It is going to be a couple big weeks coming up at the Hapnot Theatre as the Central Canada Film group will be showing a couple of blockbusters as we hear  more from Colin Davis.

" We are having a very special cinematic event at the Hapnot theatre over the next couple of Fridays. This Friday, February the 2nd we are having a special encore presentation of the 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared. We showed this film many years ago and it was our most attended film to date. Here is where the twist comes in,  we only found out a couple months ago that there  is a sequel made to this fantastick show. We are very pleased to be able to present this to our Flin Flon audience. We encourage everybody to come out the following Friday February the 9th for the premier showing of the 101 year old man who skipped out on the bill and disappeared. If you saw the first film you will want to see this hilarious sequel."

The first movie will be shown this Friday at the Hapnot Theatre with doors opening at 7 with popcorn and drinks available and the show is always free.

The Flin Flon Motorcycle Association will be hosting their 32^nd annual Run To The Border Poker Run and Draw on May the 25^th. President Paul Garret gives us the details on a very big fundraiser.

"  We are going to have the Run To The Border like we used to do with the poker derby,  but we're not sure where we are going to go because Fiddlers is closed. We are still going to looking at doing the poker derby and we will do the ride through town. We are also going tp pick up some toys and give them to the Friendship Centre. We will then go up to our building and enjoy some festivities and do the draw for the bike up there."

Tickets are already available on the bike which is 2024 Harley Davidson Street Glide Special and can be picked up at the Gateway, Tire Shop, Candy Bar, Scotia Bank and from Tanya Benoit. They are $20.00 a piece. The FF Motorcycle Association has raised upwards of three quarters of a million dollars throughout their 32 year history with most of the donations going to Port In The Storm and the  Children’s Wish Foundation.

New Media Manitoba in conjunction with the Community Economic Development Fund are sponsoring a digital internship program for Northern Manitoba. Through the Government of Manitoba’s First Jobs Fund, New Media Manitoba (NMM) has received funding to provide work experience to youth who face barriers to employment and supports employers on expanding their workforce. It focuses on fields like social media marketing, email outreach, research, IT support, and developmental programming.

Corinne Gusnoski, Business Development Manager at NMM lets us know how employer’s benefit and what type of applicants they are looking for :

" So there is two main focus's , the one is the employer side, helping them connect with municipalites. We want to connect with people in Northern Manitoba , through this program and with the interest of the employers we want to provide valuable work experience to people living in the North. This is eligible to anyone between  15 to 29 who lives north of the 53rd who is interested in working with Manitoba tech companies remotely." 

For more information and to apply you can visit newmediamanitoba.com or email  corrine@newmediamanitoba.com

On January 21^st  Oxford House RCMP responded to a report of shots fired at a residence in the community. A home was damaged but no one was injured.

On January 23^rd,  the investigation led officers to obtain a search warrant for a residence in Bunibonibee Cree Nation.

A search of the residence resulted in the seizure of three rifles, two shotguns, and ammunition.

Two females, aged 30 and 34, are facing charges of Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose, Careless Use of Firearm and Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm.

Oxford House RCMP continue to investigate and anyone with information is asked to call 204-538-2046, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

Flin Flon Recreation is teaming up with the Norva Centre to bring you a Draw Your Own Character class. This has been rescheduled For Sunday February the 4^th and the Rec Commission’s Kelsey Anderson says this  is something that  kids will   really  enjoy.

" We have partnered with Norva and one of their very talented instructor's  is taking a look at what it is needed to make a dynamic character. They will be talking about different poses , different aspect ratios and how to make a visually appealing character. So no character experience is needed  and a love for art is all you need to get started and all supplies are included."

It is only $10.00 to register and is open to kids 9 to 14 and takes place between 1 and 2:30. The class will be taught by Rosimeire and you can sign up by going to the City Of Flin Flon website.

The Trout Festival held their monthly meeting on Wednesday at the Creighton Rec Office and there is a lot of optimism heading into this year’s events.

President Dianne Russell chaired the meeting and introduced the new secretary Kelsey Anderson.

The official kick off for the festival will be on June the 1^st for the month long fishing derby which will include opportunities to fish on both the Manitoba and Saskatchewan side. They will be applying for the fishing licenses in February.

The midway will take place the first weekend in June with the majority of the rest of the events happening in conjunction around July the 1^st.

A new group of volunteers has stepped up to run the Fish Fry and it will look a little bit different this year. It will take place June the 28^th and will be a street party theme which will take place at the Chicken Chef parking lot with live music and a DJ.

The parade will return on Canada Day  and will be organized by the Town Of Creighton and the theme this year will be Community Spirit and The Water And The Wild.

Other events that are confirmed include Disc Golf, the Regatta, Community Barbecue, Water and the Wild Markets and Yoga In The Park. There is also talk about trying to bring in some new fresh entertainment this year.

If you would like to volunteer to help out with any of the Trout Festival events this year, you can go their website at flinflontroutfestival.com and click on the volunteer tab near the top.

