Local News Archives for 2016-02

A Business Was Damaged by Fire Yesterday.

 

 At 9:53 yesterday morning the Flin Flon Fire Department was called to the Tire Shop on number ten highway.  Fire Chief Jim Petrie says when the fire fighters arrived the north end of the building was fully involved with flames coming up through the roof.  He says the fire fighters did a tremendous job of containing the fire to this part of the building which houses the office and main show room.  He says the garage area and the Quonset hut where tires are stored were not damaged.

            

  The Fire Commissioner’s office is on the scene to determine the cause of the fire.

 

Hudbay Operations Did Well in Manitoba.

 

 In their 4th quarter financial results we reported on on Friday Hudbay and President Alan Hair also gave an update on their Manitoba operations.  He says these operations helped with increased production explaining for the 4th quarter of 2015 production of copper and gold remained consistent compared to the same period last year while zinc and silver were increased by 69 percent and 35 percent respectively as a result of increased production at Lalor and higher zinc and silver grades at both Triple Seven and Reed mines.  He says in 2015 production of all metals increased compared to 2014 as a result of increased production at Lalor and higher copper grades at Reed concluding they met their guidance targets for both production and unit operating costs.

             

Hair adds they are continuing a study to optimize the Lalor Mine surface processing facilities near Snow Lake and expect the results by the end of the year.

             

As we reported Friday Hudbay had a loss of 255.5 million dollars in the quarter as higher sales volumes were offset by lower prices and higher treatment and refining charges.

You Can Join People Around the World in Prayer.

 

 St. Peters St. James Anglican Church is hosting a World Day of Prayer Friday night.  One of the organizers Shelly Andres says this event was started by women of various countries around the world who decided they should meet for prayer.  She explains the World Day of Prayers 2016 was written by the World Day of Prayer Committee of Cuba and this year’s theme is Receive Children, Receive Me Christian Women in Socialist Cuba.  She adds the national flower of Cuba is the white butterfly jasmine and Cuban women have used the flower not only as an adornment for their hair but also to transmit messages during liberation wars and as a sign of their being Cuban.

             

The World Day of Prayer gets underway at 7 Friday night at the Anglican Church on Church Street. Andres says offerings received will go toward project grants in Canada and around the world.

 

It Was a Busy Weekend in Denare Beach.

 

The 37th annual Denare Beach Winter Festival opened on Friday with a supper and wrapped up Saturday night with awards and entertainment.  Some of the event winners include Kids Got Talent 10 year old Kayden Rice, Turkey Curling the team of Jason Feuerstein, Jen Feuerstein, Mike Durette and Dennis Zboril; Family Fishing Derby largest fish David Krassilowsky 20 inch jackfish, smallest fish Grant Stomp 3 inch perch, oldest fisher Dave Wasylciw at 61, youngest River Nawaknyos at 7 and from farthest away Grant Stomp from Esterhazy, Saskatchewan; poker derby winner Leland Feuerstein, King Trapper Norval Morin and Queen Trapper Chantel McDermott.

Cost Reduction Follow Losses at Hudbay.

 

Hudbay released its 4th quarter 2015 financial results yesterday. They report a net loss of 255.5 million dollars compared to a net profit of 43.6 million in the 4th quarter of 2014 adding higher sales volumes were partially offset by lower prices for all materials and the effect of higher treatment and refining charges.  President Alan Hair says changes were made coming into this year.  He says following last year’s ramp up at Constancia and Lalor they began reviewing Company wide efficiency and improvements.  To date he says they have identified more than 100 million dollars of spending reduction compared to 2016 estimates while maintaining their production guidance.  Hair says operating cost savings have been identified which are expected to reduce 2016 operating and general administrative costs by approximately 55 million dollars noting all of these operating cost reductions are considered sustainable assuming the input prices remain near current levels.

            

  Hair adds he believes Hudbay is positioned to both ride out the current commodity price environment and will be ready to focus on growth when conditions improve.

The Future of a Lunch Program is Being Studied.

 

At a meeting Monday the Ecole McIsaac School Parent Advisory Council decided to no longer offer a lunch program effective the end of the current school year.  Their Chair Susan Thompson explains initially when the program was started it was very small, they had one employee with parent volunteer support and it has since gone beyond that.  She says they now have around fifty children attending on a regular basis and two employees now, there’s an issue with space, an issue with safety and supervision so it’s gone beyond what their small volunteer Council can safely and effectively provide.

             

Thompson adds the School and the Division are currently looking for alternatives.  Anyone with comments, questions or ideas can contact the School Division.

 

A Curbside Pickup Program is Working Well.

 

It was a year ago that the Flin Flon Recycling Center expanded their red bag curbside program in Flin Flon to a weekly pick up.  Their Administrator Deb Odegaard says the every Wednesday pick up makes it more convenient for people to recycle. She explains they started driving to all of Flin Flon and usage went up slightly noting they have had some new homes signed on and there are some who have moved away so in September they reduced the route but it’s still definitely worthwhile and it’s covering costs so they’re keeping it there.  She says many people tell them they really need or use the service and it’s a valuable one.

             

Odegaard adds there’s a list of streets where they do pick up on their website.  If your street is not on the list call the Center and they will add it.  Details on curbside pick up are also on their website which is www.flinflonrecycle.org.

 

The Saskatchewan Government reports Creighton and Denare Beach are Benefiting From Increased Revenue Sharing.

 

The Saskatchewan Government has announced that municipal revenue sharing is estimated to be more than 271 million dollars in 2016-17.  That represents an increase of 113 percent from 2007-08.  Government Relations Minister Jim Reiter says despite the impact of falling oil prices on the province’s economy they have maintained their commitment to provide one percentage point of total provincial sales tax revenues in unconditional grants.

