Local News Archives for 2021-07

A Jump in Cases Has Been Reported for the Northern Region in Manitoba and Far North East in Saskatchewan.

Manitoba public health reported 45 net new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 2.3 percent.  They also reported one new death in the Southern health region.  Of the new cases 17 were in Northern health and 12 each in Winnipeg and Interlake Eastern with single digits in other regions. Of the total 57,593 reported cases 542 are active, 55 873 people have recovered and 93 are in hospital with 25 in intensive care.

            

Saskatchewan health reported 56 new cases bringing the seven day average of new cases to 45.  They reported no new deaths.  Of the new cases Saskatoon had 13 and Far North East 11 with single digits in other zones.  Of the total 49,940 reported cases 448 are considered active, 48,914 people have recovered and 46 are in hospital with twelve in intensive care.  There are 59 active cases in Far North East.

 

Tourism Saskatchewan is Looking For Your Pictures Including the Denare Beach Creighton Area.

Tourism Saskatchewan’s annual ExploreSask Photo Contest is looking for your favorite Saskatchewan adventures to win great prizes. Amateur and professional photographers are encouraged to submit their most striking images that capture the natural wonders of the province and tell stories about its people and communities.  There are six contest categories that include people, places, prairie, water, wildlife and wood. The prize winning photographer in each category will receive a 500 dollar Visa gift card and the grand prize winner will receive an additional 500 dollar Visa gift card.

              For complete rules and to submit your entry visit TourismSaskatchewan.com/Photo-Contest or call Tourism Saskatchewan at 1-877-237-2273.  The deadline for entries is September 15th.

Remember Boat Safety As You Enjoy the Long Weekend and The Summer.

Manitoba RCMP remind you to stay safe on the water.  They note boating is a great way to get outdoors however inherent risks exist that boat operators need to be aware of.  Criminal code impaired driving laws involving motor vehicles apply equally to operating a boat.   As well you should be sure your boat is mechanically sound including all the required safety equipment and anyone operating a boat with a motor must possess a Pleasure Craft Operators Card.

             

In partnership with the Canadian Safe Boating Council the RCMP remind you to wear your lifejacket, boat sober, be prepared both you and your boat and take a safe boating course. They emphasize when unexpected incidents occur and a person ends up in the water a lifejacket or personal flotation device is your number one piece of safety equipment. They conclude following these safety tips will help make everyone’s boating experience safe and enjoyable.

 

Intensive Care Numbers are Low in Manitoba as Are Hospitalization Numbers in Saskatchewan.

Manitoba public health reported 46 net new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 2.1 percent.  They also reported two new deaths in the Winnipeg health region.  Of the new cases 21 were in Interlake Eastern and 13 in Winnipeg with single digits in other regions including six in Northern health.  Of the total 57,548 reported cases 526 are active, 55,845 individuals have recovered and 102 are in hospital with 29 in intensive care.

             

Saskatchewan health reported 52 new cases this afternoon bringing the seven day average of new cases to 44.  They also reported no new deaths. All zones reported new cases in the single digits including three in Far North East.  Of the total 48,882 reported cases 412 are considered active, 48,892 people have recovered and 43 are in hospital which is the lowest number since last November 9th and nine are intensive care. Just over 1.4 million doses of vaccine have been administered in the province.

Flin Flon Has An Official Star Attraction.

A new Manitoba Star Attraction highway sign has been installed recognizing the Flin Flon Station Museum.  The Museum was granted Star Attraction status in 2018.  Museum Board Chair Tom Heine says that came after about six years of work by the Museum board.  He explains basically it tells all visitors coming into the town from the east that we have a Star Attraction in our community.  He adds it puts us up there with kind of a select few events, activities and institutions in the province so it kind of puts us on the map.

             

The sign is located on Highway Ten between Flin Flon and Big Island Lake.

Protect Yourself From the Sun as We Head Into a Long Weekend.

The Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation is reminding Canadians to take the necessary steps to prevent sunburns and skin cancer this summer.

 

Executive director of the organization Heidi Veluw says sunscreen is one of the best things people can use to help lower the risk of sunburns. She explains the biggest thing for sunscreen is buy it and wear it, the best thing is SPF 30 not lower than that and making sure you re-apply at all times.  She adds mostly your sunscreen starts wearing off in two hours so in Canada where we get very excited about our summer because we have long winters getting a burn is not the best way to go so SPF 30, keep in on you and keep applying especially for little children.

 

Veluw says preventing sunburns is important in lowering the risk of developing skin cancer as sunburns increase the likelihood by 75 per cent.

 

New Case Numbers Continue to be Low in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan health reported 50 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the seven day average of new cases to 41.  They reported no new deaths.  Of the new cases 13 were in Saskatoon and 10 in Far North West with single digits in other zones and none reported in Far North East although one person tested out of province was added to Far North East.  Of the total 49,830 reported cases 376 are considered active, 48,876 people have recovered and 43 are in hospital with nine in intensive care.

             

The number of vaccine doses administered in Saskatchewan is approaching 1.4 million.

 

There Were No New Covid Cases Reported in the Northern Health Region.

Manitoba public health reported 26 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 2.5 percent.  They also reported three new deaths with one each in the Interlake Eastern, Southern and Northern health regions. Of the new cases 15 were in the Interlake Eastern region with single digits in other regions and zero in Northern health.  The Vaccine Implementation Task Forces Johanu Botha noted we are approaching our next vaccine target in having more restrictions lifted. He explained more than 79 percent of people aged 12 and up have had at least one dose of the vaccine which means we are less than one percent away from our re-opening plan’s third milestone for dose one and about 68 percent of Manitobans who are eligible have had two doses making Manitoba one of the most vaccinated provinces in the country.

             

Newcomers to Manitoba, immigrants, disenfranchised and homeless individuals are reminded they can get immunized despite not having a Manitoba health card.  A vaccine can be administered at a super site or one of the numerous community led clinics that are currently operating.

 

A Display of Inuit Art is Coming to Flin Flon.

The Flin Flon Credit Union is hosting the Manitoba 150 Art Tour in front of their location at 36 Main Street Friday.  Manitoba 150 Co-Chair Stuart Murray says the tour is sponsored by Manitoba Credit Unions and features a new display of Inuit Art which comes from Qaumajug the Inuit Art Gallery that the Winnipeg Art Gallery has just launched with all of this Inuit Art and that has been in Tour 150 in the vehicle.  He says when it gets to Flin Flon people should come out and see it because it’s really quite spectacular.  He notes it is accessible so anybody in a chair will have an opportunity to experience it as well.  He adds he just thinks it’s an opportunity for communities outside of Winnipeg to take advantage of some of this great Inuit Art that is featured in the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

             

The display includes Inuit art in soapstone, felt, print, textile and other materials.  The display will be open from 11 to 3 Friday in front of the Flin Flon Credit Union.

Highway Improvements are Coming to Two Areas in Northern Manitoba.

The Federal and Manitoba governments have announced joint funding to improve two provincial roads in northern Manitoba. A bituminous rehabilitation project south of Snow Lake will restore approximately 26 kilometers of Provincial Trunk Highway 39 from Provincial Road 392 eastward.  The federal and provincial governments will each provide more than 3.9 million dollars to the highway rehabilitation.

             

Provincial Road 280 near Thompson will be upgraded over 10 kilometers to meet demands of current traffic volume and projected trends surrounding the towns of Gillam and Sundance as well as the community of Split Lake.  The federal and provincial governments will each invest over 2.4 million dollars in this road upgrade.

             

The funding comes from the Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.

             

The federal government has also announced an additional 8.82 million dollars to the Manitoba government to continue the support of essential air services for remote communities in the province.

