AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CREIGHTON REPORTED RECEIVING AN INVITATION FROM NORTHLANDS COLLEGE LEADERSHIP TO ATTEND THE CREIGHTON CULTURAL CENTER NAMING CEREMONY TODAY. THE CEREMONY WILL HONOR AND CELEBRATE THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE COMMUNITY. ALDERMAN ANITA RAIVILLE AGREED TO ATTEND IN LIEU OF MAYOR BRUCE FIDDLER.

COUNCIL APPROVED THE REQUEST FROM FORAN MINING FOR PERMISSION TO CREATE ADDITIONAL PARKING SPOTS SUPPLIED WITH POWER IN THEIR PARKING LOT AND THAT THEY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL CONSTRUCTION COSTS,ON GOING MAINTENANCE AND POWER SUPPLY.

COUNCIL APPROVED THE REQUEST FROM THE REMINDER TO PURCHASE AN AD FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION DAY AT A COST OF $163.8 PLUS TAX.

COUNCIL APPROVED THE REQUEST FROM FLIN FLON MINOR HOCKEY FOR SPONSORSHIP AT THE SILVER LEVEL AT A COST OF $600.00

Johnny’s Social Club is going to be holding a fun event this weekend to celebrate the end of summer with a night full of great music performed by some talented people in the community.

Organizer Brent Lethbridge tells us who will be performing. " Great lineup once again including Eric Bergman, Johny Betker, Craig Bancroft, Kevin Imrie and myself. We are also honored to have CC Trubiak as a special guest with Kristen Imrie and Kim Jones will be showing up to lend their vocal harmonies to some of these songs."

Shows will take place tonight and tomorrow with doors opening at 7:30 and the music will start at 8. Tickets are available at the Orange Toad for $25.00.

More Culture Days Events will take place this weekend with Night Sweats, The One Man Show which will take place tonight at the Flin Flon Community Hall.

The performer  is Brad McDougall  and he  tells us what his show The Night Sweats Is All about. " The story is about my coming out process, there is a lot of fun and humour in the first part of the play. Then aids hit and the rest of it is a tribute to friends I lost during that period if time. It is about the guilt you feel being a survivorcoming out of it. There is forgiveness at the end of that so it ends on an upnote."

The performance is set in London during the Disco years of 1978  to 1989. The show starts at 7:30 and you can pick up tickets for  free from the Flin Flon Arts Council website.

Culture Days continues to be a big hit in Flin Flon  with lots of events taking place at lots of venues for people of all ages.

One person who is really intrigued by this year’s events at Culture Days in Flin Flon is the honourable Manitoba Lieutenant Governor Anita Neville.

Neville is a proud Manitoban and has been very impressed with the hospitality   and talented people she has got to meet while visiting  Flin Flon.

" Culture Days are spectacular. I am struck by the trememdous amount of talent in the community and the number of people that can do so many things. I spent some time today at the Art Gallery listening to a music interpretation  of the art which I have never experience before and it was quite wonderful."

Among the events that the Manitoba Lieutenant Governor got to take part in included Human Books at the Staffhouse, a gathering at the Rotary Wheel with school kids, the Boreal Forest and a dinner held in her honour at the Flin Flon Community Hall.

Each year September the 30^th marks the National Day for Truth  and Reconciliation to honor the children who never returned home and survivors of residential schools as well as their families and communities.

The 4^th annual Every Child Matters Walk will take place in Flin Flon this Saturday.

Loretta McDermott the Program Coordinator for Youth and Parent programs at the Flin Flon Friendship Center invites the community to come  out and take part. " We are going to meet at Pioneer Square for the opening smudge and hand out educational information on residential schools. We will be having our awareness walk down Main street to the community crosswalk that we made with the 7 feathers representing the seven traditional teachings. We will be joined by Elder Margaret Head doing the prayer to bless our crosswalk. We will then drum with the Silver Evening Star Singers and our Northern Eagle Traditional Dance Youth group."

It all starts at 1pm at Pioneer Square and everybody is encouraged to wear an  Orange shirt to show their support for Every Child Matters.

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK THE FLIN FLON SCHOOL DIVISION HELD AN ELECTION FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR OF THE BOARD. RE ELECTED WAS CURRENT CHAIR JACKIE HUCALUK AND TRUSTEE TYLER KITTLE WAS ELECTED AS NEW VICE CHAIR.

THE BOARD ALSO PASSED A MOTION TO WORK ON THE TRANSITION TO THE E3G GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK AND AGREED TO HIRE CONSULTANT IVAN YACKEL TO ASSIST IN THE MOVE.

A MOTION WAS PASSED TO APPOINT TRUSTEE JACKIE HUCALUK,LESLIE FERNANDES,AND KATIE KAWERSKI TO A GOVERNANCE AD HOC COMMITTEE TO WORK ALONG WITH THE CONSULTANT ON THE TRANSITION TO THE NEW FRAMEWORK.

