Students were honored for their hard work and dedication over the past year as diplomas were handed out to 47 graduates at Hapnot Collegiate yesterday  afternoon.

The largest award,  the Hudbay W.A. Green Bursary for the highest average for 35 hundred dollars went to Gianna Watt who also received the Governor General Bronze Medal for the highest academic standing.

Gianna Watt also received the the William Friesen Memorial scholarship along with Maia Bellisle. The Flin Flon Kinette bursary which go’s to a son or daughter of a Kinette or former member went to Jordan Hucaluk.

The Flin Flon School Division presented a bursary to the top student attending a technical or community college and was presented to Dax Lawrence. The Sparling Trophy which is awarded  to a grade 12 student who contributes most to school life while maintaining a good academic standing and selected by all staff members from Hapnot Collegiate went to Olivia Fernandes.

A new bursary this year, the Colleen McKee Community Volunteer bursary was presented to Piper Sapergia Green.

You can view the entire list of scholarships and bursarys here:

The Canada Day Parade will take place this Saturday at 11am sharp and start at CFAR  before making it’s way through Flin Flon and ending in Creighton.

Lindsay Shirran, the Creighton Rec Director says they have over 30 floats entered and wants to remind you about  proper protocol while the parade is happening. " We have 33 registered floats this year which doesn't include our emergency services such as the police and fire department, so that is a really good turn out. We just ask those that are registered and plan on to participate in the parade to be down by the Green street area by CFAR down towards the Zoo. We will extend up Green street and we will start the parade at 11am. We will carry on the parade route to Creighton and ending at the Hooter. I just kindly ask that people be respectful of the parade route, no cutting in and no passing. Just be patient and respectful and just wait."

The theme this year, is the Water And The Wild and if you are looking to hand out treats, you need to hand them to people as they can not be thrown from the floats. The route is as follows, Start at CFAR, over to Third Ave, then off to Callinan, to First Ave, to Flin Flon’s Main street then down the Creighton Freeway turning onto Creighton Main and ending at the Hooter.

It was a memorable year at Many Faces Education center as 16 students received their diplomas Wednesday afternoon in the school gym.

School principal Jodi Pawlachuk reflects on a great year for their different programs. " We had a wonderful school year, the graduates have come a very long way overcoming lots of challenges and obstacles to get their diplomas this year. We grew a lot with Elder Margaret Cook who  spent a lot of time at our school this year. We did some extra curricular events including making ribbon skirts and learning how to drum, making drums and performing. So we grew a lot together and they taught us a lot and I know the elders and teachers taught the students a lot. It has been an amazing year and we are very happy for their success, but we are also sad to see them go but happy that their future is bright and they will keep on shining and make the world a better place."

The Founder’s Bursary was presented to Kaydon Jesso for one thousand dollars and the UCN scholarship went to Jordan Charlette Standingready for one year’s tuition. USW Local 7106 scholarship was presented to Albert Lehman Maniel and the CUPE Local 8600 went to Kadence Eyres.

Here is a complete list of the scholarships and bursarys.

NAME OF BURSARY WINNER
FLIN FLON ABORIGINAL FRIENDSHIP CTR Jordan Charlette-Standingready
CUPE LOCAL 228 Ronnie Dobson
FLIN FLON MOTORCYCLE ASSOC. Emma S-Waly
FLIN FLON SCHOOL DIVISION Emma S-Waly
GOVERNOR GENERAL BRONZE MEDAL Emma S-Waly
IBEW (ELECTRICAL WORKERS) Taylor Grindle
MANY FACES ALUMNI Kala Abrahamson
MANY FACES ALUMNI Jordan Charlette-Standingready
MANY FACES ALUMNI Taylor Grindle
MANY FACES ALUMNI Emma S-Waly
MLA (TOM LINDSEY) Kaydon Jesso
FLIN FLON LIONS CLUB Emma Stuckless-Waly
THE FOUNDERS' BURSARY Kaydon Jesso
UCN SCHOLARSHIP Jordan Charlette-Standingready
USW LOCAL 7106 Albert Lehmann-Maniel
WOMEN'S RESOURCE CENTRE Kala Abrahamson

CUPE LOCAL 8600  Kadence Eyres

Creighton School held their graduation yesterday and 32 graduates received their diplomas for the 2022-23 school year. A total of 50 scholarships and bursaries were presented.

The top awards were the Hudbay Scholarship for two thousand dollars for four years which went to Miranda Andrusiak. The BGC Engineering Earth and Sciences Underground  Award went to Marcus Kennedy for two thousand for the first year and five thousand for the second.

The Val Madarash Memorial Bursary went to Mackenzie Trumbley for two thousand dollars and the Fred and Pearl Shwaga Memorial Bursary went to Sadie Joa Hall and Destiny Bishop for two thousand.

The Creighton School Foundation Awards for one thousand dollars  were presented to Grace Dubinak- Aboriginal, Academics were presented to Talissa Alexander, Lexus Altman and  Miranda Andrusiak. Arts also went to Miranda Andrusiak, Athletics to Grace Dubinak, Medical to Destiny Bishop and Trades and Technology to Tristan Nivon.

A brand new bursary was handed out this year, which was the Colleen McKee Bursary for one thousand dollars and that went to Talissa Alexander.