Bust the Winter Blues is a little more than a month away and there are three gigantic days of events taking place between March the 1^st and 3^rd happening all over Flin Flon and Creighton.

Flin Flon Rec Director Cait Bailey says they have a lot of new events to look forward to this year.

"We have some new exciting ones. We have seniors card making at the Flin Flon Community Hall. We have some exciting snowshoeing events, wonderful volunteers that help us take care of our snowshoe trails. They're gonna come out and take everyone on a little bit of an adventure. We've got some classics like the Aloha Family Dance and then a new one, the Hawaiian Beach bash at the Hooter taking place that evening. We have a toddler gym on the Sunday this year, a free skate and another snowshoe event. So we're excited to get people out and enjoy some new winter festivities."

The list of events will be posted on the City Of Flin Flon and Creighton Rec facebook pages as well as both community websites, in the Reminder and on flinflononline.com.

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CREIGHTON RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT THE SASKATCHEWAN ASSESSMENT MANAGEMENT AGENCY OR SAMA WILL BE HOLDING ITS ANNUAL MEETING APRIL 10th IN SASKATOON. MAYOR BRUCE FIDDLER WILL BE ATTENDING.

A REQUEST FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO COMPLETE THE SNOWMOBILE TRAIL BETWEEN SNOW LAKE AND CRANBERRY PORTAGE FROM SLED MB 53, AND A REQUEST FROM THE CREIGHTON COMMUNITY CENTER TO CONSIDER ADDING A YEARLY SUBSIDY FROM THE TOWN'S BUDGET TO HELP OFFSET OPERATING EXPENSES AT THE CENTER WERE BOTH REFERRED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

COUNCIL AGREED TO APPROVE THE DRAFT COPY AND SIGN THE AGREEMENT WITH JAN LAKE WASTE MANAGEMENT WITH A 3% INCREASE IN FEES.

COUNCIL APPROVED THE TRANSFER OF FUNDS FROM NWMO RESERVE TO THE NORTHERN CREIGHTON DEVELOPMENT INC NOT TO EXCEED $75,000 DOLLARS TO PURCHASE A BACKUP VEHICLE TO SUPPLY TRANSPORT SERVICES WITH THE CREIGHTON CONNECTION.

 THEY ALSO AGREED TO PURCHASE AN ELECTRIC ACTUATOR FOR THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT AT A COST $8,360 DOLLARS PLUS TAXES.

 THEY ALSO ACCEPTED THE HOME SECURITY OFF SETTING GRANT APPLICATION AS PRESENTED. RESIDENTS CAN PROTECT THEIR FAMILY,PROPERTY, AND THE COMMUNITY BY REGISTERING THEIR SECURITY CAMERAS WITH THE CRIME CAPTURE PROGRAM AND ASSIST THE RCMP WITH THEIR OVERALL CRIME PREVENTIONS GOALS.

A Trails Committee has been formed to help people access the beautiful landscapes that exist right across the Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach  area. A number of trails are already open and Leslie Beck who is on the committee tells us how they are going to be moving forward.

" We are fortunately going to be working under the non profit of the Chamber Of Commerce from Flin Flon and district and we are very grateful for that. The Trails committee has had one meeting and the goal is to then work with Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach and cottage country to organize the wonderful access we have to trails and back country. We want to work between Flin Flon and the Saskatchewan side and out to Bakers Narrows. We want to properly map and sign and build some safety for people that are going to be using the trails and hopefully some economic development around that for tourism."

They will be holding another meeting on Tuesday February the 13^th, 7pm at City Council Chambers and is open to the general public. They will be looking to put together an executive and set up some committees. They have been given approval from the government to be part of the Trans Canada Trail which will be set up between Denare Beach and Bakers Narrows.

THE SCHOOL DIVISION TRUSTEES RECEIVED PRESENTATIONS FROM RUTH BETTS PRINCIPAL MIRANDA BOWMAN AND VICE PRINCIPAL EMILY KNOWLES,  McISSAC SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AMBER ZERBIN AND VICE PRINCIPALS LINDSAY PEARCE AND SYLVIE DUFOUR. BOTH SCHOOLS SHARE THE COMMON GOAL OF ACHIEVING ACADEMIC SUCCESS BY BUILDING A STRONG INCLUSIVE SCHOOL COMMUNITY. BOTH PRESENTATIONS WERE SIMILAR IN THEIR CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES. THE LITERACY AND NUMERACY RESOURCES HAVE GROWN WHICH INCLUDES MORE VARIED INDIGENOUS CONTENT. TEACHERS HAVE A QUANTITY OF RESOURCES AND TOOLS TO ASSESS CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES AND DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENT ABILITIES THROUGHOUT THE EARLY LEARNING YEARS CREATING A THRIVING SCHOOL COMMUNITY.

