Week one of the Main street construction has wrapped up in downtown Flin Flon.

The excavation on the Up North Dental and Credit Union side on Main is nearly complete. Manholes will be going in this  week, and storm pipe with backfilling to follow.

All groundwork is being completed by City of Flin Flon crews.

The City asks you to be mindful  of the designated work areas and please use the sidewalks  as much as possible.

Single lane traffic will continue for the duration of the project and if you have any questions or concerns you can contact  the Manitoba Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure in The Pas at 204-677-6540.

Cranberry Portage is getting ready for their biggest weekend of the year and the 33^rd annual Cranberry Trout Challenge. Besides the fishing there are plenty of other events to look forward to including an Artisan Market.

One of the organizers Barb Bragg discusses some of the products that will be on hand. " We have our third market of the summer which has over 40 vendors that we are really excited about. 12 have never been here before, so some new vendors to check out in Cranberry Portage. We have  lots of baking stuff including sourdough bread, gluten free products, lots of crafts and a lot of beaders, mukluks and those type of things."

The market will take this Saturday from 11 to 3 at the Cranberry Heritage Museum grounds. There will also be a food vendor and live entertainment featuring Brady Cable and friends.

On June 27^th , as part of an ongoing investigation, the North District Crime Reduction Enforcement Support Team, along with Norway House RCMP, the Emergency Response Team and Police Dog Services, executed a warrant at a residence on Kinosao Sipi Cree Nation.

A search of the residence resulted in the seizure of over $30,000.00 in Canadian currency, 771 grams of crack cocaine, estimated to be worth over $77,000.00, and other drug paraphernalia.

Two males from Kinosao Sipi Cree Nation, 29-year-old Darnel Muswagon and 22-year-old Richard Ducharme, along with 22-year-old DeShawn Whyte of Brampton, Ontario, were charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking and Possession of Property Obtained by Crime.

They were remanded into custody.

Norway House RCMP continue to investigate.

The next installment of the Summer Bizkids Camp will be taking place in Creighton in August. Camp Director Kailey Oulette tells us the kids are going to get a chance to see how one of Creighton’s longest running  business’s operates.

" We have a lot of new fun things planned, my co-worker Nikki's parents own Creighton's Pizza, so we are going to get a chance to spend an afternoon at Creighton Pizza and make our own pizza. We will get talked to by the Keramydas's , and they will teach us how they started their business and what inspired them to start their business,  and the kids will get to make their own pizza dough and use the pizza oven."

The camp will run between August the 12^th and 16^th for kids 8 to 14. The kids will also head to the beach, go to the petting zoo and host their own market. Sign up by going to admin@cfgreenstone.com or call 204-687-6967.

The Blueberry Jam Music gathering is less than two weeks away and they still need a number of volunteers to help out in different capacities.

The Arts Council’s Crystal Kolt tells us some of the spots that need to be filled.

" Essentially we have something for everybody, we could still use people to help as events staff, in a couple of capacities. We need people to roam around and if somebody needs some help,  or if you see something like someone needing to connect with emergency services, or directions some place. It is a very light task and we will need people to help at the main entrances to put wrist bands on because we need to keep an exact count as to how many people are coming into the sight at any one time."

Crystal also mentioned that they are looking for people to check peoples bags and backpacks when they come in, a few more bartenders and some people to drive the side by sides. If you would like to help out and need more information you can go to the Blueberry  Jam facebook page.

In early July , Swan River RCMP received a report of a sudden death in Sapotaweyak Cree Nation. Officers attended the residence and located a 54-year-old female deceased inside her home.

An autopsy was conducted and it has been determined that the female died as the result of an injury sustained in the days prior to her death. Her death is now being investigated as a homicide.

RCMP Major Crime Services has taken over  the investigation.

Fundraising continues to go very well for the Flin Flon Aqua Centre who just received a $50,000.00 donation from Foran Mining. They are also selling 50/50 tickets for a chance to win $15,000.00 with the draw coming up at Blueberry Jam.

Flin Flon Rec Director Cait Bailey says the construction is also going very well.

" It is all kind of happening in hiper speed , it is going very fast and we will have some pictures on line very soon.  If you make your way down there,  you can really start to see the outline of the pool basin. You can see where the deep end is and where the shallow end is,  and you can see the outline and what the leisure pool looks like.  It is really exciting and starting to look like a pool and I think it is going to get people excited."

If you would like to make a donation you can go to the Flin Flon Aqua Centre Fundraising Committee facebook page and they are excepting e-transfers.

Foran Mining held an open house and community barbecue on Wednesday afternoon at the Creighon  Sportex .

Many Foran staff were on hand to talk about the many services and career opportunities that their company is offering. One of which is McIlvenna Bay Catering who are looking for people to join their team.

Lodge Manager Reggie Pike says they have a lot of spots available. " We are hiring for housekeepers, janitorial staff, all kitchen staff including management positions for janitorial  housing and kitchen. We are partnered with Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and we like to hire local and welcome people to send in resumes. It is a busy little site right now with 250 on site now, growing to up to 450 and beyond. We have a newly built kitchen and camp and this is a great place to work."

