The Central Canada Film Group have another classic movie to show at the Hapnot Theatre tonight as we get the details from Colin Davis.

"  We have a light hearted fun movie for you this Friday at the Hapnot Theatre with enough helium balloons. Have you ever wondered what might happen if you got carried away. Well than you might want to join us this Friday for Danny Deckchair, Danny is a bit of a dreamer and much different from  his unloving success oriented wife. One day when hosting a barbecue for their friends, Danny ties several helium balloons to a lawn chair seeing if he can float around the neighborhood but he floats away. That is where his adventure begins."

Doors will open up tonight at 7, show at 7:30 with snacks and drinks available at the door. Don’t forget tonight’s show is free.

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK THE TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS OF CREIGHTON STARTED OFF BY DOING THE OATH OF OFFICE THEY THEN WENT ON TO A REQUEST FROM KIDS HELP PHONE FOR A DONATION TO SUPPORT THEIR PROGRAM FOR MENTAL HEALTH WHICH WAS REFERRED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

THEY ALSO RECEIVED A REQUEST TO SUPPORT THE THIRD ANNUAL JIMMY CUSTER MEMORIAL DOG RACE WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR THE 8th AND 9th OF FEBRUARY IN DENARE BEACH. COUNCIL HAS SUPPORTED THE EVENT IN THE PAST AND AGREED TO DONATE $500 DOLLARS.

A REQUEST WAS ALSO RECEIVED FROM THE 24/25 CREIGHTON GRAD PARENTS TO SUPPORT THEIR RAFFLE AND COVER COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE GRAD CEREMONY WHICH COUNCIL AGREED.

COUNCIL PASSED A MOTION TO DONATE $150 DOLLARS TO THE FRIENDSHIP CENTER SUPPORTING THE ANNUAL GIFT PROGRAM PLUS A $1000 DOLLARS TOWARDS THE COLD WEATHER EMERGENCY SHELTER.

MAYOR BRUCE FIDDLER CLOSED THE MEETING GIVING CONGRATULATIONS TO HIS ELECTED COUNCIL AND NEW MEMBER JENN JOHNSGAARD AS HE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THEM FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

Even though there is a mail strike happening across the country which includes Flin Flon and the North, kids will still be able to get their letters to Santa Clause.

Rena Gummerson from CUPW explains how you can get your letters delivered.

" So we are going to collect letters everyday on the picket line between 8 am  and 2pm. We are going to make sure the letters get to Santa, so the kids get a Santa letter. So we need a full name, proper street address and a phone number in case we need to answer  questions  about the letters. Anybody can drop them off as the kids can come with their parents and we have a little box for the kids to drop their letters off in."

Canada Post has put a halt on the letters to Santa, so members of CUPW have stepped up and will make sure your letters get to the North Pole . Once again you can stop by the picket line 8am to 2pm, Monday to Friday  in front of the post office at 54 Main street.

Operation Red Nose officially kicks off in  Flin Flon tonight and will get you and your vehicle home safely throughout the holiday season.

The Flin Flon Rotary Club’s Colleen Tower let’s us know how you can use the service.  " So what you do is call us at 204-687-7331 and we will arrange to send a team out to pick you up with your passengers. Just make sure that everybody has a seatbelt and know the person who will drive your vehicle,  and one of our other volunteers will have to have a seatbelt in your vehicle. They will pick you up in your vehicle with another person following from behind in their vehicle,  and when you reach your destination they pick up the driver and other volunteer out of your vehicle."

The hours are 9pm to 2am and if you are heading out to the lake areas please call before 1:30. The service is free but you can make a donation towards the Rotary Club if you wish. The volunteer groups this weekend include the Border  Explorers on Friday and on Saturday it is the Norman Wild Girls hockey team and U-15 hockey team.

The Flin Flon Trout Festival held their AGM this past Tuesday at the Creighton Tourism Office.