             

They report revenue sharing for Creighton has increased from just over 452 thousand dollars in 2007-08 to just over 1.2 million in 2015-16 an increase of 176 percent.  For Denare Beach revenue sharing has increased from almost 366 thousand dollars in 2007-08 to just over 858 thousand in 2015-16 an increase of 135 percent.

Pink Day Was Recognized at Local Schools.

 

The Canadian Red Cross helped to paint Manitoba pink for a 5th year yesterday.  Schools and workplaces used the day to celebrate bullying prevention and respectful relationships.

             

At Ecole McIsaac School they held an assembly in the afternoon with presentations by students and teachers.  At Ruth Betts Community School they held as assembly as well as awarding prizes for the best decorated Pink Day classroom and best dressed person.  Hapnot Collegiate had no special events yesterday as they hold Think Pink Fridays every Friday of the year to raise awareness on bullying, discrimination, homophobia and transphobia.

             

A second Pink Day will be held on April 13th.

Another Winter Festival is Ready to Go.

 

 Yesterday we told you about the Denare Beach Winter Festival coming up this weekend but there’s another one on the following weekend.  The annual Bust the Winter Blues Festival is being held for three days starting Friday March 4th.  Committee member Channa Senyk says the festival starts on that Friday with the Kinette’s Trivia Night which is a very popular event and Saturday you can spend the whole day starting with a pancake breakfast and coming out to the Rotary Wheel where the horses will be back for the sleigh rides.  She adds Sunday will end up with the family fishing derby on Phantom Lake starting at noon.

             

The Bust the Winter Blues Festival is put on the Creighton Recreation, Flin Flon Recreation, Creighton Community School and the Friendship Center.  There are posters around town and brochures are available at the Creighton Town Office, Flin Flon City Hall and the Friendship Center.

Discussion on the Budget Dominated the School Board Meeting.

 

 

At last night’s Flin Flon School Board meeting Greg East and Bruce Reid raised their concerns about the Division’s budget for the 2016-17 school year.  East mentioned he understood there are costs in running the Division pointing out the budget numbers and increases going back to 1967. He also asked the Board to hold the line with the current budget and consider some belt tightening.  In the end the budget was approved as presented at the public budget meeting earlier this month.

              Superintendent Blaine Veitch reported the Divisional Science Fair at the Community Hall will take place on March 1st from 4:30 to 7 pm with public viewing and judging the following day.  The public is welcome from 4:30 to 6:30 Wednesday, March 2nd

              Board Chair Murray Skeavington encourages parents and family members to attend the Hapnot Dinner Theatre tonight and tomorrow, adding ticket sales are down this year.  The students have put a lot of time and energy into the play which starts at 6:30. Tickets are 15 dollars and can be purchased at Northern Rainbows End or at the Collegiate.

 

Plans Are Well Underway for a Winter Festival.

 

 The 37th Annual Denare Beach Winter Festival is coming up Friday and Saturday.  Recreation Director Jody Lyle says it kicks off Friday night at the Denareplex with a supper, the infamous turkey curling and music featuring local musicians.  She continues on Saturday they have the family fishing derby, snow drags, a poker derby, bingo, king and queen trapper competitions and they’re going to have a full schedule of events in the Reminder and it’s also available at the Village office.

             

The Festival wraps up Saturday night at 8 o’clock with the presentation of awards followed by entertainment until 11 at the Denareplex.

A New Family is Coming to Flin Flon.

Crystal Kolt and Judy Schmidt

 

Members of the Northern Refugee Sponsorship Committee spoke to the Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce yesterday.  The Committee’s Crystal Kolt says the Committee was formed, joined with the Mennonite Central Committee as a referral agency through the local Cornerstone Church and a 43 year old mother and her family will soon arrive.  Kolt says she has three boys aged 12, 14 and 19, her husband is deceased, they’re Syrian and they’ve been living in Jordan.  She says the kids have had about seven years of education, she has also about six or seven years of education, her work is cleaning houses, the kids have a little bit of English and she does not.

            

  The Committee’s Judy Schmidt added they have 18,600 dollars in their account which is enough for their first family.  They will be living at the residence at the Cornerstone Church and the Committee continues to look for furnishings for the residence with a list available on their facebook page.

 

 

Northern Students Will Test Their Skills.

 

 

Student from Swan River Valley north to Churchill will be at the University College of the North in The Pas tomorrow.  Alexandra Beasse who coordinates a northern youth and careers program explains the Northern Skills Competition is designed for students across the north to test their skills against each other in areas such as welding, electrical, small motors, culinary arts and it’s a chance for them to showcase what they’re able to do and compete against other students for prizes.

             

The competition is being held UCN in The Pas tomorrow from 10 until 3.  Opening ceremonies are at 10 with the public invited to watch the competition. A second session of the competition will be held on Thursday of next week in Thompson.

There Are 35 Thousand Census Jobs Available Across Canada.

 

Statistics Canada is staffing thousands of jobs across the country to work on the 2016 Census.  Staff are required for a variety of supervisory and non-supervisory jobs between March and July in neighborhoods and communities in all urban, rural and remote areas of the country.  The rates of pay range from $16.31 and 19.91 an hour plus authorized expenses.

             

Jobs include 25 thousand enumerators, 4 thousand crew leaders and crew leader assistants and will staff another 6 thousand positions.  Applicants must be 18 years or older, eligible to work in Canada and able to commit to at least 20 hours a week including days, evenings and weekends as needed.  A valid drivers licence and access to a vehicle may be required in certain area.  Candidates should be computer literate and have access to a home computer with internet functionality.