FROM HOT BREAKFAST,DAILY SNACKS AND LUNCHES IF NECESSARY THIS ENSURES STUDENTS BASIC NEEDS ARE MET AND ALLOWS THEM TO LEARN. BOTH SCHOOLS OFFER A VARIETY OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES IN AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM INCLUDING AN ARRAY OF EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. MENTAL WELLNESS PROGRAMING WAS ALSO HIGHLIGHTED IN THE PRESENTATIONS. 

ALSO, CONSULTING PARENTS ABOUT WHAT THEY VALUE IN EDUCATION WORKING AS A TEAM FOR WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CHILDREN AND THAT THEY THE PARENTS ARE CRUCIAL TO THE PROCESS OF LEARNING.

Fundraising continues for the new Flin Flon Aqua Centre as they continue to find ways to raise money for a new facility which is greatly needed for Flin Flon and the surrounding area.

The city has unveiled some new ways to help out with funding as we get the details from Flin Flon Rec Director Cait Bailey.

" So there is a bunch of different ways that you can take part by supporting us with any of our fundraising initiatives. An  easy way for anyone that is in town that doesn't get out, might live out of town, some former Flin Flonners. If you go to the City Of Flin Flon webpage and select Aqua Centre and funding and  ways to help , you can click the link. That will take you right to our paypal account where you can donate directly to the City Of Flin Flon, Flin Flon  Aqua Centre project. It is really easy and you can donate through a paypal account, debit card or credit card."

Construction will continue in the spring with the next stage which will include the finishing of piling, working on the exterior building including the floor and pool basins. If you need any more information on the progress of the new pool or more info on how to donate contact Cait Bailey at 204-681-7502.

On January 13^TH  at approximately 4:20 pm, Swan River RCMP received a report of a female injured in her home on 6^th Avenue in Swan River, Manitoba. When police arrived on scene, Emergency Medical Services were providing treatment to a 39-year-old female for non-life threatening injuries.

Investigation determined that the female had been home alone with her infant. The two were sleeping when the back door to the residence was breached and a male known to the female entered the home. He proceeded to assault the female and threaten her with a firearm. The male then took money, possessions, and keys to a vehicle, and he fled the residence.

Police believe there may have been another male present and waiting outside the residence while the crime occurred.

The infant was not injured.

On January the 19^th Swan River RCMP arrested Alex Ames, 22 from Swan River.

Ames  is charged with Assault with a Weapon, Break and Enter with Intent, Robbery with a Firearm, Unauthorized Possession of a Restricted Firearm, Possession of Weapon Contrary to Court Order, Mischief Under $5000, Fail to Comply with Undertaking x2.

Ames remains in custody. The investigation continues.

The Saskatchewan Teachers Association held their second provincial strike yesterday which included the teachers from Creighton School.

Kirsten Fristch, the President of the local Teachers Association is very happy with the support they have received locally and across the province. 

"  So locally we have received a lot of support including the local Steelworkers 9338  and the Flin Flon Teachers Association who came  out to  our picket line yesterday. They were  great and we had lots of honking from the public and we even had students dropping off coffee for us and we had a lot of encouragement from people in our community. I think they understand  what teachers want is better support and better conditions in classrooms which omly benefits the students in our comunity and across the province. Province wide we had 35 strike locations  with lots of support from labour organizations, parents and grandparents, students and lots of business's.

Fristch went on to say that they will now wait to hear from Jeremy Cockrill the Education Minister to see if they can get back to the bargaining table and have their needs met.

Frontier Collegiate will be hosting a job fair this Wednesday in the gym located on the Frontier campus.

Alison AcKert, the Project Co-ordinator of the Northern Manitoba Sector Council lets us know some of the organizations who will be represented. 

"  We have about 18 organizations and business's who will be attending the career fair on Wednesday. We have colleges like UCN, University  Of Manitoba, other colleges and universities through out Manitoba. We also have the mining sector, transport sector, Manitoba Hydro, the NRHA and aviation, so there will be quite a selection of business's and organizations attending."

It takes place between 1 and 7pm and is absolutely free for anybody to attend and is designed for any high school students who are trying to choose a career path. Not only will there be universities and colleges represented, there will also be people from the mining sector and different groups from tech industries and the RCMP.

The Saskatchewan Teachers Federation and the government are at an impasse and thousands of Saskatchewan teachers are holding another one day strike today.

Teachers from Creighton school  are on the picket line again today and Kirsten Fritsch who is the President for the Local Teachers Association says they have seen no movement from the government.

"  After Tuesday January the 16th,  with a strong show of support across the province,  Premier Moe and Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill have not reached out with a renewed mandate to get back to the bargaining table. What we are looking for is to   bargain for what really matters  to the teachers of our province and that is our classroom size and complexity." 

The Creighton teachers are picketing between 10 and 2 today on Creighton Avenue. They welcome anyone who would like to stop by and show their support including parents, grandparents, labour organizations and public educators. The Creighton teachers also want to thank the Prospector Inn for allowing them to use their business as a warm up station.

The Flin Flon Arts Council is very excited about their first big production of 2024 as they will partner up with the Royal Manitoba Theatre and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries for the production of Mix Tapes From My Mom.