 

The Test Positivity Rate in Manitoba is Below Three Percent While the Saskatchewan Average is Up Slightly.

Manitoba public health reported 23 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 2.8 percent.  They reported no new deaths.  All regions reported new cases in the single digits including the Northern region with two.  Of the total 57,476 reported cases 498 are active, 55,806 people have recovered and 107 are in hospital with 27 in intensive care.

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan health reports 38 new cases bringing the seven day average of new cases to 41.  They report no new deaths. Of the new cases the Far North West reports 17 with single digits in other zones including four in Far North East. Of the total 49,765 reported cases 362 are considered active, 48,825 people have recovered and 50 people are in hospital with ten in intensive care. There are 51 active cases in Far North East.

 

Summer in The Parks Continues Into Its Second Month.

Summer in the Parks began July 5th for children 4 to 10 years old.  Assistant Supervisor Ashley Andersen says camp has been going well with new and exciting weekly themes for August.  She explains they’re going to have their Animal Week which they’ve named Bark in the Park, they have a Travel Week which is going to feature places from all around the world, their Space Week and their final Holiday Week which is going to include Christmas, Halloween, Easter and one big birthday party at the end.

             

You can still register for Summer in the Parks by calling the Recreation Office at 204-681-7542 or text 431-746-6496.

Its Community Day in Denare Beach Friday.

The Village of Denare Beach and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation are holding Denare Beach Amisk Lake Community Day Friday.  Recreation Director Mel Durette says it all starts at 5 pm at the Main Beach. She explains they’re going to have a barbeque and adult and youth canoe races, a bunch of kids games like potato sack races, bean bag toss, water tug of war, bubble gum blowing, sand castle building and paddle boat races and there’ll be free cupcakes and fireworks at 11:45.

             

The fireworks are weather permitting.  For more information you can call the Recreation Office at 306-362-2050 or visit their Facebook page.

The North Reports the Higher Number of New Cases in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan health reported 43 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the seven day average of new cases to 38.  They also reported one new death in the North West zone.  Of the new cases 20 were in Far North East, 12 in Far North West and single digits in other zones. Of the total 49,727 reported cases 356 are considered active, 48,792 people have recovered and 55 are in hospital with 10 in intensive care.

             

As of August 8th the Saskatchewan Health Authority is shifting their vaccination focus from mass vaccination to focused outreach targeting those in the province who are under and unvaccinated.

 

The Importance of Vaccines Was Again the Message.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin reported 103 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday bringing the five day test positivity rate to three percent. He also reported two additional deaths with one each in Winnipeg and Southern health regions. Of the 11 new cases reported today all regions were in single digits including one in Northern health. Roussin again emphasized the importance of vaccination noting his recommendation is a strong one and clear its all eligible Manitobans should be vaccinated as soon as they become eligible and that’s two doses.  He adds we’re getting more and more Manitobans vaccinate with each passing day which means we are getting closer and closer to a post pandemic Manitoba with each passing day and in that post pandemic Manitoba there is going to be a Manitoba with public health guidelines rather than public health restrictions.

             

Roussin noted there has been no final decision yet on when current restrictions will be further loosened.

Public health advises the demand for the Manitoba physical immunization card continues to be high.  All cards requested by July 11th have been mailed out.  Additional card stock has been secured and printing has resumed.

The Fire Department is Prepared for All Season Rescue.

At their meeting Tuesday night Flin Flon City Council received the Fire Chief’s report for June.  The department received and put into service their new rescue Boggin or Snowbulance which will allow them to perform rescue operations in summer and winter on trails and remote areas.  Training was held on switching between skis and wheels for different terrain and seasons.

             

There were six calls to the department in June three of which were to assist EMS on calls.  There was an alarm on Waldron on the 19th that proved to be burnt cooking that set off alarms.  There were two calls to motor vehicle accidents. The first was on Church Street on the 15th where a vehicle had struck the side of a building.  They assisted the passengers out of the vehicle into the ambulance and moved the vehicle. And on the 26th at the Big Island turn off a person on a bike was struck by a vehicle.  They established traffic control and assisted the patient to the ambulance.

COVID-19 Enforcement Ticket Numbers Have Dropped.

The Manitoba government reported a total of 58 warnings and only six tickets were issued for the week of July 12th to 18th.  Four of the 1296 dollar tickets went to individuals, one 298 dollar ticket to an individual for failure to wear a mask in an indoor public place and one 2542 dollar ticket to a repeat offender.  Officials advise three of the four 1296 dollar tickets issued to individuals were in relation to gatherings in private residences or outdoors.  Manitobans are advised that conservation and park patrol officers are enforcing public health orders within provincial parks.

             

Since enforcement efforts began in April 2020 a total of 5145 warnings and 2061 tickets have been issued resulting in more than 2.8 million dollars in fines to businesses and individuals.

Last week was National Drowning Prevention Week and Lifesaving Society Manitoba is encouraging residents to take the steps necessary to ensure they prevent water-related deaths.

Water-Smart Coordinator Doctor Christopher Love explains the society released their annual Drowning Report which overall hasn’t seen too much change when it comes drowning incidents.  He says the number of fatalities that occur due to drowning and water related deaths every year has remained consistent at 22 on average.  He notes they consistently also see that lack of adult supervision or distracted adult supervision is still a factor in 100 percent of all fatal child drownings that occur in the province and that for other age groups the lack of life jacket use and being under the influence of an intoxicant like alcohol remain key risk factors.

 

Love says the report also shows an alarming increase in the number of deaths occurring in backyard and private pools at seven per cent.

 

The City of Flin Flon is Conducting a Property Survey.

At their meeting Tuesday night Council passed a resolution appointing Richmond Surveys MLS for surveying and planning purposes.  The areas include the Flin Flon Creek area, Campground Museum area, Ash Crescent Redevelopment and East Highway Ten Grant Lake property. Mayor Cal Huntley explained they are looking for property for potential development opportunities.  He says there’s been some preliminary interest in some development so part of their economic development going forward is having a good land property register so they can immediately identify areas when opportunities do come up.

             

Regarding COVID-19 Mayor Huntley noted the numbers are really good for our area so we’re in a good place so continue to follow the public health rules as we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Cheques Will be in The Mail for Co-op Members.

New General Manager Randy Dumenko told the 76th annual meeting of the North of 53 Co-op 2020 was a year full of challenges brought on by COVID-19.  He said it was a busy year with sales exceeding 33.3 million dollars including 26.9 million in food sales. He noted sales in the food department were up 18.9 percent but there was a significant decrease in their petroleum business both due to COVID restrictions while propane sales were up 5.6 percent.  Dumenko reported with their local loss being minimal and with Federated Co-op patronage and loyalty programs they were left with savings after tax of just over 848 thousand dollars which the Board has elected to do an allocation of 331 thousand with a total cash repayment of just over 167 thousand dollars to the membership with cheques to be mailed shortly.

             

Board President Dave Kendall reported this year there were openings for two positions for three year terms on the Board filled by Dennis Whitbread and Kelsey Horrocks and a two year appointment of James Johnson to fill the vacancy on the Board.

 

New Cases are Up In a Couple of Manitoba Regions and Dropping in one Zone Reporting Double Digits in Saskatchewan.

Manitoba public health reported 56 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 3.3 percent. They also reported one new death in the Southern health region.  Of the new cases 22 were in Winnipeg, 14 in Interlake Eastern and 13 in Southern health with single digits in other regions including four in Northern health.  Of the total 57,322 reported cases 537 are active, 55,618 people have recovered and 105 are in hospital with 28 in intensive care. One of the active districts in this region The Pas, OCN, Kelsey is now down to 24 active cases.