            

  Information and application forms can be found on their website www.census.gc.ca.

Information Sessions Are Available on Dementia.

 

 The Primary Health Care Center continues to host a series of telehealth seminars presented by the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba.  The Society’s Program Director Norma Kirkby says they are part of Telehealth Family Education for Those Experiencing Dementia.  She says in March they have partnered with MPI and they’ll be talking about driving and dementia and is it safe to drive and what are the markers of when it might be best for a person to give up their licence.

             

The March Session is being held next Tuesday night from 6:30 to 8 at the Primary Health Care Center.  The April 5th session will be becoming a resilient caregiver.  To register for the seminars online go to www.alzheimer.mb.ca or email outreach@alzheimer.mb.ca or phone 1-800-378-6699 and use the reference code Flin Flon.

 

People Interested in Manitoba History Can Receive a Special Award.

 

The Manitoba Historical Society is accepting nominations for the Lieutenant Governor’s Award.  The award recognizes people interested in the preservation and promotion of the province’s history.  The Society’s Gordon Goldsborough says nominations are open to anyone.  He explains what they are looking for is people who have been involved in their community for a long period of time promoting the history of the community.  He says it might be in the way of a museum, it might be because they’ve helped put together a community history book, they could have led tours so there’s a number of things they could have done or maybe they’ve done many of these things.

             

Nomination forms and more information are available on their website www.mhs.mb.ca.  Nominations close next Monday.

 

A Strange College Tour Hits the Stage This Week.

 

 

Hapnot Collegiate Students will be holding their annual Dinner Theatre Wednesday and Thursday evenings.  One of the directors Kim Jones says this year the grade 9 to 12 students are putting on a play called Willa Wonkie and the College Tour by E.S. Follen which is a spoof on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She explains the main character is Charlotte or Charlie Pail who lives in a town with the most illustrious university in the world yet her family can’t afford to send her there.  She adds no one’s been allowed on campus except for successful applicants and then silver Wonkie tickets get sent out with applications and it leads to a really eventful and tragic tour of the University with the last person standing winning a full ride scholarship.

            

  Those attending are encouraged to bring your own snacks and beverages will be provided.  The show starts at 6:30 Wednesday and Thursday evenings, there will be a babysitting service and tickets are 15 dollars at Hapnot Collegiate and Northern Rainbows End on Main Street.

A New Instrument Will Result in a Performance in Flin Flon.

 

 

Wood n Wire is presenting a special concert Wednesday night.  The Arts Council’s Crystal Kolt says it’s called Maria’s New Fiddle featuring Maria Cherwick who now plays for the Nova Scotia Symphony but was part of the orchestra for the local performance of Les Mis and while she was in Flin Flon she had the chance to stay with Alistair Callegari who makes beautiful fiddles and she was so impressed that she commissioned him to make a viola for her.  Kolt adds Maria is coming all the way from Nova Scotia to Flin Flon to pick up her new viola but she is also doing a special performance with the instrument.

             

The performance takes place Wednesday night starting at 7:30 at Johnny’s Social Club with tickets available at the Orange Toad on Main Street.

Sharing is the Focus of a Womens Circle.

 

 

The Women’s Resource Center will be hosting an Open Women’s Circle starting Tuesday night.  The Center’s Barb Hopkinson who will be holding the session along with Dianne Halberg from Creighton Mental Health says it’s titled Start Where We Are.  She says together they will share the stories and messages they internalized that helped form them as women.  She adds they will share, laugh and learn about their truths that no longer serve them and will release those messages that no longer bring them to their highest good and will reconcile a positive, whole and good self-image.

            

  Hopkinson says the sessions will be held twice a month starting Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30.  To register or for more information call Barb at the Center at 204-681-3105.

Parents Can Learn More About Talking to Their Kids About Drugs.

 

 

The Addictions Foundation of Manitoba will be holding a session called Let’s Talk About It, Talking to Your Kids About Alcohol and Other Drugs.  Their Youth Counselor Amanda Link-Labarre says there’ll be a session at Ruth Betts Community School Tuesday night.  She explains the discussions will include current trends in our local area, adolescent development and coping, how to talk to your kids about alcohol and other drugs and how to access supports and this talk is open to kindergarten to grade eight parents, guardians and caregivers.

             

The session runs from 7 to 8 Tuesday night in the Ruth Betts Community School family room.

There is a Warning for Travellers.

 

In response to the Zika virus outbreak the Northern Health Region has released some tips for residents traveling to Zika affected areas.  This includes getting a seasonal influenza vaccine and taking steps to prevent a mosquito bite while traveling.  The Region’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Michael Isaac says there’s a moderate chance that if someone travels through an area with Zika they might acquire that infection while they’re down there and bring it back to our Region but that would most likely be an isolated case in our Region and wouldn’t be further transmitted.

             

Isaac adds clinicians have been informed about the virus and its risks and they’ve done education sessions for their travel health staff.

Local Writers are Featured in a New Book.

 

The Flin Flon Writers Guild is launching their new book Saturday afternoon.  The Guild’s Harry Hobbs says the book Words on the Rocks is a book of stories and poems including fiction and non-fiction stories from not just know writers but people in the Flin Flon community.  He says it’s the first time they’ve done this inviting people who may not have their words in print and having a script submitted and put into the book.

             

Words on the Rocks will be officially launched Saturday afternoon at 12:30 at the Flin Flon Public Library.

 

Make Sure You Are Part of the Upcoming Census.