THE BOARD ALSO AGREED TO NOMINATE TRUSTEE TIMOTHY DAVIS AS REGION FOUR DIRECTOR CANDIDATE BY WAY OF WRITTEN SUBMISSION TO THE ASSOCIATIONS NOMINATING COMMITTEE.

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AGREED TO APPROVE THE PURCHASE OF A NEW MAINTENANCE TRUCK FOR NO MORE THAN $60,000 THOUSAND DOLLARS CAPITAL RESERVE.

BOTH SUPERINTENDENT TAMMY BALLANTYNE AND BOARD CHAIR JACKIE HUCALUK COMMENTED THAT THE SCHOOL YEAR IS OFF TO A WONDERFUL START WITH STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN A NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES.

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Twin Motors in Flin Flon is collecting donations on behalf of the local SPCA and Product Specialist Travis Fehr encourages people to come down to the dealership and donate.

" So for the month of September we are donating money and supplies to the shelter. Any money that we get at Twin Motors we will match and it is for a very good cause. The goal is to fill up the back of a Ram 1500 full of supplies."

You can drop by the dealership the rest of this week 9 to 6  on Highway 10A, and make a cash donation  or with food or supplies  for the cats and dogs in our  community and Twin will match every donation.

RCMP have identified one of the suspects involved in a recent shooting and are asking for the public’s assistance in locating him.

Tyrell Malique Porter, 21, from the Waterloo, Ontario area is described as 5’6’ tall and 132 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Porter is wanted on a warrant for multiple firearms offences and is considered armed and dangerous.

Police believe that the female suspect also involved in the incident is still in the company of Porter.

If you have information, please call Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909 Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

Culture Days kicked off in Flin Flon this past weekend with lots of events that took place over at Creekside Park and were well attended.

The Arts Council’s Crystal Kolt highlights more events to look forward to this week. "  The next event that is up Wednesday night is Human Books which will be taking place at the Staffhouse at 7. Also in the morning a big thank you to the Flin Flon Friendship Centre who are doing activities and teachings which is called Whispers In The Wind with school children at the Rotary Wheel. On Thursday anyone who is free,  you are invited to come by the Library for a cup of coffee at 9 and join the Flin Flon Archive Board who will be sharing some fascinating stories from our community."

Remember you can see the complete list of all Culture Day Activities and times by going to culturedays.ca and clicking on Flin Flon. All the events are free.

Culture Days events continue tonight  with an event that has been very popular the last few years, Human Books.

Library Administrator Lisa Slugoski tells us who the Human Books are this year.

"Tonight we are hosting Lynn Brown from Pickled Loon Kitchen, Ron Burwash, Frank Feiber, DeAvian Plummer and Dion Campbell, Manmeet Singh and Nazila Penjamin. This will be hosted at the Hudbay Staffhouse from 7 to 9pm."

The Lieutenant Governor Anita Neville will be a special guest tonight and wine will be sold by the glass with crackers and cheese available. Once again tonight’s event is at the Hudbay  Staffhouse and not the Library.

Last Wednesday , at approximately 8:00 am, Swan River RCMP received a report of a female who had been brought to the Swan Valley Health Centre who had wounds from a firearm.

The investigation has determined that a 48-year-old female from the community was walking outside of a multi-unit residence in Swan River when she was shot by someone in a passing vehicle. The female approached a passerby and got them to drive her to the Swan Valley Health Centre.

A white SUV was seen in the area and police believed it was involved in the incident. Police located the SUV and determined the female registered owner of the vehicle was not involved. However, evidence that a firearm was used was located inside the vehicle, and the vehicle was seized.

Officers continue to look for information about the shooting, but do not believe this was a random incident.

The victim was treated and released from hospital.

If you have information, please call Swan River RCMP at 204-734-4686, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

There was a really good turnout yesterday for the 13^th annual Grandmothers Walk in Flin Flon to bring awareness  to sexual exploitation against children.

Elder Margaret Head  was very encouraged about the good turnout as the walk continues to grow in Flin Flon. " Yes we started off with one drum group, now we have four drum groups and we have a lot more people who are attending that are providing that support for the young children in this  community. I think it is because the awareness has grown so much in the last few years that people are getting involved,  and they are seeing that we need to protect all the children in this community from people who are going to harm them."

The afternoon started with everyone meeting at the Neighbors Of  The North Park for an opening smudge before being led by a police escort down Main Street to Pioneer Square for remarks,  a ceremony and soup and bannock.

UCN announced applications for the second intake of students to the Mining Readiness Program in Flin Flon.

The second intake will be held in part at the Foran McIlvenna Bay Project site near Flin Flon. This is  offered in partnership with NORCAT and PrairiesCan, the program aims to prepare participants for careers in the mining industry.

Jamie Grant, Associate Vice-President of Community and Industry Solutions at UCN made the announcement and is very excited about the program and commented that mining is a dynamic and growing sector that offers all kinds of opportunities for those that want to step in and work hard.

