The Chamber was invited to a meeting on April 5^th in Snow Lake hosted by snowmobile group SledMB53.  It will be a half day summit to discuss how to move forward with the northern tourism strategy created in 2018.  You can learn more at www.sledmb53.ca.

Kory Eastman reminded members about the Flin Flon Credit Union Community Enrichment Grants with applications open until April 1^st.  They have 30 thousand dollars available for grants of 25 hundred dollars each to support community organizations.  You can find information and the application on their website www.ffcu.ca click on In Our Community and then on Community Programs on the left hand side of the page.

Dave Kendall reported the Co-op store will stop using plastic bags effective Earth Day April 22^nd.

And the Chamber is planning for new maps of the Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach areas as the current supply has been used up.

Social Services Minister Gene Makowsky notes every day social workers help individuals and families experiencing difficulties in their lives. They provide supports and services to help their clients overcome complex challenges including substance misuse, intimate partner violence, mental health crises and intergenerational trauma. Across the province social workers can be found working in public or private practice, in community-based organizations and across the health and mental health, education, justice, disability and child welfare sectors. They may also be engaged in research, policy, planning or administration.

The Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers promotes and regulates the profession with more than 2500 social workers currently registered in the province. 

For more information on Social Work Week in Saskatchewan visit the Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers' website at www.sasw.ca or the SASW Facebook page.

The Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce heard from the CEO of North Forge Joelle Foster at their meeting yesterday. Foster noted with mining no longer being part of the community you have to look at innovation as a different way of growing the community and then look at partnerships you can create outside of Flin Flon as well.  She says you don’t have to be tech savvy to start an innovative business….

“So we’ve worked with 263 companies in three years, 80 percent of them have no tech skills whatsoever. That’s where we come in.  That’s where we help to build the team, find the talent to build those apps, to build those platforms, to help them fabricate something like that.  65 percent of our entrepreneurs have no entrepreneurship background, again that’s where we come in.  We’re trying to help them build that so you can come right from ideation, just an idea, and then we will help you make sure you’ve defined your target market, that you do those customer interviews, fail fast if that’s what you need and then if you’ve got the customers then we can help you take it to the next level where you define the business model, you start building your financials, we’ve got experts around that, we’ll teach you how to pitch and then you’re okay I want to do this then you come into the incubator for a year or two.”

North Forge helps entrepreneurs solve problems and reduce the cost and risk of innovation.  Visit www.northforge.ca to learn more.

At their meeting earlier this week the Town of Creighton agreed to pass a motion to hire a Regional Tourism Officer.  A motion was also passed to rent the Sportex Lounge to the Christian Horizons Group for eighteen months at 12 hundred dollars per month.  Council received a letter from Canada Community Building Funds regarding this year’s installment of forty four thousand one hundred and fifty six dollars and ten cents. They have also received an invitation to attend the Northlands College open house which takes place March 30^th.

The Council agreed to appoint Reg Churko from RC Inspection Services to oversee Town Building Inspector Willie Anaka while he performs inspections under a Class Two Commercial License during construction of the Saskatchewan Housing Home for Disabilities at 201 Collins Crescent.

Council was asked about the 17 million dollar cost of a new pool. Chief Administrative Officer Lyn Brown said the projected cost is 14.6 million. She explained there is about 8 million in government funds, they are putting in an application for another 3 million from a new grant program, they’re looking at about 2 million in fund raising and they have about 400 thousand dollars they’ve levied in taxes since 2020.  They have factored in a possible 20 percent increase in costs bringing it to 17.3 million.  She added they expect to get the additional 3 million but if they don’t they will have to debenture about 6 million dollars but property taxes will not change as a water debenture they are paying will be reduced at the end of 2024.  At the last meeting Council had with the contractor it was noted they plan to have preparations completed for ground breaking in the spring of 2024.

              In other business Council will review the proposed Bylaw to set the direction of traffic in the Ruth Betts School area based on feedback they have received including area residents concerned about access and parking.

And the April 4^th Council meeting moves to the 11^th due to the Association of Manitoba Municipalities meeting and the 18^th to the 25^th due to a Saskatchewan meeting.

This is National Impaired Driving Prevention Week when police, government and community organizations work to raise awareness about the risks and consequences of impaired driving. The officer in charge of Saskatchewan RCMP Traffic Services Superintendent Grant St. Germaine states we know the tragic consequences of impaired driving are one hundred percent preventable but we continue to find impaired drivers on our roads.  In January and Februarys this year Saskatchewan RCMP and Combined Traffic Services officers arrested 138 drivers who submitted breath samples over the legal limit and charged them under the Criminal Code.  Some of the drivers were well over the legal limit of alcohol in their blood including twelve drivers at least three times over and two at least four times over the legal limit.