Mayor Dennis Fenske

 

 At their meeting Tuesday night Flin Flon City Council received a letter from the Mayor of Thompson Dennis Fenske regarding the Statistics Canada census.  He wrote that from one community to another he would like to ensure that it is relayed to all residents the importance to participate and complete the census questionnaire in order for each community to receive the proper funding for the next five years.

             

Mayor Fenske’s letter stated the census information is important for your community and is vital for planning services such as child care, schooling, family services and skills training for employment, it is used by all levels of government, business and various social service organizations and ethno-cultural organizations and is used in the administration of government programs and in planning pensions, health care, employment programs, new schools, public transit, hospitals, day care centers and other services.

             

The census will be conducted in May.

It Was Budget Night for the School Division.

 

 The Flin Flon School Board presented their budget plan at a public meeting last night.  The School Division has a budget of just over 14.6 million dollars for the 2016-17 school year, an increase of just over 521 thousand dollars from this years budget. The Finance Committees Tim Davis reported the Division received an increase of just over 270 thousand dollars or 3.2 percent from the province when compared to actual dollars in this year’s budget.

             

Davis said the Division is proposing a just over 214 thousand dollar or 5.5 percent increase to the Municipal Special Levy.  This will result in an education mill rate of 19.73 which is a decrease of 1.03 percent from last year due to an increase in assessments.

             

Davis says things in the Division are going well and he believes they are spending money wisely on things needed in the Division.

             

The budget still requires approval by the Board at their February 23rd meeting.

You Can Learn How to Update Your Work Skills.

 

The Employment Links Development Center is beginning a new session of EWIN or Entry to Work in the North program on Monday.  The Center’s Barb Link explains they offer life skills, upgrading your essential skills such as numeracy, reading and oral communications, computer work, thinking skills, working with others and they will do certificate programs such as first aid and WHMIS, CPR and safe foods as well as a six week job placement.

             

You can come into their office at 51 Main Street for an information session tomorrow and Friday mornings at 10 and for further information you can call them at 204-687-8791.

An Award Winning Film Can Be Seen Tomorrow.

 

 

As part of their Films Up North series the Central Canada Film Group is presenting the movie Remember tomorrow night.  The group’s Collin Davis says everyone should see this film.  He says in this Toronto International Film Festival film Christopher Plummer plays the role of Zev who is an Auschwitz survivor who discovers that the Nazi guard who murdered his family from 70 years ago is now living in the United States under an assumed identity.

             

Remember will be shown tomorrow night starting at 7:30 in the Hapnot Collegiate Theatre. Admission is ten dollars.

 

Another Step Has Been Taken Towards Upgrading the Aqua Center.

 

At their meeting last night Flin Flon City Council gave approval in principal for option four from the Bridgeman study of the Aqua Center based on funding that will be available and with an option for further development.  The option which includes upgrading and expansion of the present facility at a cost of around seven million dollars was recommended to Council at their last meeting by the Aqua Center Community Committee.  Mayor Cal Huntley said the project is going to have to be a regional project with funding support coming from all communities in the region who use the facility. He said the committee is also applying for various government grants and is fund raising and Council will look at its financial contribution as that process moves along.

             

Mayor Huntley also proclaimed March as National Nutrition Month taking place to encourage people to eat well.  During the month Dieticians will be providing information on helping people make healthy food choices.

They Marched to Remember on Friday.

 

A crowd braved the cold Friday afternoon and gathered at Pioneer Square for the 26th annual Women’s Memorial March.  The Women’s Resource Centers Executive Director Colleen Arnold explained the annual march and the new red dress project with red dresses hanging on trees around the Square are held to bring attention to aboriginal women who were murdered or are missing and to end violence once and for all.  She said these murders and disappearances will only be seen as the great loss that they are when Canadians acknowledge the value each indigenous woman has.  She noted what is most important is that these women had families and friends that loved them as well as an entire community in mourning over the staggering number of lost loved ones.

             

Arnold said over 12 hundred aboriginal women in Canada have been murdered or gone missing in the last 30 years adding as a community we need to stand together and fight for justice in honor of these women.

Creighton Denare Beach Area Vehicle Owners Will Have Easier Access to Their Registration.

 

SGI is enhancing convenience for customers with changes to vehicle registration certificates.  These certificates can now be printed on plain white paper rather than special green card stock paper.  This means customers who register a vehicle using SGI’s online service MySGI will no longer have to wait for their registration certificate in the mail, they can print it a home.  Any customer with a MySGI account can also access their registration certificate online and print it off at any time even if they didn’t renew online.

             

As well the customer’s address will no longer be printed on it to prevent vehicle thieves who find the registration along with a garage door opener in the vehicle from identifying the owner’s home.

             

For more information visit www.sgi.sk.ca.

 

Are You Interested in Learning More About the Trucking Industry.

 

 

 

The First Class Trucking Center will be in Flin Flon tomorrow and Thursday.  Alexandra Beasse  who coordinates a northern youth and careers program says there will be opportunities for students and the public.  She says they are offering students the opportunity to experience what it would be like to drive a tractor trailer using their state of the art simulator and mobile classroom that comes to town on a full sized tractor trailer and the simulator will give them an opportunity to experience how to drive a real truck in all kinds of weather and road conditions.

            

  Beasse adds the simulator will be at McIsaac School tomorrow for all grades 7 to 12 students and on Thursday members of the public can come to the Community Hall parking lot from 9 until 4.

Alpha Invites You to Join Them Next Week.