A key benefit of this program is that tuition and materials are fully covered for all accepted participants.

Graduates of the program will earn a dual certificate from UCN and NORCAT. Designed for those seeking entry-level mining jobs, the program combines classroom instruction with hands-on learning.

For more information and to apply, visit ucn.ca/mining.

The Flin Flon Friendship Centre has support for women in our community and surrounding areas and hold a weekly Women’s Healing Circle to help share, get knowledge, talk about experiences and support one another.

Joe-Anne Pelletier  lets us know what takes place at these circles. " Women gather and talk about topics ranging from losses to addictions to struggles, emotional distress and lonliness, insecurities and family life. No issue is to small as we support one another. During these circles we have topics such as healty boundaries, gratitude emotions and why they are important and the benefits of how we can welcome these into our lives and healthier ways of navigating them and understanding them on a deeper level. We also have activities such as meditations and car pools, games to bring joy and laughter, crafts and cultural teachings are also taught."

This is a free program that takes place on Tuesdays and will alternate between the afternoon and evening. The times are 1 to 3 and 4:30 to 6:30. The meetings are held at the Eagle Rose Healing Lodge at 78 Main steet and you can call 687-5582 or go to the Women’s Circle Page on facebook.

The Flin Flon Aqua Centre Volunteer Committee held their first meeting of the fall and have some exciting new ways to raise money for the new pool as we hear more from the committee’s Karen MacKinnon.

" There is going to be a Senior's Challenge for people that are 65 plus  that is going to run from October the 1st to June the 21st 2025. It is a local senior citizen who made a generous donation to the new pool and he has issued a challenge to seniors in the entire area to contribute to the new Aqua Center plan. He feels this is an opportunity for seniors to show their support for young people that they have interest in them and their ability to swim."

For a donation of $25.00 minimum you will receive a tax receipt and you name will be entered for three door prizes including the first annual pool pass for the new pool. More details will be released on the City Of Flin Flon facebook page and the draws will take place at Council Chambers on June the 3^rd of 2025.

On September 16, 2024 at approximately 2:30 p.m. Saskatchewan RCMP's La Ronge Crime Reduction Team  stopped an SUV for aggressive driving on Highway #2 north of  Laronge.

Officers arrested the driver and passenger, both adult males, under the Cannabis Act.

Upon further investigation, officers seized a firearm, nearly $12,000 cash, ammunition, and a quantity of packaged cocaine and cannabis from the SUV. Following an additional search, officers seized a quantity of cocaine from one of the suspects.

The two adult males, 20-year-old- Rosell Gregana and 21-year-old Yeina Koladino, both from Saskatoon, are facing multiple charges including one count for the purpose of trafficking and one count for possession of crime over $5,000.00

Gregana and Koladino made their first appearance in Prince Albert Provincial Court on September 17^th.

FDC, Community Futures Greenstone and the Flin Flon Chamber Of Commerce have put together a Business Retention Expansion report for local business’s in the area.

Emily  Roberts Young from the FDC explains how it will work. " Our Business Retention Expansion plan is a survey that we will be asking business's to participate in. It is built around questions to learn about the business climate, how business's are looking towards the future whether that is sales, expansion etc. Maybe also looking at identifying some of their challenges and barriers in labour recruitment, insurance issues, fassad improvements, what ever that might be. This Business and Retention plan really lets us pinpoint where we can target different incentive programs or strategies or goals we can focus on."

They will be building off of surveys that have been done in the past plus including some new strategies and suggestions. If you are a local business that wants to be included you can reach out to Emily at eroberts@flinflon.ca.

Culture Days will officially kick off today with events happening all over the community including the Uptown Emporium, Creekside Park, Pioneer Square and the Norva Centre.

The Flin Flon Friendship Centre also have some special events planned as we hear more from the Friendship Centre Progam Coordinator Joe- Anne Pelletier.

" So this year the Friendship Centre is putting on an event for students called Whispers In The Wind. It is a Dream Catcher mobile with feathers and the seven teachings woven in. We are having the Silver Evening Star Singers coming to an opening  performance. Margaret will be doing an opening prayer and also doing the Dream Catcher teaching. Kelleen Blouin is  coming with Granny Willow coming to do the Seven Grandfather teaching and Loretta will do the Feather teaching."

They will be able to assemble a Dream Catcher Mobile with all these teachings.  This will take place for students this Wednesday September the 25^th  at the Rotary Wheel with two sessions at 9:30 and 1pm.

On September 7^th  at approximately 6:35 pm, Swan River RCMP, with the assistance of the RCMP Emergency Response Team, the RCMP Remote Piloted Aircraft Section, and RCMP Police Service Dog Flex and his handler, executed a search warrant at a residence on 1^st Street South in Swan River.

When police entered the residence, two male occupants were located and taken into custody. Police searched the residence and located five firearms, as well as six BB and Airsoft guns, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, ammunition, knives , machetes, brass knuckles, and a crossbow. Unstamped cigarettes were also located.