The evening bgan with President Dianne Russell giving her report and she reported the Trout Festival saw growth and high participation.

They added the outdoor Fish Fry Music Gathering at the Chicken Chef parking lot and it was very well received. Russell also commented that a lot of other events went well including the fishing derby, Ross Lake Regatta, community barbecues, parade, Disc Golf, pancake breakfast etc.

Attendance of over 2500 people took in the events this past summer with expats, seniors, many ethnic groups, children and families enjoying the variety of events that were offered.

They did struggle with the Main Street Multi Cultural Event and will start planning for this much earlier for 2025.

The Trout Festival continues to bring economic and tourism benefits and are seeing travellers that have not been to this area before. They continue to work hard on their social media platforms and are working on adding a reunion information page on their website.

Financially the Trout Festival saw an increase in revenue from $34,770 from last year to $40,257 this year. The revenue came from grants, the Fishing Derby, Fish Fry, Share The North and Disc Golf.

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK THE FLIN FLON SCHOOL DIVISION SUPERINTENDENT TAMMY BALLANTYNE REVIEWED SOME UPCOMING DATES PARENTS SHOULD BE AWARE OF INCLUDING THIS FRIDAY WHERE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED  WHILE HAPNOT AND MANY FACES WILL CONTINUE AS NORMAL. 

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL REPORT CARDS WILL BE SENT HOME WITH STUDENTS ON DECEMBER THE 9th,WITH FAMILY TEACHER INTERVIEWS TAKING PLACE DECEMBER THE 12th AND STUDENTS BEING DISMISSED AT 2:15.

SHE ALSO ENCOURAGED PARENTS TO CHECK THE FFSD FACEBOOK PAGE AS WELL AS LISTEN TO CFAR AND WATCH FOR MESSAGES ON THE SCHOOL MESSENGER FOR CHANGES REGARDING BUSSING AND SCHOOLS DUE TO WEATHER.

YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION SHOULD BE CURRENT OR UPDATED TO ENSURE YOU ARE RECEIVING MESSAGES FROM YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL.

SHE ALSO ASKED PARENTS TO TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT SAFETY WALKING TO AND FROM SCHOOL AND TO STAY OFF THE LAKES AND CREEKS.

Manitobans will once again have options to get to and from northern Manitoba by bus beginning this Sunday.

Kasper Bus lines who are operated out of Thunder Bay announced the relaunch yesterday and will step in and fill the void that was left when Mahikan cancelled their service earlier this year.

The bus route will depart Winnipeg on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and return on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and the route will include passenger and parcel service from Winnipeg to Dauphin and then to The Pas.

Kasper is committed to doing things properly and safely and are welcoming back experienced staff from former bus operators.

Tickets and schedules for the route are available online at gokasper.com, or by calling 1-855-566-2378.

Due to the interruption in postal service Manitoba Hydro customers who do not have an online account and normally receive a paper bill in the mail, will receive an automated phone call or text message from Manitoba Hydro to inform you that a new bill has been issued.

Information will also be provided on how to check your balance. For security reasons Manitoba Hydro will not share balances in automated messages to customers that do not have an online account.

Manitoba Hydro will not threaten to immediately disconnect power or demand payment over the phone and want to remind you that scammers will try just about anything to mislead customers on what they owe.

You can avoid scammers by talking to their customer service center at 1-888-624-9376 and you can set up an online account at hydro.mb.ca/signup.

The Flin Flon Arts Council is presenting a new family event this year to help get everyone in the Christmas spirit called Winter Wonderland.

The Arts Council’s Crystal Woodward lets us know all the events that will be taking place. " We have a lot of crafts and we are going to be buidling an igloo inside the staffhouse and we also have a movie. Santa will be there and parents can take pictures of their kids plus cookie decorating. We have lots of other events planned and it is ten dolars per child, but adults and children two and under will be able to get in for free."

A couple other events that will be taking place include Christmas Bingo and Christmas Storytime. It takes place on Sunday  December the 8^th from 1 to 4 at the Staffhouse.