St. Germaine emphasizes everyone needs to take responsibility and ensure that they and those around them are not driving when they are impaired by alcohol or drugs.

A Regional Tourism Portal has been launched as a one stop shop for all things tourism for Flin Flon, Denare Beach and Creighton.  FDC Economic Development Officer Brooke White explains…..

“It’s a tourism data base for everything tourism related in Flin Fon, Creighton and Denare Beach. This portal has adventures to discover, festivals and events, trip inspiration, tour ideas and more.  You’ll also find exploratory maps which highlight the trails, beaches and lakes in the region so I encourage you to check it out and share it with anyone who may be visiting.”

You can link to the Regional Tourism Portal by scanning the QR code on the City of Flin Flon Facebook page or visit www.investfdc.ca/discover.

Under the slogan “Cancer doesn’t wait why should you?” Colorectal Cancer Canada’s campaign reminds Canadians of the importance of getting screened because colorectal cancer is preventable, treatable and beatable.

 Their President Barry D. Stein notes colorectal cancer continues to claim far too many lives in Canada yet if caught early enough polyps can be removed before they become cancerous.  On average 68 men and women are diagnosed with colorectal cancer every day in Canada and each year it kills nearly ten thousand people in Canada making it the second deadliest cancer in men and third in women.

Stein adds studies show colorectal cancer is affecting younger people so as soon as a patient presents to his or her doctor some of the symptoms such as a sudden change in bowel habits, bloody stool, loss of appetite or anemia it is important to investigate the possibility of colorectal cancer so we can save more lives.

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson has announced more than 400 community arts, culture and sports projects will share 50 million dollars in funding through the Manitoba First Fund to begin making improvements in their community.

Under the small capital program the Flin Flon Public Library will receive 70 thousand dollars for renovations and the Flin Flon Junior Bomber Hockey Club just under 24 thousand for press and viewing boxes and arena sound system updates and the Opasquia Trails in The Pas 25 thousand for Grace Lake Boardwalk trail signage development and installation.  Under Special Initiatives the Flin Flon Arts Council will receive 100 thousand for the ImagiNorthern Regional Creatives Development Program, the Northern Visual Arts Centre just under 25 thousand for a program enhancement plan and the Sam Waller Museum in The Pas 25 thousand for reconfiguration of exhibits and collections.  Under large capital the Town of Snow Lake will receive 343 thousand for Gordon M. Rupp curling rink roof replacement.

The NorVa Art Gallery and Studio is offering Spring Break Kids Classes starting Saturday and running through Thursday.  On Saturday they have Easter Bunny Flower Pots from 1:30 to 3 for ages 7 to 12 with 6 allowed if accompanied, Monday Wax Crumple and Dye Bears from 1 to 4 for ages 8 to 16, Tuesday from 1:30 to 4 Black Bear Clay for ages 7 to 10 with 5 and6 if accompanied, Wednesday from 10 to 12 Draw Your Own Character for ages 8 to 16 and Thursday Clay Tiles from 1:30 to 4 for ages 8 to 16.  There is a registration fee for each class. For more information on the classes visit the NorVa Centre or City of Flin Flon Facebook pages.  To register contact the NorVa Centre at 177 Green Street by calling 204-687-4237 or email norvacentre@gmail.com.

The Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce Acting President Dianne Russell invites you to their general meeting Wednesday….

“It’s a general meeting that we will handle a little bit of quick business but we do have a guest speaker Joelle Foster from North Forge.  She’s from Winnipeg.  One of the lines they use is helping companies develop faster, cheaper and successfully, dare to do, so they’re part of a Start Up Canada network and she wants to tell people what she’s about which I think is going to be really great to hear and also how they want to expand into northern Manitoba.”

The meeting is being held Wednesday at 12 with a complementary lunch by Chicken Chef at the Greenstone-The Hub Entrepreneur Centre at 79 Main Street.  You’re asked to let them know you’re attending by emailing admin@cfgreenstone.com or flinflondistrictchamber@gmail.com by Monday.

This is Fraud Prevention Month and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says they received fraud and cybercrime reports last year totaling 530 million dollar in victim losses.  This is nearly a 40 percent increase from 2021 but the Centre estimates only five to ten percent of people report fraud.

The RCMP’s Director General of the Anti-Fraud Centre Chris Lynam reports fraudsters are using increasingly sophisticated methods to victimize Canadians.  He encourages everyone to take time to learn the signs of a scam or fraud, know how to report it and share this information with the people around you adding it could take just one conversation with a loved one to prevent them from falling victim to fraud. The top three most reported types of fraud last year were phishing, extortion and personal information scams all designed to get you to pay or give away sensitive information like your social insurance number, passwords or banking details.