The Arts Council’s Crystal Kolt is excited to kick off another great year of entertainment. " We are really excited about this one, the Manitoba Theatre Centre is the one truly  professional touring theatre  group that comes to Flin Flon every February. They are coming in and the piece they will be performing this  time is Mix Tapes From My Mom. What this is, is   a production interspirced with select  songs found on his mom's old mixed tapes as well as a few original songs. Winnipeg theatre veteran Cory Boychuk backed by a band recounts a story of the most difficult and one of the  most amazing days of his life. It is a show with songs you know and a story so unbelievable it can only be true. It is a concert and a show.

Music will be featured from the 60’s to the 90’s with theatre and performance. Tickets can be picked up at the Uptown Emporium for adults $30.00 and Youth under 18  $15.00 and online at flinflonartscouncil.ca. There will also be an opportunity to pick up some  free tickets by popping by the newly renovated Uptown Emporium on Friday Jan 26^th. 

On Wednesday , at approximately 5:40 am, Flin Flon RCMP received information from Creighton RCMP of a stolen vehicle that had fled from them.

Officers on patrol located the stolen vehicle on White Street, in Flin Flon, and initiated a traffic stop, but the vehicle refused to stop and fled at a low rate of speed.

The vehicle turned onto Lake Street, a dead end, and officers contained the area. The stolen vehicle stopped, and when officers approached, the driver refused to listen to commands, hit the gas, struck two homes and became stuck in a snowbank.

The driver and passenger were arrested.

The driver, 27-year-old Genevieve Sewap, of Pelican Narrows, SK, was remanded into custody on charges including;

• Flight from Peace Officer
• Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle
• Resisting Arrest x2
• Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle
• Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
• Mischief Under $5000 x2

The passenger, a 15-year-old female from Deschambault Lake, SK, was released for court at a later date in Flin Flon, where she will face a charge of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime.

Flin Flon RCMP continue to investigate.

The Flin Flon Creighton Seniors Executive held their AGM at the Seniors room at the Flin Flon Community Hall on Thursday.

The event was well attended and President  Katy Anderson who  chaired the meeting  mentioned after a couple of tough years due to Covid their group has bounced back and are really looking forward to the rest of this year.

" I am very happy after Covid that our seniors is coming back. People were lonely, they were missing a social aspect and our seniors group is great for that. We invited the Creighton seniors to join us because they could no longer afford to keep their room going. So happily,  we are one community which is the way I think in my head about everything and I am really happy they joined us. We have yoga, line dancing, crafts and lots of games in the afternoon."

Besides all the weekly activities, the seniors are planning a trip to Churchill between August the 28^th and September the 1^st. The cost is $12,00.00 per person and is open to senior members and partners first. If space is available other non-member seniors will be considered. The trip must be paid for by the end of January.

If you are interested in the Churchill trip you can contact Katie Anderson at 204-687-3535. Memberships are also available for $15.00 and that will allow you to take in all the games, programs and activities that they offer.

The annual Lions Journey For Sight snowmobile ride  which has been going for over 30 years and is run province wide was unfortunately cancelled this year due to a  lack of snow. The event usually kicks off in Flin Flon in the middle of January and makes it’s way down south stopping in various communities and winding up in Brandon.

Flin Flon Lion member Andy Wasylciw tells us even though the ride isn’t happening this year you can still donate to the cause. " What we are doing is raffling off a snowmobile and there are still a few tickets available, you can contact any Lions member in the area for a ticket. Tickets are $5.00 each and we still have some tickets left. By donating to this cause the money go's toward the Lions Eye Foundation to help pay for surgeries for people that can't afford it and that is what ir's all about."

This event has raised millions of dollars for the Lions Eye Bank throughout the years and look forward to the event returning next year. The draw for the snowmobile will take place in Birtle in the middle of February at the Lions Convention.

There were a number of resolutions passed on Tuesday’s  City Council meeting.

The City has made a number of agreements with the Flin Flon Airport including an agreement on baggage handling with Calm Air, a lease agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management and terminal rental.

The Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer were authorized to sign the agreement on behalf of the City for a renewal of these contracts for one year.

Some exciting news at Council last night as the City has been approached by Dinosaur Studios out of Drumheller Alberta on producing a video on the rich history of our community. The video will feature the history of Hudbay Mining, the Flin Flon Bombers, Arts Council, Whitney House and other parts of this community’s rich legacy.

The Flin Flon Fire Chief gave his report and there were only three incidents reported from December including a kitchen fire at 78 Callinan, a motor vehicle accident on Main street and one false alarm. They also provided training for high voltage fires and containment procedures and surface to water ice rescue procedures and techniques.

Animal Control also gave their report and there were 7 calls received in December with 6 from residential and one call from the  RCMP.

On Saturday  at approximately 6:20 pm, Swan River RCMP responded to a stabbing on Main Street in Swan River.