Here is the complete list of scholarship's and bursaries

2023 Bursaries & Scholarships – Creighton Community School
Bursary/Scholarship Amount Recipient
School Community Council Top Attendance Bursary $200 HaiXin Chen
School Community Council Top Attendance Bursary $200 Tristan Nivon
Smiling Hearts Daycare Bursary $200 Miranda Andrusiak
Flin Flon Aboriginal Friendship Centre Bursary $250 Drake Custer
Mark Perkins Memorial Bursary $250 Ethan McLean
Mark Perkins Memorial Bursary $250 Mackenzie Trumbley
Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation Bursary $250 Ryan Pedwell
Northern Village of Denare Beach Bursary $300 Destiny Bishop
Northern Village of Denare Beach Bursary $300 Tristan Nivon
Taya Joy Anaka Memorial Bursary $300 Elliot Bilquist
Creighton Community School Staff Bursary $400 Marcus Kennedy
Rotary Club - King George VI Bursary $450 HaiXin Chen
CADAC Bursary (Sponsored by Northern Neighbours Foundation) $500 Lexus Altman
Caleb Janzen Memorial Spirit Award $500 Marcus Kennedy
Caleb Janzen Memorial Spirit Award $500 Carter Kosmenko
CUPE Local 228 Bursary $500 Samantha Stomp
Flin Flon Health Auxiliary Bursary $500 Lexus Altman
Flin Flon Pride Committee Bursary $500 Grace Dubinak
IAMAW Local #1848 Bursary $500 Destiny Bishop
IAMAW Workers Local #1848 Bursary $500 Ryan Pedwell
Kinettes Bursary $500 Grace Dubinak
Legion Bursary (Local Branch #73) $500 Talissa Alexander
Legion Ladies Auxiliary Bursary $500 Talissa Alexander
Mark Perkins Memorial Bursary $500 Jaxon Smith
North Star Rebekah Lodge #31 of the Independent Order of Oddfellows
Bursary
$500 Tanner Werbicki
Flin Flon Lions Club Bursary $600 Talissa Alexander
Creighton Furniture Bursary $750 Ethan McLean
United Steelworkers Local 7106 Bob Imrie Memorial Bursary $750 Makenzy Harrower
CCS Foundation Awards—Aboriginal Scholarship $1000 Grace Dubinak
CCS Foundation Awards—Academic Scholarship $1000 Talissa Alexander
CCS Foundation Awards—Academic Scholarship $1000 Lexus Altman
CCS Foundation Awards—Academic Scholarship $1000 Miranda Andrusiak
CCS Foundation Awards—Arts Scholarship $1000 Miranda Andrusiak
CCS Foundation Awards—Athletics Scholarship $1000 Grace Dubinak
CCS Foundation Awards—Bev McCrimmon Memorial Citizenship Scholarship $1000 Talissa Alexander
CCS Foundation Awards—Medical Scholarship $1000 Destiny Bishop
CCS Foundation Awards—Trades & Technology Scholarship $1000 Tristan Nivon
Colleen McKee Community Volunteer Bursary $1000 Talissa Alexander
North of 53 Consumers Coop Bursary $1000 Abbigale Grant
Raymond Daneliuk Memorial Trades Bursary $1000 Jace Johnsgaard
Raymond Daneliuk Memorial Trades Bursary $1000 Taylan Woods
Rotary Club - Harry Yee Scholarship $1000 Hailey Barteski
Town of Creighton Bursary $1000 Ashlee Church
Town of Creighton Bursary $1000 Carter Kosmenko
Fred & Pearl Shwaga Memorial Bursary $2000 Destiny Bishop
Fred & Pearl Shwaga Memorial Bursary $2000 Sadie Joa-Hall
Val Madarash Memorial Education Bursary $2000 Mackenzie Trumbley
BGC Engineering Earth Sciences Undergraduate Award $2000 1st yr +
$5000 2nd yr
Marcus Kennedy
HUDBAY Scholarship $2000 x4 yrs Miranda Andrusiak

A busy weekend of Trout Festival activities will take place including a fun event tonight at the Ross Lake Causeway. The Ross Lake Regatta will start at 8:30 and will feature some great entertainment.

Rec Programmer Kelsey Anderson says it will be a fun night. " We are going to have two bands set up at the Mike's Ice and Burger patio, with the first one at 8:30 which  will be  the No Name  band. Then we will have Low Budget Rock Star who will be setting up at 10:30. We will have bleachers set up in the Mike's parking lot if you want to watch from land. We will also have some kayaks and canoes available for you to use,  and you can come down and sign up."

Boats, canoes and kayaks are all welcome and there will be some canoes supplied on a first come first serve basis. You will also be able to watch the fireworks right from the lake.

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CREIGHTON AGREED TO PASS A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR AND

CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER TO SIGN THE AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE LOT 29 BLOCK 34 WITH THE SASKATCHEWAN HOUSING

CORPORATION TO CONFORM WITH THE PLACEMENT OF THE DISABILITY GROUP HOME.

COUNCIL APPROVED THE 2023 BUDGET FOR THE FDC REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION. COUNCIL AGREED TO PURCHASE A

RICOH IM C2500 COLOR MULTIFUNCTION DEVICE TO REPLACE THE UNREPAIRABLE PHOTOCOPIER AT THE CREIGHTON REC OFFICE AT A

COST OF $6,673.90 PLUS TAXES.

A MOTION WAS PASSED TO SUPPORT A TARGETED SECTOR APPLICATION FOR GOVERNMENTS TRAINING FOR THE THREE COUNCILS FLIN FLON,

CREIGHTON AND DENARE BEACH.

COUNCIL AGREED TO ASSIST FLIN FLON MINOR HOCKEY WITH INSTALLING THEIR T.V. IN THE SPORTEX. THIS IS TO HELP WITH THE

TRAINING OF YOUNG PLAYERS WITH THE HOCKEY CANADA APP.