The two males, aged 77 and 31, were arrested on firearms charges and Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking x2.

They have been released from custody pending a court date.

The 13^th annual Grandmothers Walk is taking place in Flin Flon  this Monday September the 23rd at the Northern Neighbors Park beside Super K.

Christa McIntire tells us they have a lot planned for that afternoon. " We are going to start with an opening smudge, then at about 4:30 we will do the awareness walk down Main Street. We will end at Pioneer Square where we will have remarks, a bit of a ceremony and we will end with soup and bannock."

This walk is to bring awareness to sexual exploitation on children and is open to anyone who would like to take part including men, women , children and youth and help deliver the message that these violations against children must stop.

Anyone who is comfortable can wear long skirts and ribbon skirts.

A resolution was made that the city will sell any existing lot to anyone interested in building a home for only one dollar. Conditions will have to be met including putting together a plan in 6 months and you would need to start building within two years. Applications are available at City Hall or online.

An update was given on public transportation that the Flin Flon city bus is now making three stops a day into Creighton. Mayor Fontaine mentioned that they are a tri- community and want to continue to work closely with Creighton and Denare Beach and want to provide this service.

Council wanted to thank Alison and Mike Funk for cleaning up garbage which was dumped on Flin Flon’s Main street recently and also a big thank you to Kelly  Senyk and her son who cleaned up the Flin Flon Skateboard Park.

Tuesday’s meeting was the last for current City Administrator, Lynne Brown who is stepping down from the position and will now become the City’s Treasurer and will  work out of City Hall three days a week.

The new Chief Administrative Officer, Sandy Stokes will officially take over on Monday.

Raj Sweda who is the NHR CEO was a guest at yesterday’s Chamber meeting and commented that there are a lot of developments happening when it comes to health care in the North.

Sweda shares some of the things that they have been working on. " One of the priorities we are working on is to identify when a practitioner leaves the community and a new one comes in. How do the clients and our health care seekers get continuity of service. This is something we are trying to figure out  so they don't have to go through the physician finder. The second priority item we have is to establish a reliable walk-in clinic for Flin Flon and that will help us address the needs of our population here. The third important aspect is needs that have been brought to the table from our local communities across the border including the PBCN. We will meet with them in October and go over their needs and see how we can help them in accesing services at the Flin Flon hospital."

Sweda also went on to mention that they may be looking to expand the hours of medical needs to evenings and weekends. You can continue to follow updates by going to the NHR website at northernhealthregion.com.

The Flin Flon Chamber Of Commerce held their first meeting of the fall yesterday at the Friendship Centre.

There were three guest speakers including Raj Sweda of the NHR, Emily Roberts Young from FDC Economic Development and Becky Cianflone of CF Greenstone.

Sweda touched on some developments happening in the health care sector including working on getting a full time walk in clinic, an MRI machine for the North which would be  located in Thompson and they have come up with a memorandum of understanding with Northlands College.

This will help with the challenges of getting people and keeping people. The NHR is also actively working with the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in using services that are provided by the hospital.

Emily Roberts who is the new Regional Economic Development Officer talked about some of the recommendations they have brought forth including building Indigenous relationships, Downtown and Main street development and accessing new business growth channels.

Becky Cianflone just came back from the Northern Transportation Symposium in Thompson and talked about the Devil’s Lake Rest Stop which will eventually become a all season rest stop in that location. There were also recent announcements from both the Sask and MB governments on Highway 283 that an upgrade is needed for both growth in critical minerals and forestry sectors.

Thompson Bus Lines is also expected to make an announcement soon regarding a Winnipeg to Flin Flon route filling the gap in the market due to Mahikan closing down.

On September 15, 2024, at approximately 10:15 pm, Thompson RCMP received a report of a two-vehicle motor vehicle collision that occurred on Perch Avenue in Thompson. While en route to the call, police were informed that a possible gun shot was heard.

When officers arrived on scene, a 47-year-old male was found injured. Officers immediately provided emergency care. The male was transported to local hospital, where he was treated and has since been released.

Investigation determined that the male had been driving a pickup truck that was in a collision with a SUV. The SUV followed the victim to a residence and a male suspect exited the SUV, produced a firearm, and shot at the victim. A neighbouring residence was also struck by projectiles from the firearm, but nobody inside was physically injured.

After the shooting, the SUV fled the scene and was located soon after by police on Pike Crescent. The male suspect and a female suspect were seen by witnesses going into the residence. The residence was surrounded, and three individuals were taken into custody. However, none of the three individuals were determined to have been involved in the incident and were released. The two suspects were not located inside the residence.

Thompson RCMP continue to look for the two suspects involved in the shooting. At this time, police do not have confirmed descriptions to provide.

If you have information, please call Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

The FDC Tourism collaborative is going to be hosting a tourism networking and tradeshow event in Flin Flon in October.

