Fort Frances Times Online Edition - May 6, 2020

With Mother's Day just around the corner, thoughts are turning to those who have been there for us since our very first day.

However, just because a parent wasn't there for a child's first moment, doesn't make them less important or impactful.

Barb Burkholder is a foster parent with the Kenora-Rainy River District Child and Family Services (KRRDCFS), and has been since 2007.

Several weeks of closure have forced local restaurants to get creative, to survive. Most have experimented with delivery and curbside pickup for the first time, while others have been forced to reinvent themselves entirely.

The Emo and Barwick derailments have been cited in a recommendation to the Department of Transport, to investigate whether key train speeds and regulations are in need of an overhaul.

You've likely run into this situation already: You're at home on quarantine or self-isolation orders. Try as you might, Netflix and Disney+ just aren't cutting it today (or you've already exhausted everything there is to watch, we're not here to judge), and you've done everything there is to do on your daily Animal Crossing task list.

As a result of developed relationships and numerous conversations with Indigenous Services Canada and with direction from Treaty #3 Leadership, the Emergency Planning Initiative of Grand Council Treaty #3 and the Territorial Planning Unit has commenced in the Treaty #3 Territory.

Borderland Pride has received several inquiries from community members about the status of our annual Pride Week festival in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

MPP Greg Rickford returned home to Kenora late last week bringing critical supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) to support First Nations communities across the riding.

According to the Invasive Species Centre, Clean, Drain and Dry is an effective way to prevent invasive species from transporting from lake to lake. Follow their tips before moving your boat from one waterway to another:

Clean

Sincere sympathy to the family and friends of Don Meyers. He was a respected, dedicated man to family, friends and his community. He will be greatly missed by many.

As a new open water season arrives here in Northwest Ontario we all need to be aware of aquatic hitchhikers on our boats as they become more established around us. Over the past couple of decades there have been several invasive species that have found their way into our region but with more awareness hopefully we can slow further spread of all species.

The Emo Speedway has announced a delay to the start of its season, due to COVID-19.

Under the revised season schedule, the season opener will be the Race for the Fallen, June 26 and 27, with a rain date of June 28, according to the club's Facebook page.

The Emo Express hockey board has chosen to cancel the annual hockey banquet all together. This is due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The board realizes everyone will miss the banquet and look forward to the event next year.

2019/2020 was a great season of hockey.

The awards for the year go to the following players:

NOVICE

The Tony Bliss Award

Dryden GM Ice Dogs

Jacob Anthony Selkirk College (BCIHL)

Curtis Magas, Selkirk College (BCIHL)

Fort Frances Lakers

Stone Stelzl Castleton (NEHC)

Red Lake Miners

Zach Willms, Fredonia State (SUNYAC)

Thief River Falls Norskies

Joe Collins, (F) Hamline (MIAC)

Isaac Baron, (F) Hamline (MIAC)

Cory Checco, (F) Lawrence (NCHA)

Golf courses across the province have been given the green light on Monday to prepare for the upcoming season, and Huron Landing Golf Club will be ready for the first tee-time.

“We'll definitely be ready," said club manager Ashley Bruyere. "We've been working behind the scenes.”

THUNDER BAY, Ont. — The Kam River Fighting Walleye of the Superior International Junior Hockey League have announced the addition of Rylan Henley as assistant coach for their inaugural 2020-21 season.

FORT FRANCES, Ont. - The Fort Frances Lakers of the Superior International Junior Hockey League have announced their initial NCAA Division III commitment for the season.

Lakers' forward Stone Stelzl has been recruited to attend school at Castleton University in Vermont where the Spartans are members of the New England Hockey Conference.

Avis Kaemingh enjoys the spring warmth as he sits in the sandbox beside his loader and digs to his hearts content. The son of Holly and James Kaemingh of Fort Frances, Avis looks like a heavy equipment operator of the future! What has your family been doing to stay busy but safe during the COVID-19 pandemic?

MPP Greg Rickford joined a crew delivering Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to remote fly-in reserves recently. This shipment reached Ochiichagwe'Babigo'Ining Ojibway Nation, otherwise known as Dalles First Nation, north of Kenora. Tom Thomson

The Elliotts and their tour group joined a multi day cruise down the Yangtze River in China. The river is a thoroughfare for commercial and passenger traffic. They began in the city of Wuhan, with sites of skyscrapers, before heading out into the countryside.

Braeden Beazley braved the 10 degree water of Hopkins Bay on April 30 to enjoy his first ski of the season. There was still ice on parts of the lake. How have you been passing the time this spring? Take a picture and send it to tips@fortfrances.com so we can share it with readers.

With many thousands of acre to seed, it was all systems go as this massive piece of equipment was just one of the units Brielman Agriculture has in the fields. Tillage here, north of Rainy River was being carried out on April 30 prior to the arrival of the second operation, another massive tractor and an air seeder.

CloudTax, in response to the devastating effects of COVID-19 on the Canadian economy, will be offering free services for Canadians effective today. CloudTax will be offering free tax filings and consultations online and over the phone for those who fall under the following categories:

- An individual residing in Canada who is over 65 years old