COUNCIL ALSO AGREED TO GIVE PERMISSION TO THE KODIAK FOOTBALL TEAM TO PLACE A DONATED TRAILER ON THE SOCCER FIELD

WHICH WILL BE UTILIZED BY USER GROUPS. THEY ALSO APPROVED THE PLACEMENT FOR THE TEAMS SCOREBOARD WHICH WILL BE AT THE

NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE SOCCER FIELD.

The month long Trout Festival Fishing Derby is winding  down with the final day tomorrow. Remember you can stll  hit any lake or stream on both the Manitoba and Saskatchewan side, north of the 54^th parallel.

Trout Festival President Dianne Russell says they have had a lot of people go fishing and have a lot of great prizes to give away. " We are very excited with the amount of participation , we have had lots of juniors this year, lots of big fish being caught.  We have lots of secret prizes including secret lakes in an envelope, secret sizes in a envelope, secret ages. We want people to be recognized for what they are doing and we have great sponsorships. Please go to the Trout Festival website and you can see all of our sponsors and we honor them there."

Fishing will wrap up tomorrow at noon and you can still get derby tickets at the Creighton Town Office, Village Of Denare Beach and Tempo Gateway in Flin Flon. Cash prizes will be awarded in the Walleye, Burbot, Northern Pike and Trout categories as well as lots of hidden prizes.

Beaver Lake day is returning this Sunday and will be taking place at the Beaver Lake grounds on Spruce street. Denare Beach Rec Director Mel Durette tells us they have plenty of fun events for the whole family.

"We are going to have Beaver Lake day at the Beaver Lake grounds or water treatment plant. We are going to have kids events with bubble blowing, egg races, potatoe sack, all that kind of stuff. We are going to have a human fussball tournament, canoe races and dingy races. Also WPM and Peter Ballantyne has joined with us this year and they are going to have lots of  cultural events."

Registration with the kids games and face painting will start at noon with events right throughout the day and concluding with the fireworks at 11: 45 on the Main Beach.

You and your family will be able to celebrate the nation’s 156^th birthday this Saturday in Creighton with lots of Canada Day events. Creighton Rec Director Lindsay Shirran tells us some of the things that will be happening.

“ Our Canada Day lineup  will include   the parade wrapping up at the Hooter and then we will carry on with our entertainment  portion which will be all afternoon. From 1 to 4 we will be at the Creighton Ball diamond which will include a Water and Wild home business market, bouncy houses, food trucks, games throughout  the day and good entertainment.”

The afternoon will kick off with opening ceremonies with the Color Party Royal CDN Legion Branch 73 and hosted by Drayden Lowe.

The Pas RCMP search for missing male

On June 24, 2023, at approximately 7:45 am, The Pas RCMP received a report of a missing 40-year-old male from the community.

Durand Constant was last seen behind The Pas Library at 10:30pm on June 23, 2023, but may have later gone to the boat launch in Devon’s Park.

Police and family are concerned for his well-being.

He is 5'8”, 150 lbs with black hair and brown eyes.

If you have information on his whereabouts please call The Pas RCMP at 204-627-6204, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

National Fishing Week will start this Saturday July the 1^st. The event has been taking place across Canada for the last 22 years usually in July.

The event is used to promote the great sport of fishing and get people off their phones and computer screens and get people out fishing on a regular basis.

Mike Melnyk explains how they can get people started if they are new to the sport. " We find a lot of people pick up a rod and reel for the first time during National Fishing Week,  and we can help them with a little booklet called Catch Fishing which explains the basics. Things like how to put a hook on a line, where to fish, you  don't need a boat you can fish from shore. This is lots of fun for people who are first timers and folks that haven't fished since they were kids.  We are encouraging people to get out during National Fishing week and all summer to get out in Canada's back yard and go fishing. We have a lot of rivers, lakes and streams in this country."

If you would like to receive your free booklet to help get you started you can go to the website catchfishing,com or send an e-mail  to  mike@catchfishing.com.

The Flin Flon Trout Festival is in full swing and after a busy  weekend which included the Fish Fry, Disc Golf and Senior’s Cribbage Tournament there are still a lot of events to look forward to.

Flin Flon Rec Director Cait Bailey tells us some of the other events to look forward to this week. " This Tuesday we have our kickoff barbecue plus the Buskers and all our local talent on Main street. Beat The Chief is going to take place on Friday at 11am, we will have a barbecue and it will be a chance for the kids to come out and see the firemen do their thing."

The Trout Festival Fishing Derby continues til this Thursday and you can check out all the events by going to flinflontroutfestival.com.

National Indigenous People’s Day was a big success this past Wednesday at Rotary Park. The Friendship Center’s Jo-Anne Pelletier says it was a complete community effort.

" National Indigenous People's Day was very successful with a lot of hard work that really paid off. I'm proud of the performers who came out and kept everyone entertained. I'm thankful for the help I had from the Friendship Centre staff who guided me along. I want to thank the volunteers who came out and helped, we couldn't of done it without you so thank you all."

Pelletier also wanted to thank the Flin Flon Lion’s Club for manning the barbecue, the business’s for all the donations and to all the people who attended the event. Congratulations to Kristin Imrie who won the barbecue.

The other big door prize which was a cedar bench and gift certificate from McMunn and Yates was not claimed. It is a red ticket and was numbered 703658. If you have this ticket you can claim at the Friendship Centre.

