The Central Canada Film Group in Flin  Flon will be showing another blockbuster movie at the Hapnot Theatre tomorrow night.  The Film Group’s Colin Davis has more.

" What can I say, Clint Eastwood. Do you know Clint Eastwood and can you name a film that starts Clint Eastwood? Of course you can,  and this Friday we are showing one of his classics at the Hapnot Theatre that was a surprise hit for everyone's favorite tough guy. Escape From Alcatraz came out in 1979,  and it was one of the few times that the public  got to see Clint Eastwood as anything other than his famous cowboy character, the man with no name. Some people in Hollywood wondered if he would be able to pull it off and of course he did,  and it bacame one of the blockbusters of that summer."

Doors will open  at 7pm, the show begins at 7:30 and snacks and drinks will be available at the door. Even if you’ve seen this movie before you will want to see it again on the big screen.

A Halloween tradition will continue in Denare Beach today that has been taking place for the last several years which is Halloween Alley.

Denare Beach Rec Director Mel Durette explains the event.  " Halowen Alley is local people who arn't going to be home, who want the kids to get their Halloween candy or people who don't want to participate. We will hand out the candy for them and it just a quick walk through for the kids. It isn't a haunted house or anything, just a walk through to pick up candy from people who have donated."

It will take place today between 4 and 8 at the Denareplex and if you would like to donate some candy for the event you can stop by the Village Office between 9 and 4 today.

If you would like the proper training on how to handle a firearm there are a few Possession and Acquisition clinics coming up for people in this area.

The courses are taking place November the 15^th and 16^th as well as December the 6^th and 7^th at the Creighton Community Hall.

Ryan Gray will be teaching the courses and  lets us know what will be covered.   

" The course involves knowing the different types of actions, knowing how to load and unload them. Safe storage and safe transport handling of them and that is pretty much it in a nut shell. The first course, the Non Restricted is 8 hours of theory and then there will be a 50 multiple choice exam and then there will be a practical exam. That will be a one on one with myself and they will be asked a series of questions on how to handle the firearms."

The course is open to anyone 12 and over and you can sign up  by contacting Ryan at 204-687-3163 or kanvasback5253@gmail.com. The fee is $175.00 and once you have paid Ryan will send you a link for the course manual.

If you are looking for a change of pace or something totally new, Frontier School in Cranberry is looking for people to join their team in lots of different capacities.

Al Roschuk who is the Dormitory Administrator explains the different positions they have available.  " We have positions like Mentor positions in the dorms, caffeteria positions , bus drivers and there are several job postings on our website right now that post everything from Education Assistants to Custodial. We have benefits, pension and summers off and it is a twelve month position. We are looking for experienced people that are familliar to the kids and a Mentor position is everything from spending time with the kids to helping them with their school work to keeping them active with sports and activities on campus."

To apply for any of these positions or for more information you can go to fsdnet.ca and click on careers then support positions.

It is a  fifth straight majority government for the Sask Party who convincingly won last night’s provincial election.

The Sask party remains strong in the rural areas but did lose in the big cities taking 35 seats in the 61 seat legislature.

In the Cumberland constituency representing Creighton, Denare Beach, Deschambault, Pelican Narrows and Sturgeon Landing it was an NDP victory.

Jordan McPhail who had 2,230 votes  was able to hold off Gregory Seib of the Sask party who came second with 1,575. Siwichis Bird Paddy had 164 votes for the Green Party and Nasser Dean Chalifoux had 49 as an Independant.

Health care and making life more affordable for residents will be a key focus for McPhail moving forward.

The Christmas season is upon us and the Women’s Resource Centre will be hosting a fun event for the whole family on Saturday, their Christmas Craft and Home Show.

This is one of their biggest fundraisers of the year and Executive Director Madison McIntire looks forward to seeing the community there. " We will have around 30 different vendors at the craft show,  as well as a  Penny Parade, door prizes and 50/50 tickets will be sold and food and drinks will be sold. All of the proceeds of this event will go towards the operation of our Safe Haven , so this is one of the biggest fundraisers that we hold. So it is very important for us to raise money to  give back to the women and children that we  serve in our community."

It takes place this Saturday at the Creighton Community Hall between 10 and 4 pm. If you require any other information you can contact the Women’s Resource Centre at 204-681- 3105.

The Flin Flon, Creighton and area SPCA had a very successful  fundraiser on the weekend holding their first ever Inflatable Costume  Race.

The SPCA wants to thank everybody that came out and supported the event which made $25,000.00 for the shelter.

A special thanks go’s  out  to all the businesses who registered and collected prizes, the volunteers who donned an inflatable costume and raced and to all the spectators who showed up in the hundreds to watch the race.

The SPCA wanted to recognize the following people and organizations, The Salvation Army, Amisk Sounds, The Dollar Store, Arctic Beverages, Flin Flon School Division, Flin Flon Fire Department, Flin Flon RCMP, Outlaw Coffee, Volunteer Face Painters and CFAR.

The SPCA also really appreciates all the support they continue to get from the community that help keep the doors open. Without donations and support from the public the SPCA wouldn’t be able to operate.