You  can apply by submitting your resume to careers@mcilvennabaycatering.com or fax to 306-242-4288.

The Flin Flon Friendship Centre will be holding another installment of Camp Moochikun starting on Monday for 8 to 10 year olds.

Joe Anne Pelletier the Event co-ordinator tells us the kids will have a lot to do.

" It is a free program, we offer two snacks as well as pick up and drop off, plus a lot of different activities planned. We will be doing some hiking, adventuring , some nature walks, meeting with eldors and going blueberry picking. We will also have Margaret coming in weekly to do teachings, plus we will be taking the kids to the parks and splash pads. Their days are always filled with games and activities and they will have a good time."

It absolutely free to join and you can pick up an application form at the Friendship Centre front desk. You can also call 687-3900 for more information.

Foran Mining made a $50,000.00 donation towards the new Aqua Centre project at their office in Creighton yesterday. HR Director Carla Simon tells us how the donation came about.  

" So we have a community investment fund where we donated over seventy thousand dollars to different organizations last year in 2023. We thought this was an important intiative and we wanted to be part of it and part of the community."

If your group or organization is looking for a donation you can go to Foran’s website at foranmining.com and click on sustainability and that will give you the criteria that you need to fill out an application.

A fire was reported at Camp Whitney on Sunday   when  RCMP received a report from an individual on a passing jet ski who noticed a significant amount of smoke .

RCMP officers attended immediately by boat and found the main kitchen at Camp Whitney was fully engulfed in flames. It has been confirmed that the kitchen building is completely gone and  two sleeping quarters and the tool shed are also gone.

The Flin Flon Fire Department attended with water pumps to extinguish the fire. The fire was contained to the site. The Manitoba Wildfire Service will continue to monitor the area to ensure that the fire does not reignite.

The good news is that nobody was present at the camp when the fire started so no one was affected.

Flin Flon Mayor George Fontaine made a statement at CFAR  on Monday afternoon and was quick to point out without the efforts of a lot of people and resources the fire could have been much worse. " Due to the dilligence of people spotting it and  reporting it quickly, the police getting down there, our  City fire people again at it and kudos to them who have been very busy. We were fortunate that there were water bombers in the area, and I understand that they foamed it,  and I don't know to what extent but they did have a lot to do with extinguishing the fire in short order. We could of had a great big fire out of that in an area that would of been destructive to a lot more people."

Camp Whitney will be closed for the rest of the season and the RCMP have not found out anything suspicious as the investigation continues.

On July Monday, La Ronge RCMP received a report of a missing 36-year-old woman, Cheryl McKenzie.

Cheryl was last in contact with loved ones on July 13, 2024. It’s unusual for Cheryl not to be in contact with them.

Since receiving the report she is missing, La Ronge RCMP have been checking places Cheryl is known to visit and following up on information received. They are now asking members of the public to report all information on Cheryl’s whereabouts.

Cheryl is described as approximately 5’5” and 120 lbs. She has medium-length dark reddish-coloured hair and brown eyes. 

If you have seen Cheryl or know where she is, contact La Ronge RCMP by dialling 310-RCMP. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

Major road construction has begun downtown Flin Flon  over by the old CO-OP,  so a detour has been set up and  there will be  single lane traffic for the next few weeks.

The interm Director Of Operations Mike Funk explains what the city will be doing. " What we are planning on doing over there is we have a large failure of our storm sewer infrastructure which has aged out. What we are doing is renewing one side at a time and we are going to install new man holes, new plastick storm pipe and get everything recovered over. We will go one side at a time to maintain single lane traffic with MIT, who will be involved and co-ordinate the single lane traffic. We will have some automated traffic lights set up on both sides of Main street."

If all go’s well the project should last about 5 weeks and once the work is completed over by the CO-OP, they will flip the detour over and have everybody routed over to the Credit Union and UP North Dental side , so they can continue their work and finish up over by Pharmasave.

This Wednesday is International Self Care Day,  and you will be able to take part locally with the Women’s Resource Centre who want to acknowledge the importance of this day.

Councillor Allie Klippel explains what they have planned. " On Wednesday we are holding a group at 1: 30 and it is a painting group that is themed and focused on self care. We will focus on why it is important for our everyday mental and physical health. This is free but we do ask that you call and let us know you are coming so we can have all the supplies ready."

They will be painting gratitude rocks and you can sign up for this event right up until 1:30 on Wednesday.

Pelican Narrows RCMP is asking the public to report sightings and information on the whereabouts of 28-year-old Kendell Ameech.

Kendell Ameech is wanted by Pelican Narrows RCMP for charges including multiple counts of assault with a weapon and weapons-related charges. These charges were laid as a result of investigations that occurred between March and July 2024 in Pelican Narrows.

Kendell Ameech is described as approximately 6’2”, approximate weight unknown. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He has numbers tattooed on his left wrist, a dollar sign tattooed on his left forearm, and letters and crosses tattooed on his fingers.