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK THE FFSD TRUSTEES PASSED A MOTION THAT THE BOARD SIGN THE ANNUAL COLLATERAL

AGREEMENT AND THE LETTER OF AGREEMENT MANITOBA PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES EXTENDED HEALTH PLAN BETWEEN THE FFSD AND THE

TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF THE MANITOBA TEACHERS SOCIETY. THE BOARD ALSO PASSED THREE MOTIONS REGARDING BY-LAWS 1-2023

RULES OF PROCEDURE, 2-2023 TRUSTEE REMUNERATION, AND 3-2023 TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR STANDING COMMITTEES. ALL BY-LAWS

HAVE BEEN GIVEN SECOND AND THIRD READING AT THIS TIME. SUPERINTENDENT TAMMY BALLANTYNE EXTENDED HER APPRECIATION TO

ALL STAFF FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK THIS PAST YEAR. BOARD CHAIR LESLIE FERNANDES REPORTED ON A BUSY SCHOOL YEAR AND GAVE

HER THANKS FOR THE HARD WORK FROM STAFF AND STUDENTS MAKING IT A SUCCESSFUL YEAR. IN CLOSING THE BOARD CONGRATULATED

THE GRADUATES FROM MANY FACES, HAPNOT, AND CREIGHTON COMMUNITY SCHOOL. THIS WAS THE FINAL BOARD MEETING FOR THE YEAR

WITH THE NEXT MEETING SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 29th.

Deb Odegaard made a presentation on behalf of the Flin Flon Recycling Centre at the City Of Flin Flon Council meeting on Tuesday. Odegaard made a presentation on an opportunity to explore the possibility on bringing community composting to town.

Odegaard talks about the advantages that composting will bring to the area. 

" The Compost Councill of Canada has money to help communities figure out what their composting possibilities are. This is basically free consultant work that is available through a federal grant. I figured it was good for Flin Flon to take a look at this , because we are in a community where black dirt is not very available. We have community gardens, parks and we have people who have gardens in their back yard. This also removes organics from the landfill, if you compost them they are not in the landfill which is creating Mething which is a horrible greenhouse gas. It is naturally recycling things in our own community which we can use,"

If you would like to find out more about Community Composting you can contact the Compost Of Canada office at info@compost.org or 1-877-571-4769 or try Deb at 204-687- 6769. 

One of the biggest night’s of the summer and Flin Flon Trout Festival will go down this Saturday with the Fish Fry. Jennifer Hanson is back in Flin Flon and will be headlining the music this weekend.

Brent Lethbridge who will be part of the opening band says they have a lot of terrific local performers set to hit the stage. " You have your johny Betker, we have Kevin Imrie, Craig Bancroft and myself are the basic band. As you know, Johny, Kevin and mysel so some singing. It is all dance, we are gearing the show towards dance. We are looking forward to playing as we don't get many chances to play shows out of Johnies."

You can pick up tickets for $25.00  at the Uptown Emporium or purchase them online at www.showpass.com/troutfestival-fishfry . It takes place this Saturday at the Flin Flon Community Hall with doors opening at 8.

Another fun summer day camp , known as the Biz Kid’s Summer Day Camp will be  taking  place July the 17^th to the 24^th for kids 9 to 13.

Not only will the kids be able to have fun,  but they will also be able to learn how to make money this summer. Anna, the Admin Assistant from Greenstone tells us the different activities they have planned.

" So our summer Biz Kids Camp is a entrepreneurial camp, so in the mornings they will learn about coming up with business ideas and money. In the afternoons will be various activities outside including playing some fun games and doing different activities with business's  in town."

The camp will wrap up on Friday July the 21^st with a the kids being able to sell the products that they made during the week and there will be a hotdog barbecue. Make sure you sign up a.s.a.p as spots are filling up quickly. You can sign up calling Anna at 204-687-6967 or admin@greenstone.com.

The City Of Flin Flon held their regular meeting last night at Council Chambers.

The evening began with Deb Odegaard making a presentation on behalf of the Flin Flon Recycling Centre on bringing community composting to Flin Flon. In her presentation, Odegaard pointed out that composting would reduce pressure on the landfill and provide a product that can be used in our community for parks and community gardens.

The City also passed some resolutions including sharing the cost for the Flowers On Main Street Project with Flin Flon Neighborhood Revitalization and Hudbay.  The City has also entered into an agreement with Flin Flon and District Environment Council on maintenance at the Flin Flon Landfill between July the 1^st of 2023 and December the 31^st of 2023.

Mayor George Fontaine has also declared June the 26^th as Kopper Queens day. The Queens will be recognized for their historic athletic season where they won a Bronze at Soccer Provincials, Silver at Volleyball Provincials and Silver at Basketball Provincials.

One of the big events to enjoy for this year’s Trout Festival will be the Water and Wild Street Market which will take place on Tuesday June the 27^th from 4 to 8 pm.

One of the organizers Rikki Dawn tells us who should set up a booth.

"Any business who wants to get their name out, whether you are an established store front in town or you have a small home business. Any one who makes anything , whether you are new or established  and you want to get out and sell your products, this is a great place to do it. The cost is $20.00 for a table and we are also providing shelter, so there will be tents up to."

If you would like to set up a booth you need to let Rikki know by Friday June the 23^rd by calling or texting 204-271-3605.  They will be setting up  between Pioneer Square and the Firehall. Beat The Chief and a Community Barbecue will also be taking place at the same time.

If you are 60 or over, you will want to mark August the 10^th on your calendar for an exciting summer event called the Boomer Bash.