             

Saskatchewan health reported 26 new cases bringing the seven day average of new cases to 30. They reported no new deaths.  Of the new cases Far North West reported 14 down from 24 Wednesday with other zones reporting single digits including Far North East with one.  Of the total 49,556 reported cases 287 are considered active, 48,694 people have recovered and 59 are in hospital with 11 in intensive care. Far North East reports 28 active cases.

The City is Quickly Moving Forward with a New Aqua Centre.

Flin Flon Mayor Cal Huntley says with funding from the Federal and Provincial governments now confirmed for a new Aqua Centre it is their highest priority to have people in the pool as soon as possible.  He explained the next step will include hiring the right Project Manager to oversee the pool project from start to finish, selecting and confirming the correct location and design.  The process will include a sight analysis to confirm the most feasible area for the placement of the new Aqua Centre.  In concert to this the design will be finalized to ensure they are meeting the needs of the community.  He adds once the proper site and design are chosen the scope of work is to be competed with all the engineering, construction and ground work components and this will be followed by a tender process ending with the awarding of the contract for the construction of the new Aqua Centre.

             

Although Mayor Huntley could not commit to a time line or location he did mention at the City Council meeting the primary site they are looking at as a starting point is the former Willow Park Curling Rink Wading Pool site with the former Aqua Centre site being considered for expanding seniors housing.

 

You Can Now Visit the Museum.

Flin Flon Station Museum Board Chair Tom Heine says they are once again welcoming visitors to the museum.  He explains they’ve got two students working there this year and they’ve been involved with basically curating their collection, updating the cataloging system and more importantly cleaning everything.  All the displays, floors and the artifacts have been cleaned fairly thoroughly and now they’re pleased to open up again and they’re open seven days a week 10 o’clock til 6 o’clock so they encourage everyone, visitors and locals alike to visit the museum.

             

Under the most recent public health orders Museums can open to fifty percent capacity to fully immunized people.

New Cases Have Made a Bit of a Jump in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan health reported 53 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the seven day average of new cases up to 30.  They reported no new deaths.  Of the new cases 24 are in Far North West with single digits in other zones including two in Far North East.  Of the total 49,525 reported cases 276 are considered active, 48,674 people have recovered and 59 are in hospital with ten in intensive care.

             

They also note 74 percent of those 12 and over have received their first dose of vaccine and 60 percent are fully vaccinated.

It is Time to Make a Vaccine Appointment to Prepare For Back to School.

Manitoba public health reported 44 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 3.5 percent.  They also reported one new death in the Winnipeg region.  Of the new cases 16 are in the Winnipeg region and 12 in Interlake Eastern with lower numbers in other regions including three in Northern health.  With 11 cases removed due to case corrections the total reported cases stands at 57,269 with 916 active, 55,187 individuals have recovered and 105 are in hospital with 19 in intensive care. They also reported almost 1.7 million doses of vaccine have been administered in the province.  Dr. Joss Reimer notes for your child to be fully immunized for back to school they need to get their first dose by next Tuesday, July 27th which allows for the minimum 28 days between doses and the two weeks following the second dose and there are Pfizer appointments available for young people 12 to 17.

A Local Area Summer Camp Has Joined Other Manitoba Camps in Raising Concerns About Funding.

The Manitoba Camping Association reports every year 50 thousand campers attend their Manitoba Camps where two thousand young people are employed and over 25 million dollars is pumped into the Manitoba economy.  Association President Jared Clarke says with the new public health orders overnight summer camps have been left out noting they usually have one to two hundred campers weekly but now might only have 25 for a Day Camp.  He noted since March 2020 overnight camps have been shut down and have faced nearly 16 months of very little income and the government has not provided any sector specific funding. Clarke called on the government to re-evaluate their decision and allow overnight camps to open August 1st at 50 percent capacity and provide funding to help their camps out.

             

The Director of the Simon House Bible Camp in this area Darrell Janzen noted this is the second year of shutdown of programming and last year they created and ran a successful virtual camp but due to a lack of funding through the Canada Summer Jobs Grant this year they were unable to do that again noting most other camps in Canada got the highest amount they have ever received.

 

Federal and Provincial Funding Will Support a New Aqua Centre in Flin Flon.

The governments of Canada and Manitoba have announced funding for culture and recreation infrastructure projects in Manitoba’s rural and northern communities.  The release states in Flin Flon funding will build a new Community Aqua Centre and Recreation Facility to replace a former facility which was closed in 2020 due to structural concerns.  The Federal government will provide just under 3.5 million dollars, the province just under 2.9 million with just over 2.3 million to be provided locally.

             

They note the new energy efficient facility will increase and improve community programs and recreational activities encouraging residents to swim, train and stay healthy.

 

Mayor Cal Huntley stated this investment on our community and region cannot be undersold, it is so important no only to the character of the city but the safety and health as well.  Myself and all facets of my community from the children to the seniors are unbelievalby excited about this announcement adding given everything that's going on the timing couldn't be better.

Hospitalization Numbers Are Going Down in Manitoba While the Average Continues to Drop in Saskatchewan.

Manitoba public health reported 36 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon holding the five day test positivity rate at 3.6 percent. They reported no new deaths.  Of the new cases 13 are in the Winnipeg region, 11 in Southern health and single digits in other regions including four in Northern health.  Of the total 57,236 reported cases 909 are active, 55,162 people have recovered and 108 are in hospital with 29 in intensive care.

             

Saskatchewan health reported 22 new cases bringing the seven day average to 25 the lowest since last October 12th.  They again reported no new deaths.  Of the new cases 14 were in Far North West with single digits in other zones including three in Far North East.  Of the total 49,472 reported cases 242 are considered active, 48,655 people have recovered and 55 are in hospital with ten in intensive care.

 

There is Interest in Retirement Housing for the Flin Flon Region.

An Executive Summary has been released by the FDC Regional Economic Development Commission of the results of the recent retirement housing needs study.  This was a joint initiative under the City of Flin Flon, Town of Creighton and Village of Denare Beach to gauge and quantify resident’s interests for seniors housing units in the region.  Eighty-eight residents participated in the survey with 91 percent conveying interest to retire in the Flin Flon region. In the summary Regional Economic Development Officer Brian Lin stated a notable number of survey residents are prepared to sign up for senior housing units particularly in the peak period from year 2021 to 2025 followed by another wave of interests towards year 2030.  He notes it is advisable that the region capitalize on these findings as an approach to retaining a portion of the current population as each respondent is generally attached to at least one or two dependants in the household which is also evident in the dominant preference for two bedrooms.  Lin concludes moving forward these findings will support the scouting of potential investors and developers followed by formalization of a development model tailoring a selected senior housing option.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation recently conducted a survey regarding virtual care for heart and stroke patients across the country.

Director of Health System Change Dr. Patrice Lindsay says the foundation heard from over three thousand Canadians many of whom said virtual care was often the only option they had since the start of the pandemic.  She explains they’ve found that virtual care was often what was offered to them in an appointment that had already been scheduled as in person which was switched to virtual care where appointments that were new were given virtual and they weren’t really given any option to have one or the other as many people could only operate in a virtual environment.  She say more than half the people they connected with had experienced at least one virtual appointment during this time and a lot of them surprisingly really welcomed it, they really though it was great, clinicians were listening to them, they were able to get their questions answered, it was better than a lot of people anticipated it might be.

However since certain conditions and issues patients have might not translate well to virtual appointments Lindsay says she hopes to see the health care system implement a hybrid in-person/virtual care model post-pandemic that gives Canadians more options on the care they receive.

