In the Legislature last week Flin Flon MLA Tom Lindsey stated mining communities in Northern Manitoba are looking for leadership from their provincial government to address the threat of closures. He said Thompson needs help now and Flin Flon needs assurance help will be there in the future. He added the Minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade Blaine Pedersen doesn’t understand the purpose of the mining reserve fund.  Lindsey said its frightening but not really surprising that this minister has mischaracterized this fund that is there to help communities in times of crisis adding Saul Cherniak understood what it was for, previous Conservative ministers understood what it was for, it’s only this minister that doesn’t seem to understand what it’s there for.  The added worse yet is that the minister has put forward no plan to support Thompson from any source of funds at all.

Pedersen didn’t mention the fund but explained their mineral development protocol noting with this protocol we will have new mines developed all across northern Manitoba.