Columns

By Melanie Mathieson
Gardening Guru

Can you imagine what life would be like without computers? I wake up in the morning and my digital clock tells me what time it is. It automatically sets the clock by a time signal that adjusts for daylight savings time.
My coffee pot is already brewing a fresh pot when I wander downstairs for breakfast.
I flip on an old radio and listen to the 6:30 news that brings me information about the region and the world.

By Gary Sliworsky
OMAFRA Rep.

By Al Lowe
Contributor

This was the week in Ottawa where the fate of the Long Gun Registry was finally sealed as bill C-19 passed its final hurdle in the House of Commons. I was happy to have been present for all of the votes on C-19 and to have voted in support the abolition of the Long Gun Registry on behalf of my constituents.

On February 15, the Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services, popularly known as The Drummond Report, was released. The report outlines 362 recommendations that are intended to help the provincial government streamline spending. While the report is considered controversial by many, we have to keep in mind that Mr. Drummond was simply given the task of saving the province money. It is now up to the public and MPPs to distil and dissect the report’s contents.

By Gladys Yeo
Secretary

By Melanie Mathieson
Gardening Guru

This past week the staff at the Fort Frances Times has gone through intensive training on new software. You will not see a great deal of difference in the paper, but the changes were required because the software that we were using was becoming very dated.
By dated, I am admitting that the software was four years old. But we were beginning to have issues with advertisements that were created in newer software from outside the newspaper that we could not use. Our order entry system and accounts receivable system were almost 10 years old.

By Gary Sliworsky
OMAFRA Rep.