A 33-year-old male was taken to hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

Swan River RCMP along with Major Crime Services have made two arrests including  Dean Bell, 29, and Tyrone Guiboche, 40, both from Swan River, were arrested and charged with Manslaughter in relation to the homicide of the 33-year-old male that occurred on Saturday in Swan River.

They were remanded into custody.

If you are thinking about buying a house in Flin Flon?

The City of Flin Flon, with support from Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation , continues to accept applications for the Flin Flon Home Buyer Assistance Program.

The program  is structured to subsidize the down payment of mortgages, by way of a forgivable loan to be obtained by eligible home buyers. An approved home buyer may choose from one of the following home ownership options.

- Option A: To purchase a current detached house or duplex under residential use

- Option B: To purchase and rehabilitate a vacant or derelict building for residential use.

 An approved home buyer may benefit from one of the following funding assistance options, which can be seen on the City Of Flin Flon website at cityofflinflon.ca.

If you have a story to tell about growing up or living in Flin Flon, the city wants to hear about it.

Councillor Bill Hanson  started this over a year ago and looks forward to hearing your Flin Flon story.

"  Whether you grew up here or immigrated here, or you have been here for 30 years or what ever. I want you to tell me a 10 or 15 minute story on how you came to Flin Flon. I have a friend from India that came to Flin Flon that basically took a map and closed his eyes, put his finger down and it landed on Flin Flon. He moved here and continues to live here. That's his Flin Flon story."

If you have a story to tell you can contact Bill at 204-271-3090 or contact City Hall. The interviews will then be posted on the City Of Flin Flon Facebook page. There are two interviews posted there now with Bill talking to Helen and Elwood Strom.

On January 13, 2024, at approximately 6:20 pm, Swan River RCMP responded to a stabbing on Main Street in Swan River.

A 33-year-old male was taken to hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

Swan River RCMP along with Major Crime Services, continue to investigate.

Creighton teachers are on the picket line today joining the rest of teachers across the province in the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation strike which will affect services for the entire day.

Kirsten Fritsch  who is the President for the local Creighton Teachers Association tells us why they are on the picket line today.

" We have been at the table with the government since May at the provincial level. We went with our proposals and we expect negotiations to be a little back and forth. Unfortunately the Saskatchewan Government hasn't moved from their original position and negotiations have stalled. We took a pretty strong sanctions vote back in October where 95 % of Saskatchewan teachers voted in favour of strike. We are looking to have class room size and class room complexity bargained in our provincial contract and that way the needs of Saskatchewan children can be met."

If you would like to show your support the Creighton Teachers are walking the picket line on Creighton Avenue between 10 and 2 today. You are welcome to walk with them or feel free to honk your horn when you drive by. 

If you are a non profit group or organization that is looking for some funding, grants are available right now through the Northern Neighbors Foundation.

Shylo Rogers on behalf of the Board Of Directors lets us know who can apply.

"  What we are looking for is grants for community projects. If you are a group or organization in any of our surrounding communities of Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach, Cranberry, Sheriden or Snow Lake that is looking to do a community project. Normally you have to be a registered charity in order to be eligible. You can get around that by partnering with someone who does have a registered charity number. We like to see things like literacy, helping people, assisting vulnerable people, seniors, students and anything that is helping and making our community a better place to live."

The deadline for applications is February the 15^th and approximately $150,000.00 will be distributed to organizations in our area. You can get an application right off the website at northernneighbors.com. Information is also available on their website.

On December 1^ST  the RCMP across the province , along with  Manitoba Public Insurance and MADD, announced the start of the annual Holiday Checkstop Program.

The RCMP  had a simple message for drivers, “If you’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs, DON’T DRIVE”.

The program, which took place from December 1, 2023, to January 1, 2024, saw numerous officers conducting checkstops and regular traffic patrols throughout the  Province of Manitoba. These are the results of this year’s program.

  5223 vehicles checked

853 Provincial Offences Act notices issued

3436 Mandatory Alcohol Screenings administered

  46 Criminal Code alcohol impaired charges

  2 Criminal Code drug impaired charges

  4 Criminal Code failure or refusal to comply impaired charges

88 alcohol immediate roadside incidents

  12 drug immediate roadside incidents

The Week of Christian Unity is underway in Flin Flon where various church’s will be participating in services the next few days. The Flin Flon Ministerial Association’s Harry Hobbes talks about this even’t long legacy in our community.

"  This has been going on for a while with the first one in 1908 which was run by the Roman Catholic Church. It has become an event for all church's across the world and we have been doing this in Flin Flon for the past ten years. The idea of the whole thing for us is to get together with people from other churches and understand how we worship God. It might be a little different , but we are all christians and we are on the same page and celebrate what we have in common and forget about some of the things that divide us."

Tonight’s service will take place at the Lutheran Church with Dave Milton preaching, tomorrow at St.Anne’s with Mark Burford preaching and Wednesday at the Alliance church with Kelsie Burford preaching. All services start at 7.

The Saskatchewan Teachers Federation has declared  a province wide teacher’s strike for this Tuesday January the 16^th which will impact services for the entire day.