Kendall Ameech is known to travel to Kinistin Salteaux Nation, but his current whereabouts are unknown.

If you see Kendall,  report any sightings to Pelican Narrows RCMP immediately at 310-RCMP. You can also contact Saskatchewan Crimestoppers at 1800-222-8477 or saskcrimestopers.com. 

There was a fire at Camp Whitney yesterday.

The Flin Flon Fire Department was on the scene along with two loads of fire retardant foam from Manitoba forestry to help keep the fire contained to the property.

Some structures were lost.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

The camp was unoccupied at the time and no one was affected by the fire. The investigation continues.

Some very good news on the Wilson fire located over by Creighton and Denare Beach, the fire evacuation alert has been lifted.

Creighton Mayor Bruce Fiddler made the announcement on CFAR on Friday afternoon and thanked all the firefighters and different personnel who got on this fire  very quickly. " The response from the SPSA, and the firefighters, helicopter buckets and water bombers were all on top of it quckly. You can't say enough about the work that they have done."

Fire crews will remain on sight for the next 10 to 14 days to make sure the fire is completely out and look for hot spots. The office will remain open at the Creighton Tourism and Rec building  on Creighton Ave so people can continue to register in case of any other emergencies in the future. The fresh air centre remains open at the Sportex for anyone with respiratory issues daily 8 to 5pm.

Based on a recent customer survey  and stakeholder consultations Calm Air has adjusted their flight schedule for Flin Flon and the Pas effective September the 1^st of 2024.

The changes include flight times on Monday mornings to accommodate passengers travelling for medical reasons. Monday evening flights have now been cut.

There are now flight times on Tuesday evenings  to allow business and other passengers  to have only one overnight stay which will help maximize their time in the North or South.

The survey also indicated that the public was requesting more day flights to help accommodate medical and as a result , flights on Wednesday and Thursday are now scheduled for midday.

The complete flight schedule can be viewed at  https://www.calmair.com/fly-calm-air/schedule-updates

The Regional Economic Development Commission has received grants from both Manitoba and Saskatchewan and have come up with a course to help you get a business off the ground that deals with tourism.

Emily Roberts Young provides the details.  " So this program is targeted towards tourism and business development and it is called the Experiential Tourism Accelerator Program. What it is designed to do,  is give you the tools to start a business and plan it all out as well as pilot it and get some professional content on the back end for future marketing."

The cost is completely covered and you must have a computer and internet access for attending online meetings. Find out more by going to the website at investfdc.ca/discover and you can register by emailing eroberts@flinflon.ca.

Foran Mining will be holding a Open House and Community Barbecue next Wednesday July the 24^th between 3 and 7 at the Sportex.

It will be a chance to come out and see the new Battery Electric Sandvik 50 ton truck, try the mining simulator, learn about career opportunities, grab some swag, win door prizes and enjoy hotdogs and hamburgers between 4 and 6.

Foran will also be presenting a donation towards the new Aqua Centre, and are inviting everybody to come out and enjoy the afternoon.

The Town Of Creighton is reporting  they are happy with the progress that is being made on the Wilson fire and there are currently  45 firefighters fighting the fire on the ground.

They have 3 helicopters standing by and the water bombers are sitting in Bakers Narrows and will be called in if needed. The extreme heat the next few days are of concern.

Once again Creighton and Denare Beach are not in any imminent danger but remain on evacuation alert.

Don’t forget to pre-register at the Rec and Tourism office on Creighton Ave, so everyone is accounted for, if an evacuation were  to be called. Remember this can happen at a moment’s notice.

Smoke is not a factor right now, but if you have respiratory issues there is a fresh air centre located at the Sportex. Transportation  will be available if you need it by contacting the Creighton Town Office at 306-688-8253.

Mayor George Fontaine was quick to point out that he was very impressed with the quick action from the fire crews that got on the Wilson Fire immediately , and says they are in constant communication with Council in Creighton.

Everybody is co-operating on both sides of the border and they are having daily meetings with fire and emergency crews from both Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The hope is to keep working together to tackle other issues like health care.

An update was given on the new Aqua Centre project as construction is right on schedule as a new water line has just been hooked up. Fundraising continues with a 50/50 draw for $15,000.00 with the draw coming up at Blueberry Jam. So far just over $400,000.00 has been raised.

A couple of major construction projects will start next week including the demolition of some buildings on Main Street including 118 to 120. They will also start on replacing the road between the old CO-OP and Post Office and that project will go right til the end of August. There will be a single lane on Main street.

The Public Utilities meeting for the increase in water rates which was postponed in May has now been re-scheduled to August.

The Flin Flon Arts Council will be hosting a Garden Party this weekend  at Rotary Park.

Crystal Kolt and summer student Sadie White stopped by the CFAR studio and talked about all the events which they have planned for this weekend. "We are going to be having the Manitoba Underground Opera there, plus some activities for the kids to do and play with including coloring and painting. Some of the priduce is ready including lettuce which is looking great, we have carrots and sprouts that people will be able to take home with them. We are going to be talking about how you can harvest your plants and what you can do with them."

