Directive Pays Off

Fort Frances High School is receiving strong community support for a directive toward students posting inappropriate photos and comments on social media.

It warned them last week of the consequences of such actions and asked that sites connecting the school be removed.

Principal Peg Keefer says it appears to have made a difference with student and parents who complained seeing marked decrease in the negative use by students of social media sites.

Keefer says they're also continuing ongoing education in the school to reinforce the importance of using those sites responsibly.

Official Opening For SCAP



RRDSB photo

The ribbon has been officially cut on the new location for Sturgeon Creek Alternative Education Program.

About 100 students have been attending classes at the new Emo school since September.

Chair of the Christian Parents Association Carmela Klug says the new school improves on facilities they had in Stratton.

Klug says the school also includes a gymnasium, something students didn't have.

The Association is still continuing to raise money to help offset its construction costs.

Seven Gens To Deliver Mining Program

A major cash infusion for the Seven Generation Education Institute.

The federal government is providing it with $5.2 million for programming that helps students prepare for jobs in the mining industry.

Seven Gens will be working Confederation College, Lakehead University and Cambrian College.

Jobs Numbers Grow In Ontario

Ontario's job market is continuing to grow.

The province saw 13,400 net new jobs in the month of March, while the unemployment rate dropped to 7.3 percent.

That's a 0.2 percentage decrease from February.

Salvation Army Recognized For Its Work Locally

The Salvation Army is receiving praise for its 100 years of service in the Fort Frances area.

The local church celebrated on the weekend.

Area Commander Major Debra Bungay says the community should be proud of the history and the relationship its had with the Salvation Army.

Bungay says Fort Frances raises on a per capita bases as much as some of its larger areas to help sustain programming.

Bermuda Band Visits Fort Frances

A brass band from Bermuda was among those on hand to help the Salvation Army celebrate 100 years of service in Fort Frances.

Band master Jerome Astwood says it's was just their third trip ever overseas, and second to Canada having visited the Toronto area back in the late 1990's.

The 17 members raised their own money to make the trip.

They made several public appearances while in Fort Frances, including marching through the downtown area.

Here's a bit from their performance at Rainycrest Long Term Care.

Festival Day 4 Results

The Rainy River District Festival of the Performing Arts continues today with piano competitions getting underway at the Townshend Theatre at 9 AM.

Director of Education with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Tanya Derkson serves as adjudicator.

Friday, the instrumental portion of the festival wrapped up with Hanna Veldhuisen and Fort Frances High School bands each earning four first place finishes.

Here is list of all winners from Friday and the French Drama portion from Wednesday.

Instrumental Results, Friday, April 4
Violin Solo, Method Courses, Level 3
FIRST:  Alexa Veldhuisen

Violin Solo, Examination Courses, Grade 4
FIRST:  Hanna Veldhuisen

Violin Solo, Examination Courses, Grade 5
FIRST:  Mika Kooistra
SECOND:  Katelyn Bruyere

Violin Solo, Examination Courses, Grade 6
FIRST:  Tianna Veldhuisen

String Solo, Short Recital Piece, Junior
FIRST:  Alexa Veldhuisen

String Solo, Short Recital Piece, Intermediate
FIRST:  Hannah Veldhuisen
SECOND:  (Tie) Katelyn Bruyere, Mika Kooistra

Fiddling, Intermediate
FIRST:  Katelyn Bruyere, Mika Kooistra, Tianna Veldhuisen and Hannah Veldhuisen

String Ensemble, Intermediate
FIRST:  Alexa Veldhuisen, Tianna Veldhuisen, Katelyn Bruyere, Hannah Veldhuisen and Mika Kooistra

Bands and Orchestras, Junior Band
FIRST:  Fort Frances High School Junior Band, Director: Lisa Loney

Bands and Orchestras, Intermediate Band
FIRST:  Fort Frances High School Intermediate Band, Director:  Lisa Loney

Bands and Orchestras, Senior Band
FIRST:  Fort Frances High School Senior Band, Director:  Lisa Loney

Bands and Orchestras, Jazz Band
FIRST:  Fort Frances High School Jazz Band, Director:  Lisa Loney

Ensembles, Garage Band with Vocalist, Cover Material
FIRST:  St. Mary’s Youth Band, Director:  Marie Brady

Instrumental Duets, Senior
FIRST:  Shawn Brady and Raymond Polz


French Drama Results, Wednesday, April 2
French Solo Poetry, Grades 7 and 8
FIRST: Janissa Judson
SECOND: Alexa Veldhuisen

French Solo Prose Reading, Grades 7 and 8
FIRST: Siobhan MacKintosh
SECOND: (Tie) Abby Sanders, Lyzzie Klem

French Solo Poetry, Grades 9 and up
FIRST: (Tie) Mackenzie Wright, Libby Paleczny
SECOND: Claire Hyatt