The Flin Flon Friendship Centre will once again be holding their annual Christmas Gift program between December the 16^th and 20^th.

The objective is to provide an opportunity for parents/guardians to give their children a gift for Christmas when circumstances may  prevent them from doing so.

Registration will take place next week between December the 2^nd and 6^th and will include families in Flin Flon, Denare Beach, Cranberry and Sheridon.

This is for children 17 and under and you are asked to have your health card available.

To make an appointment you can call 204-687-3900 or e-mail p.e.c@mymts.net.

 Last Thursday , at 6:25 pm, Cross Lake RCMP received a report of a vehicle-pedestrian collision that occurred on the Main Road in the community. The suspect vehicle failed to remain at the scene.

Officers attended and located a 38-year-old male, from Cross Lake Cree Nation, with life-threatening-injuries. Cross Lake EMS transported the victim to the nursing station where he was pronounced deceased.

While officers were processing the scene, the suspect vehicle returned. The driver exited his vehicle and attempted to remove debris from the collision scene. An RCMP officer approached the male and determined that he was impaired by alcohol.

The 53-year-old male, from Cross Lake Cree Nation, was placed under arrest for Impaired Driving Causing Death and taken to the detachment where he refused to provide breath samples. He was held overnight and released the following day. No charges have yet been laid, however, the male will return to court on a future date.


Cross Lake RCMP, with support from the Cross Lake First Nations Safety Officers, RCMP Criminal Collision Investigation Team, RCMP Forensic Collision Reconstructionist and RCMP Forensic Identification Services, continue to investigate.

The Main Street Revitalization Corporation wants to decorate the business’s on Flin Flon’s Main Street to celebrate the Christmas season.

Crystal Kolt on behalf of the Flin Flon Arts’s Council explains how they came up with this idea. " What we really wanted to do was encourage the decorating of Main Street for Christmas. We came up with a plan  to be able to order packages for business's that want to be involved, to purchase garlands, bows and decorations for the windows on Main Street. We are really grateful that Greenstone was able to help us with this and hooked us up with Canadian Tire."

They also want to thank the Bombers who will help mount the garments on the business’s on Monday December the 2^nd between 1 and 4pm. Anyone else who would like to come and help out is more than welcome.

Creighton Recreation has teamed up with CFAR radio once again for the Deck The Halls Holiday Lights contest which will be taking place all of December.

Lindsay Shirran from Creighton Rec explains how the contest will work. " The Town Of Creighton and CFAR are excited to partner together to bring the Town Of Creighton Deck The Halls  Holiday Lights Contest. You can enter by sending a photo of your holiday display to creightonrecreation@sasktel.net. What will happen is the deadline to enter will be December the 24th at noon. Then online voting will happen on the CFAR facebook page from  December the 27th to January the 2nd and the winner will be announced January the 3rd."

You can send a photo of your holiday display to creightonrecreation@sasktel.net. You can also submit photos of other people’s homes as well.

You can help stand up against violence towards women and girls with the annual Take Back The Night with the Flin Flon Women’s Resource Centre later today at Pioneer Square.

Ally Klippel  tells us this is one of their most important events of the year.

" So Take Back The Night is our annual event where we bring awareness for domestic abuse and sexual assault. What we do,  is we have families that have been impacted by these issues to come out and speak on behalf of their loved ones who have been affected by this. Then there will be a walk down Main street and then we will all come together again at Pioneer Square."

Klippel says the walk is open to anyone who has experienced these issues or if you  just want to come out  and show your support. You are more than welcome to speak if you would like and you can also send in a poster with a message that will be carried during the walk.

The Women’s Resource Centre will also be holding a candle light vigil on December the 6^th at 5pm.

Due to all the snow that hit Flin Flon last week, the Trout Festival AGM is rescheduled for tomorrow at the Creighton Tourism Rec Office starting at 5pm.