It will take place between 12 and 3pm this Sunday  and is open to everybody and it is free to attend.

On July 14, 2024 at approximately 9:00 a.m., Carrot River RCMP received a report of a single vehicle rollover on Highway #55, approximately one kilometre east of the turn off to Red Earth Cree Nation.

Officers responded immediately along with local fire and EMS. The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle was declared deceased by EMS at the scene. She has been identified as a 21-year-old female from Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Manitoba. Her family has been notified.

Carrot River RCMP continue to investigate with the assistance of a Saskatchewan RCMP collision reconstructionist.

Nipawin RCMP assisted in this investigation.

The Town Of Creighton is reporting  they are happy with the progress that is being made on the Wilson fire and there are currently  45 firefighters fighting the fire on the ground.

They have 3 helicopters standing by and the water bombers are sitting in Bakers Narrows and will be called in if needed. The extreme heat the next few days are of concern.

Once again Creighton and Denare Beach are not in any imminent danger but remain on evacuation alert.

Don’t forget to pre-register at the Rec and Tourism office on Creighton Ave, so everyone is accounted for, if an evacuation were  to be called. Remember this can happen at a moment’s notice.

Smoke is not a factor right now, but if you have respiratory issues there is a fresh air centre located at the Sportex. Transportation  will be available if you need it by contacting the Creighton Town Office at 306-688-8253.

The Vocational Training Centre will be celebrating their grand opening at their new location tomorrow at 304 Green street, the old Acklands building.

This will be both the grand opening and a fundraiser and Heather Chrupalo tells us the entire staff is really excited about welcoming the public to the brand new building. "  So the clients and staff are excited to celebrate this grand opening with a fundraising barbecue between 11:30 and 1:30. Then the grand opening will happen between 1 and 3, and during that time all items will be fifty percent off in the second hand shop."

The barbecue will once again start at 11:30 and they will also be serving coffee and cake.They would like to thank the following business’s The CO-OP, Eddies, Arctic Beverages, Red Apple and Atlas Construction for all their donations for this  event.

Tim Hortons Camp Day is today and 100 % of the proceeds from hot and iced coffees will be donated to Tim Hortons Foundation Camps across Canada and the United States.

Camp Day was started in 1987 by 58 restaurant owners in Atlantic Canada before it expanded to all Tim Horton’s  restaurants  in 1991.

The mission is to give all kids a chance to go to camp and provide life changing opportunities for children in need.

The Tim Hortons in Creighton will be taking part at the Petro Can Gas Station and invite everybody to come  down and support kids in this area. 102.9 CFAR will be broadcasting from the event between 11 and 2.

Firefighters continue to make progress on the Wilson fire that is located close to both Creighton and Denare Beach. Creighton Mayor Bruce Fiddler tells us they are using all resources that are available to them.

" There has been no growth in the fire but the crews are making progress, but it still isn't contained so everything is status quo. The evacuation alert and fire ban are still in place and we have another crew that came in yesterday afternoon. We also had two helicopters came in yesterday so there is lots of support. Things are looking ok right now but it still isn't contained."

The Town Of Creighton is once again asking people to pre-register in case there is an evacuation and want you to know it just isn’t for this situation but for any other emergency that might occur in the future.

They have moved the registration office from the Sportex to the Rec and Tourism office on Creighton Ave and it is open Monday to Friday 8 to 5. Don’t hesitate to call the office at 306-688-8253 with any questions you may have.

This past Friday, at approximately 11:20 am, The Pas RCMP received a report of a missing 29-year-old male.

Moise Jordan Sewap, from Denare Beach, SK, was last seen in The Pas on July 5 leaving from an address located on Ross Avenue in The Pas in the early morning hours.

RCMP and his family are concerned for his well-being.

Sewap is described as 5’11, 190lbs with black hair and brown eyes.

If you have any information on the whereabouts of Moise Jordan Sewap, 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.

 

A photo of Moise has been posted on flinflononline.com as well as social media outlets.

The Manitoba Government has issued a press release that entry into all provincial parks this week is free. This will take place all week right til Sunday where vehicle permits will not be required.

There are many great provincial parks to enjoy in Northern Manitoba including Bakers Narrows, Clearwater Lake , Paint Lake and Grass River Provincial Park.

It is free to visit during the day but nightly fees will still apply if you want to camp over night.

The move is to try and remove the cost barrier for anyone looking to enjoy the outdoors for one week this summer.

If you are looking to camp at any provincial park in Manitoba you can make a reservation by calling 1-888- 482-2267.

The Town of Creighton is reporting that the Wilson fire has not grown in size in the last two days but is still not contained.

There is no immediate danger to the community at this time but things can change quickly and the evacuation alert and fire ban are still in effect. The Town of Creighton would still like people to pre-register online or stop by the Sportex between 8 and 5pm today.

They want to get information in place in case something was to change and they needed to evacuate at a moments notice.

Currently there are 7 different fire crews working on the fire from both Manitoba and Saskatchewn and they will continue to work until the fire is completely out , due to the proximity of how close it is to the community.