The Regional Economic Development Officer  Emily Roberts gives us the details on what will be taking place that night. " This event is made to encourage the public and some of our government partners as well as different community organizations to engage with our tourism industry and have that networking session. We find that a lot of people from around the area arn't always  sure what options there are in the tourism realm or what there is to do and what they can recommend to their family and friends. This is an open invitation for everybody to attend and we are going to have a mini trade show set up with a bunch of different booths set up . We are also going to have a panel with tourism leaders and how they got started with their business's and how they have made it what it is today."

The event will take place at the Flin Flon Community Hall on Wednesday October the 2^nd  starting at 6. If you would like to set up a booth you can e-mail eroberts@flinflon.ca. The event is open to the public and is totally free.       

Cancer Care Manitoba is hosting a community focus group about the future of cervical cancer screenings. They will be in Flin Flon on Monday September the 23^rd.

Project  Coordinator Taylor Devlin looks forward to hearing  your feedback.

"  So we are looking to do a community focus group with women aged 25 to 70 and are looking at the potential for a new Cervical Cancer screening program to help rule out Cervical Cancer in healty populations. We are looking at a new scientifically recommended test and whether it would work in Manitoba and how it would work in Manitoba."

The event starts at 5pm at Flin Flon Council Chambers and food,drinks and prizes will all be available. If you are interested in attending contact Taylor at 204-788-8644 or tdevlin@cancercare.mb.ca by this Friday.

Culture Days will kick off this Friday with over 50 events to enjoy throughout the course of the next few weeks and Crystal Kolt tells us you won’t be disappointed with what they have planned this year.

" You know the community loves Culture Days so much and they are raring to go. We are really excited about it this year with our new interm  Executive Director who is working hard to get things online for the national website. There is lots going on at the schools, we have Pat Bruener coming in for an exhibit, we have circus skills coming in again and the Friendship Centre has lots of wondeful teachings. We have the Wild Rice cabaret and the Wild Things Market which are a couple more things to look forward to."

The complete list can be seen on the Arts Council’s website and facebook page. You can also go culturedays.ca and type in Flin Flon and you will be able to see all the great things that will be happening.

The Wahkohtowin Trails committee held their first meeting of the fall this past Tuesday at the Creighton Rec  office.

Christine Williams tells us that things are progressing very well. " At our meeting on Tuesday night we had a great turn out and took some time to celebrate our success that we have had out at Phantom Lake. We noticed over the summer our trail has gotten a lot of use and we have seen a lot of pictures of people using it and a lot of positive feedback. We just recently were able to hang our big sponsor board on our trail head so that was pretty exciting. Right now the views are beautiful in the fall if you are looking to go for a hike. As a committee we are currently working on developing  story boards to tell the history of Phantom Lake . We are looking for some sponsorships, so if you are interested in sponsoring a story board , it will cost $500.00 and you will get your name or logo displayed on a story board."

The trails committee are also going to have a chance to be part of an upcoming trade show coming up on October the 2^nd from 6 to 8 at the Flin Flon Community Hall. This will be a chance to join their committee or just find out more information.

If you need any information in the meantime you can send an e-mail to wahkotowintrails@gmail.com or go to their instagram page.

Culture Days is only one week away and the Flin Flon Arts Council once again have a lot of events planned for all kinds of age groups here in the community.

The Interim Executive Director Crystal Woodward lets us know where all the events will be taking place. " We definately have over 50 events with a lot of new Indegenous events,  including Wisper In The Wind which will take place at the Rotary Wheel. That will include teaching's  such as the Dream Catcher, the seven Grandfather's teachings, Feather teachings with some bannock and tea, some elders, a hoop show and puppet show. Then we also have the Superstar Program  for students and that will include Puff The Clown who will be teaching balloon animals plus soapstone carving, mask making and a lot more."

All the events are free and you can see the complete list of events on the Culture Days website by searching Culture Days Manitoba, then go to events category and type in Flin Flon.

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS MONTH THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CREIGHTON REPORTED RECEIVING A REQUEST FROM FORAN MINING FOR PERMISSION TO CREATE PARKING SPOTS SUPPLIED WITH POWER WITH ALL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXPANSION PAID BY FORAN. THE REQUEST HAS BEEN REFERRED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

THEY ALSO RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM THE REMINDER REGARDING PURCHASING

ADVERTISING FOR THE NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION. THIS WAS ALSO REFERRED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

A REQUEST FOR SPONSORSHIP OF FLIN FLON MINOR HOCKEY WAS ALSO REFERRED. 

COUNCIL RECEIVED AN INVITATION TO ATTEND AN EDUCATION NETWORKING SESSION HOSTED BY THE FLIN FLON, CREIGHTON, DENARE BEACH, COMMUNITY ALCOHOL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 24th AND IS OPEN TO ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS. 

COUNCIL REPORTED THE ICE AT THE SPORTEX WILL BE READY ON OCTOBER THE FIRST.

For the first time since 2019 the Flin Flon Fire department will be holding their boot drive today between 10 and 4 on Third Avenue hill  between Mikes and KFC.

