

The Fort Frances native had what was for him this season a below-average showing at the latest Red Bull Global Rallycross tour stop in Seattle over the weekend.

As the Big Grassy Braves, they took home a league title the season after they tragically lost one of their own.

As the Fort Frances Braves, they did it again for another one, who happened to be the son of that first teammate.

There's a reason why they became champions.

Emo's Brody Strachan and Kevin Desserre of Dryden flashed their mastery one more time in a fitting end to their 2017 Borderland Racing Association seasons during “Fan Appreciation Night” at the Emo Speedway on Saturday.

Everyone new is old again.

It's a bit of a twist on the old line, but appropriate when speaking about a good portion of the Muskie senior boys' volleyball team in relation to co-coaches John Gibson and Jason Cain.

Here are the sunrise and sunset times for Sept. 15-20:

Thunder Bay's Megan and Kory Carr, along with Stratton natives Jackie McCormick and Trevor Bonot, were given an enthusiastic send-off at the Stratton Recreation Centre on Saturday night as the Canadian mixed curling champions prepare to head to Champéry, Switzerland next month for the world championships.

Sandra Brunetta, right, chatted with Fort Frances Museum curator Sherry George, left, and museum volunteer Maxine Hayes about how best to start gathering older residents' recollections of growing up here during a meeting last Wednesday.

Abby Bone was all smiles after receiving her “Canada 150" pin and certificate during Monday night's council meeting. Bone, her sister, Emma, and mom, Toey, each were recognized for their volunteer work with "Meals on Wheels" and the Robert Moore School breakfast program. About 30 local volunteers received pins on Monday—the first batch of 500 who will be honoured through the end of the year.

A bird's-eye view of the front portion of the new Rainy Lake Square taken late last week shows the project on the 200 block of Scott Street is progressing quickly. Work is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, allowing for a grand opening to take place on Thursday, Oct. 5. See story A3.

Director of Education Heather Campbell looked on as Lemuel Carradice read his oath of office to undertake the role of student trustee at the Rainy River District School Board meeting here last Tuesday (Sept. 5). Carradice, a Grade 12 student at Rainy River High School, will represent all students in the district at board meetings during the 2017-18 school year.

Dr. Kit Young-Hoon, Medical Officer of Health for the Northwestern Health Unit, urged council to update the town's Municipal Alcohol Policy during its regular meeting Monday night.

Stratton native and current Winnipeg resident Danielle Shrumm joined her nephew, Layton Malodowich from Rainy River, along the running path at The Mounds for the third-annual “Pi Run” put on by the Stratton Recreation Committee on Saturday morning.

George Oltsher drove his 1927 Whippet (above) while the Stratton Post Office displayed a historical set-up (below) during the “Ontario 150” parade held there Saturday. Other events included a vendor-blendor, children's activities, a fastball game, and a mini tug-of-war tournament to celebrate the milestone.

Organizers and volunteers at “Layin' Pipe in the Fight” posed in front of the drainage plow in their matching pink T-shirts during Saturday's event just west of Pinewood. The fundraiser—featuring a barbecue, penny table, and laying specially-made pink drainage tile-raised $19,350 for breast cancer research.

Board chair Dianne McCormack presented Crossroads' principal Kerri Tolen and vice-principal Sharla MacKinnon with the recognition of excellence at the first regular board meeting of the new school year last Tuesday (Sept. 5). The recognition was in honour of the “Being Well Together-Count on It!” event held at the Devlin school back in May that drew more than 40 families.

Work continues on the bridge leading into the east end of Emo as one of a few construction projects taking place along Highway 11/71 across the district. Reduced speeds and single-lane traffic are a result of the culvert replacement being done between the Emo Inn and Cloverleaf.

Ingrid Ellis had a blast wakeboarding while out with Sunset Water Sports earlier this summer.

The International Boundary Waters Dragon Boat Club (#3) may not have won this close final heat against Winnipeg's Prostate Paddlers (#1) but they were fast enough over three heats to win the Mixed Competitive Division—and the overall championship—at the FMG Manitoba Dragon Boat Festival in Winnipeg on the weekend.

Muskie receiver Winston Johnson-Jourdain looked to have made a nice grab in front of Maples' defensive back Ty Traverse but was unable to maintain possession in-bounds on this fourth-quarter play.

Barwick Blue Knights' third baseman Brad Wakefield, left, threw an unintentional hip check on teammate Vaughan Wilson that allowed Jaden Gustafson to reach base safely during the second inning of the Fort Frances Braves' 9-4 victory in the third-and-deciding game of the Rainy River District Fastball League championship series last Wednesdsay evening at Couchiching.

Maples Marauders' running back Mason Jesmer (7) was washed away by relentless waves of Muskie defenders such as Riley Argue (left) and Wyatt Richards throughout the game.

Shawna McRitchie, left, and Mar Fraczkiewicz of Sunset Water Sports, seen here aboard their Mastercraft X25, have been busy entertaining riders of all ages on Rainy Lake this summer.

Muskie running back Sekina Scheibler made Aziz Daoud (32) and most other Maples Marauders' defenders look like turnstiles as he charged his way to 309 yards rushing and six touchdowns in Fort High's 42-18 win Friday in Winnipeg.