 

The Alpha Course is starting a new session at the Flin Flon Alliance Church Tuesday evening.  One of the organizers Menno Giesbrecht says the Alpha Course gives you an opportunity to investigate and discuss the big questions of life that we may think about but never discuss like is there more to life that what we’re experiencing right now, if there is a God why is there so much suffering in the world and is there life after death.  He explains they start off the evening with a meal at six o’clock, they sing a couple of songs, watch a video and discuss what they watched on the video in a small group and they’re done by 9 o’clock.

             

Apha begins Tuesday evening at six at the Alliance Church with a celebration supper so you can learn what it’s about.  To register or for more information you can call the church at 204-687-8498.

You Can Learn More About Banned Books.

 

 

The Flin Flon Public Library is celebrating Freedom to Read Week. Their Administrator Cindy McLean says they have a very large display of all the books they have in the library that were challenged or banned at one time.  She says they have also done up a couple of binders which you can sit and read about why books have been banned and each book has a display explaining by it was banned or challenged.

             

McLean adds the display of banned books will be at the Library until the end of the month to celebrate Freedom to Read Week which is February 21st to 27th.

 

 

It Will be a Great Evening of Entertainment.

 

Another in the series of Wood n Wire is coming up at Johnny’s Social Club tomorrow night.  The Flin Flon Arts Council’s Crystal Kolt says it’s another chance to enjoy our local talent.  She says they have Jennifer McLean as well as Rob Mote and Tim Spencer who are all great local artists that are going to be your showcase at Wood N Wire so everybody who has tickets is going to have a good show.

             

Wood n Wire starts at 7 tomorrow night at Johnny’s Social Club on Green Street with tickets available for 15 dollars at the Orange Toad.

 

A Film on Hudbay Will Be Shown in Flin Flon.

 

During the action correspondence part of Tuesday night’s Flin Flon School Board meeting there was much discussion after reviewing a request from an independent documentary film maker and his endeavor to reserve the Hapnot Theatre.  John Dougherty is from Arizona and he is seeking to screen his 51 minute film on Hudbay Minerals worldwide operations.  Board Chair Murray Skeavington said he had watched some of the film that is posted on you tube and concern was debated if the film would shine a negative spin.  All members of the Board had voiced an opinion on the subject and discussion regarding cost and a review of the policies followed.  Doughery is looking to book the Hapnot Theatre some time in mid-June and would be on hand to answer questions following the film.  In the end the Board members voted and the motion was passed to agree to the screening by a vote of 4 to 3. The film in question can be seen on you tube titled Flin Flon Flim Flam and you can also view it on www.investigativemedia.com.

Callinex Has Made a New Discovery Near Flin Flon.

 

 Callinex Mines has announced the discovery of a new volcanic massive sulphide zone at their Pine Bay Project located near Hudbay’s Triple Seven Mine and processing facilities in Flin Flon.  They report the VMS zone with copper and zinc bearing minerals was encountered about 450 meters east of the Pine Bay Deposit and historic underground workings. The Company is expediting the core samples to the assay laboratory and anticipates receiving analytical results within four weeks. Additional drilling is necessary to determine the extent and significance of the mineralized system.

 

Successful Economic Development Starts With Jobs.

 

 

Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band in Central B.C. spoke to the Job Fair in Flin Flon yesterday about his band’s success at economic development.  Chief Louie says in order to lead a healthy lifestyle you need employment as whenever there’s unemployment you have a lot more social ills and social problems.  He says it bothers him when he goes to an area and he hears that the First Nation unemployment exceeds great depression unemployment, adding he heard one of the community members tell him that their unemployment rate is 90 percent and that bothers him and it should bother everybody because every successful person he’s ever met has their life focused around a job.

             

Chief Louie says you have to develop a passion for work and native people have to get back into the workforce.  He says it starts with education, job opportunities have to be available and the Chiefs have to start concentrating on the economy and on creating jobs and businesses.

There is a P.C. Candidate in Flin Flon Constituency.

Matthew and Angela

 

 Snow Lake’s Angela Enright was the successful candidate last night in winning the Progressive Conservative party nomination in Flin Flon Constituency. She won over Flin Flon’s Matthew Werry in the vote.  Enright says one of her highest priorities in the riding is housing. She outlined the lack of seniors housing we have up north, the lack of housing for communities in First Nations groups who are so totally over crowded and there’s infrastructure to go along with all these housing problems.  She says there a lot to be done and from start to finish they have to sit down and work out the priorities and work out how they can deliver those kinds of services.

             

Enright and three visiting MLAs stated the party is also very committed to doctor recruitment and retention, increased funding for tourism and developing a northern economic development office.

A Very Popular Film Will Be Shown Friday.

 

As part of their Films You Might Have Missed series the Central Canada Film Group is presenting the Shining Friday.  The group’s Collin Davis says this is a great horror film as a classic story of Jack Nicholson playing Jack Torrence who is a writer who takes on the role of a winter caretaker at the famous Overlook Hotel.  He says Jack’s young son Danny has psychic premonitions which we learn is called The Shining and the story unravels from the isolation that the family is subjected to over the time they’re there.                                        

             

The film is free, restricted to an adult audience and is being show at 7:30 Friday night at the Hapnot Collegiate Theatre. Davis adds he will also take a short look at the 1932 film The Freak which is another cult classic horror film.

             

 

You Can Enjoy Fishing in Saskatchewan This Family Day Weekend.

 

Saskatchewan’s free winter fishing weekend runs Saturday through Monday.  Saskatchewan residents and visitors can fish without a licence on any of the province’s public waters that have an open sport fishing season.