Dianne Russell explains what will be covered during this meeting.  " It is our annual general meeting and we want to go over our finances from last year. We also want to show people what has changed in our finances and also in what we have been doing. You can expect a President's report, an Events report including our new events like the Fish Fry and the new committee and lots of opportunity to get involved."

This will be an opportunity to join the executive or feel free to show up to offer up an idea, suggestion or just come to listen. This is open to the general public.

One of the highlights of the Christmas season is the Santa Clause Parade Of Lights which will take place downtown Flin Flon on Tuesday December the 3^rd.

The Flin Flon/The Pas U-15 Hockey Team will one again be organizing the event and Head Coach Greg Kritzer tells us it’s an event his team always looks forward to. " For the past couple of years the U-15 travel team that I coach wanted to give back to the community that supports us. One of the fun ways is to run the Christmas Parade and bring Santa down Main Street and give everyone an opportunity to give some letters. It is always fun and the weather has cooperated the last couple of years and even when it's cold we find a way to power through. It is always fun, we get lots of floats, the kids get candy and everyone has a good time."

If you would like to get involved you can register by getting a hold of Greg at grkritzer@gmail.com  and he will give you all the details you need. All you really have to do is put some lights on a vehicle and come out and have some fun. Deadline to register is December the 1^st.

If you are a group or organization that is looking for some financial assistance, The Northern Neighbors Foundation is accepting grants for 2025.

Shylo Rogers explains how you can apply.  " So this year we will be granting  approximately $170,000.00 into the community. So, in order to be eligible you are supposed to be a registered charity and you have a community project that needs funding. You would go to our website at northernneighbors.com and apply on there. If you are an organization that doesn't have a registered charity number, you can borrow acharity number  from some one else and still be eligible for the funds. So don't let that discourage you if you arn't a registered charity."

The Northern Neighbors Foundation has been around since 1994 and they have granted over 1.7 million dollars into the communities of Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach,  Cranberry and Snow Lake. If you need assistance in filling out the grant application or have questions you can call 204-687-0848 or go to the website northerneighbors.com.

The Grant applications will close on February the 15^th.

This past Saturday  at approximately 6:15 am, Thompson RCMP received a report of a gunshot being heard in an apartment complex located on Ashberry Place in Thompson.

Officers had already responded to the hospital on a report of a 25-year-old male, from South Indian Lake, arriving at the hospital suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. He was last reported to be in stable condition in hospital.

The investigation into this shooting has determined that four suspects, known to police, entered onto the property, one armed with a shotgun, and waited for the victim to exit his apartment when the shotgun was discharged, hitting the victim. The four suspects then fled the scene.

Investigators believe this to be a targeted attack.

RCMP have charged Gage Hornan, 33, Dallas Spence, 30, Edward Francois, 26, and Archie Spence, 19, with Discharge Firearm with Intent, Careless Use of a Firearm, Aggravated Assault and numerous other firearm-related offences.

Warrants of Arrest have been issued for each of the four suspects.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of these four suspects is asked to call the Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909/6911, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com

Thompson RCMP continue to investigate.

The Home Routes series in Flin Flon is back next week at the Spencer’s home at 19 Hemlock Drive featuring renowned Irish Musician Mick McAuley.

Tim Spencer lets us know what type of show you can expect.  "  He is an interesting guy and his music is traditional Irish music, jigs and reels. He is a really good singer and song writer as well , so you get that kind of beautiful and haunting ballads that he sings. He is going to be a really good show and he has a personality and big presence in the Irish music scene, so he is well known but new to us, so we are lucky as usual."

It will be a chance to see this iconic artist in an intimate setting just a few feet away from you. Doors open at 7 and music at 7:30. Tickets are $25.00 and can be purchased by e-mailing timelly1@gmail.com or can be paid at the door.

You do need to reserve your seat, so make sure you let Tim and Elly know you will be attending.