We are now less than two weeks away from one of the biggest fundraisers of the year for Freedom Outreach who are getting ready to host  their Fall Fundraising Dinner.

Candy Legore invites the community to come down and enjoy a delicious meal and find out more about their program. " We are inviting everybody to come and be part of a story of somebody's life transformation from being addicted to living in freedom. We are putting on a fundraising dinner once again and it is our annual Fall Fundraising Dinner on Thursday November the 7th at the Creighton Community Hall. Doors will open at 5, the dinner and program will start at 6. You can reserve tickets in advance so we have numbers for our caterer."

For tickets call or text Candi at 204-271-4403 or you can get them at teenchallenge.tc. Tickets are $50.00 or you can book a table of 8 for $500.00.

It is election day in Saskatchewan as residents will head to the polls right across the province.

The polling stations for our area for the Cumberland Constituency include:

Creighton- Creighton Community Hall, Denare Beach- The Denareplex, the band offices in both Sandy Bay and Deschambault lake and the Youth Centre in Sturgeon Landing.

The candidates include: Jordan McPhail , NDP, Gregory Seib Saskatchewan Party, Siwichis Bird Paddy,  Green Party and Nasser Dean Chalifoux running as an independant.

The polls are open 9am to 8pm, Saskatchewan time and CFAR will have the full results on Tuesday.

Halloween is only a few days away and so is the very first Flin Flon Creighton and  Area SPCA’S Inflatable Costume Race.

It all go’s down this Saturday at the Hapnot Track between 12 and 2.  Nicole Kendrick is very excited about how everything is coming together and would like to see you there. " There is going to be a barbecue with hotdogs and hot chocolate, Outlaw coffee is going to be there, plus face painiting and balloons, a family friendly event. Come on down, even if you arn't in the race to watch. If you are a runner make sure you are for there at noon to come and sign a waver,and it is going to be so much fun."

A big thank you to the Salvation Army for donating the hot dogs for the barbecue and prizes will be awarded for the most pledges and someone will win the giant inflatable trophy for winning the race.

The Flin Flon Main Street Revitalization Committee has come up with a way for you and your family to keep track of all the events taking place in our area throughout  the Christmas season.

Crystal Kolt explains what they have done. " We started talking about the Santa Clause Parade and what was going to be happening on Main Street during Christmas. Then we  started trying to understand what was going to be happening in the rest of the communities so we could plan for the Main street activities. Then we decided what if we had a brochure that all four communities could enjoy including Christmas concerts. We have come up with a brochure that is hot off the press and there are a few copies available and it will be on our website."

The brochure is called Jingle All The Way and has over 30 events listed already and will continue to be updated if there are any changes or new events that get added. Physical copies are available at the Orange Toad and you can also see them online at the arts council website or any of the tri community websites.

ST.Annes Church will hold their fall bazaar this Saturday at the Parish Hall between 1 and 4pm.

Bernadette Benson talks about all the different events and products that will be available. " As far as taking place we have the big draw which is the Hope Chest Draw. It is a hand made hope  chest that is full of  all kinds of beautiful items that are donated by parisioners , and those are five dollars a ticket. We have the toonie parade again and all the prizes are donated. Then we have the tea room and that is six dollars a person and that is open face sandwiches, dainities, coffee and tea."

There will also be a bake table, candy booth, books, puzzles, draws for an afghan quilt and Friday 400 raffle tickets will also be available. Proceeds from the bazaar  will go towards maintaining the parish.

The Flin Flon and District Chamber Of Commerce and Community Futures Greenstone handed out some awards yesterday at the Infusion Entrepreneurship Conference.

For the first time since Covid they presented two business awards, one home based and one brick and mortar to celebrate small business’s in our community.

The winners include Inferno and Shawarma who are located on Hapnot Street and are owned and operated by Shaun and Rena Mitchell. They started in 2022 and have been making  delicious food for the community including pizza’s, donair meat, platters and so much more.

The other winner was B’S Ceramics who are owned and operated by Brenda Lychuk who started in 2016. She has been making ceramic pieces,running classes and making  take home sets for all kinds of age groups.

The Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce and Community Futures Greenstone like to take this opportunity to salute small business’s each year and recognize the different business people and leaders here in our community.

Community Futures Greenstone is hosting their Entrepreneurship Conference, Unleashing Potential starting today  at City Council Chambers.

Christina Birch is the founder and owner of the Community Cafe and will be today’s special guest speaker. Birch talks about her passion for community building. " I have been working in community development for 15 years now , so I grew up in a small community of about 500 people and that's really where I first became a community builder. My parents they role modeled the importance of community right from the beginning, and whether it was volunteering for one of the many organizations or just seeing a community need stepping up. My parents instilled in me the importance of contributing to your community and helping make it a better place. I think in that small town of 500 people is really where my passion for community and economic development really began."

The event will also include A Northern Entrepreneur story with Tina Oulette, different workshops , presentations  and business awards. The event will be hosted by Becky Cianflone  of CF Greenstone and  Dianne Russell of CFAR .