Greg East tells us they have a great night of entertainment planned. " We will have two bands playing with each one playing about an hour, and if you give them lots of ovations they may play a couple extra tunes. That should leave about three hours for visiting,  which is often what people like to do when they come back to Flin Flon from a long distance to see friends that they haven't seen for a long time. It is called the Boomer Bash because it is basically  baby boomers and slightly younger and older for anyone 60 and over."

The night will feature all of Flin Flon’s favorite local musicians and it will cost you $50.00 with advance registration only. You can e-transfer ffbash60@gmail.com. Registrations will close June the 30^th at midnight.

This will take place at the Flin Flon Community Hall and doors will open at 7 with the night’s proceeds going towards the local food bank.

Kiosks have been placed around different communities in Northern Manitoba to help promote tourism  including Flin Flon,  which will give you all the information on anything you would like to know about the community.

Ashley McClain who is the Regional Tourism Officer explains where the Kiosk in Flin Flon is located and the different information that will be available. " The kiosk is at the Victoria Inn lobby showcasing everything from where you can shop, stay, eat, tour and activities in our region. CEDF in partnership with Quick Tourist developed the first connected tourism kiosk platform of it's kind and it's available in Northern Manitoba communities only. Each kiosk is used to showcase it's host community and provide connectivity to everyone on the network, and the project was made possible by Prairie Cans Tourism Recovery Fund."

If you would like to submit a business or update for the Kiosk you can contact Ashley at 306-688-3538. Kiosks have also been placed in The Pas- OCN , Thompson, Snow Lake, Cranberry, Cross Lake and Norway House.

The Kiosks were once again donated by the Community Economic Development Fund.

The Northern Neighbors Foundation presented their grant money  Thursday  to needy organizations including Flin Flon, Creighton, Cranberry, Snow Lake and Sheriden. In total more than $156,000.00 was handed out.

President Jane Robillard talks about the process in order to receive grant money. " It is a pretty simple process, we open our grant application in November and you have a couple of months, you have support and can contact us if you need help. This community is very giving as we get a lot of money donated. This is a very good board that spends a lot of time and puts a lot of thought to where the money is going. It is group's that really benefit from it and maybe don't have  other sources of support financially."

Northern Neighbors make these grants possible by working with Moffat Family Fund, Smart and Caring Fund and the Joe Brain Foundation. The money was spread out with 24 organizations receiving grant money.

They included Rotary Senior Housing, $15,000.00 for a new roof, Channing Recreation for $7.650.00 for mobi mats, Cranberry Portage Artisan Market, $2800.00 for bar renovation and the Lord’s Bounty Food Bank, $8000.00 for a entry way renovation.

The full list of recipients can be seen at northernneighbors.com. 

The Flin Flon Neighbourhood Revitalization Corporation is once again getting set to put up their hanging baskets of flowers on Main St. FFNRC Executive Director Laurence  Gillespie lets  us know how it all happens

Fea 0001

“Well basically they arrived in the city as of yesterday – I just helped unload them off the truck and we are very thankful to Hudbay and the City of Flin Flon. And we are also supported by the Province in this. They are a kind of petunia that’s specially designed for heartiness to survive in a container or basket environment. And we are hoping to have them up in the next few days “

The FFNRC also facilitates grants to community groups of up to $5000 for projects that follow their mandate of bringing people together. That can include funding for housing, culture, recreation wellness, safety, and beautification.

To find out how to apply for a grant or to help with the flower project call the Flin Flon Neighbourhood Revitalization corporation head office  at 687 -6972

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CREIGHTON REPORTED RECEIVING A LETTER FROM THE SASKATCHEWAN

ASSESSMENT MANAGEMENT AGENCY STATING THE ANNUAL PRIMARY AUDIT REPORT INDICATED COMPLIANCE. THE ALSO RECEIVED A REQUEST

FROM THE SASKATCHEWAN FEDERATION OF POLICE OFFICERS TO SUPPORT THE 2023 CRIME PREVENTION GUIDE. COUNCIL HAS DONE THIS

IN PAST YEARS AND AGREED TO PASS A MOTION IN SUPPORT OF TWO HUNDRED AND FIVE DOLLARS. COUNCIL ALSO AGREED TO MAKE A

DONATION OF TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS TO THE PHANTOM LAKE SOCCER CLUB FOR THE SEASON. THEY ALSO AGREED TO MAKE A

DOANTION OF ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO THE REPEATER CLUB FROM THE POLICE BOARD ACCOUNT FOR UPGRADES TO THE COMMUNITY

WIDE RADIO SYSTEM. COUNCIL WILL ALSO DONATE TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS TOWARDS THE PRIZE MONEY FOR THE TROUT FESTIVAL

FISHING DERBY. THE VANDALS WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGING SOLAR LIGHTS ON MAIN STREET HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND MET

WITH THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL AT WHICH TIME THEY APOLOGIZED. COUNCIL WILL HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION REGARDING CONSEQUENCES,

AND THE YOUTHS WILL BE CONTACTED WHEN A DESCISION HAS BEEN MADE.

The first installment of We Love Flin Flon took place last night at Rotary Park put on by the Salvation Army and the Flin Flon Ministerial Society. It was a free community barbecue which included music  and lots of events for the kids.

Mark Burford from the Salvation Army says last night’s event was well attended.

" We had a great turn out last night with great food, music and fellowship. We are really looking forward to the other two events we have scheduled in July and August. We have got Thursday July the 20th, same time and same place, and then we have Thursday August the 17th.