Flin Flon Fireman Damian Dominey tells us they are excited to bring this event back and where this year’s proceeds will be going. " It is something we haven't done for the last few years and I hate to say it but Covid kind of killed it. We are trying to bring things back and get back out in the community and we are happy to bring this back and we will be donating the funds to the Flin Flon Creighton SPCA."

Dominey also mentioned that if possible to  have your cash ready when you drive by so they can keep the line moving quickly. Stickers will be handed out after you go through the first time to indicate you already donated.

If you are thinking about buying a house in Flin Flon, the City in conjunction with Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation are accepting grants for the Flin Flon Home Buyer Assistance Program.

Lynn Brown the City Administrator lets us know how you can take advantage of this opportunity. " We are very excited about the Home Buyer program and we do have the opportunity for the people who are purchasing homes for two hunderd thousand and under, there is an eight percent down payment which is available as a forgivable loan. If the house is a hundred thousand and under there is a poosibility for another 8 percent for funding for rehab and repair on the house as well. It is pretty exciting as over the last year and a half we have had ten people take advantage of it."

You can get an application form by going to the city’s website at cityofflinflon.ca or pick one up in person at city hall.

Greg East is organizing a a spoken word and music night coming up at Johny’s Social Club this weekend.

Greg stopped by the CFAR studio and mentioned who will be performing.

" Ranting Raph, Ron Burwash, Greg East, Allister Calligari, Jocelynn Vanness, Faith Krahn, Mark Kolt, Kevin Imrie, Sirenna and Nizilla who you may of seen around town who are here from Iran. We are happy that we are going to be able to have Gerry Ham a former teacher, Dave Bitner, Gordie Munro and Jennifer McLean all on this show."

The show will take place this Saturday with doors opening at 7:30 and the show at 8. Tickets are only $10.00 and can be picked up at Johnnys or call Greg at 204-687-0754.

Flin Flon and the surrounding area continues to experience smoke from various fires across Western Canada.

The City of Flin Flon has some recommendations on how you can reduce the effect of smoke.

Keep windows and doors closed,  use an air purifier, set your HVAC system to recirculate mode, window AC units should have the outdoor air intake damper closed, wear a mask and air out your home when the air clears; opening doors and windows will quickly remove air pollutants.

You can watch for updates on the City Of Flin Flon facebook page.

The Women’s Resource Center in Flin Flon is offering lots of support programs throughout the month of September for women in the community and surrounding areas.

Madison McIntire the Executive Director talks about the different programs they are offering. " This month we have a new program we just started which is very popular and we are calling it Ladies night and we are doing it every Friday from 6 to 7:30. We are offering a place for women to come and connect with other women. There will be different types of self care activities and that kind of stuff. We have some self care workshops coming up and we have a bingo coming up on the 19th and we are going to be doing some bookmark making,  and a new support group we started for mothers that we are running by-weekly."

The Women’s Resource Center offers counselling, information, referrals, support for women experiencing domestic violence, groups and programs. If you need assistance you can call them at 204-681-3105, send them a message on facebook or stop by their office at 228 35 Main street.

Residents of Sandy Bay were evacuated on August the 13^th due to the fast moving Flanagan fire.

The fire has now been contained with no growth in the last 72 hours so officials from the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation have lifted the evacuation.

Busses have started returning the 1800 people who were forced out of the community.

Power, water and sewer systems are fully functional with the RCMP, Health Services, grocery stores and gas stations all operating.

Care packages and essential supplies are being distributed to returning residents.

If you are interested in learning how to handle and operate a firearm there is going to be a possession and acquisition  license training course coming up in November.

Ryan Grey is teaching the course and talks about what the course will be covering. " Well the course itself is a two day course, 8 hours of theory and we also have a written test and a practical test. It covers a little bit of the history of firearms, it gets into safe handling of firearms, you will have to learn how to load and unload 5 different actions. Then it gets into storage and this is a a non restricted course that is shotguns and rifles."

The course is open to anyone 12 and over and the cost is $175.00. The dates are November the 15^th and 16^th at the Creighton Community Hall and you can register by contacting Ryan Gray at 204-687-3163 or KANVASBACK5253@GMAIL.COM.

The Flin Flon Arts Council are very excited to announce that they will be bringing one of the most popular rock bands to come out of Saskatoon , the Northern Pikes who are coming  to Flin Flon in October.

The Arts Council’s Crystal Kolt talks about how they were able to get this opportunity. " We were very fortunate to be invited by the Manitoba Arts Network to be part of a group of 5 members in the province that are part of this special opportunity to bring a big band to our town. That was how that came about and we were very honored to be invited to this. Now we have our performing arts committee to make this the best experience we can for this great band that people are excited to see. We also have some special perks we are working on and sorting out with the agent."

Tickets are being sold on Show Pass and the Uptown Emporium for $40.00. If you are under 18 they will only cost $20.00. They will also be selling VIP passes and once they are completed they will let everyone know.