The New Cases Average Continues to be Low in Saskatchewan,

Saskatchewan health reported 16 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the seven day average of new cases to 26 which is the lowest since last October 13th.  They again reported no new deaths.  All zones reported new cases in the low single digits including the Far North East with one.  Of the total 49,450 reported cases 262 are considered active, 48,613 people have recovered and 55 are in hospital with nine in intensive care.

There are only 38 active cases in Far North East.  59 percent of people in the province 12 and older have been fully vaccinated

Steps are Being Taken Towards Recommendations.

Manitoba Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Jazz Atwal reported 143 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday bringing the five day test positivity rate to 3.6 percent.  He also reported one new death from the Winnipeg health region. Of the 37 reported cases today 21 are in the Winnipeg region with single digits in other regions including zeroes in Prairie Mountain and Northern health regions. Atwal says they are looking at what happens after public health restrictions are lifted. He explains we need to start normalizing COVID to some degree and make sure we are comfortable knowing that COVID is out there. He says there are going to be recommendations from public health but there are still choices that you can make on your own interactions and what you do, how you behave and how you behave with others to mitigate risks on your own as well.

             

Of the total 57,204 reported cases 922 are active, 55,177 individuals have recovered and 117 are in hospital with 27 in intensive care with none in care out of province.

 

Due to recent rainfall and cooler weather, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency is lifting the provincial fire ban that has been in place since July 2.

 The ban had applied to all Crown lands, provincial parks and the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District.

Some municipalities continue to experience a high fire risk and may choose to keep their fire bans in place.  The SPSA continues to encourage all municipalities to examine the fire risk in their local area and reminds the public to practice fire safety.

Anyone who spots a wildfire can call 1-800-667-9660, dial 9-1-1 or contact their closest SPSA Forest Protection Area office.

People can find the latest fire risk maps and municipal fire ban map at www.saskatchewan.ca/fire.        

Lunch is Available Thursdays for Children in the Flin Flon Area.

Coordinator Jane Robillard says the Rotary Club’s District theme for this year is to end child hunger through the Rotary Feed the Children Program so our local Rotary Club is partnering with the Lords Bounty Food Bank and they’re going to provide lunches for children at Rotary Park and at Aspen Grove every Thursday from now until school goes back.

             

Robillard explains they meet at the Food Bank Thursday morning and bag the lunches which are available at noon.  She says the first was last Thursday with 32 children attending and ever single child said thank you and it just makes you feel good that you’re doing something worthwhile.

             

Robillard adds they expect the numbers to grow as more children become aware of the program.

 

An organization advocating for small businesses across the country was overall pleased to see phase two of Manitoba's reopening plan begin over the weekend.

Director of the Prairies for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business Jonathan Alward says it’s great to see businesses that weren’t included in phase one last month such as movie theatres and museums

 

When asked about how vaccinated people getting more benefits under these new orders will affect independent business owners Alward responded it’s a tough spot for businesses because on one hand you want to be able to open and serve as many customers as it is safe to do so when the province is increasing that.  On the other hand and this is something they’re hearing a lot already why are businesses expected to enforce this as this is a lot of responsibility they’re putting on their shoulders and putting them into potentially very difficult positions with their staff and customers.

 

 Alward adds small businesses are pleased to see milestone two reached two weeks ahead of schedule.

 

The Manitoba Test Positivity Rate and Saskatchewan New Cases Continue to Drop.

Manitoba public health reported 37 net new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 2.9 percent.  They report no new deaths.  Of the new cases 15 are in the Winnipeg region and 10 in Interlake Eastern with single digits in other regions including two in Northern health.  Of the total 57,065 reported cases 958 are active, 54,943 people have recovered and 119 people are in hospital with 26 in intensive care along with one patient in care in Ontario.

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan health reported 20 new cases bringing the seven day average of new cases to 25.  They also reported two new deaths with one each in the North West and Far North East zones.  All zones reported new cases in the single digits with one in Far North East. Of the total 49,362 reported cases 380 are considered active, 48,407 people have recovered and 53 are in hospital with nine in intensive care.

Waters Bombers Made Good Progress on a Forest Fire.

An update has been issued on a forest fire that was burning last evening near the Paradise Lodge turnoff on number ten highway.

             

A spokesperson for the province reported this morning the fire is approximately 10 to 15 hectares in size and located approximately seven kilometers east of Bakers Narrows.  Fire personnel and water bombers were used on the fire yesterday and crews report making good progress.  Additional suppression staff will join the efforts today and the fire will be monitored by air for any concerns.

 

You Can Learn More About Water Safety Next Week.

Flin Flon Recreation will be recognizing Drowning Prevention Week next week.  Recreation Programmer Kelcey Andersen says they have three days with different themes each day at Channing Beach so on July 20th the focus is on water safety in general focused on what to do if you find yourself in a drowning situation or how to help a friend in a drowning situation building these skills with games and fun drills.  She adds on the 21st their focus will be more on boat safety, what to bring to be safe out on the water  with some relays and they’re going to be having some fake boats going out so it’s going to be tons of fun and on the 22nd they’re working on swim to survive so these are developing skills that are proven to help increase survival in drowning situations and once again they’re practicing them in fun game like ways.

             

There is no need to pre-register just drop in at Channing Beach from 1 to 2 each afternoon and all participants will be entered to win a water safety prize.

Creighton Council is Encouraging Area Residents to Fill Out a Survey.

The FDC Regional Economic Development Commission for Flin Flon, Denare Beach and Creighton is still seeking input for the retirement housing needs survey.  Filling out the form takes about three minutes and your information will be used to gauge and quantify interest for seniors housing units in the region.  Printed forms are still available at your municipal offices although the preferred way is online at www.tinyurl/ffregion.

             

Council announced the Town will receive $56,250 dollars from the Saskatchewan government through the targeted sector support initiative.  This money will be used toward a feasibility study on upgrades at the Sportex.

Manitoba Reported COVID Cases Have Topped 57 Thousand While the Average Continues to go Down in Saskatchewan.

Manitoba public health reported 41 net new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 3.4 percent.  They also reported one death in the Winnipeg region. Of the new cases 18 were in the Interlake-Eastern region and 14 in Winnipeg with single digits in other regions including two in Northern health.  Of the total 57,028 reported cases 973 are active, 54,891 people have recovered and 126 are in hospital with 29 intensive care and two in care in Ontario.

             

Saskatchewan health reported 30 new cases bringing the seven day average of new cases to 27 which is the lowest since October 13th of last year.  They again report no new deaths.  All zones report new cases in the single digits including the Far North East with five.  Of total 49,341 reported cases 373 are considered active, 48,395 people have recovered and 52 are in hospital with nine in intensive care.

 

The Fire Danger is High in This Area.

Flin Flon Fire Chief Jason Kuras advises there is a fire ban in the Flin Flon area.  He explains basically there’s no open burning being allowed in the area of Flin Flon and surrounding areas all the way through the north.  He adds there’ll be no unnecessary ATV travel so if you require going to your remote cabin you’ll need to ask for a permit from the Conservation office and other than that people are just encouraged to be very mindful of open fire, not to have them and make sure they’re very careful wherever they go.

             

Kuras adds it’s very dry across the north including this area so the ban is in place to eliminate human causes of fire that can quickly get out of control.

Two Doses of Vaccine are Effective Against Variants.