The Salvation Army is looking for volunteers for their next two events to barbecue, serve food and help organize kid’s games. If you are interested you can call Mark at 431-746-5820.  

National Indigenous People’s Day will take place across the country next Wednesday including a big celebration in Flin Flon. The Flin Flon Friendship Centre has put together another great day of family activities and the Events Co-ordinator Jo-Anne Pelletier says there is going to be some great entertainment.

" So for National Indigenous day, our headliner is Black Rain and we have a lot of other performers coming in including some young students that I am really excited to hear. We will be having a free barbecue and cake afterwards and we will have lots of kids games. We have a door prize this year which is phenominal and you will get a ticket for that as soon as you come in."

Jo- Anne also mentioned that the businesses in the Flin Flon area have been very supportive and generous towards the event which will start at 1pm at Rotary Park on Wednesday. The afternoon will start with an opening prayer and speeches from dignitaries.

The Witness Blanket has arrived at City Council Chambers in Flin Flon and will be on display til July the 22^nd. There was a special ceremony which took place at Pioneer Square on Sunday and the Norva Centre’s Karen Clarke was impressed to finally see it in person.

" It is impressive and it was really intricate to install and we put together a great team to do that yesterday. We are impressed with the detail and the interesting items that are included in the panels of the witness blanket. You can go to the website and find out about each of the images that are included on the blanket,  and the back stories and learn a lot about this horrible part of our history that we need to come to terms with."

A big thank you go’s out to all the volunteers and people who put in countless hours to bring the witness blanket to our community including the Norva Centre, Friendship Centre and the City Of Flin Flon.

Flin Flon Parks and Rec are bringing back their very popular Summer In The Parks program which has entertained youngsters in our area for many years now.

Piper, who is the Assistant Supervisor explains how this summer’s programs are going to work. " Summer In The Parks is a full day,  day care from 9 to 4 which is eligible for kids 5 to 10. We do activities, we play games , some crafts, we go out on adventures and it is a really fun time."

It starts on July the 4^th and will go until August the 25^th, Monday through Friday at the Flin Flon Community Hall. You can register day to day, week to week or for the whole summer by e-mailing kanderson@flinflon.ca.

Each week will have a certain theme, and the first theme will be Mario week, July the 4^th to the 7^th.

Hudbay released it's annual sustainability report yesterday.

They have set a target achieving  net zero total emissions across the entire company by the year 2050.

They are also assessing acquisitions and new projects against corporate  emission targets and are evaluating new technologies as they become commercially available and economically viable.

In Manitoba, the Canadian council for Aboriginal Business designated Silver level standing in it's Progressive Aboriginal Relations program. Hudbay is only one of two  mining companies to achieve a Silver level or higher certification, which recognizes the company's efforts to foster reconciliation and prioritize support for Indigenous businesses.

With the record number of fires that are decimating Canada this summer, local       MLA Tom Lindsay is concerned that if a situation were to arise in Northern Manitoba we wouldn’t have the resources to fight a serious fire.

" Once upon a time there used to be more intial attack fire fighters in these smaller communities. The first hint of a fire they could be out there right away and get these under control. Now, they have done away with them in places like Sheriden and Cranberry Portage. So, they now have to come from Snow Lake and it takes longer to get there , so the fire gets bigger and more out of control before anyone gets there. I've suggested to the Minister to hire these people and make them full time jobs. Let's get the people properly trained and get them the right equipment and then they can do other things in between like maintain fire guards which are now getting over grown."

Lindsay will be busy on the campaign trail as he will head to Marcel Colomb First Nation tomorrow  for the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Alomas Gold. He will be back in the Flin Flon office on Thursday. If you need to reach him call 204-687-3246.

Ham Sandwich theatre group held their AGM on Sunday. They put on two shows this past season with A Double Texas Christmas  in November bringing in $3445 in gross revenue. And “A Red Plaid Shirt” – the production in March garnering $2450. Leslie Fernandes will serve another term as president and wants to let the community know that the group is open to anyone who wants to contribute.

 “We need lots of people who are interested in theatre to come forward; whether its acting or behind the scenes. Maybe you’ve been to one of our productions and are interested in getting involved but you don’t know how – reach out to Ham Sandwich. Come to auditions. Reach out to any of the other members. We have lots of roles for backstage,being a prompt,helping with costumes – a lot of ways to get involved. Ham Sandwich is excited to be a part of such a vibrant arts community so show your interest and get involved.

The other members of the executive are Alain Lachappelle as Vice –President.  Laurie Bellisle will serve as Secretary and Diane Therien is the new Treasurer.  Ham Sandwich operates under the umbrella of the Flin Flon Arts Council and is in the process of confirming the next production with the goal of putting on a Children’s play with auditions upcoming in September.

Flin Flon Pride wrapped up a week of events on Sunday with their annual parade. Jordanna Oulette, executive director of the Pride committee considers the event to be a success.

 “Yes, this was a great success. The weather was very beautiful for us. We had about a hundred participants, 8 floats , with lots of walking groups. It was all in all great. The City of Flin Flon put in a float for the first time. We marched with the mayor – it was a great day. “

Cash prizes were handed out to the best entries.  Frontier Collegiate won best float receiving $100. Community Youth Resource Centre won best group for $75 and Cassidy Amenita won $50 for Best Dressed.

 University College of the North is pleased to announce two new IT programs
that will help to address the chronic shortage of skilled technicians in northern Manitoba.