UCN will once again be offering basic first aid and intermediate first aid at the Northern Manitoba Mining Academy.

Basis First Aid is a one day course taught using face to face delivery of the ST John Ambulance curriculum. Intermediate First Aid Training is a two day course using face to face delivery of ST John Ambulance curriculum that includes CPR and AED defibrillator.

This takes place on September the 25^th and 26^th and classes will run between 8:30 am and 4pm. You can register by calling 204-687-7038 or nmma@ucn.ca.

If you have any questions about the Christian faith and are looking for some answers to life’s difficult questions you might be interested in the Alpha course starting later this month in Flin Flon.

The Flin Flon Alliance church will be hosting the event and Pastor Claude explains the format of the course. " It is more of bringing local churches to the position where they can easilly and comfortably spread  the gospel to people who are interested. First we share a meal,  because a meal is extremely important as they always bring people together and it is a great ice breaker. The meal is free and then we go through some paper work that is given to each person with information on it. Then after that there is a time of discussion and questions."

Alpha will start on Tuesday September the 17^th at 6pm. To register or for more information call the church at 204-687-8498 or e-mail office.flinflonalliance@gmail.com.

The 2024 Duck Race on behalf of Freedom Outreach took place this past Saturday at the Wallace street bridge. The afternoon included a barbecue, testimonies from men in the program and three different heats for the races.

When it was all said and done, congratulations to Sherry Trudeau who had the first place duck and wins a Polaris Sportsman 570 valued at over $15,000.00.

Second place was Marissa Charles who wins a Polaris Outlaw 110 EFI valued at $4700.00 Third place went to Dylan Funk who wins an ice fishing package valued at $2200.00. The $500.00 pre race draw was won by Dave Linklater of Pelican Narrows.

Freedom Outreach would like to thank the sponsors of the event including Frontline Sport and Leisure, Rubi’s Outdoors and Arctic Beverages.

The Flin Flon Public Library is once again offering the Read To Me program for pre schoolers and their parents or guardians.

Lawrence Gillespie the facilitator of the program is excited to have this program back later this month. " We hope to be started  by late September as we are basically in the recruiting stage right now. We will be bringing back most of what we had from last year in terms of a program in reading in the neatest children's books that are out there. We will have a variety of circle games, crafts , we have snacks every meeting. We do a lot to encourage creative  play based on books and will be based out of the children's room at the library."

The program will take place three times a week with times yet to be determined for an 8 week period. It is totally free and you can sign up by going to the library facebook page or calling 204-271-2890.

Art In The Wild will hold an event at the Flin Flon Campground this Saturday at the Rotary Wheel.

This is an event that holds all aspects of mediums including visual, theatre, music, performance, installation, and more. One of the organizers Kristy Janvier tells us what to expect. " The doors open at 8pm at the Rotary Wheel and we will take your tickets there and there will be free Hot Chocolate and Apple Cider, or you can purchase Wine or Beer from the Blueberry Jam Wine Bar. After opening remarks you will take your map and just follow where the installations are and it is marked down the performance times and locations. You don't want to miss those spots."

Artists will be taking part from Flin Flon, The Pas, Laronge and one National artist. You can see the complete lineup on the Flin Flon Arts Council facebook page and tickets can be picked up through Showpass.

The Community Adult Learning Centre has re-opened and will assist people with one on one training for lots of different subjects and programs.

One of the instructors Heather Jobes tells us what they offer: " We are a certified adult learning and literacy facility that provides and supports the development and delivery of adult focussed programming. We are a certified prep location for the new Canadian Adult Education Credential which has replaced the GED. There is no cost to attend for support for adult literacy with math, employee ability skills, mature student or high school course tutoring. Computer sessions and help with programs like Word or Excel are available for a minimal fee and you can stop by and talk to the staff and see how we can help you out this year."

They have ongoing registration and the hours are 8:30 to 4:30 Monday to Friday and they are located downstairs at the old CO-OP. For more information call 204-687-3223 or e-mail calc@mymts.net.

Cranberry Portage will host their final Artisan Market of the summer this Saturday at the Heritage Museum grounds.

Organizer Barb Bragg tells us this will be their biggest one yet. " So we are going to be setting up with 53 different vendors and that is with 8 who have cancelled. We would of hit over 60, so we are pretty pumped about that. We have got a lot of regulars who will be bringing their stuff, but we also have lots of new people. Everything from baked goods to produce, to wild rice, bannock, painters, quilters and just about anything you can think of."

It starts at 11 and go’s til 3pm. The day will also feature live music from Hank James and CC Chevillard and  Lars Stoltz from Snow Lake will also be doing wood burning with a propane tank and butter knife.

Mayor Fontaine commented that a lot of assumptions have been made but they are still not sure what did start the fire at the Landfill on Thursday night. The fire is under control and there is no open flames. No estimate on the damage has been given but it has cost the city between $50 and $80,000.00 to fight the fire.