Creighton Director of Education, Steve Lytwyn explains how this will affect Creighton school.

" All of our teachers here at Creighton school are members of STF , so they will be observing the ruling from Saskatchewan teachers . So that means they will mot be coming to school on Tuesday, they will be participating in a province wide strike. For our other non STF employees , we do have out of scope employees that are non-unionized and other unions are represented with the Steelworkers which include the EA'S, Clerical and Maintenence. They will be at work that day doing other duties. We hope the reconciliation process between the STF and the provinve will be resolved quickly. The most important thing for us here is student safety and student learning."

Lytwyn also said they will continue with ongoing communication through e-mails via the school messenger, updates on the school and division websites and the schools facebook account.

The Flin Flon Aqua Centre Fundraising Committee are coming up with lots of events and ideas to raise money for the new Flin Flon swimming pool. Karen McKinnon from the committee says there will be lots of ways to show your support.

" First of all we have a 50/50 draw on the go right now which is bigger than the last one. This one we will be selling 1000 tickets and  you can win up to $2,500.00 and that is exciting. We have decided to do something a little bigger for the next one,  and we are thinking of doing one for $15,000.00 and tickets will be a little more with the draw at Blueberry Jam. We hope to sell out and are also looking at doing an online Chase The Ace."

You will be able to follow all their fundraising events and any other information by going to their facebook page and updates will also be available on the City Of Flin Flon website.

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CREIGHTON REPORTED RECEIVING A REQUEST FROM FORAN MINING FOR  THE TEMPORARY RENTAL OF SEVERAL TABLES AND CHAIRS FROM THE SPORTEX. THESE WILL BE UTILIZED IN THEIR KITCHEN AREA UNTIL THEIR PERMANENT FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES ARRIVE AT THE SITE WHICH IS IN APPROXIMATELY TWO MONTHS. COUNCIL HAS AGREED TO THE REQUEST.

 THEY ALSO RECEIVED AN INVITATION FROM NORTHLANDS COLLEGE TO ATTEND THEIR ENGAGEMENT EVENT WHICH WILL BE HELD IN LaRONGE JANUARY 25th. COUNCIL AGREED TO SEND MAYOR BRUCE FIDDLER TO THE OCCASION WHICH WILL SHOWCASE THEIR DENTAL THERAPY PROGRAM,UPDATED FACILITIES,AND THE OVERALL STRATEGIC DIRECTION FOR UPCOMING PROGRAMMING.

 COUNCIL WILL ALSO BE SUPPORTING THE SASKATCHEWAN SNOWMOBILE ASSOCIATION BE PURCHASING A FIFTY DOLLAR BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP AS AN

ONLINE MARKETING OPTION HELPING SUPPORT SAFE SNOWMOBILING IN THE PROVINCE.

 A REQUEST FROM HUDBAY TO RENEW A LAND LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN COVERING LANDS REFERRED TO AS MLS34 TO MLS39 FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS WAS REFERRED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

 COUNCIL AGREED TO DONATE THE USE OF THE SPORTEX FOR THE CREIGHTON GRAD CLASS THIS JUNE AS THEY ALWAYS DO.

Adult and Teen Challenge will be holding one of their biggest fundraisers of the year with the Sled For Eternity Ride coming up on March the 9^th.

Ben Luc who is the Vocational and Development Manager says they are already taking registration. " There is only a couple of months away so if you want to register online at www.teenchallenge.tc. It is super easy to navigate through there, you register and create a fundraising page and you share it on your facebook. People with a couple clicks of a button can sponsor you to help raise money for a great cause. The top fundraiser gets  to pick from the prizes and there are lots of great items. We have FXR, who has been a great sponsor for us including lots of jackets, snowmobile suits and different items."

It will take place at St Anne’s church this year which will include a beautiful trail ride, lunch, dinner, promo item and lots of great prizes. Early bird registration fee is $75.00 which is good til February the 14^th and the event will start at 8:30 am.

There are plenty of events coming up at the Flin Flon Public Library this month including a used book sale this weekend. Library Administrator Lisa Slugoski welcomes everybody in the community to the event.

" We have community members who are bringing their used books and we will have hundreds of books that are coming into the library. We highly reccomend stopping by and if you have books that you want to sell you can contact us to book table space. It is free and you can e-mail us at ffpl@shaw.ca or call us at 1-833-960-3519.

It takes place this Saturday upstairs at the library between 1 and 3pm, but they will stay longer if there is interest. If you need more information you can e-mail ffpl@shaw.ca.

On December 31, 2023, at approximately 2:15 pm, Chemawawin RCMP received a report that a female had attended the Nursing Station suffering from severe injuries due to an assault.

An investigation determined that a 27-year-old female from Easterville was assaulted at a residence in the community on December 28, 2023.

She had not sought assistance before attending the Nursing Station, as the individual who assaulted her forcibly confined her to the residence where the assault occurred.

Further investigation determined that a 24-year-old male was also assaulted at the same time, suffering minor injuries.