Medical Lead for the Vaccine Implementation Task Force Dr. Joss Reimer is assuring concerned Manitobans two doses of COVID-19 vaccine will provide protection against the new variants.  She explains there’s been one study out of Israel that shows lower effectiveness against the Delta variant than was ideal but the studies from the UK, US and Canada have all shown that protection is still in the high 80s as far as symptomatic infection and above 90 when it comes to severe outcomes like hospitalization so really this is excellent protection in real world settings and they’re seeing it in multiple countries so they feel confident that the two doses so far remain protective against all of the existing variants of concern including Delta.

             

A total of just over one million 620 thousand doses of vaccine have been administered in Manitoba.

CAA has launched a campaign to help drivers and cyclists navigate the road together safely.

 Manager of Government and Community Relations for CAA Manitoba Heather Mack says it’s hard to put a number to the incidents that occur between vehicles and bicycles.  She explains it’s difficult to get the numbers because in some cases you talk to cycling advocates and they’ll say it’s the near misses that are almost as important to know about, it’s dooring, it’s things that wouldn’t necessarily show up on MPI collision statistics because there may not be a claim from the car.  She notes they’re basically preventable things and they just think it’s an easy fix if we all work together.

 

Leaving space for cyclists, watching for hand or turn signals, avoiding distracted driving, and opening car doors cautiously to avoid dooring cyclists are tips for everyone to be aware of. 

 

To check out the campaign and other safety tips go to www.caamanitoba.com.

There were No New Cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba North and only two in Saskatchewan Far North East.

Manitoba public health reported 53 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to four percent.  They also reported no new deaths.   Of the new cases 31 were in Winnipeg with lower numbers in other regions including zero new cases reported in Northern health.  Of the total 56,987 reported cases 981 are active, 54,843 people have recovered and 129 are in hospital with 31 in intensive care and two in care in Ontario.            

Meanwhile Saskatchewan health reported 18 new cases bringing the seven day average of new cases to 39.  They again reported no new deaths.  All zones reported single digits including Far North East with two.  Of the total 49,322 reported cases 363 are considered active, 48,386 people have recovered and 54 are in hospital with nine in intensive care.

 

Manitoba is Moving to the Next Stage in its Summer Re-opening Plan.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced changes in public health restrictions in the province effective 12:01 Saturday morning running until August 7th including indoor gatherings at private residences are permitted to a maximum of five persons in addition to households, indoor gatherings in public spaces are permitted to a maximum of 25 people, outdoor gatherings on private property increased to a maximum of  25, outdoor public gatherings increase to a maximum of 150 persons, retail businesses increase to 50 percent capacity or 500 persons whichever is lowest, restaurants licensed premises and food courts are expanded to 50 percent capacity.            

Limit increases also affect sports and recreation, libraries, faith based gatherings and weddings and funerals.  As well those fully vaccinated can visit museums, galleries, movie theatres, VLT lounges at 50 percent capacity and at 100 percent capacity at the Winnipeg Blue Bomber game August 5th.

 

 

Young People Have an Opportunity to Become Part of an Advisory Committee.

Canadian residents between the ages of 13 to 21 can apply to become part of the RCMP National Youth Advisory Committee.  This is an online opportunity for youth to interact with participants from all over the country and discuss important issues they face in their respective communities.  They share their thoughts about youth crime and victimization topics and help shape RCMP youth programs and initiatives.  Committee members can receive reference letters and volunteer hours.

              The deadline to apply is September 10th by visiting the RCMP website but those who apply by July 30th will be part of the first selection round and get a better chance of being selected.

              You can also request an application form by email with the address attached to this story at www.flinflononline.com.

 

 

 

RCMP.Youth-Jeunesse.GRC@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

 

COVID-19 has driven consumers to big box stores and on-line giants.

According to a survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business 59 per cent of consumers say they are spending more there than at small businesses. 

 

Despite that 87 per cent of Canadians say they wish they could do more to support small businesses in their community.

 

The CFIB’s Director for the Prairie Region Jonathan Alward says there’s a way they can do just that. He explains we need to all step up, work together, thank and support local as much as possible this summer whether you’re talking about going out to eat with your family now or doing a staycation when you maybe would have traveled outside the province, they really need the support and we need to help accelerate recovery and get businesses back on their feet.

 

CFIB has also brought back a contest to show support for local businesses.   Go to Small Business Every Day dot Ca to leave a “thank you” message.    You and the business could both win cash and prizes.

 

Vaccine Numbers Continue to be High in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Manitoba public health reported 23 net new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 4.5 percent.  They reported one new death in the Winnipeg region.  Of the new cases 13 were in the Winnipeg region with single digits in other regions including four in Northern health.  Of the total 56,943 reported cases 982 are active, 54,798 people have recovered and 131 are in hospital with 32 in intensive care along with two in care in Ontario. A total of just over 1.6 million doses of vaccine have been administered in the province. At 58 percent Manitoba leads the country on second doses of vaccine given to eligible people.

            

Meanwhile Saskatchewan health reported 27 new cases bringing the seven day average of new cases to 44. They reported no new deaths.  All zones reported new cases in the single digits except the Far North East with 10.  Of the total 49,304 reported cases 375 are considered active, 48,356 people have recovered and 57 are in hospital with 10 in intensive care.  73 percent of those 12 and older have now received a first dose of vaccine and 55 percent are fully vaccinated.

The City of Flin Flon is Focusing on Roads and Sidewalks This Summer.

Director of Works and Operations Bernardo Pasco and Mayor Cal Huntley announced at the corner of Church Street and Fourth Avenue the city’s plans for just under 1.2 million dollars committed to 12 paving projects and 376 thousand for sidewalks and curbs. Huntley outlined paving plans including locations Church Street 3rd to 4th Avenue, 320 Queen Street Spruce to Balsam, 518 South Hudson to 506 South Hudson, intersection of Ross and Hudson Street, 26 Ross to Bay Avenue, 2 Hudson Street, 409 Princess Boulevard, Pine Street at 380 Princess, Salt Shed floor, Centre Street from Windsor to 10 A and Terrace from 4th Avenue to Hiawatha.

             

Huntley added they also have 13 locations for sidewalk and curb repairs.  He noted this is their intent but it could change should a problem area come up elsewhere.

 

*The 2021 Sidewalk and Curb Program is also on the agenda for Flin Flon, with 13 locations listed for sidewalk and/or curb repairs utilizing $376,000 from the budget.

Locations:

  1. 406 to 418 Green St. on both sides – Curb
  2. 406 Green St. – Sidewalk
  3. 350 to 354 Parkway Blvd – Curb/Sidewalk
  4. 209 to 223 Whitney – Curb/Sidewalk
  5. 394-396 Green St – Curb
  6. 327 Prince Charles – Curb/Sidewalk
  7. 330 Prince Charles – Curb/Sidewalk
  8. 344 Centennial – Curb/Sidewalk
  9. 514 South Hudson – Curb/Sidewalk
  10. 26 Ross St. – Curb
  11. 4 Hudson St. – Curb
  12. 232 to 234 Whitney – Curb/Sidewalk
  13. 268 Whitney St. – Curb

 

 

Funding is Being Provided for Indigenous and Northern Organizations.

The Manitoba government is investing three million dollars toward Indigenous and northern organizations. The funding is to support key services provided for Indigenous and northern people in Manitoba.  Organizations funded that directly affect the northern area include just under 1.6 million dollars to the Manitoba Association of Friendship Centres, 325 thousand to the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, 268 thousand to the Manitoba Metis Federation,  263 thousand to the Northern Association of Community Councils and 100 thousand to Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak.

             

Indigenous and Northern Relations Minister Eileen Clarke notes the activities of the organizations foster positive and respectful relationships with Indigenous people and northern communities.