University College Of The North is holding Basic First Aid and Intermediate First Aid at the Northern Manitoba Mining Academy.

Basic First Aid will take place on December the 4^th and will include using face-to-face delivery of St. John Ambulance curriculum. The primary focus is CPR Level C (adult/infant/child), AED (defibrillator), and emergency situations.

Intermediate First Aid will take place December the 4^th and 5^th  and will  include using face-to-face delivery of St. John Ambulance curriculum.  CPR Level C (adult/infant/child), AED, with more thorough coverage of first aid situations.

Kari Lentowicz is the instructor  and all classes run 8:30 to 4 with a half hour lunch.

To register or for more information you can contact the Northern Manitoba Mining Academy at 204-687-7038 or nmma@ucn.ca.

Residents in Saskatchewan will head to the polls for a provincial election  this Monday October the 28^th.

Jordan McPhail is representing the NDP for the Cumberland Constituency that includes Creighton, Denare Beach, Sandy Bay and  Deschambault  Lake.

McPhail had a chance to  meet with many people and leaders and talked about some of the issues he will be looking to address.  " As some people might know here in Creighton and Denare is I used to serve as a Municipal Councellor . Part of my roles was working with an organization called New North, and what we would do is look at Northern Saskatchewan communities. I had a really good opportunity to meet with Creighton Mayor Bruce Fiddler and Carl from Denare Beach and talk about some of the issues. The Hanson Lake road with people having to travel across that road for many hours without cell reception , definately one of the top issues brought forth by local leadership. As well as the labour and delivery services as well and  some of the  health care services that are needed."

Advance polling starts today at the Creighton Rec and Tourism office from 10am  to 7. Polls will be open on election day, October the 28^th from 9am to 8pm. The polling stations include Creighton Community Centre in Creighton, Denare Plex in Denare Beach, Guy Morin Memorial Hall in Sandy Bay and the Band Hall in Deschambault Lake.

Five local groups and organizations will benefit from grants.

Re uz it accepts donations of new and gently used items they sell to support local groups and organizations.

Manager Kathy McCormick has presented cheques to five organizations totalling $3,017.95 in grants this year.

Norman Community Services- $500.00  for a 40 gallon water heater and instillation.

Community Adult Learning Centre  $327.45 for learner snacks and office materials.

Northern Growing Abilities  $630.50 for 2 ALU plates and deck and wood stain.

Cranberry Heritage Museum $800.00 for metal signage.

Wahkotowin Trails $760.00 for a picnic table and gallon of stain.

The presentations were made on Sunday October the 20^th at the RE UZ IT site.

To date Re Uz IT has donated over $28,000.00 back into our communities.

The Home Routes Series will be returning to Flin Flon in November with a series of shows that take place at the Spencer’s home . It is a chance to enjoy great musical acts up close and personal in an intimate setting.

The Spencers’s Tim and Elly highlight the first show coming up in November.

" Coming up in November we have Mick McCollie who is Irish and is an accordian and squeeze box player,  and he is coming all the way from Ireland to play his traditional style of music. He plays with a band called Sola out of Boston and  they  were called by the Boston Herald as the best Irish Traditional Band in the world. So he's coming in November and it will be a fasinating year as it has been every year. This is the 14th year that Home Routes has been in Flin Flon and we are approaching 80 acts that have come over that time. We are excited that another season has started."

The shows cost $25.00 to attend and you can contact timellyspencer@gmail.com to let them know you would like to reserve a spot or get more information. They can hold up to 35 people and their house is located at 19 Hemlock.

The Flin Flon Rec Department is holding a Halloween event for all ages, which will be a Haunted Tour of the Flin Flon Staff House.

Flin Flon Rec Director Cait Bailey looks forward to this spooky event. " We are looking forward to it as it is going to be something different than what we have done in the past. We wanted to make sure we got people into the space that they have head about but maybe never seen. There is some creepy stories about it and we thought that people would want to come in and take a peak. We have a tour going on and you can come in any time between 4 and 8, we will have some treats and it is ok for children all the way up to teens and adults."

This will take place on Saturday and  Sunday October the 26^th and 27^th . There will be a $2.00 charge or you can bring a non perishable food item for the Lord’s Bounty Food Bank.

This past Wednesday at approximately 5 a.m., La Ronge RCMP received a report of a seriously injured 29-year-old male outside an apartment building on Bedford Drive in La Ronge. The male was transported to hospital and later died. He has been identified as Darris Sanderson from Pinehouse Lake, SK.

As a result of continued investigation, officers from Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes and the Warrant Enforcement Suppression Team (WEST) arrested an adult male in La Ronge.  25-year-old Tyrell Dumais of La Ronge is charged with one count, manslaughter.

He is scheduled to appear in La Ronge Provincial Court today.

The Central Canada Film Group will be showing another movie at the Hapnot Theatre tonight and the group’s Colin Davis tells us this is a really recent film that has won some awards.

