The Flin Flon Arts Council has been awarded a grant of 250 thousand dollars from the Canada Council for the Arts Strategic Innovation Fund.  It will grow the network of artists supported by the ImagiNorthern Strategy and digital infrastructure using the Uptown Emporium Model in Flin Flon.

A release notes the Uptown Emporium began by networking with local artists leading to the development of the online platform and is now an e-commerce site, physical storefront, photography centre and drop-shipping warehouse.  With representation from Flin Flon, Churchill, Thompson, The Pas and other communities the ImagiNorthern network is driving a unified arts agenda in northern Manitoba. With the Uptown Emporium as a working model the long term strategy will see physical depots established in a number of northern communities.  They note supported by a network of northern champions this project is acting as a conduit between our arts, culture, tourism, economic and small business sectors.