UCN President, Doug Lauvstad said a new IT Support Technician and Technology Readiness Program will be delivered on the Pas campus starting in the fall of 2023.
 

“We thank the Government of Manitoba for the new funding; skilled IT technicians are needed in every community and every sector of the North," said Doug Lavstad, UCN President. "Graduates of these programs will be in helping to develop and grow the IT infrastructure in the North, and help communities, employers and industries operate in the  growing digital economy."

The Intern program has been running for the last two years as a pilot program funded by Future Skills Canada. The new funding from the Manitoba Government will mean this program will be offered as a permanent program at UCN.

“Graduates of the pilot program have found employment at small and large industries and employers," Lauvstad added.

Make plans this weekend for some free fishing fun at Manitoba’s provincial parks. 

To make it even more accessible, there is also free entry to the provincial parks this Friday through Sunday. 

Regular camping fees will still apply if visitors plan to spend the night.

Anglers may fish without a licence throughout the province and keep up to a conservation licence limit of fish.

Regular limits apply for anyone who already has a regular angling licence.

It’s a perfect way to introduce your whole family to fishing, which can become a lifelong pastime.

The Northern Neighbors Foundation will be holding their annual grant awards next week at City Hall and the President, Jane Robillard says it is going to be a very special night.

" On Thursday at 6:45, we are moving into Council Chambers and we are going to hand out $156,000.00 worth of grants. We will be handing out grants for the entire area which includes Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach, Cranberry and Sheriden. We will have juice and cookies and looking forward to having a wonderful evening. The public is invited to come, it will be an opportunity to find out more about philanthropy and that's what makes Northern Neighbors work."

The travelling  Witness Blanket on loan from the  Canadian Museum For Human Rights will be on display that night and Northern Neighbors is looking for more people to join their board. If you are interested in joining Northern Neighbors, you can contact Shylo Peters  at the Northern office at 204-687-0848.

Ashley Mclean who is the new Regional Tourism Officer was a guest on yesterday’s City Beat program on 102.9 CFAR. Mclean will be handling tourism  for the entire area of Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach and is excited about some big programs coming up this summer.

" This summer I am looking to connect with tourists coming to our area. I am going to be working in the City Of Flin Flon office along with the Tourist Bureau in Creighton. I am looking to engage and interact with tourists coming to our community. I want to see what they will be needing , I have already been involved with tourist's that are needing maps and guidance on what to do in our area. I am hoping to be more involved in developing a trail concept plan which would be a muti use trail system. This is a project I am very passionate about because My family and myself use the trails alot and I feel we need signage and a development project for the trails in our region."

If you have any questions related to tourism or would like to volunteer to help out with any outdoor recreation programs you can e-mail Ashlee at amclean@flinflon.ca.

The  Flin Flon Chamber Of Commerce held their general meeting earlier this week.

The special guest speakers were Brooke White who is the new Economic Development Officer and Ashley McLean who is the new Regional Tourism Officer.

President Dianne Russell says they received a very special donation. " The Flin Flon Credit Union did give the Chamber Of Commerce  $25,00.00 for us to work on  a roof for  Pioneer Square, I am going to call it a bandstand roof. We are now in the process of figuring out how to raise the rest of the money."

Max Porterfield on behalf of Callinex will be the next guest speaker for the next general meeting coming up in August.

City Council held their regular meeting last night at Council Chambers.

Council passed a few resolutions including the tender of the demolition of 16 houses and derelict buildings in Flin Flon that have been abandoned or gone to tax sale.

The City has also passed a resolution to partner up with Vitreo Group to develop and implement fundraising strategies including working with the new Aqua Centre campaign.

The Fire Chief also gave his report for April and mentioned that they had five incidents to deal with including one structure fire, two EMS Lift Assists, one motor vehicle collision  and one false alarm.

The total fire loss for the month of April was estimated at 0.

The Flin Flon Fire Department also reported that they put together a driver training proposal, Norman Community Service Inspection and environmental emergency plan for Stitco.

The Flin Flon Station Museum has opened for another summer at the Flin Flon Tourist Bureau and campground. Joe Buie who is the Museum Chairperson welcomes all visitors and any citizens here in the community to come and get a glance at Flin Flon’s rich history.

"There is a lot of history in the museum with the pioneers that started our community. Hudbay also has their own spot that talks about the hostory of mining. It follows along with the early pioneers how they survived and made the community what it is today."

Bouie went on to add that the museum will be doing an official grand opening in a few weeks and will be introducing something brand new this year,  which will allow you to view Flin Flon and it’s history virtually. The hours are 1 to 6 Monday through Friday til July the 1^st, then 10- to 6 after July the 1^st.

You can contact Joe to arrange a tour and check out all of Flin Flon’s rich archives at 204-271-1351. They are also looking for volunteers and anybody who would like to serve on their board.

The Flin Flon Trout Festival will be partnering with Creighton Recreation by giving you and your family a perfect way to celebrate the Nation’s 156^th birthday with the Flin Flon Trout Festival Parade.

It all happens July the 1^st starting at 11am and Creighton Recreation Director Lindsay Shirran explains the parade route and how you can enter a float. " Creighton Rec is partnering with the Trout Festival and we have taken over the parade.The parade route will start at it's usual location at CFAR and will end up at the Hooter. Our theme this year is The Water And The Wild, which is a take on the City Of Flin Flon's theme and regionally through that. You can stop by and see me at the Rec office at 216 Creighton Ave, to pick up a form or you can e-mail me at creightonrecreation@sasktel.net.