"  Every now and then we like to show something that has been popular at one of the International Film Festivals. This Friday we are pleased to prsent a film that was a real hit at the Cannes Film Festival that won for best actor in the film Perfect Days. It is a story of a man who cleans public washrooms in Tokyo, and you might think that is something I  want to watch. The story isn't based so much on what he does for a living but how he lives his life. No super heroes, no great acts of courage, no wild strokes of luck, just life  and living every day. At the end is it Enough? In this slice of life feature it will hold your attention with it's strangely compelling story."

Doors will open at 7. Show will start at 7:30 and snacks and drinks will be available. Remember the show is absolutely free.

Community Futures Greenstone  in Flin Flon is the recipient of the 2024-25 Community Futures Excellence and Innovation Award presented by Community Futures Manitoba.

Becky Cianflone , the General Manager from Greenstone says it was an honor to receive this award. " The Innovation Award from Communities Future Manitoba is awarded to a project that is making a difference in a community that can be replicated in other communities. We are really excited that our Women In Business In Community Event has been honored with the Excellence In Innovation Award. We were very surprised when we heard the news and our board member Tiffany Anderson and our team member Jill Laliberty were on hand in hekla to except the awatd last week."

Community Futures Greenstone wants to remind you that they will be hosting a Women In Business Community meeting coming up in March and more details will be released soon.

Beginning today , Thursday, October 17 at 10:00 AM, the City of Flin Flon requires an emergency water system maintenance repair that will lead to the loss of water pressure in a portion of the City of Flin Flon’s distribution system including the following residences:

Even: 64 – 80 Phelan Avenue
Odd: 71 – Phelan Avenue
Even: 244 – 264 Dadson Row
Odd: 241 – 265 Dadson Row

NOTE: The water will be SHUT OFF to make the repairs when the services are exposed. The Boil Water Advisory will remain in effect until you receive notification by hand delivered letter (and postings on our social media channels and City website).

The meeting began with Mayor George Fontaine congratulating Thompson’s Deputy Mayor Kathy Valentino on becoming the interim President of the Association Of Manitoba Municipalities. Kathy was given this appointment after a resignation.

Kathy has been a big advocate for the entire Northern region and Flin Flon City Council wanted to offer their support and look forward to continuing to work on building relations in the North.

The city has adopted an Attendance Management Policy, vehicle Tracking Policy and Asset Management Policy for employee’s and management,  so everyone is familiar with the City’s policies when it pertains to employees, city vehicles as well as the different assets owned by the city.

These plans were put together and are up to date with other communities and municipalities across Manitoba. These plans will also help with future planning and budgets.

Mayor Fontaine and Councillor Slipp recently attended the Northern Caucus meeting in Thompson and were shown what Thompson was doing with Indigenous groups including the building of an urban reserve. They also got a chance to network with different municipalities and talked about infrastructure, crime, rec and revitalization.

The city has also announced that they have budgeted $650,000 for snow removal and will be giving a discount to the Flin Flon Community Choir for the use of the FFCH for Annie. The city has also agreed to give a donation of $750.00 to the Norman Wild U-15 AAA team.

The Flin Flon Chamber Of Commerce is looking for nominations for business’s in the Flin Flon area to be recognized at the Infusion Conference coming up on October the 23^rd.

This is the first time that the Chamber will be recognizing local business’s since Covid and Chamber President Dianne Russell says they are excited to be doing this again. " We haven't had it for a while  it is the first one since 2019, so we are pretty excited to start again , it is in celebration of Small Business Week and our Infusion Conference. It is next week, October the 23rd and people can nominate a business and we really encourage you to do so. We look forward to getting repsonses and all you have to do is give us a name and tell us why they should win Business Of The Year."

You can nominate more than one business if you like and send off your nominations to flinflondistrictchamber@gmail.com. Deadline is today.

Last Friday , at approximately 9:00 pm, Thompson RCMP responded to a report of a stabbing outside a business on Kelsey Bay in Thompson. Officers attended immediately and were able to provide first aid to the injured 33-year-old woman until Emergency Medical Services arrived.

The victim was transported to local hospital, where she remains in stable condition.

The investigation determined that a group of approximately four to six female youth were in the area and involved in the assault.

Also on Friday , at approximately 9:20 pm, Thompson RCMP officers were flagged down on Station Road and located a 30-year-old female injured as the result of an assault. The victim was transported to hospital, treated, and released.

Investigation determined a group of youth were in the area and involved in the assault.

Police believe the two assaults are related and officers heavily increased patrols in the area. No suspects were located. No further attacks took place.

Thompson RCMP are asking anyone with information to please call Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

To honor Toastmasters Week, the Flin Flon Toastmasters will be holding an open house on Monday October the 21^st at 7pm online.

Harry Hobbes who has been with Toastmasters for many years mentions the benefits that Toastmasters brings. " Toastmasters offers people the opportunity to speak in public and help them think on their feet. It will also help you build your self confidence and help you communicate in the new world where so much is done online. We are the only Toastmasters Club north of Dauphin,  and we invite everyone to come to our open house which will be in honor of Toastmasters Week which will begin October the 21st." 

For more information you can contact Harry Hobbs at 204-687-6647 and he will give you the zoom link.