 

Intensive Care Numbers are in the Single Digits in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan health reported 19 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the seven day average of new cases to 43.  They reported no new deaths.  All zones reported cases in the single digits with two in Far North East.  Of the total 49,279 reported cases 397 are considered active, 48,309 people have recovered and 57 people are in hospital with nine in intensive care. There are 108 active cases reported in Far North East.

             

They also report the number of cases of the Delta variant has increased significantly in recent weeks so you are strongly encouraged to get your first and second doses of vaccine as soon as possible.

Vaccines Continue to be The Key to Moving Manitoba Forward.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced 181 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday bringing the five day test positivity rate to 5 percent.  He also announced two additional deaths with one each in the Winnipeg and Interlake Eastern health regions. Of today’s 31 new cases 20 are in the Winnipeg region with single digits in other regions including three in Northern health. Roussin says we’re still seeing some numbers in the 70s or 80s and of course we want to see these numbers drop as far down as we can get them but we know that with the vaccine uptake that we’re getting we’re going to see that and we’re going to see a decline in active cases but we’re not done with the virus yet, we are dealing with the Delta variant so we still have to be cognizant of this virus and have to take care to ensure we’re not having large spreading events and we have to ensure that Manitobans get vaccinated at that fast pace they have been doing up to now.

              The COVID-19 dashboard indicates no active cases in the Flin Flon, Snow Lake, Cranberry Portage, Sherridon District.

 

A Local Volunteer Has Received Two Awards.

The Flin Flon Ski Club nominated local volunteer Dave Price for a ski award and he went on to receive a volunteer award.  Ski Club President Dean Grove says this is Dave’s 50th year as a volunteer with the Ski Club so he was nominated for a Nordiiq Canada Award of Distinction and he received that in June and then they received notice that he’d also been awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Volunteer Manitoba Award and he believes they’re coming up to present that sometime this summer and that was awarded to him for his work around the community with things like the Green Project. Flinty’s Boardwalk and numerous other things.

             

Nordiiq Canada points out they are lucky to have leaders like Dave making outstanding contributions to cross country skiing and moving the sport forward.  Volunteer Manitoba noted how Dave has contributed to his communities and enriched the lives of his fellow Manitobans.

 

Fewer People Continue to Break Public Health Orders.

The Manitoba government reports a total of 58 warnings and 24 tickets were issued for the week of June 28th to July 4th.   Twenty-two 1296 dollar tickets went to individuals, one 298 dollar ticket for failure to wear a mask in an indoor public place and one 5 thousand dollar ticket went to a business.

             

Officials advise thirteen of the twenty two 1296 dollar tickets issued to individuals were in relation to gatherings in private residences or outdoors, eight were for failure to self isolate and one to a sole proprietorship.  Conservation and park patrol officers are enforcing public health and state of emergency orders within provincial parks and issued four tickets to individuals for failure to self isolate.

             

Since enforcement began in April 2020 a total to 5,030 warnings and 2,040 tickets have been issued resulting in almost 2.8 million dollars in fines to businesses and individuals.

 

Savings are an Important Part of a Financial Plan.

According to LifeWorks’ quarterly Financial Wellbeing Index there is a growing need for reliable resources and tools to improve Canadians’ financial health.

 

Spokesperson Paula Allen explains 28 per cent of working Canadians don’t have emergency savings which will make it more difficult for them to withstand any kind of upheaval that impacts their finances.

 

Additionally 26 per cent only have enough savings to cover a few months of essential expenses.

 

 Allen says compared to the rest of the country Manitoba really is coming around the middle of much lower scores in the Maritimes and we have a bit lower scores than Saskatchewan.  In Manitoba like the rest of Canada financial wellbeing has been impacted so we’re seeing financial wellbeing lower now than it was in their benchmark series which was prior to the pandemic.  She noted Manitoba is compared to where they were prior to the pandemic about middle of the road in that decline.

 

Allen adds one-third of Canadians rely on social media or friends as their primary source of financial information.

 

The Number of Manitoba Patients in Care Out of Province Continues to Drop While New Cases in Saskatchewan Zones are in Single Digits.

Manitoba public health reported 72 net new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 5.1 percent.  They also reported three new deaths with one in Winnipeg and two in the Prairie Mountain health region.  Of the new cases 33 are in Winnipeg and 22 in Interlake Eastern with lower numbers in other regions including five in Northern health.  Of the total 56,739 reported cases 1,030 are considered active, 54,549 people have recovered and 137 are in hospital with 33 in intensive care along with four in care in Ontario.

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan health reported 36 new cases this afternoon bringing the seven day average of new cases to 45.  They also reported one death in the North West zone.  All zones reported new cases in the single digits including four in Far North East.  Of the total 49,198 cases reported 403 are considered active, 48,224 people have recovered and 61 are in hospital with ten in intensive care. There are 93 active cases in Far North East largely due to cases in the Hatchet Lake area.

 

The Manitoba Government Has Proposed Fixed Hydro Rates for the Next Three Years.

 Finance Minister Scott Fielding has announced the government will introduce legislation this fall that would set interim rates for Manitoba Hydro.  He says while Manitoba Hydro has requested a 3.5 percent increase this will limit annual rate increases to 2.5 percent for 2021,22 and 23 which is the lowest hydro rate increase in ten years.  He explains 2.5 percent will save ratepayers as well as businesses upwards to 10 million dollars in 2021, 28 million dollars in 2022-23 and upwards of 48 million dollars so his point is there are savings for ratepayers and they think it’s important to support individuals and businesses as we move out of the pandemic.  He adds that’s what they’ve tried to do as a government throughout this whole process and that’s what this announcement today does as well.

             

These limited rate increases will be introduced as amendments to bill 35 which is the public utilities ratepayer protection and regulatory reform act.

Visiting Parks Will be Free Next Week.

The Manitoba government will allow free entry to provincial parks for a full week in mid-July instead of on the traditional Canada Parks Day weekend so visitors can take advantage of the parks and all they have to offer.

             

Vehicle permits will not be required at any provincial park from July 12th to 18th but overnight camping fees will continue to apply. They also advise while being outdoors and active is important for physical and mental health COVID-19 public health orders must be followed adding for the most peaceful experience you may wish to visit parks at non-peak hours such as on weekdays or during early weekend mornings.

             

Manitobans who want to camp can visit the Parks Reservation Service online at www.manitobaparks.com or contact 1-888-482-2267.

The Saskatchewan Free Fishing Weekend is Coming Up.

The 2021 summer Free Fishing Weekend takes place tomorrow and Sunday. During the weekend Saskatchewan residents and visitors are invited to try the variety of sport fishing opportunities available in any public waters open to sport fishing with no licence required.

             

With more than 250 thousand people sport fishing in Saskatchewan each year this weekend is the perfect time for those new to fishing or those interested in developing their skills to drop a line.

             

Free fishing weekend does not apply in national parks where a federal licence is required and anyone planning on taking fish out of the province must purchase a licence. Anyone planning to take part should note all catch limit and size regulations remain in effect.  For more information or to view the 2021-22 Anglers Guide visit www.saskatchewan.ca/fishing.

New Case Counts Have Gone Up a Bit in Manitoba Health Regions and Are up in One Zone in Saskatchewan.

Manitoba public health reported 81 net new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 5.4 percent.  They also reported three new deaths with one each in the Northern, Southern and Winnipeg health regions.  Of the new cases 39 were in Winnipeg, 16 in Interlake Eastern, 11 in Northern and 10 each in Prairie Mountain and Southern health regions. Of the total 56,667 reported cases 1016 are active, 54,494 people have recovered and 137 are in hospital with 34 in intensive care along with five who are in care in Ontario.   