             

You’re advised to use caution and common sense when ice fishing.  Test the ice thickness with a minimum of 10 centimeters of good ice required for walking.  All other fishing regulations remain in effect for the free fishing weekend including possession limits and reduced limits on some lakes and rivers. As well free fishing weekend does not apply in national parks and anyone planning to take fish out of province must purchase a licence.

            

  More information can be found in the 2015 Anglers Guide available wherever fishing licences are sold or online at www.saskatchewan.ca/fishing.

 

A Food Drive Was A Success.

 

The McIsaac School annual Student Council food drive wrapped up last Thursday.  Grade five-six teacher Rachel Wright says it worked out really well as they had a lot of classes participate and they ended up with 410 food items being brought in over the three weeks.  She says this year was slightly more than last year and she believes it was that they did it for a little longer time.  She says it’s usually only a week or two so the extra week gave higher numbers.

             

The food drive started the first week in February and ended last Thursday.

 

You Can Walk to Remember on Friday.

 

Flin Flon area residents are invited to be part of the 26th annual Women’s Memorial March on Friday.  The Women’s Resource Center’s Colleen Arnold says the march is held to raise awareness and to end violence against women and girls and will include a new awareness project this year called the Red Dress Project that was introduced by a Metis artists Jamie Black about five years ago and the idea of hanging the red dresses is not the only important statement within the project. She says the process of collecting the dresses is just as important to make people think about the issue so they’ll be hanging red dresses down Main Street and also at Pioneer Square to represent all of the missing and murdered aboriginal women.

             

You’re invited to join the march starting at Pioneer Square at 4:30 Friday afternoon.  They will go down to the Friendship Center for words from Mayor Cal Huntley, MLA Clarence Pettersen, a song by Ann Ross and a prayer by local Elder Margaret Head.

A Group of French Immersion Students Will Experience Culture and History.

 

The grade seven and eight French immersion students from Ecole McIsaac School will be heading to Festival du Voyageur in Winnipeg.  Vice-Principal Sylvie Dufour says the students will encounter the culture and life of the voyageur including a visit to Fort Gibralter where they will meet with someone who was a soldier to protect the fort and they’ll show them all the equipment that was working at that time.  She says they will show them the life of a soldier at the fort at the time of the voyageur as well as the house for those voyageurs when they were going to the trading post where the managed to get food and which kind of food they were eating.

             

Dufour adds they will also meet with other students to experience French cultural music.  The students will be there from Februay 15th to 18th with support from the Flin Flon Chapter of Canadian Parents for French and Flin Flon School Division.

There is an Opportunity for You to Learn More About Job Opportunities.

 

 

The Flin Flon Friendship Centre through their Partners in Careers Program is holding a Northern Connections Job Fair Wednesday.  It is described as an opportunity to explore and connect and it will include exhibit booths featuring industry, business, organizations, training centers and service provider as well as activity stations on essential skills, mock interviews, communication tips and a career based photo booth.

             

The keynote speaker at 12:15 will be Chief Clarence Louie from the Osoyoos Indian Band in British Columbia who emphasizes economic development as a means to improve his people’s standard of living.

             

The Job Fair which is free to attend is open at the Flin Flon Community Hall from 10 to 3 Wednesday and you can bring copies of your resume if you have one prepared.  There will also be a canteen in the Green Room to raise funds towards the Community Youth Resource Project’s summer and winter cultural camps.

There is Potential in a Mineral Project Near Snow Lake.

 

 Rockcliff Copper Corporation has completed a technical report on their Talbot Property which is part of their Snow Lake Project in Manitoba.

             

Their President and CEO Ken Lapierre reports the initial Mineral Resource Estimate on the Talbot deposit is encouraging and the work completed to date demonstrates the potential to host several high grade VMS deposits rich in copper, gold, zinc and silver grades.  He says the deposit remains open to the north and at depth, has high copper, gold, zinc and silver grades, is hosted in multiple lenses and has the potential for expansion with additional drilling.  He adds additional work this year will attempt to upgrade and expand the present deposit resource, to determine the significance of the newly discovered North Copper Zone located 2.5 kilometers north of the deposit and to define the potential of the Central Target located 2 kilometers southeast of the deposit.

You Can Experience a New Twist on Sherlock Holmes.

 

 The Manitoba Theatre Center will be in Flin Flon later this month with the performance of Hound of the Baskervilles.  The Flin Flon Arts Council’s Crystal Kolt says this production can be described as Sherlock Holmes meets Monty Python as it’s a parody of the Sherlock Holmes story by Arthur Conan Doyle and it was a huge hit in Winnipeg last year.  She says it’s hilarious and if you are in the mid-winter doldrums it will get you out of it.  Kolt adds you’ll still meet the classic characters but there is so much fun on top of that so it’s something everybody should see.

             

Hound of the Baskervilles will be performed on February 21st at the Flin Flon Community Hall with tickets available at Northern Rainbows End on Main Street.

The Liberal Campaign is Underway in Flin Flon.

 

The Liberal candidate in Flin Flon constituency 30 year resident of Flin Flon Leslie Beck officially launched her campaign yesterday. Beck says in the east of the constituency she would like to see action on child poverty, jobs, education and communications with First Nations.  She says moving into Snow Lake there’s Lalor Lake and the other small junior companies to support in getting exploration going and the funding that is needed to make a strong vital north.  She continues when you look at Lynn Lake Leaf Rapids area you are looking again at mining gold and road infrastructure but they’ve got some really rich uranium assets up there that are important and when you come into Flin Flon you’re looking again at mining and there’s a lot of good viable community members that are into small business and they need to start supporting those interests and get people wanting to live here.