You can continue to follow updates on all the community websites and facebook pages as well as 102.9 CFAR. If you have any questions or concerns you can also reach out to the Town Of Creighton at 306-688-8253.

Community Futures Greenstone will be holding their annual Biz Kids summer day camps in different locations in the North starting this week.

The first camp is in Cranberry and Summer Camp Co-ordinator Kailey Oulette has the details. " Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we will be in Cranberry for the Bizkids Day Camp . It is a three day camp and it will be pretty condensed due to it being a mini-camp. We will have a beach day, and we will be working on their products on Thursday so they have great products to sell at the market on Friday. The next week we will be in Flin Flon and we have lots of fun activities planned including going to the Joe Brain Petting Zoo, going to the beach and doing arts and crafts and wrapping up with a market at Pioneer Square."

A third camp is being planned for Creighton and that will take place August the 12^th to the 16^th. You can sign up for any of the camps at admin@cfgreenstone.com or call 204-687-6967.

The Wahkatowin Trails Committee had their last meeting of the summer and they continue to make progress with their first trail which has been developed around Phantom Lake.

Christine Williams gives us the details on their latest developments. " We received some  grant money from the Credit Union,  and we have recently used that money to purchase signage that is going to go up by the trails so you always know where you are going. We are hoping to purchase some story boards to put up along the trail. The story boards we would like them to tell the history, glory days of Phantom Lake and describe the rock we have around this area."

They have set up an instagram page it is called at Wahkohtowin trails, and they would like you to tag them if you are using the trails , so they can count numbers on the amount of usage  which will help when they apply  for grants.

This was the last meeting of the summer and they will meet again September the 10^th , 7pm at the Creighton Town Office.

On July 11, 2024, at approximately 10:30 am, Norway House RCMP received a report of a missing 44-year-old male from Norway House, Manitoba.

Keith Shannon Wilson was last seen in Norway House on June 29, 2024, wearing dark jeans and black/navy sweater.

Police and family are concerned for his well-being.

He is described as 5’11” tall, with an average/medium build.

If you have information on his whereabouts, please call Norway House RCMP at 204-359-4955, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

The forest Fire that started by Wilson Lake on Wednesday night has grown slightly and is currently  5km away from Creighton.

Creighton, Denare Beach and Flin Flon have all  been put on evacuation alert, but none of these communities are in any immediate danger,  but all three municipalities want residents ready to evacuate if necessary.

Water bombers from both Manitoba and Saskatchewan continue to attack the fire from the air with fire support arriving from Prince Albert.

Representatives from all three councils are watching the fire closely and will continue to send out updates if the situation should change. Continue to monitor the three communities on facebook , city and town  websites as well as 102.9 CFAR.

Flin Flon Recreation is partnering with aboriginal Sport and Recreation and will be offering children’s swimming lessons at Channing Beach this Tuesday and Wednesday  July the 16^th and 17^th.

Rec Programmer Kelsey Anderson tells us that this is open to kids of all swim levels and ages. " When you reach out I will ask you your level of swimming, if you are new to the water, if you can put your face in the water,  or if you can float on your own and the distance you can swim. I will then put you in a category, then we will book the time slots with someone who is simillar to your category. We are able to take children of any age just let us know when you book."

There is no charge to take the swimming lessons and you can sign up by sending a message to Flin Flon Recreation  or call 204-681-7542 to register.

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CREIGHTON REPORTED RECEIVING A REQUEST FROM THE RIDGE ON AMISK RESORT TO CONSIDER ALLOWING THEM TO CHARTER THE CREIGHTON CONNECTION LARGER BUS TO ACCOMMODATE MEMBERS OF A RETREAT FROM SASKATOON LATER THIS YEAR WHICH WOULD ALSO INCLUDE SUPPLYING THE DRIVER. COUNCIL AGREED TO REFER THE REQUEST FOR
FURTHER DISCUSSION.

COUNCIL RECEIVED A THANK YOU CARD FROM THE LIONS CLUB IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR ASSISTANCE OVER THE YEAR.

SASK POWER HAS SENT COUNCIL AN EMAIL REGARDING SOME CONSTRUCTION WORK WHICH WILL BE TAKING PLACE IN THE INDUSTRIAL AREA WHICH WILL REQUIRE THE TOWN CREWS TO BACK FILL SOME HOLES.

COUNCIL ALSO RECEIVED NOTICE FROM THE NORTHERN WOODS AND WATER HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION REGARDING THE 2024/25 MEMBERSHIP DUES. COUNCIL AGREED TO THE $600 DOLLAR PACKAGE WHICH WAS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR,

COUNCIL ALSO AGREED TO PURCHASE AN AD IN THE LEGION MILITARY SERVICE RECOGNITION BOOK AT THE SAME PRICE AS LAST YEAR.

A forest fire has developed around Wilson Lake which is  currently 7km away from Creighton, so all three communities of Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach have been put on evacuation notice.