The Flin Flon  Creighton and area SPCA held their AGM last week.

President Nicole Kendrick welcomed everyone and thanked her staff, the community, volunteers and animal lovers for another great year. Kendrick pointed out that even though they don’t have a lot of money they continue to function.

A huge priority continues to be the renovations , kennels and taking care of the staff.

Erica Husberg presented the Treasurer report and they finished off their year with a deficit of $8,700.00 with wages and veterinary their highest expenses.

They do not receive any government subsidy’s, so it is the board, staff and volunteers that keep the doors open year after year. Fundraising, adoptions and donations continue to be their sources of income. They work extremely hard in getting the animals ready for adoption which is a large part of their income.

Husberg also commented about the generosity of the people in the community that help keep the doors open.

Shelter Manager Brenna Benko Says they took in 58 animals last year, 9 surrenders, adopted 36 animals, 8 low income spay neurers and two animals were returned to their owners.

The SPCA also worked with Gayle Yungwirth to get 16 long term animals sent out.

Nicole Kendrick will stay on as President, Shelly Jones Vice President, Erica Husberg Treasurer and Shannon Thompson Secretary. Members at large are: Rhonda Werbicki, Tereasa  Holloway Gudmondson, Lyla Yaremchuk, Marie Nixon, Tiffany Falk and Heidi Mote.

The Flin Flon Aqua Centre  Volunteer Committee wants to give kids 12 and under a chance  to win a  free pool party for up to 12 kids at the Victoria Inn.

Karen McKinnon let’s us know how kids can enter.  " So if you are 12 years old or younger you can write a letter saying why you are excited about the new swimming pool. This will run til December the 9th is the deadline and we will be drawing for the winner on December the 10th. A local teacher had sent a bunch of letters to City Council when I was on there with children who said why they wanted the pool. They were so cute and so  inspiring when we were trying to get everything going."

Once you have written your letter you can e-mail it to webuildweswim@gmail.com and be sure to include your full name and phone number. A big thanks to the business’s who are sponsoring the event including the Victoria Inn, Creighton’s Pizza and Arctic Beverages.

Ham sandwich is currently holding rehersals  for their fall production of Clue which will hit the Flin Flon Community Hall in November.

Co-directors Kayleigh Johnson and  Lana Leclair  say they are looking forward to working with a talented local cast.  " This is a great production for Ham Sandwich and is called Clue On Stage, based on the movie from the 80's. We have all of your favorite characters ready  to take you on a murder mystery. It is our first time directing a play and it is a different perspective from being on stage and back stage. We are really grateful to the whole cast and everyone behind the scenes for supporting us and guiding us in this new role."

The shows will take place November the 15^th and 16^th and tickets are only $30.00  and are available at flinflonartscouncil.ca with links to showpass. You can also get them at the Uptown Emporium or at the door.

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CREIGHTON REPORTED RECEIVING A REQUEST FROM THE U15 AAA NORMAN WILD FEMALE HOCKEY TEAM FOR A DONATION TO PUT TOWARDS THEIR ICE RENTAL FEES AT THE SPORTEX. THE REQUEST HAS BEEN REFERRED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

 COUNCIL ALSO RECEIVED AN INVITATION TO ATTEND THE ADULT AND TEEN CHALLENGE FALL FUND RAISING DINNER AND DESSERT AUCTION WHICH IS BEING HELD NOVEMBER 7th AT THE CREIGHTON COMMUNITY HALL. 

THEY ALSO RECEIVED AN INVITATION TO ATTEND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES EVENT BEING HELD IN THE PAS OCTOBER 29 AND 30th AND IN FLIN FLON OCTOBER 31 AND NOVEMBER 1st. ALL INTERESTED COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO REGISTER.

COUNCIL RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM MULTICULTURAL COUNCIL OF SASKATCHEWAN TO PROCLAIM SASKATCHEWAN MULTICULTURAL WEEK ON NOVEMBER 16-24TH. COUNCIL USUALLY DOES THIS ALTHOUGH THEY DID PASS A MOTION TO REFER THE REQUEST FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

MAYOR BRUCE FIDDLER WAS RECENTLY IN OTTAWA ATTENDING THE CANADIAN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION EVENT AND SAID IT WAS VERY GOOD WITH A LOT OF IDEAS AND PRESENTATIONS BEING SHARED AND WAS VERY INTERESTING.

 HE ALSO SAID WITH THE ELECTION DRAWING NEAR HE HOPES HIS COUNCIL MEMBERS DO WELL AS THEY CONGRATULATED HIM ON GETTING IN BY ACCLAMATION FOR ANOTHER TERM AS MAYOR

It is only a matter of days before the Northern Pikes make their way to Flin Flon for a concert on October the 20^th at the Flin Flon Community Hall.

The Flin Flon Arts Council wants to give you a chance to enjoy the show in style and are offering VIP packages.

Crystal Kolt tells us these packages come with a lot of benefits. " We are creating a VIP Lounge which will include Wine, Beer and Coolers. They will get a Northern Pikes 2024 tour shirt, exclusive shopping experience with VIP merch, a meet and greet and photo op plus autographs."