        

Meanwhile Saskatchewan health reported 113 new cases bringing the seven day average of new cases to 42.  They reported no new deaths.  Of the new cases 58 were in the Far North East, 16 in Saskatoon and 12 in Regina with lower numbers in other zones.  The rise in cases is due largely to the ongoing outbreak in the Hatchet Lake area.  Of the total 49,152 reported cases 415 are considered active, 48,167 people have recovered and 62 are in hospital with 11 in intensive care.

 

The History of Our Area Will Be Saved.

At the Flin Flon City Council meeting Tuesday night a resolution was passed to form a local Heritage Committee.  Councillor Karen MacKinnon says the committee will be responsible for compiling and storing the history of Flin Flon and area.  The committee is made up of Beatrice Walker, Donald Peake, Frank Fieber, Les Oystryk, Katy Anderson, Doug Evans, Ken Pawlachuk and Elizabeth Andries.

             

Mayor Cal Huntley welcomed Lyn Brown back to her position as Treasurer for the City and introduced Jaimie Fleuty as their new Marketing and Communications Coordinator.

             

Council approved the Municipal Funding Application from the Flinty Boardwalk Committee in the amount of 15 hundred dollars. The money will be used for fertilizer and weed control in the Flinty Park grass area.

             

Councillor Colleen Arnold had praise for Northland Ford for the July 1st parade, the Fireworks Committee for their display and Dianne Russell for handling the Trout Festival Fishing Derby along with all the local businesses who sponsored events.  Mayor Cal Huntley noted the importance of the inclusion of orange shirts and Every Child Matters signs as part of the parade.

 

Biz Kidz are Online This Summer.

Community Futures Greenstone is offering Biz Kidz seven workshops and contests online through July.  Organizer Elizabeth MacDonald says the program offers youth ages 9 to 13 a chance to learn about entrepreneurship.  She explains they have one that covers Innovative Ideas, Business Plan and Pitches, Promotions, how to make a 30 to 60 second ad as well as Advertising and also how to create your own website, Logos and Branding and how to make money and along with these workshops they also have contests youth can participate in to win prizes.

             

For more information on these free online workshops you can call Elizabeth at Greenstone at 204-687-6967, email student@cfgreenstone.com, visit their Facebook page or see posters around town.

The Battle Against COVID Will Continue in Saskatchewan Without Restrictions.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has confirmed the end of public health restrictions in the province.  He announced with the significant portion of our population protected by the very safe and effective vaccines this Sunday after 485 days of public health orders and restrictions by the province, after 485 days of the government telling you how to live your life all of those restrictions end.

             

Moe adds although restriction will come to an end COVID will not but we will no longer fight it with restrictions we’ll do it with vaccines.

             

Saskatchewan health reported 53 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the seven day average of new cases to 31.  They also reported one new death in the North West zone. Of the new cases 13 were in Regina and 10 in North West with single digits in other zones including three in Far North East.  There are 24 active cases in Far North East.

 

Manitoba is Preparing to Move Forward on Public Health Orders.

Manitoba has achieved its second vaccine milestone on the re-opening path nearly a month ahead of schedule.  Premier Brian Pallister reports more than 75 percent of eligible Manitobans have received at least one dose and more than 50 percent have received both doses of vaccine. He says public health officials have recommended that at least one incubation period should pass between changing public health orders so new orders are expected next week to reflect the immunization milestone achieved and the state of COVID-19 in Manitoba at that time.

             

Manitoba public health reported 70 net new cases this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 5.6 percent. They also reported two additional deaths with one each in Interlake Eastern and Winnipeg regions.  Of the new cases 32 were in Winnipeg and19 in Interlake Eastern with lower numbers in other regions including four in Northern health.  Of the total 56,585 reported cases 990 are active and 54,442 people have recovered.

The City of Flin Flon 2021 Financial Plan Was Presented at a Public Meeting Last Night.

The total budget is just over 12.2 million dollars down from just over 12.6 million last year.  The mill rate for residential property increased slightly from 50.12 to 50.25 mills an increase of 0.13 mills and commercial went down 1.76 to 58.13 mills.  An example noted residential property pays taxes on 45 per cent of assessed value so a property with a total assessed value of 100 thousand dollars will see an increase in taxes of 193 dollars minus the provincial education property tax credit.  The special levy for police and fire services will be $419.33 per parcel up from $407.12.

             

The city budget for roads and streets is just under 1.4 million dollars largely for paving.  Other top items in capital spending are water and sewer maintenance 300 thousand, Aqua Centre feasibility 400 thousand, Whitney Forum 185 thousand, Community Hall accessibility 100 thousand and from the reserve fund 421 thousand for affordable housing. 

             

A copy of the budget presentation is available at City Hall.

 

A Drill Project Continues to Produce High Grade Results.

Callinex Mines has announced additional drill results from the ongoing 30 thousand meter drilling campaign to expand its high grade copper, gold, silver and zinc Rainbow Deposit.  The Rainbow is located at their Pine Bay Project 16 kilometers from Flin Flon.  They report one example of intersecting 67 meters of 2.73 percent copper and 20.53 meters of 2.58 percent copper in step outs at the Deposit.

             

President Max Porterfield states the drill results represent the two widest intersections to date at the Rainbow Deposit. He explains these wider intersections are typical of the pinching and swelling in volcanic massive sulphide lenses as seen in their Orange and Yellow zones.  He adds drilling over the summer will continue to focus on building a high grade copper resource at the Pine Bay Project.  There are currently two rigs operating to expand the Rainbow closer to surface and at depth.

 

New Case Numbers are Still Low in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Manitoba public health reported only 34 net new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the five day test positivity rate to 5.9 percent.  They also reported one new death in the Southern health region.  Of the new cases 24 were in the Winnipeg region with low single numbers in other regions including two in Northern health. Of the total 56,516 reported cases 972 are active, 54,392 individuals have recovered and 149 are in hospital with 36 in intensive care along with six in care outside the province.  There are five active cases reported in the Flin Flon, Snow Lake, Cranberry Portage, Sherridon district.  A total of 15,772 variants of concern cases have been reported in the province with 598 of them active.

             

Meanwhile Saskatchewan health reported 14 new cases bringing the seven day average of new cases to 28.  They reported one new death in the North West zone.  All zones reported new cases in the low single digits with Far North East reporting none.  Of the total48, 992 reported cases 313 are considered active, 48,110 people have recovered and 62 are in hospital with ten in intensive care.  There are27 active cases in Far North East.  A total of 12,212 variants of concern have been reported so far in the province.

 

A Summer Day Camp for Kids Got Underway Yesterday.

The Flin Flon Friendship Centre is again offering Camp Moochikun this summer.  The Centre’s Program Events Coordinator Tieryn Steele says it offers a lot of fun activities. She explains they will take them to the Spray Park, the park, they have lots of fun outdoor activities for them to do, also indoor activities, crafts, some cultural learning as well.  She adds it is a free Day Camp for ages six to nine and it runs from July 5th to August 20th Monday to Friday from about 9 to 3:15.

             

To register or for more information parents can call 204-687-8852 or drop into the Center on Church Street to fill out the necessary paperwork.

 

A Campaign to Promote and Help Rebuild the Indigenous Tourism Industry Across Canada has been launched.

The Original Original Campaign was created by the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada as a way to boost wide-spread recognition of authentic Indigenous experiences domestically as a part of their Destination Indigenous initiative.