You can also enter by clicking on the Trout Festival banner on flinflononline.com, or by going to the Trout Festival facebook page. Shirran also mentioned that they have already received some entries,  and if you would like to enter a float you need to let them know no later than June the 27^th.

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson was in Northern Manitoba yesterday stopping in the Pas to announce health care for communities in the North. Stefanson says they will be giving money to help expand the Pas Primary Health Care Clinic.

Stefanson also made her way to Flin Flon to present Queen Platinum Jubilee Awards. Stefanson says they are making the North a focus as we make our way towards a provincial election in the fall.

"We announced a 154 million to Northern Manitoba today in the Pas,  and we announced specifically for the Pas a new clinic, so 39 million dollars there. We came to Flin Flon where I was able to meet with mayor and council and a ceremony for the Queen's Jubilee. After this we are off to Thompson for some more Platinum Jubilee medals. It is great to be back in sunny northen Manitoba."

The recipients of Queen Platinum Jubilee Awards in Flin Flon as chosen by Flin Flon MLA, Tom Lindsay were: Carolyn Gibbons who has been a member of the Royal CDN Legion for over 15 years and volunteers extensively in the community. Robert Penner who has volunteered for the Royal CDN Legion extensively, serving three years as President. Donald Pleasance who was also a President of the Royal CDN Legion and is a veteran who volunteers in all types of capacities.

The Norva Centre will be hosting an Artist Retreat in Denare Beach, July the 16^th to the 23^rd.

Karen Clark is one  of the organizers and says this multimedia retreat is open to all kinds of different talents. " The artists retreat is a week long,  you come,  you do what you do deal. If you are a painter, a potter, composer, dancer or a writer. There is space at the Denareplex to come out and concentrate on your craft. It is nice to be with a group of like minded people who are in the creative jondras, the different media that they use. To talk about art is general to everyone, it applies to every media."

There will be a $180.00 registration fee which includes all your meals for the whole week. Clark also mentioned that they have a new thing this year including a Professor coming up from Brandon University Fine Arts Department. The professor is Lisa Wood who  will be doing morning work shopping and this is a great opportunity for everyone to be enriched by her input.

You can get more information or you would like to register contact the Norva Centre at 204-687-4237.

June is Pride Month across Canada and the City Of Flin Flon has declared June the 5^th to the 11^th Pride Week in Flin Flon.

One of the members of the local Pride group here in Flin Flon, Kristen Fristch says they have a whole week of events planned. "We are really excited about hosting Pride this year as it is the first time we have hosted during Pride month. We will start with the flag raising today at City Hall at 5pm followed by the Trans March. This Thursday, the Orange Toad is hosting Chords and coffee  for an acoustic evening starting at 7. This Friday we are really excited for our partnership with Aurora and Pine Bistro. We will be doing Pride Trivia from 9 to 11pm. On Saturday we will be doing Pride at Johny's with the Drag show starting at 8pm."

The week will conclude with the Pride Parade which will start uptown at 11 am and end at the Joe Brain Petting Zoo. There will be a barbecue to follow.  The festivities begin at City Hall today at 5pm for the flag raising.  Guest speakers include Mayor George Fontaine, Alain Lachapelle and  Cali Gerbrandt .

All the information for this week’s events can be seen on the Flin Flon Pride facebook page.

There is a special exhibit which is on it’s way to  City Hall. It is the Witness Blanket which is a powerful art illustration created by mast carver Carey Newman to recognize the atrocities of the residential school era in honor of the children and symbolizing reconciliation.

Director of the Norma Centre Megan Duplais  talks about how this version will make  it’s way to Flin Flon. " Because it is such a powerful experience and has such an important lesson in it, the Canadian Museum For Human Rights decided to make a travelling replica Witness Blanket. They took photos of the original and made these resolution photo panels. This is an opportunity to still get to experience the witness blanket which is so large it can't even fit in the Norva Centre. We worked with the City Of Flin Flon and they said we could use the Council Chambers for it."

The exhibit will be on display at City Council Chambers June the 12^th to July the 22^nd. Opening ceremonies will take place at Pioneer Square on June the 11^th at 2pm with a prayer, pipe ceremony and live performances.

Denare Beach will host their Community Wide Garage Sale which will take place tomorrow. Meredith Norman from the Village office lets us know how you can get your address added to the list.

"Residents can call the Denare Beach office at 306-362-2054 to have their address added to the list and we will take the time that they will be open. Right now we have about ten different locations on our list and a barbecue at New Horizons which will go on through out the afternoon."

Norman added that this is a great way for residents to have a yard sale and find they attract a lot of people out to Denare Beach to check out the sales. You will have up til 4:30 today to book your spot by calling 306-362-2054. You will also be able to donate to the Rec Sale table or rent a table at the Denareplex.

Simonhouse Bible Camp will be returning for another great summer of activities in a positive fun atmosphere with camps for all ages starting in July.

Camp Director Darrell Janzen says they are excited about returning after a layoff the past couple of years due to Covid.  " We are excited to be back and get some programs running again  this summer after a couple of years break from Covid. We are hearing that lots of kids are pumped up that they can come back to camp. We are taking registrations right now by going to our website at simonhouse .ca, which is the best way. You can also give us a call at 687-3340 or stop by our office which is just above Pharmasave."

The Camps will start July the 2^nd for staff training, then regular camps get rolling on July the 10^th. Simonhouse provide awesome adventures for children, youth and families from all over Northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan. This will be a great way for kids to meet new friends from other communities.

Funding is always available for families that can’t afford to send their kids to camp. Once again you can register at simonhouse.ca.