The city is still waiting to hear the total damages to Camp Whitney and will make conclusions when they get the final report from the adjuster.

Mayor Fontaine also talked about his thoughts from the recent water rates study public forum which took place last week. Fontaine said the city appreciated the turn out and are taking all the comments and suggestions that were presented very seriously and will be looking at a new proposal. Nothing is definite yet and they want to do what is in the best interest of the residents here in the community.

They have noticed a big decrease in water usage the last year and are working very hard on repairing the different water leaks in the community. Water usage is in half compared to a year ago.

Some residents voiced concerns over people dumping their garbage on the Trout Lake road and Mink Ranch road. City Council will report this to the Provincial Environment Dept and are going to post signs and levy fines if necessary.

It is almost time for the Freedom Outreach Duck Race coming up this Saturday at the Wallace street bridge.

This is one of their biggest fundraisers of the year and Ben Luc invites the entire community to come  down and take in the festivities.

" We are going to have a barbecue and want to invite everybody to come down whether you have a duck in the race or not. It isn't too late to get a ticket as the guys will be out selling this week. You will get to here from the guys that are in the program and will have some encouraging stories how guys lives are changing. Our Campus Manager will also be sharing an update on how other programs around the country are doing. Everybody that comes out is always happy that they did and we really look forward to having as many people as possible. It looks like it is going to be a really nice day , so we are looking forward to it and getting excited for it."

For the first time ever the Duck Race will feature three different heats and there are still tickets available at Canadian Tire or you can reach out to Candi at 204-271-4403. Great prizes are  up for grabs including a 2024 Polaris  Sportsman 570 Premium Trail Edition Quad.

A big thanks to Arctic Beverages for donating chips and drinks which will be available for free with the purchase of a hotdog or hamburger at the barbecue which will start at noon. The races will start at 1.

On Sunday afternoon at approximately 4:45 pm RCMP officers in The Pas responded to a report of a single-vehicle rollover on Highway 60, about 30 kilometers east of Highway 10.

When officers arrived they found a vehicle that had rolled into the ditch.

It was determined that the vehicle had hit the shoulder of the road and lost control in an attempt to correct the vehicle, which caused it to roll.

The 2 rear passengers a 21-year-old female and 23 year old male both from Winnipeg, were ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead on the scene.

The driver, a 25-year-old female, and the front passengers a 21-year-old Male from Winnipeg were transported to hospital in The Pas, treated for minor injuries, and released.

The Pas RCMP and forensic reconstructionists are continuing to investigate.

As a result of investigation, RCMP Major Crimes laid charges in relation to the August 30^th  homicide of 28-year-old Andy McKenzie of the La Ronge area.

20-year-old Andree McKenzie of the La Ronge area is charged with one count, second degree murder.

33-year-old Sarah Isbester and 26-year-old Alisha McKenzie, both of the La Ronge area, are charged with one count of  manslaughter.

All three people charged were arrested without incident at a residence in the La Ronge area.

RCMP Major Crimes and Prince Albert RCMP Forensic Identification Section continue to investigate with the support of La Ronge RCMP.

The Flin Flon Public Library wants to get the whole family reading together and are happy to be offering their 2024 Reading Challenge.

The library will feature different props each month and Library Administrator Lisa Slugoski explains how it works. " You don't have to participate in every prompt and every prompt you participate in for each month of the year will give you one entry into the reading challenge draws. At the end of the year we draw for three $50.00 gift certificates, so you can come in and order books. The September prompt is read a book told from multiple points of view and you can download the reading challenge sheet from our website."

Forms must be submitted for prizes by Friday December the 27^th at noon, with the draws coming up later that day at 1:30. The prizes are three $50.00 gift certificates for the library.

Exciting news for the City Of Flin Flon as they have come up with a great way to promote tourism in our community for many years to come.

Emily Heather Roberts who is the new Regional Development Economic Officer made the announcement on Friday afternoon. " We have officially launced as of today the Explore Flin Flon Trail with Travel Manitoba.So basically what this is, it is an app with 20 or more points of interest around Flin Flon that you can go check out. Once you are in the vicinity of that location it will add points to your app. At the end you win a certificate and some Flin Flon themed stickers as a congratulations for exploring our area."

This is a project they have been working on since the spring and to access the trail you can go to travelmanitoba.com/explore Flin Flon travel.

Karis Disability Services, formerly Christian Horizons held an open house in Creighton this past Thursday at the Sportex.

Jamie McRrae who is the Talent Administration  Manager looks forward to expanding into Creighton and lets us know what their organization is all about.

" We are an organization who supports people who experience disabilities and we are opening up a brand new group home here in Creighton. We are spreading the word about our services and doing a little bit of a hiring blitz today. We have been around since 1965 starting in Ontario and we came to Saskatchewan in 2016 with locations all over the province."

They will provide housing for 7 individuals and are hiring staff including three full time, four part time and three casual. To apply for a position or find out more information you can go to karis.org.