The female was transported to The Pas Health Complex and then to Winnipeg Hospital with serious injuries.

Brendan Young, 26, was arrested in Easterville on January 1, 2024, and charged with Aggravated Assault, Forcible Confinement, and Failure to Comply with Release Order x3.

He remains in custody.

The Flin Flon Chamber Of Commerce held their first meeting of 2024 at City Council Chambers on Tuesday afternoon. Among the highlights, the Chamber commented on the Christmas Parade being a big success. They are also getting requests from some organizations on membership and are working with other chamber groups from the North on supporting a rest stop at Devils Lake.

Raj Sewda the CEO from the Northern Health Region was the guest speaker and he commented on his first year on the job and where the challenges lie for people in the North. " The first 9 months have really been rewarding, it is wonderful here to see individuals and our staff and a large group of 1700 committed health care workers in the region. One of the biggest challenges we have is it is a very sparsely populated region with about 61 percent of Manitoba's land mass, and only about 6 percent of poppulation. With density being low we are having a hard time maintaining the volumes as well as attracting talent and keeping it. Being able to serve this vastly wide region in itself is a big challenge."

Sewda went on to say that they are preparing a pamphlet that will be available with all the services that are offered including a list of  doctors in our area. They have done this in Thompson and it has been well received.

If you have any questions or any concerns you can reach out to Raj Sewda at rsewda@nrha.ca.

As temperatures continue to get colder, the Flin Flon Friendship Centre’s Cold Weather Shelter will be open over night. Amanda Fleury the Friendship Centre’s Home Project Co-ordinator explains how the shelter will operate.

" The cold weather shelter is run out of the Flin Flon Friendship Centre and the doors will open up at 10pm. It is open to anyone who needs a safe warm place to come. If you don't want to stay, you don't have to, you can just come and have someting to eat and warm up. It is a place where you can come and feel safe."

The shelter is also open during the day, 9 to 5 Monday through Friday and bag lunches will be supplied on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. They are in need of donations including winter coats, ski pants, socks, blankets, snacks like fruit, granola bars, hot chocolate and bottled water. If you would like to make a donation contact Amanda at 204-687-8855 or send an e-mail to ofco@mymts.net.

The Flin Flon Aqua Centre Committee continues to find different ways to raise money for their new swimming pool.

They are running a series of 50/50 draws and have announced their first winner who is Rebecca Winacott who received a total of $1,250.00. All 500 tickets were sold.

Rebecca says she plans to use the money to go on a hot trip some place.

Tickets will be available for the next 50/50 draw starting  today and this time they will be printing 1000. Tickets can be picked up at City Hall, the Vic Inn front desk, community members and other outlets around town.

They will also be hosting a meat draw coming up soon at the Uptown Curling Club and tickets will be available there too. Tickets are $5.00 each and the next draw is February the 8^th.

Plans have started for the Bust The Winter Blues Festival which is coming up in early March. Creighton Recreation Director Lindsay Shirran tells us some of the events they have planned so far.

"  Bust The Winter Blues will be held March the first to the third and will be a joint effort with the Town Of Creighton, City Of Flin Flon, Friendship Centre and the Northern Health Region. This year we have confirmed so far on Friday the Trivia Night, we are hoping to schedule in a senior's event. On Saturday we will have a craft sale, fun afternoon at the Sportex which will include a bonfire, cup cake decorating, cultural games, fish pond and celebrity smooshing event. That will lead up to the firworks and family dance,  and then Sunday we will have a toddler gym and hopefully more snow for the Ski Club's Centalloppet and the Snowmobile Club's poker derby."

The Bust the Blues committee have another meeting to iron a few more things out then they will post their complete schedule of events on the Town Of Creighton and City Of Flin Flon websites and facebook pages.

For the past 10 years Flin Flon churches have been coming together for a week of Christian unity and this will be taking place starting on Sunday January the 14^th.

The Ministerial Society’s Harry Hobbes explains the different churches who will be involved this year. " The theme this year is do good,  seek justice and there will be four sessions starting on Sunday January the 14th at 7pm with coffee and fellowship to follow. Sunday night the 14th we are at the Salvation Army with Father Paul preaching. Monday night the 15th, the Lutheran church with Dave Milton preaching, Tuesday night at ST Anne's with Mark Burford preaching and Wednesday night the Alliance church with Kelsie Burford preaching."

All the services are free but you can make an offering if you like which will be split between the Friendship Centre Cold Weather Program and the Food Bank. This is open to everybody from any denomination and to all ages whether you attend a church or not.

On January 1, 2024, at approximately 7:40 am, Moose Lake RCMP received a report of a residential fire on Sinclair Street in the community.

Officers attended the scene and ensured nearby residences had been evacuated. Before the fire could be extinguished, five trailers were destroyed and a sixth damaged.

No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire has not been determined but arson is suspected.

If you have information in regards to this fire, please call the Moose Lake RCMP at 204-678-2399, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

Moose Lake RCMP continue to investigate.