Anyone who believes they have been contacted by a scammer, is aware of a scam or has become a victim is strongly encouraged to report it to authorities so they can warn others which may limit it from spreading.

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment reminds anglers ice fishing season is winding down.  That means all ice fishing shelters north of highway 16 in the province must be removed by March 31^st.

They urge you to plan to remove your ice shelter before it becomes unsafe noting spring weather can be unpredictable leading to unsafe ice conditions sometimes earlier than expected.  Owners must remove all structures and litter from the ice.  Shelters may not be left onshore and must be transported away.  They note abandoned ice shelters pose an unnecessary risk to everyone who enjoys the lakes in the summer since pieces of a shelter can cause injury and litter the shores.

They also remind you to be extremely cautious when travelling on ice adding slush, thermal cracks and pressure ridges are all indications of unsafe ice conditions.

At their meeting earlier this week the Flin Flon School Division Trustees passed two motions.  First they approved the 2023-24 budget and that it be forwarded to Manitoba Education Funding no later than March 31^st this year.  Secondly they agreed to submit the 2023 Special Levy request to the City of Flin Flon no later than the deadline of March 15 of this year.

Around the Division Hapnot Students in grade nine and ten recently participated in the Health Behavior in School Aged Children Study initiated by Queens University.  At Many Faces the Jay’s Care ball team is sponsored again this year by the Toronto Blue Jays.  This year’s season gets underway March 24^th with their new equipment and jerseys.  Dodgeball at Lunch this month will help start the training season for players and coaches.  Elementary report cards will be sent home on Monday the 20^th with Family Teacher interviews held on the 22^nd.

Freedom Outreach Adult and Teen Challenge held a successful Sled for Eternity snowmobile ride at the Bakers Narrows Lodge on Sunday. The program’s Kandi Lagore reports they had a great turnout…..

“We had 55 registered riders, we had 80 who attended the banquet, the finale at Baker Narrows Lodge.  We raised a net of 75 thousand dollars so that is going to really help us with continuing with the community outreach office and the other work that we’re doing.  The name of the winner is Arnold Wiebe from southern Manitoba and he raised over 20 thousand dollars and so we had a bunch of people who raised a significant amount and we are thankful to all of our riders and all of the businesses and people who supported us.”

Arnold Wiebe received a 2022 Arctic Cat ZR Thundercat 9000 for collecting the most pledges.

This is World Glaucoma Week to remind people of the importance of eye exams.  Glaucoma is commonly referred to as the silent thief of sight and is asymptomatic in most cases so by the time the condition is noticed the vision loss is irreversible.  Despite being asymptomatic a recent Specsavers survey conducted by Leger shows 71 percent of Canadians expect at least one early warning symptom of glaucoma.

Another survey showed that one in four Canadians who do not wear corrective glasses have not had an eye exam in over ten years and ten percent of this group have not had an eye exam at all in their lifetime.

Director of Optometry at Specsavers Naomi Barber explains regular visits to an optometrist and early detection through 3D eye scans are crucial for treatment and ongoing monitoring of glaucoma.  She adds many vision threatening eye conditions including glaucoma progress to advanced stages without symptoms while vision loss is preventable if caught early.

In the third round of the SledTown ShowDown for Manitoba Flin Flon received 73 percent of the votes over The Pas with 27 percent and Thompson received 56 percent over Lac du Bonnet with 44 percent. Round three wrapped up Sunday.

In the final round for Manitoba’s top SledTown Flin Flon is up against Thompson.  This round runs until March 26^th and you can vote for your favorite SledTown at www.snoriderswest.com.  The winner goes on to compete with the top SledTowns in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. Flin Flon won the competition in 2020 and 2022 with Lac du Bonnet taking it in 2021.

Foremost Lithium Resource and Technology Limited has received phase two of its metallurgical report from XPS Expert Process Solutions on its Zoro Lithium Project near Snow Lake. Tests confirmed the final product is amenable to a flowsheet capable of producing both battery grade lithium products Lithium Carbonate and Lithium Hydroxide.                                          

Foremost President Jason Barnard says phase two of their metallurgical program at Dyke One confirms the ability to produce a near six percent Lithium Oxide concentrate while maximizing lithium recovery with significant capital expenditure and operating expense savings.  He adds this was a critical milestone for our company which highlights the quality of our ore to prospective battery manufacturers and our strategic partners while our lithium is still in the ground.  He notes they recognize that the world is transitioning toward electrification with unprecedented speed and they are positioning their lithium projects to capitalize on these opportunities.

The Flin Flon Credit Union is accepting applications for their Community Enrichment Small Grant Program.  General Manager Kory Eastman says they have increased the amount available….