There is a maximum of 10 VIP packages and they will cost $140.00 and if you already purchased a ticket, you can exchange it  for a VIP package. You can pick up the packages by going to the Flin Flon Arts Council website at artscouncil.ca or by going to showpass.com/The Northern Pikes VIP package.

The Flin Flon Creighton and area SPCA is holding a fundraiser in the spirit of Halloween.

They are encouraging business’s to enter teams for the Inflatable Costume Race on Saturday October the 26^th starting at noon at the Hapnot Track.

Nicole Kendrick says it is going to be a lot of fun and invites the community to come down and enjoy the day. " It is going to be a real fun family event, with a barbecue as kind of a thank you back to the community. There will be hot dogs and we will have face painting and balloons. We will be doing just the one race but there will be a couple of heats so we don't have all these racers at one time and everybody falling. We will have prizes for the person with the most pledges and the fastest inflatable runner."

To get your registration form/pledge sheets, please email Lyla at lylay2009@gmail.com or swing by the MLA office on Main Street. This is open to all age groups and they are hoping lots of kids sign up as well. 

It is going to be a busy October at the Women’s Resource Centre with lots of different events going on.

One of the councillors Ally Klippel provides the details.  " Starting on Friday the 11th , we will be making perogies at 1pm to get you ready for your Thanksgiving supper. On the same night will be Ladies Night from 6 to 7:30 and that is going to be a guided painting piece. Next week on the 16th and 18th we are going to be making a Halloween Centrepiece from 5:30 to 7:30 and on the 23rd we have a Halloween Jewelry making night from 5:30 to 7:30. The following week we have a Mom and Tots Craft afternoon on the 24th from 2 to 3."

Once again you can sign up for all these events by calling 204-681-3105 or go to the Flin Flon Women’s Resource Centre facebook page.

You will have a chance to support Jazz students across the North and hear some really good music.

The Norman Jazz Festival concert is taking place Sunday October the 20^th at Hapnot Collegiate.

Hapnot Band Teacher Kim Jones provides the details. " The final performance will be about an hour and a half long and there will be a silver colection at the door. It will start with all our student bands performing two songs each and we will have twelve songs by the student bands. We will end with the Clinicians playing Jazz performance. Listening to Jazz is a unique experience in comparisen to  listening to regular  Pop and Rock music,  in that the melody is stated and all these amazing musicians improvize and they solo on the spot. They are creating music on the spot and on the stage and it will be a unique opportunity for us to hear Jazz in Flin Flon."

6 bands will be coming in from The Pas, Thompson, Swan River to join the Jazz students from Flin Flon. It starts at 2:30 and a silver collection will be taken at the door.

Halloween is now just three weeks away and the Town Of Creighton has some fun events planned to get you in the Halloween spirit.

Creighton Rec Director Lindsay Shirran has more. " It is starting to cool off and we are looking forward to our upcoming free Halloween family  dance taking place on Friday October the 25th at the Creighton Community Hall. At 6pm we will have pre schoolers which is good for the little ones to get out and then 7 to 9 will be school age groups. It is a great time with treat bags, lots of spooky fun and music by DJ Dray. The following day the Creighton Volunteer Fire Dept is holding their Halloween social for adults and that will take place on Saturday October the 26th at the Creighton Community Hall."

Tickets are $20.00 and can be picked up at the Creighton Town Office, Creighton Rec Office or any volunteer fire fighter. Anyone who wants to attend must be 19 years of age and there will be lots of prizes including best costume  and various draws.

Adult and Teen Challenge from Denare Beach will be holding a fundraiser on Thursday November the 7^th at the Creighton Community Hall with doors opening at 5 and dinner at 6.

It is a fundraising dinner  to help Teen Challenge raise money for their centre that helps young men get free from addictions.

Candy Legore lets us know what they have planned for that night. " This year the Victoria Inn will be catering for us and so it should be a lovely meal and our students will be serving again.  You will definately be hearing stories of freedom from our students and probably some of our staff. You will hear about the program and of course we will still be having our  desert auction game which is a fun way to donate. It will be an evening of food and fun  all to bring freedom to addiction."

You can arrange a ticket in advance by going to www.teenchallenge.tc for $50.00. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Community Futures Greenstone is hosting their 2024 Infusion Entrepreneurship Conference with the theme Unleashing Potential at the Flin Flon Community Hall on October the 23^rd.

Greenstone’s Becky Cianflone gives us the background of this year’s guest speaker. " So Christina Birch is coming in from Saskatchewan and she has worked in economic development for over 20 years and is a wealth of knowledge and has really empowered business's and communities to do some really cool stuff. So actually a good portion of our day is going to be led by Christina, so it is going to be very much a workshop style putting you to work. It will focus in on how you want to make your organization a place that people want to be a part of."

The rest of the agenda will include Tina Oulette and her local entrepreneur story plus various workshops, a business awards presentation and a buffet lunch.

You can register by going to admin@cfgreenstone.com or calling 204-687-6967. There is an early bird rate if you sign up by October the 11^th.