Water bombers from both Manitoba and Saskatchewan will be tracking this fire by air and want to hit it hard before the wind changes direction this afternoon.

Fire support will also be arriving from Prince Albert later today.

Here is the statement issued earlier from Town Of Creighton Mayor Bruce Fiddler.  " I have an announcement on behalf of the tri- community area. Due to the close proximaty of the Wilson fire , the area is preparing just in case of an evacuation. We ask that all residents pack their emergency  bags and be prepared to evacuate if necessary on short notice. We will try to keep everyone updated and informed, please visit the Town Of Creighton facebook page for updates. I want to reiterate that this is an evacuation alert not an actual evacuation. We will continue to keep everyone informed and thank you for your co-operation."

Once again this is a notice of evacuation to be prepared  and not an evacuation notice as of yet. You can continue to get updates from the Town Of Creighton facebook page, Town Of Creighton website and 102.9 CFAR.

Simon House Bible Camp recognized  a huge milestone this past week as Camp Director Darrell Janzen celebrated his 25^th anniversary with the Bible Camp in Northern Manitoba.

Janzen says he has enjoyed his time in Northern Manitoba and looks forward  to the bible camp  being able to continue to  reach kids across the North.

"  It has been a joy to be up here serving Northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan for this long. I have really enjoyed working with the people and families and it has been a really good experience over this time. Over the years we have worked to continue to develop including building a new  large building  a few years ago. We keep providing new activities and an excellent and safe and quality program for kids."

Janzen arrived in 1999 right out of college and has been with the camp ever since. There are plenty of programs  that are taking place this summer including Junior High Camp for 11 to 13 year olds starting next week.  You can sign up and find out more by going to simonhouse.ca. 

 New Aqua Centre water and sewer connections are  in progress and Storm sewer renewal has been  scheduled for July at the intersection of 4th Ave and Main Street. They  are coordinating with Manitoba Infrastructure And Transportation  and this is  expected to last four to five weeks.

The city is also working on Storm sewer renewal on North Ave from 10 North Ave to approx. 24 North Ave with the project  expected to last three weeks

Daily operations have started and  road maintenance continues, crews are applying asphalt patching to potholes, focussing on main routes first, then onto side streets.

Street sweeping is  being done in critical areas that have sand buildup in preparation for crosswalk and curb painting. Grading of back lanes has started including Channing, Wally Heights, Hwy 291 and Channing drive from Manitoba and Saskatchewan border into Channing.

Dust control has tentatively started  and the City will continue to provide updates as they become available.

 For further information go to the City’s website at cityofflinflon.ca.

Saskatchewan is holding their annual free fishing weekend this Saturday and Sunday which means you will be able to fish all weekend without  having to buy a licence.

Darryl Crabb the Minister Of  Environment hopes everyone will get out with their families and enjoy the experience. "  It has been around for many years and it was brought in to try and encourage people to take advantage of the outstanding resources we have in fisheries  here in Saskatchewan. It was just about trying to encourage people to get out there and get involved, and we also have a free fishing weekend in Winter as well."

Even though you don’t need a licence you  will still have to follow rules and angling limits.

Find out more by going to the Saskatchewan Ministry Of Environment website and click on angling.

Preparations continue for the Blueberry Jam Music gathering taking place at the Flin Flon Tourist Park August the 9^th to the 11^th.

One of the organizers Brent Lethbridge  tells us they are looking for people to step up and offer some of the performers a place to stay." Basicilly spots for people are at a premium and if you want to come , I would hate to see not available space be an issue. What we are trying to do here is get the word out, if you can take families, put an RV in your driveway , anything like that would help. The whole festival is run by volunteers , it's free, the musicians play for free and we really want to get that Flin Flon hospitality going any way we can do it."

If you can help out with accommodations or require any more information you can go to the Blueberry Jam facebook page and if you are interested in volunteering or finding out more about that send an e-mail to Elly Spencer at spencer.elly@gmail.com.

For the first time since 2004 the RCMP Musical Ride will be returning to Flin Flon.

This is a Canadian summer tradition which has been taking place for decades and features 32 riders and horses that will perform a technique and formation set to music, which usually lasts about  90  minutes.

Each summer the ride focus’s in on a few provinces and this year it will make it’s way through Ontario and Manitoba.

The show will take place in Flin Flon on Thursday August the 1^st  at the Centoba Ball Diamond with the grounds opening at 4:30 and the show starting at 5pm.

Tickets are available starting today and can be picked up at City Hall for $10.00 for adults and $5.00  for kids three and older.

This past Saturday , at approximately 2:55 am, RCMP responded to a collision on Baffin Crescent, in Thompson. It was reported that a vehicle had driven into the front of a home.

Officers attended and located the vehicle which had caused significant damage to the home. The occupants of the vehicle had fled. There was no one inside the home at the time of the collision.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

Thompson RCMP continue to investigate.

It’s not to late to sign up for the Wise Kidnetic Energy Camp taking place in Flin Flon July the 29^th to August the 2^nd at Ecole McIsaac school.