            

  In the city of Flin Flon Beck adds there’s seniors’ housing for lower and middle incomes, exploration, Hudbay beyond Triple Seven Mine and city infrastructure by giving back one percent of the PST.

 

You Can Support SPCA Programs.

 

 

The Flin Flon Creighton and Area SPCA is holding their second annual valentines family dance Saurday, February 13th.  Their Shelter Manager Carmen Ward says the dance will support the ongoing operations at the Shelter which is full.  She says they have no more room for dogs or cats to be brought into the shelter at this time so they are asking the public to consider adopting a new animal. She points out they have vet bills that need to be paid, they have maintenance on their building, employees wages are a big hit for them at the shelter and another big thing they are hoping to fund raise for is a cat gazebo on the outside of their building.

             

Ward adds the dance will feature karaoke, a canteen and there will be special valentine’s treats for the kids.  The family dance is on Saturday, February 13th upstairs at the Legion from 5:30 to 8:30 with admission five dollars and children under five are free.

A Yellow Vest Will Soon be at Your Door.

 

 

 Enumeration began yesterday for Manitoba’s April 19th election . From now until March 7th enumerators will go door to door to collect names of eligible voters for the voting list making it easier for you to vote on election day.

             

Enumerators will visit homes wearing a yellow Elections Manitoba vest and a photo ID badge that includes their name, position and photo. They will request the name, address and phone number of all eligible voters in the household as well as the voters date of birth and gender to help create an accurate and reliable permanent voters list for use in future elections.

             

Manitoba residents are eligible to vote if they are Canadian citizens, at least 18 years of age on or before election day and have resided in Manitoba for at least six months immediately before election day.

 

Mining Continues to be A Strong Part of the Canadian Economy.

 

 Despite market volatility and downward pressure on commodity prices the mining industry’s economic contribution to Canada remains strong according to a new report from the Mining Association of Canada.

             

The report revealed the industry directly employed more than 375 thousand people in 2014 and contributed 57 billion dollars to the national GDP.  The report noted several policy areas that are essential to securing the estimated 140 billion dollars in potential new mining investment that could come to fruition over the next decade.  They include ensuring the regulatory process is robust and efficient and includes meaningful consultation with Aboriginal communities, addressing the cost of operating in remote and northern Canada where infrastructure is lacking, enhancing funding for Aboriginal skills training initiatives to enable Aboriginal people to access well paying and highly skilled jobs in mining and supporting the industry’s innovation priorities to facilitate continuous improvement in the sector’s environmental and health and safety performance.

A Support Group for Single Parents is Forming Next Week.

 

 Flin Flon’s Women’s Resource Center is offering a single parent support group starting Wednesday.  The Center’s Debbie Campbell explains this group is for all single moms in the Flin Flon and Creighton area.  She says some of the topics they will be discussing are self care, time management, helping your children grow self esteem, parenting tips, setting limits and more.

             

The support group starts Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30.  For information or to register you can call Debbie at the Women’s Resource Center at 204-681-3105 or email womensresourcecentre@mymts.net.

 

You Can Learn More About Meditation.

 

 The Flin Flon Public Library is offering a new free session called Mindful Training for Inner Peacefulness staring Monday.  Administrator Cindy McLean says they have partnered with instructors Tara Dutcawich and Dianne Halberg and anyone who is interested can come in to learn about mindfulness and to practice meditation.  She says there is no registration required and no fee for it but if you want to make a small donation they would appreciate it.  She adds it’s going to be very casual, just drop in and if anybody wants they are also going to be having some mindful coloring books there so if people want to stay and do that afterward and have a cup of coffee that will be great.

             

The sessions begin Monday and will run every Monday evening from 7 to 8.  For more information you can call the library at 204-687-3397.

Local Health Care Professionals Will Be Studying the Governments Latest Offer.

 

 

The Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals received a final offer on a new contract from the provincial government last Friday.  The bargaining committee agreed to present this final offer to members for ratification.  Dates have now been set for information meetings and voting with meetings being held in the north from February 10th to 12th.  The bargaining committee is not recommending either acceptance or rejection of this offer.  The offer cancelled the strike set to begin at midnight last Sunday but union members did set up an information picket line near the Flin Flon General Hospital last week.

You Can Still Be Part of a Matching Grant Program.

 

 The local Northern Neighbors Foundation continues to participate in a matching grant program offered by the Thomas Sill Foundation.  The local Foundations Dave Kendall explains Thomas Sill says if they can raise up to 50 thousand new dollars they would give them on a one for two basis up to 25 thousand dollars and they’ve done really well in almost reaching the 40 thousand dollar mark so they’re looking at about another 10 thousand dollars to receive their maximum grant.

             

The Northern Neighbors Foundation supports a wide range of local charitable projects with the interest earned from donations received and invested and includes the communities of Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach, Cranberry Portage, Sherridon and Snow Lake.  For information on making a donation contact Betty at 204-687-4453 or drop in to the Flin Flon Public Library.

The Aqua Center Proposal is Before Council.

 

At last night’s Flin Flon City Council meeting the Chair of the Aqua Center Community Committee Tricia Tetlock presented the committee’s proposal for upgrading the Aqua Center to Council for their approval.  Of the six proposals prepared by a consultant the committee chose option four which sees major renovations and expansion of the present building at a cost estimated at 7.7 million dollars.  Tetlock said they are presenting it now as they are in the process of applying for grants and a proposal and cost are needed when applying.  Council will review the proposal and get back to the committee by the next Council meeting.

             

Councilor Colleen McKee praised the committee for their work noting this is one of the highest used buildings in the community providing a vital service and we don’t want to lose it.