“The amount we have in the grant is based on five percent of our net income so it looks like this year instead of 10 thousand like we’ve had the last couple of years we’ll have 30 thousand dollars we’ll be able to provide the community organizations.  The requirements for applying are on the Flin Flon Credit Union website at www.ffcu.ca as well as the application.  It’s a pretty quick process and we invite anyone who has a need for up to 25 hundred dollars for their program to put in an application.”

When you get to their website www.ffcu.ca click on In Our Community and then on Community Programs on the left hand side of the page. The deadline is April 1st.

Foran Mining Corporation has announced assay results from two additional holes from their winter drill program at the new Tesla discovery.  It is located about 300 meters north of Foran’s McIlvenna Bay Deposit 65 kilometers west of Flin Flon.  One highlight intercept includes 3.58 percent copper equivalent over 16.9 meters and 2.61 percent over 32.1 meters.

Executive Chairman and CEO Dan Myerson notes follow up drilling at Tesla continues to demonstrate the growing potential for scalable critical metal discoveries across their properties. He reports they are ramping up their exploration effort with a fourth drill rig to fully capitalize on these exciting initiatives with their regional program to commence in the summer and planned directional drilling at Tesla following spring break-up.  He added they believe this is just the tip of the iceberg across their vast canvas of targets.  It is anticipated drilling will continue until the end of March or as long as ice conditions permit.

The fire started twice early yesterday morning at the Northern Health Region Wellness Connection Centre, which spread to surrounding businesses along the strip mall.

Crews from the City of Thompson, Paint Lake, and Vale fire departments were on site most of yesterday extinguishing the fire.

Residents were advised to stay away from the immediate area, and the downtown and Juniper area in general, due to smoke.

Vale’s health and safety personnel were on site monitoring air quality.

The NHR says the Wellness Connection Centre will be temporarily relocated to the Thompson Clinic.

The Manitoba government has provided 1.7 million dollars for the latest projects receiving support through the Manitoba Mineral Development Fund which is managed by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce.  The MMDF provides funding to communities and businesses to advance mineral exploration projects.

The projects approved in this latest round of funding include Boreal Gold and Callinex Mines Flin Flon, Foremost Lithium Snow Lake and 55 North and Alamos Gold Lynn Lake.

Financial assistance from the fund can include onetime grants for activities that help advance new mining opportunities and outreach to First Nations for collaborative resource developments.

Economic Development Minister Jeff Wharton notes the government has committed to annual investment in the Mineral Development Fund of up to six percent of tax revenues from the Mining Tax Act which are collected on profit generated by mining businesses. Since its inception in 2020 it has approved 50 mineral exploration projects for a total of 7.7 million dollars in funding.

The Manitoba government is now accepting applications for the 2023-24 Student Advisory Council.  The Council was launched in March 2021 in response to recommendations from the Manitoba Commission on Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education.  Education Minister Wayne Ewasko invites all Manitoba students between the ages of 14 to 18 to apply for next year’s Council.

The Student Advisory Council reports directly to the Minister of Education and Early Childhood Learning.  The role of the Council is to provide insights and advice on issues and topics that are current and emerging for kindergarten to grade 12 students.  Council members will serve a 12 month term beginning this August and may be considered for a second term.  The deadline to apply is March 31^st.

For more information on the Council and how to apply find the link to their website in this story at www.flinflononline.com.

              https://edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/action_plan/studentadvisorycouncil.html.

Residents are being told to avoid the area around Selkirk Avenue in Thompson as the local fire department works to extinguish the blaze.

RCMP says they responded to the fire at a business at the strip mall on the street just before 2 a.m, and set up a perimeter around the area as Thompson Fire and EMS brought down the fire.

The fire started up again in the same location at 5 a.m.

Police say the fire doesn’t appear suspicious and the Office of the Fire Commissioner was notified.

The strip mall includes a storefront clinic operated by the Northern Health Region, a Shopper’s Drugmart, Royal Bank and Chicken Chef.

At a previous meeting Flin Flon City Council granted the Friendship Centre the parking lot property beside their building on Church Street to build transitional housing starting next June.  At Tuesday night’s meeting they were asked about the loss of parking on Church Street for those attending events at the Friendship Centre or in accessing Main Street. Both Mayor George Fontaine and Councillor Judy Eagle noted the desperate need for transitional housing needed more than parking spaces.  Using the Whitney Forum parking lot was mentioned and Mayor Fontaine reported some parking will be opening up on Hapnot Street soon and as well as on Main Street with the demolition of the long vacant Flin Flon Hotel building this summer. He said no one has shown any interest in the building for years and no one is going to pick up the building so a tender will be issued soon for its demolition.

In other business Council approved the appointment of Lyn Brown as Chief Administrative Officer for the City.  She had been serving as Interim CAO.