Not only will the kids have fun but they will have the opportunity to learn and discover. Amy Skelton who is the Summer Logistics Leader from the University of Manitoba  gives us the objective of the camp. " Wise was founded in 1990  so it has been around for a while,  and as a community outreach program our objectives is to offer hands on learning experiences to the youth of Manitoba. We deliver Science, Technology, engineering and Math basic workshops and daycamps. We focus in on youth who may have additional barriers to access and engage with them including girls, non-binary and gender diverse youth."

The camp will take place each day from 9 to 4 and spots are filling up quickly. You can sign up and get more information by going to the website at www.wisekidneticenergy.ca. 

Calm Air has recently changed their flight schedules in the North which has had a direct impact on both Flin Flon and the Pas.

Due to a lot of  concerns with the change of flight times,   Calm Air is conducting a survey to help better serve the public in connecting flights to Winnipeg and are looking for the public’s input on decisions going forward.

The survey will help Calm Air re-evaluate their flight schedules and decision making process, so it is imperative that the public fill out the survey.

Calm Air wants to find out everything they can for your flying needs including departure and arrival times, reasons for travelling and any comments or suggestions on how they can make their service better.

You can take part in the survey by going to surveymonkey.com.

The Trout Festival officially wrapped up on Saturday with Beaver Lake Day. Among the highlights was the results from this past June’s fishing derby.

Troy Dease finished first in the Burbot category sponsored by Kozar Construction, FF Insurance, City Of Flin Flon, McMunn and Yates and the Trout Festival.

Ray Lavis  came second.

Jayden Oulette was first in the Northern Pike category  sponsored by Jim’s Custom Doors And Windows, Hudbay, Don Holmes Trucking and the Trout Festival.

Kevin Shanowski was second

In the Trout Category sponsored by Manitoba Metis Federation and Flin Flon Credit Union, Sheldon Weibe came first followed by Barry Anderson.

Cranberry’s Ted Smith finished first in the Walleye event sponsored by Flin Flon and District Chamber Of Commerce. Colten Tetoff was second.

All first place winners received $15,00.00, and second place winners were awarded $500.00 courtesy of the Town Of Creighton.

Forrest Ritchie won first place for the biggest Youth entry.

A total of over $15,000.00 in prize money was handed out.

Camp Moochikun will start today at the Flin Flon Friendship Centre and is a summer day camp that will allow kids to have fun and pick up a bunch of skills.

Friendship Coordinator Joe Anne Pelletier has more.   

So Camp Moochikun, it promotes healthy lifestyle, cultural awareness, educated related skills. We have elder Margaret coming in to do some teachings. We have crafts, of course indigenous based, non indigenous based. It's for all community members, kids to come in. We take them out for a few field trips. We'll be doing rock paintings, adding to that lovely snake, just a variety of different activities for the kids and it's broken up into two different categories."

The age groups are 5 to 7 and 8 to 10 and will take place daily at the Flin Flon Friendship Centre til August the 10^th. Transportation is available for kids in Flin Flon and Creighton and you can find out more by contacting Joe- Anne at 204-687- 3900.

We are a little more than a month away from Blueberry Jam which will be taking place at the Flin Flon Tourist park in the middle of August.

They are still in need of volunteers and Crystal Kolt says there are many ways you can help out.

" Usually it's a couple of 100 volunteers that we need for blueberry jam, and there's no exception to this year. If people are able to give a few hours during the weekend to Blueberry Jam, they can go to flim from Blueberry Jam Dossier

site. And  there's actually a for Super Super Easy for where you can decide what days you want to volunteer and what you want to forum here at. There are, of course the beer garden, there's the blueberry wine bar there. Event staff is really going to be a fun one because it's just you're just going to sort of roam around in an area or hang out in an area, listen to the music."

If you require any more information contact Crystal at 204-681-7557 or Elly Spencer at 432-746-5347. You can also check out the Blueberry Jam website at blueberryjam.ca for a list of all the people performing this year.

On Tuesday , at approximately 5:45 pm, Pukatawagan RCMP received a report that a person  out for a walk interrupted a sexual assault on a female youth in a wooded area. The adult male civilian tackled the suspect, freeing the youth. The youth fled and the suspect threatened the civilian with a knife. The civilian was able to get away and call for help.

RCMP responded immediately and were able to locate the suspect, Kyle Dumas, 28, from the community. Meanwhile officers looked for the victim, who was located at a residence nearby. The female, under the age of 10, was offered immediate medical assistance. She was transported to Winnipeg hospital for treatment of her injuries.

Dumas is charged with several offenses including  Sexual Assault, Sexual Interference and assault with a weapon.

He remains in custody. The investigation continues.

There is still one more event for this year’s Trout Festival as Beaver Lake day will take place this Saturday.

Denare Beach Rec Director Mel Durette talks about some of the events that will be taking place.  " We have the fire department who will be doing kids games and letting them run hoses and stuff. We will have hamburgers and hot dogs there, there will be other kids events including bubble gum blowing and potatoe sack races and all that kind of stuff. We have canoe races for both teens and adults and there will be music with Amisk Sounds and we will wind it down with fireworks at 11:45."