             

Council also received the Fire Chiefs report for January indicating two calls during the month, a false alarm and an ambulance assistance call.

Hudbay Supports the Sale of VMS Ventures Shares.

 

 Hudbay has announced it has entered into a voting and support agreement with Royal Nickel Corporation.  It has agreed to vote in favor of Royal Nickel’s proposed offer to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of VMS Ventures which holds a 30 percent interest in the Reed Mine near Flin Flon with Hudbay holding 70 percent and is the operator. Hudbay currently owns almost 17.6 million common shares of VMS.

             

Under the terms of the arrangement VMS shareholders would receive an aggregate of 36 million common shares, approximately 3.5 million dollars Canadian cash and the payment of a dividend in kind of approximately 29.98 million North American Nickel common shares currently held by VMS.

             

Royal Nickel states this transaction would immediately transform their company into a nickel, copper and gold producer consistent with its strategy to become a multi asset mining company adding Reed Mine has a strong operating team that will remain intact following the transaction.

There is Help Available if You Are Living With an Ongoing Health Condition.

 

A Get Better Together program will soon be available in Flin Flon.  Regional Community Health Developer Christa McIntyre says it’s a free interactive group program and is a six session program designed for individuals living with any type of ongoing health issues and in the six weeks individuals can build confidence to better manage their illness through group support and discussion on a wide variety of topics such as healthy eating, physical activity, managing pain and fatigue, action planning a much more.

             

The Get Better Together program will start as soon as there are enough people registered.  For information or to register you can call Christa at 204-687-3145.

There is Money Available for Local Organizations.

 

The Northern Neighbors Foundation is accepting applications for grants until March 15th.  The Foundation’s Dave Kendall says they have around 80 thousand dollars available adding applications are usually accepted from registered charities in their region which includes Flin Flon. Denare Beach, Creighton, Sherridon, Snow Lake and Cranberry Portage but there are exceptions.  He says if you’re not a registered charity you can go and talk to the City of Flin Flon and if it’s something that would benefit Flin Flon you can ask them if they would be your host but then you would do the application under the city and they would then get the funds and turn them over to you for completion of your project.

             

To apply for a grant you can contact the Northern Neighbors Foundation through Dave or Betty Kendall at 687-4453, Jane Robillard at 681-3046 or there are information packages at the Flin Flon Public Library.

 

Students Will Learn More About Future Careers.

 

Grade five to eight students at Ecole McIsaac School will take part in a career fair tomorrow. Organizer Alexandra Beasse  who runs a youth and careers program says they are offering opportunities for the children to experience careers in the north. She says they have Skills Manitoba attending and they’ll be doing a workshop on the skill trades and Roland Misling who is the Dean of Trades and Technology from UCN will be joining Michelle Pruder from Skills Manitoba and she is also bringing a volunteer from Thompson who’s going to do an entrepreneurial workshop and talk to students about building their own business and our local Greg East is going to drop in and share his experiences.

             

Others discussing careers include the Northern Mining Academy on minerals and prospecting, Hudbay on mining, Frontier School Division on transportation and Alex McGilvery on writing your story.

There Were Minor Injuries in an Accident.

 

Creighton RCMP report a vehicle went out of control on Highway 106 the Hanson Lake Road Friday.  Icy road conditions led to the driver losing control and the vehicle rolled about 30 kilometers from Creighton.  The vehicle’s occupant was taken to Flin Flon General Hospital with minor injuries.

Local Residents Paused to Remember Friday.

 

A candlelight tribute was held at Flin Flon City Hall Friday to remember those who were killed in a school and home in La Loche just over a week ago.  Elder Margaret Head-Steppan said we gather to recognize the fact that we’re thinking about the people in the community and the families and what they are going through.  She added we need to try to heal together by honoring these young people. She said prayers are powerful when you gather together as a group and can be sent anywhere and we send ours to the people of La Loche.  Mayor Cal Huntley expressed our thoughts and prayers are with them and hopefully those thoughts and prayers will give them some strength to get through these trying times.

             

Others present paid tribute to the strength of the teachers and the community and how we can recognize how difficult life can be in a northern remote community. The Youth Resource Center drum group and the Northern Lights Singers performed songs to honor those who died and were injured.

 

Children and People Interested in Banned Books Can Celebrate Reading at the Library.

 

 I Love to Read Month runs through February and is being celebrated at the Flin Flon Public Library.  Administrator Cindy McLean says they have some special events taking place.  She says for the whole month of February all children who come into the library to open a new account will be getting a free book and a treat bag and they’re also going to be having their display from the 15th on for Freedom to Read Week which is celebrated nationally from February 21st to 26th of all the banned books that they have in the library for patrons to take out and enjoy or just have a look at why that particular book was banned.

             

The library also has a discard book sale from 1 to 5 today through Thursday.

We Were Part of a Record Year for Recycling Batteries.

 

 The Flin Flon Recycling Center collects used dry cell batteries which are sent to Call 2 Recycle Canada for recycling.  Call 2 Recycle reports their collection of these batteries and cell phones across North America increased five percent last year to a record 5.7 million kilograms or 12.6 million pounds.  The Administrator at the Flin Flon Recycling Center Deb Odegaard says battery recycling is going well here.  She explains they usually ship one to two boxes a month and sometimes more adding they did half of a metric ton last year which when you think about the size of small batteries that’s quite a lot of batteries out of our community so it’s working really well.

             

Call 2 Recycle says they ensure that these items which contain valuable resources are responsibly recycled to create new batteries and other products keeping potentially hazardous materials from entering the waste stream.

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