The Deck The Halls Christmas contest has wrapped up with the Town Of Creighton teaming up with 102.9 CFAR for the second straight year.

Residents in Creighton were encouraged to send in photos of their favorite decorated home in the community and e-mail  them to Creighton Recreation. People could then vote for the displays on CFAR’S facebook page.

The winners were announced yesterday and it is the Rosenbergers at 107 Creighton Ave. They receive a $100.00 gift card from Canadian Tire and a gift certificate from the town.

There were a total of 7 entries and Creighton Recreation wants to thank everyone for taking part and look forward to bringing it back in December of 2024.

You can stop by the Flin Flon Public Library for a brand new edition of Read To Me which will allow you to connect with your kids in a fun educational way. Laurence Gillespie has more:

"  We are just getting launched into a program for the new year and we have made some changes and will be holding classes on Monday and Wednesday afternoons at 1:30. We will still be holding a morning class on Friday starting at 9. Each session we have play time where we get to use the play area in the Kinsmen room and after that we go into some serious  reading and wrap up with snacks and crafts."

This is targeted to kids between 2 and 5 and is absolutely free and the first session will take place on Monday January the 8^th starting at 1:30 in the Kinsmen room at the library. To register you can call or text Laurence at 204-271-2890.

A final reading of a zoning amendment  was the big topic of conversation Tuesday night at the first Flin Flon City Council meeting of 2024.

Deputy Mayor Steve Lytwin chaired the meeting and gave the final reading where the city wishes to redesign the former Willowpark Curling rink area from parks and recreation to commercial.

A group of developers are interested in purchasing that area of land to build an assisted living complex for seniors. Residents had until Tuesday to let their objections be known in writing and will be turned over to the planning division. The Municipal Board in Winnipeg will make the final decision.

Chief Administrative officer Lyn Brown commented that things are progressing with the reconstruction of the Flin Flon hotel. The developer is in the stages of looking for local contractors to start local demolition very soon.

The Flin Flon Salvation Army Christmas kettle  campaign has officially wrapped up as they were raising money for their Christmas hampers and lunch program throughout  the month of December. Salvation Army Captain Mark Burford says due to your generosity a lot of people were able to have a decent Christmas.

" It was a very busy season but I am happy to report it was a successful season as we had a 182 Christmas hampers packed and distributed in Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach, Cranberry, Sheriden and Cold Lake. What helps us able to do that is our kettle campaign and mail in campaign. Our kettles were very successful and are very thankful on how generous the community was this year. We raised over $23,000.00 on the kettles, the exact total was $23,640.50. Our mail in campaign brought in $11,945.00 even."

Burford wants to thank all the volunteers, donors,business’s and organizations for all their support and if you are interested you can still make a donation by calling the Salvation Army at 204-687-7812.

The Northern Health Foundation has come up with a new activity for people to get into shape to start the new year and take away the winter blues. Emily Doucette the Foundation Office Co-ordinator in the Pas  says it is an event that the whole family can take part in.

" The Winter Welness Walkathon is aimed at to get people up and moving through the winter when it is cold and dark. We are doing an indoor walkathon at the Welness Centre here in the Pas. It is open to everyone, so it is a family friendly event with activities for kids that is stroller friendly and walker friendly. It is an indoor venue and open to all ages and fitness levels."

It is $25.00 to register and all funds will be raised to stay in the Northern Health Region to support patient care and community well being. Registration is open and there will only be 100 spots available. Sign up by going to northerhealthfoundation.com.

You will get an opportunity to support the Many Faces Graduating class of 2024 with a special fundraiser happening this weekend. Cheryl Ruckle  an EA with the school lets us know how you will be able to help out.

" Many Faces grad students want to do a bottle drive and will be out this Sunday January the 7th starting at 2. They will be collecting beer bottles, beer cans or change if you have that. You can text Kayla at 204-271-1147 if you would like us to come pick up any of that. You can also call Cheryl at 204-687-7698 and we will put you on the list for anything you would like to donate to the Many Faces bottle drive."

Many Faces grads will use the money to purchase grad sweaters and hold a grad party which will  include a supper for family and friends. Once again it will start this Sunday at 2.

Operation Red Nose wrapped up another holiday season in Flin Flon this past Sunday, New Years Eve and the Rotary Club’s Ted Hewitt tells us it was another good year.

" The pool fundraising committee provided the volunteers for New Years Eve with a total of 16 rides. Overall,  Operation Red Nose provided a total of 100 rides over eight nights in December. Last year our total was 89 rides over nine nights, definately an improvement. Operation Red Nose, even though it is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Flin Flon could not be a success without volunteers and support both financial and in kind from the community and business's.

Even though Operation Red Nose is a free service they do except donations and over $25,00.00 was donated by people who used the service. Another $4,000.00 was donated by local business’s  and Hewitt said they will also receive a donation from Safety Services Manitoba who distribute the money from donations that are collected provincially. All the proceeds generated in Flin Flon and area will stay in our community and be given to youth sports.