There will also be free ice cream and cupcakes for the first 200 people at 10pm. Durette also went on to mention that they are excited to be working in conjunction with  the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation at Beaver Lake Day for the first time in it’s history.

Mayor Fontaine and Councillors Slipp and Dallas Funk reported that the Northern AMM was very positive with pretty much all the communities up north participating including The Pas, Thompson, Lynn Lake, Cross Lake,  Norway House, Cranberry, Snow Lake and Grand Rapids.

They had a chance to meet with the Minister Of Justice, and the Deputy Minister Of Northern Relations who sat down and listened to the concerns of these northern communities which were tabled and will be presented before the whole province in November.

Among the concerns are hiring and retaining RCMP, and looking for funding for CSO programs.

Construction is about to start on Flin Flon’s Main street  which will include ripping out the pavement and replacing it between the old CO-OP and the Post Office. They will also be starting dust control in the next few weeks.

Fundraising for the new Flin Flon Aqua Centre continues to go well and now the committee has 50/50 tickets available which will be held in conjunction wit  this year’s Blueberry Jam Music gathering in August.

The committee’s Karen McKinnon tells us this is their biggest draw so far. " It is going up to $15,000.00 and that is our biggest one yet and they are on sale for $20.00 a ticket. It will be drawn during the Blueberry Jam festival on August the 10th at 8pm at the Tourist Bureau stage. That will be an exciting edition to Blueberry Jam."

You can pick up tickets at Northern Rainbows End, Flin Flon City Hall, The Town Of Creighton and the Victoria Inn. E-transfers will also be available. This committee has now raised more than $9.000.00 with different raffles and fundraisers.

Cranberry Portage will be holding their second Artisan Market of the summer this Saturday at the Cranberry Portage Heritage Museum grounds starting at 11.

Organizer Barb Bragg says they have a lot of vendors. "  It is indeed a big one we are right now at 47 vendors which is the biggest one we ever had,  and we are excited about that. Rain or shine it will be happening and right now it is calling for showers, but we are hoping for a beautiful sunny day."

Other highlights include  Dan Davies and the  Country Rain band who will be  performing throughout the day and the Catholic Church Women’s group will be handling the canteen.

While Snow Lake RCMP continue to support Flin Flon and Cranberry Portage areas, as well as patrol along the roadways in between all three communities, officers responded to 46 calls.

Among the calls they responded to included :

Seventeen Traffic-related events, one Traffic collision,  one  Possession for the purpose of Trafficking, one  Controlled Drugs and Substance Act, one Person reported Missing, two cases of Operation while Impaired, one  Theft Under $5000., one  Theft of a  Truck and two Flights from Police.

There were also several misdemeanor calls reported.

During this same time period, Flin Flon had 289 calls  and Cranberry Portage had 42. Of those files, over 11% were calls involving violence where bodily harm occurred and multiple resources were required.

Summer In The Parks will start today for kids between  5 and 10 at the Flin Flon Community Hall,  where they get to participate in lots of fun summer activities including making crafts, heading out on tours and making lots of friends.

Rec Programmer Kelsey Anderson has more. " So we are starting up today and we will have a different theme each week and we will go right til the end of August. If you want to sign up you can visit the Flin Flon Rec Facebook page, there is links there or you can send me an e-mail at kanderson@flinflon.ca. The girls have put a lot of work in and we have brand new props, brand new decorations and brand new games. It is going to be a super exciting year, so you are not going to want to miss ouit on any of the fun."

It takes place weekdays Monday to Friday  9 to 4 and you can sign up for a week, month or just day to day and once again you can contact Kelsey for more information at kandersen@flinflon.ca.

National Fishing Week is underway and it is an annual event designed to encourage Canadians to experience the benefits of recreational fishing.

Fishing is an easy and fun way to connect with nature, your family and others and enjoy the thousands of lakes and streams across the country including an abundance here in Northern Manitoba. You don’t have to necessarily even  have a boat  as you can fish from a dock, or right off land.

Fishing is also very affordable for you and the entire family and is supported by federal, provincial and territorial governments,  as well as hundreds of organizations and businesses  that work hard to ensure sustainable fishing opportunities while safeguarding fish populations everywhere.

You can find out more by going to catchfishing.com.

A bulk of the  events wrapped up yesterday with lots of Canada Day celebrations including the Canada Day Parade which featured around 20 floats and classic cars with the theme Community Spirit.

After the parade people gathered  at the Creighton Ball Diamond for lots of activities and entertainment, and the Trout Festival also offered a new event this year which was a family magic show at the Rotary Wheel featuring Roger Boucher out of Prince Albert.

Other highlights included the free community barbecue at Pioneer Square, the revitalized fish fry at Chicken Chef, Ross Lake Regatta and another sensational fireworks display.

The festival will officially wrap up this Saturday with Beaver Lake Day at the main beach between 4 and 10 and another fireworks display at 11:45. Winners of the fishing derby and Share In The North will also be announced.