The Rainy River District Palliative Care Volunteer Program’s butterfly releases, originally scheduled for tomorrow in Rainy River and Sunday here in Fort Frances, have been postponed because the Monarch butterflies to be released were lost in transit.
“Apparently, Purolator has lost 100 butterflies,” volunteer co-ordinator Jennifer Anderson said this morning.

She was expecting the butterflies, which are ordered from a farm in southern Ontario, to be here today in time for the two weekend events.
Anderson said she just learned of the disappointing news, so she hasn’t yet set a date for another release, but added a new one will be announced shortly.
After butterflies are ordered, it takes about three weeks for them to be prepared and delivered, so another event won’t happen until early- to mid-August.
However, Anderson wasn’t sure if the rescheduled release would take place both in Fort Frances and Rainy River as previously planned since the original one in the latter location was intended to coincide with “Railroad Daze” celebrations.
“I’ll have to give that some thought,” Anderson said.
Anderson apologized for the inconvenience this setback may have caused those who already had purchased butterflies, and hopes the same people come out at the rescheduled date.
As for the fate of the butterflies that were lost in transit, it’s likely grim. The insects are carefully placed in tiny boxes and cooled down prior to shipping so they enter a sort of hibernation.
But “unless they magically show up somewhere,” the butterflies never again will see the light of day, Anderson said.