Northland Ford is collecting donations on behalf of the local food bank with the We Scare Hunger campaign which is celebrating it’s tenth anniversary here in the community.

General Manager Alison Cooper tells us what items the food bank will be looking for. " A lot of the items are non perishables, so canned foods, veggies, cereals, pasta and something else they ask for is household items. It could be soap,paper towel,tooth paste , toilet paper and stuff like that you might not think of but you need on an every day basis. Things like that would be awesome and anything that can go a long way."

Local schools also help with collecting food and items for the food bank and the school that collects the most food and items win a pizza party courtesy of Northland Ford. You can also drop off donations at the dealership for the rest of the month and they will be setting up at te Bomber game on October the 25tf and the Creighton Kodiaks game on October the 17^th.

October is Family Literacy Month and the Flin Flon Public Library will be celebrating with their Read To Me program.

Lawrence Gillespie gives us the details. " We will be running Tuesday's and Wednesday's at 1:30 and Friday at 9:00 in the basement of the library. We have a full slate including a lot of what we did last year in terms of having play time with the incredible collection of the toys the library has. We will be doing circle games, there will be snacks , various types of musical games and some tips to parents on how to be the best bedtime story teller to their kids."

There are still lots of open spots and you can contact the Library or Lawrence at 204-271-2890 if you would like to attend. This will be the first of an 8 week session and the program is free.

Mayor George Fontaine and City Councillor Mike Slipp recently attended the Association of Manitoba Municipalities , Cities Caucus in Thompson.

This was a chance to join other Cities across Manitoba and discuss the different challenges that everyone is facing and a chance to share ideas and information.

Councillor Mike Slipp explains  what was discussed. " We discussed issues such as the Community Safety Officer program which is running in a number of communities,  and how it's working and what is not working as well. We talked about water , we talked about infrastructure and someone said it best, it doesn't matter what size of community we live in we seem to have the same issues."

The next AMM Conference will take place in Winnipeg at the end of November and this will be a chance to gather with Cabinet Ministers, MLA’S, The RCMP and the Premier.

After taking the summer off the Central Canada Film Group will show their first movie of the fall tonight at the Hapnot Theatre.

The Central Film group’s Colin Davis tells us it’s good to be back. " We are back after the summer and we look forward to having a great new season with everyone. We are going to be having movies every two weeks , so watch for our posters around town. Our upcoming movie this Friday is going to be My Neighbor Adolf. This is a great film that we know you are going to enjoy and it is all about a holocaust survivor living in post war Columbia. He sees a well protected man with an obvious fake beard move in to the house next to him,  and after a series of events he is convinced he is living next to Adolf Hitler."

Doors will open at 7 and the show will start at 7:30. Snacks and drinks will be available and the show is absolutely free.

It is another busy weekend of Culture Day’s activities in Flin Flon and the Arts Council’s Crystal Kolt  let’s us know what is going on.

" On Saturday we have Magic the Gathering Tournament happening in the Staff House , and on Saturday night we have the Wild Rice Cabaret which is really popular and free. Then on Sunday there are two films that are happening. The City Of Flin Flon will be hosting the new documentary that was done on the community's history which will take place at 2pm at the Hapnot Theatre. Then shortly after that if you are interested, you can check out the archival we just got from New York for members of the Flin Flon Community Hall performing in Carnegie Hall also at the Hapnot Theatre."

Remember you can access all the Culture Days activities by going to culturedays.ca and clicking on Flin Flon.

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 38 calls in Snow Lake during September.

Among the calls included 17 traffic offenses, one coroner’s act for sudden death, one roadside suspension for alcohol, one person reported missing  but was later  found, two cases of fraud, one abandoned vehicle and many misdemeanor offenses. 

During this same time period, Flin Flon had 268 files and Cranberry Portage had 53. Of those files, over 12% were calls involving violence where bodily harm occurred and multiple resources were required.

Staffing levels continue to be a priority for the North Unit and recruiting efforts are continuing. 

Flin Flon City Council gathered at Council Chambers for their first meeting of October on Tuesday night.

Mayor Fontaine began the meeting with condolences to both the Dallas Funk and Eagle families on the loss of recent loved ones and welcomed new CEO Sandy Stokes from BC who has taken over for Lynn  Brown.

This was Stokes first official meeting as she is getting familiar and comfortable on how the city does things.

There was an update on the RCMP situation in Northern Manitoba as Snow Lake will now operate with their own officers and Flin Flon and Cranberry will continue to be combined.

The City has also agreed to allow the current Flin Flon Station Museum current board members to  stay intact for another year and will be meeting with City Council sometime in early 2025. The City did approve a grant application for Culture Days in the amount of $25.00.00 to go towards expenses, supplies and rentals for this years events.

A citizen also showed  up and voiced concerns over the state of trees in Willopark , that a number are falling down and could be a potential hazard to people walking through the park. The city will send a representative in to address the situation and they will start to remove the dead trees.

University College Of The North held their grand opening for the new diploma in practical nursing in Flin Flon yesterday at their brand new location at  68 Main street.

