Fort Frances Times Online Edition - March 30, 2020

Seamus Baxter has dusted off his bike and was out enjoying the waterfront on Friday. With the weather warming up, there are lots of ways to get out and enjoy the sunshine and spring weather.

Public Health advises that it's healthy to get out and enjoy exercise and fresh air, while still practicing a safe social distance of two meteres.

Two Canadian geese take a leisurely swim down Rainy River. With spring on the way, the river has been filling back up with migratory birds, including swans, gulls, ducks and geese.

-Jamie Mountain photo

Some encouraging signs appeared in windows throughout Fort Frances last week, as residents took part in a weekly Window Walk. The theme was Encouraging Words. March 29 was Flowers. The next walk is scheduled for April 1, which will be jokes, followed by Easter Eggs on April 4. Window Walks began as a way for people to celebrate St. Patrick's Day while social distancing.

CALGARY—Fans of a decision by Calgary officials to block off some traffic lanes to give pedestrians and cyclists extra room for social distancing hope others cities will follow suit.

OTTAWA—Canada's charities say they have begun laying off staff and their services, which are usually in high demand during economic downturns, are being shut down as the sector feels the financial sting from COVID-19.

Now the almost 86,000 registered charities in Canada are looking to the federal government to help, with multiple groups calling for immediate cash injections.

OTTAWA — Businesses and employees across Canada reeling from the COVID-19 crisis are expected to hear more about Ottawa's proposed wage subsidy program today.

When the federal government announced on Friday that it was boosting the subsidy to 75 per cent from the original 10 per cent, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he hoped the details would be hammered out by Monday.

OTTAWA—Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is promising federal health authorities will not cut any corners when it comes to making sure masks provided by China meet the necessary standards for protecting Canadian health-care workers from catching COVID-19.

TORONTO — Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, issued the following statement today regarding health and safety on construction sites:

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead sang the national anthem from a remote location. Troy Aikman, borrowing Matthew McConaughey's trademark phrase “All right, all right, all right,” commanded drivers to start their, uh, simulators.

Tom Renney remembers exactly where he was during the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

It was the first time the New York Rangers had ever held their training camp in Manhattan. Renney, who was entering his second season as the team's director of player personnel, was at Madison Square Garden as players checked in for their physicals when the first plane struck the World Trade Centre.

TORONTO—The CFL postponed the start of training camps today due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The ongoing global pandemic and the resulting directives issued by various governments make it unsafe to proceed with plans to gather our athletes and coaches together as scheduled,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—A Kentucky town launched a neighbourhood “safari” for children during the coronavirus pandemic by displaying stuffed animals in the windows of their homes.

The “Cumberland Hill Zoo Walk” was kicked off Sunday morning in Lexington after 60 houses in the community signed up, WKYT-TV reported.

Tonight will see a few clouds and a low of -7 C (19 F).

Tomorrow will be sunny and clear with a high of 10 (50) and a low of minus-one (30).

Wednesday will bring a chance of flurries or rain showers throughout the day and overnight with a high of six (43) and a low of minus-two (28).