 

President Keith Henry explains what they want is visitors to really recommend Indigenous experiences across Canada, they want Canadians to embrace Indigenous experiences, tell their family, tell their friends, that’s part of the new sort of tactical campaign thinking.  He says secondly they really want to reach more of their target audience in the country and often it’s thought of as an older sort of demographic and it’s not, it’s young families, it’s individuals, it’s anyone looking for experiences and wanting to learn more about Indigenous people, third they’re really trying to make sure that the target audience or visitors find the Indigenous experience and finally they want to make it easier for visitors to purchase.

           

             Henry adds they work with partners like Tourism Manitoba and the Manitoba Indigenous Tourism Association to have a national lens but support provincial and territorial content as well.

Health Restrictions are Being Lifted in Saskatchewan.

70 percent of residents over 12 in the province have now received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.  That means all public health orders will be removed as of Sunday, July 11th including the province wide mandatory masking order and capacity limits on events and gathering sizes.

             

Saskatchewan public health reported only 20 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the seven day average of new cases to 33.  All zones reported new cases in the single digits with three in the Far North East.  Of the total 48,978 reported cases 360 are considered active, 48,050 people have recovered and 65 are in hospital with 11 in intensive care.  There are 29 active cases reported in the Far North East.

Vaccines are the Path to Re-Opening the Province.

Manitoba Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin announced 177 new cases of COVID-19 have been identified since Friday bringing the five day test positivity rate to 6.3 percent.  He also reported four additional deaths over that time including three in the Winnipeg region and one in Southern health.   Of the 65 new cases reported for today 35 were in the Winnipeg region with lower numbers in other regions including five in Northern health.  There are five active cases reported in the Flin Flon, Snow Lake, Cranberry Portage, Sherridon district.   Roussin spoke about a post pandemic province noting we know that in a post pandemic Manitoba our health care system won’t be strained by a single agent, a post pandemic Manitoba will not report daily on case counts and test positivity and hospital admissions and most importantly a post pandemic Manitoba will be a Manitoba without public health restrictions.

             

Roussin says to reach this goal he urges everyone to get vaccinated with both doses so they can continue to move forward with their re-opening plan.

 

People Walked With Lights Down Main Street Thursday Night.

A candle light vigil and walk was held Thursday night under the theme Every Child Matters Bring Our Children Home.  Organizer Margaret Head Steppan as they gathered at Neighbors of the North Park stated they walk to light up the way to bring our children home.  She explained the message they are trying to relay is the children that they found in the residential schools are important and they need to be brought home to their home communities and laid to rest so they can be at peace and the vigil is walking to honor them and to shine a light on what they never had.  She added they just want to be here in solidarity as Indigenous people and people that support us.

             

Walkers carrying solar powered lights made their way down Main Street to Pioneer Square where a vigil was held with the Northern Lights Singers and Drummers.

 

Its Time to Renew Your Love of Fishing Across Canada.

National Fishing Week Got Underway on Saturday and continues through this Sunday sponsored by the Canadian National Sportfishing Foundation.  Spokesperson Jessica Melnik says they want people to discover or re-discover the benefits of recreational fishing. She explains it’s basically a celebration of fishing tradition in Canada so every year for one week they like to encourage Canadians to get out on the water either for the first time or the first time in a long time and find out what the fun is all about.  She says people can visit www.catchfishing.com to learn more about National Fishing Week and they can also order a free Catch Fishing booklet which has some tips and tricks for new anglers and they can get regional information about fishing regulations in their area.

             

The Foundation points out fishing has a positive impact on mental wellness which is something that’s crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

All COVID Numbers Remain Low in Saskatchewan,

Saskatchewan health reported 21 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon bringing the seven day average of new cases to 38.  All zones are reporting new cases in the single digits with none in Far North East..  Of the total 48,882 reported cases 405 are considered active, 47,909 people have recovered and 57 are in hospital with 12 in intensive care.  There are 18 active cases reported in Far North East.

             

As of July 1st a total of 12,175 variants of concern cases have been reported in the province with 87 reported in Far North East.

             

As of Monday both Manitoba and Saskatchewan will no longer release updated daily reports on COVID case numbers on weekends.

Vaccination is Effective Against the Latest COVID Variant.

Manitoba Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Jazz Atwal reported 145 new cases of COVID-19 since Wednesday bringing the five day test positivity rate to 5.4 percent.  He also reported seven new deaths with four in the Winnipeg region and three in Southern health.  Of the 54 new cases reported today 23 were in Winnipeg with lower numbers in other regions including five in Northern Health.  Atwal expressed concern about the Delta variant reporting as of Wednesday June 30th there have been 217 cases of the variant identified in Manitoba since late April.  He says the Delta variant has now been identified in every regional health authority in Manitoba with the majority of cases to date identified in Winnipeg at 40 percent followed by Southern at 29 percent and then Northern at 24 percent.  He adds 14 or 6.5 percent of these cases were travel acquired and 131 cases or 60.4 percent were close contacts of a know case.

             

Atwal noted two doses of COVID-19 vaccine are highly effective against hospitalization from the Delta variant.

The Walleye Were Biting During the Trout Festival Fishing Derby and There Was a Good Turnout for the Parade.

A large list of prizes was available to those taking part in the Fishing Derby.  The top prize in the biggest fish category went to Sheldon Wiebe receiving 15 hundred dollars followed by Al Roschuk receiving 500 cash and a 250 dollar gift card and Brett Unrau receiving 200 dollars and 300 in gift cards. The smallest fish prize of 500 dollars went to Aaron Chigol.

             

The Junior Prize event was won by Logan Grenier receiving 500 dollars and the Mystery Length prizes of 500 dollars each went to Damian Dominey, Tiffany Anderson and Joby Nomeland.

             

A complete list of prizes including the Trout Splash event can be found on the Flin Flon Trout Festival Website and prizes can be picked up at the Uptown Emporium on Main Street.

             

Prize recipients in the Northland Ford July 1st Parade went for Commercial to first Ped’s Threads, second DJ Dray and third Flin Flon Bombers and for Non-Commercial first Alliance Church, second Ham Sandwich and third Flin Flon Pride. The winner of the Share in the North Draw was Pam Rowe receiving 820 dollars.

 

 

 

 

Preparations are Well Underway for Flin Flon Recreations Summer in the Parks.

Supervisor Leanna Koops says they are starting Summer in the Parks Monday running until August 27 for ages four to ten from 11am to 4 pm.  She explains the ensure fair registration they might change it to Monday to Friday but right now they will be separating campers into two groups with either attending camp on Monday, Wednesday Friday or Tuesday, Thursday then the following week the groups will switch.  She says they have many fun adventures planned in their first month of camp some returning games like camping, Fantasy Week, Water Week as well as a brand new week Game ShowWeek.

             

For more information you can contact Leanna at the Recreation Office at 204-681-7542 or text 431-746-6496.

Diplomas and Bursaries Were Presented at Many Faces.

14 graduates from Many Faces Education Centre received their diplomas and were presented with 18 bursaries and awards.

             

The Governor General Bronze Medal for the top student went to Kaylee Armstrong who also received a Many Faces Alumni Award. Other Alumni Award recipients were Michael Bercier, Haley Chisolm and Devon McGinnis.  The Flin Flon Motorcycle Association Bursary went to Kimberly Bighetty who also received the Gender Diversity Bursary and Women’s Resource Centre Bursary.  Bursaries from Flin Flon School Division and MLA Tom Lindsey went to Renee Morin, Health Auxiliary, Flin Flon Lions Club and Founders Bursary to Brianna Francoeur, IBEW and Raymond Daneliuk Memorial to Korey Benoit, the Art Wahlenberg Memorial to Jeremy Morin, the UCN Scholarship to Mia Armstrong and USW Local 7106 to Tori Mayberry Peters.

 

 

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