Doug Lauvstad who is the President of UCN explains why this is so important for the North and this region.  " A number of years ago UCN was challenged by the government to create a response to address the severe shortage of health care professionals in Northern Manitoba. Our team sat down and said what do we need to do. We talked to the Health Authority and other people involved in health care,  and the number one issue was the shortage of practical nurses in the North. As a result we spent over 5 million dollars creating sites in Thompson, Flin Flon and Swan River. That will be 57 new nursing seats that will be available in the North."

These facilities will provide students with the tools and environment they need to succeed as the region will be able to develop highly skilled healthcare professionals.

If you would like to find out more about the nursing programs that UCN offers you can visit the website at ucn.ca.

A Tourism Networking and Tradeshow are taking place tonight at the Flin Flon Community Hall that is being hosted by FDC Tourism Collaborative,

Emily Roberts Young invites you to come out and see all that the tourism industry offers here in our area. " The Be A Touist In Your Own Backyard is encouraging the public and our community to come see what we have in our region. We currently have 23 vendors that have signed up and we are expecting a few more to trickle in. We will have lots of different representation from accomodations, food , different experiences that you can take part in. It will be a neat place to network and meet everyone in the tourism industry."

Doors open at 6pm and there will be a panel of tourism leaders that will be making presentations and answering questions after words. This is open to everybody and free of charge.

Funding applications are now being accepted for local projects. RE UZ IT accepts donations of gently used items that they sell to support local groups and organizations.

Manager Kathy McCormick says funding is now available. " Re Uz It invites non profit groups and organizations in Flin Flon and surrounding areas that may require some financial assistance to apply for a project. You can apply for a portion of $3,000.00 until October the 16th. You can apply in writing to Re Uz It, 359 Queen Street Flin Flon MB, R8A-0M8.

Please include who or what your group does, cost and tax if known of your project and phone number of contact person. Those chosen will be contacted with a presentation date.

UCN is excited to announce that applications for the second intake of students for the Mining Readiness Training Program which will take place at the Foran McIlvenna project site near Flin Flon.

Jamie Grant who is the Associate Vice President of Community and Industry Solutions at UCN tells us this a great opportunity for people in this area.

" It really is focussed to get people who would normally screen out of entry level positions into the mines ,  because they don't have enough industrial experience or making that cut. After our program they can screen in to the entry level jobs with not only the mines but other industrial contractors. Even in other sectors there are a lot of transferable skills that will come out of the training."

UCN is teaming up with Foran and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation for the second intake and you can register by going to ucn.ca/mining and that will take you straight to the programs page. There are currently ten spots available.

This past Saturday  at approximately 7:00 pm Thompson RCMP responded to a call of gunshots outside a residence on Duke Place.

Officers responded immediately and, upon arrival, discovered a residence with a bullet hole through the window. The lone occupant of the residence was not injured.

Witnesses reported seeing a male run from the area, and officers began a search for the suspect.

At approximately 7:50 pm, officers responded to a second report of gunshots in the area of Brandon Crescent. Officers responded and began extensive patrols.

Thompson RCMP believe these two shootings were targeted, and are linked to an on-going investigation involving 21-year-old Tyrell Porter who is WANTED for multiple firearms offences from a previous shooting.

Porter may still be in the Thompson area. He is considered armed and dangerous. If seen, please call Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909 Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com if you have any information on his location. Do not approach.

The investigation continues.

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With October just starting up , Flin Flon Parks and Rec have lots of  activities coming up for all ages.

Flin Flon Rec Programmer Kelsey Andersen gives us the details on what’s coming up. " For kids we are hosting both Learn To Skate and Learn To Figure Skate at the Whitney Forum. For the adults we have our Adult Drop In Sports that go's from 7 to 9, Tuesday through Friday. All those are a $5.00 drop in fee or you can get a $45.00 10 punch pass. Also for adults we are going to have a Sip and Paint Pumpkin night October the 25th in the Uptown Curling Club Lounge from 7 to 9. Registration is $20.00 and includes all supplies."

To sign up for any of these events you can go to perfectmind.cityofflinflon.com or e-mail kandersen@flinflon.ca.

Northlands College held a naming ceremony at their Culture Centre on the Creighton Campus  this past Friday.

The process began about a year and a half ago for who they would like to name the Cultural Center after and decided to name it after Tomson  Highway who has roots on both the Saskatchewan and Manitoba sides of the border.

Karsten Henriksen who is the President and CEO of Northlands College  made the announcement and talks about why they wanted to honor Tomson Highway.

"  So Tomson  Highway has a unique story like the communities of Flin Flon and Creighton is connected to both Manitoba and Saskatchewan. He has very strong connections and a unique background to this region. Tomson's father is from Pelican Narrows and Tomson was born on the border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan and that what really represents the Creighton campus. At the same time it represents the values that we aspire to at Northlands College,  and that is the commitment to Indigenization and our commitment to truith and reconcilliation and celebrating our languages."

Tomson  Highway has had many accomplishments which include being a best selling author, an Officer of the Order of Canada and has been a big advocate of the LGBTQ community.