The first increase will begin in January of 2025 and will go from 107 a month to 116 a month with the rate rider going up to 169. The rates then increase in each of the next four years working out to an increase of 55%.

The City wanted to thank the people that sent letters to the Public Utility Board as it did influence the board to compromise the rates hikes.

The City will be sending a letter of support on behalf of UCN who will be applying for a grant from the Provincial Government to build a 33 person residence for students totalling 1.9 million dollars. The City will also be donating $300.00 towards the Friendship Centre for their Christmas Gift Program.

Progress at the new Aqua Centre continues to go well as portions of the wall are starting to go up and it is being reported that they are ahead of schedule. The anticipated opening date is the summer of 2026.

You may notice some people ringing the bells at Walmart and the CO-OP as the Flin Flon Salvation Army’s biggest fundraiser of the year is under way.

The Salvation Army Kettle campaign will take place every weekend up until Christmas including Christmas Eve as we hear more from the Salvation Army’s Mike Vancoughnett. " Our kettles went well for the first week and all our slots were full. We have a wonderful volunteer in Nellie Brown who has the sheets and she has been filling all the spots. If you would like to volunteer you can give us a call and we will put you in where ver we need you and all your help is appreciated."

You can call the Salvation Army for more information at 204-687-7812 and all the money raised this year will go towards Christmas Hampers and for their Soup Days for bag lunches.

You are invited to come out and celebrate the season in  Cranberry for a Christmas Arts and Crafts Sale happening  this Saturday November the 23^rd.

One of the organizers Debbie McLachlan talks about all the different events that will be going on. " We have canteens in both gyms, our museum will be offering lunch and coffee at the elementary school and the FrontierCollegiate canteen crew will be offering items at the high school. We have a variety of items available including quilts, stone, knitting, stained infused glass, honey, books, chocolates, wild rice, fancy breads and lots of other items."

It all begins at 9:30 in both the Elementary gym and Frontier gym with over 100 tables total and 50 different vendors. There will be a silver collection at the door.

This past Wednesday  Flin Flon RCMP received a report of a missing 36-year-old male who was last known to be residing in Flin Flon.

William Peter Michel, 36, was last seen at the Flin Flon Friendship Center sometime in mid to late October and has not contacted family members since that time.

It’s believed he may be in the Flin Flon, The Pas or Pelican Narrows, SK, area.

RCMP and his family are concerned for his wellbeing.

If you have any information on his whereabouts, please call the Flin Flon RCMP at 204-687-1422, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

On Sunday as a result of an ongoing investigation into drug trafficking Kisematawa First Nation, Shamattawa RCMP conducted a search at a residence on Bear Avenue.

The search led to officers seizing of cocaine, oxycodone, alprazolam, numerous other illicit pills and over 40,000 dollars.

The investigation also led to the arrest of three individuals, a 23-year-old male and two females, ages of 39 and 30, from the community, who remain in police custody.

Investigations are ongoing.

The service that makes sure you and your vehicle make it home safely throughout the Holiday season, Operation Red Nose will kick off in Flin Flon November the 29^th.

Abby Burbidge from Flin Flon Insurance is this year’s official spokesperson and is honored to have this role.  " I think it's a good opportunity and I think it helps bring the community together by offering safe rides home. Working at Flin Flon Insurance we definately promote safe driving,  and we want everyone to get home safe and to eliminate drinking and driving in our community."

Operation Red Nose will operate for a total of 8 nights and are in need of volunteers especially for New Year’s Eve. If you need more information or would like to volunteer you can contact Alison at 204-687-0838 or Colleen at 204-680-8164.

The Flin Flon Community Choir will be hosting their annual Christmas Concert On Saturday December the 7^th at the Flin Flon Community Hall featuring the trio Red Moon Road.

Director Angela Ishaka shares the details. " So we have the two Community Choirs performing with the adults doing a little set to open the show. Red Moon Road will fill out the first half to intermission and then the kids will perform. Red Moon will perform another set and Mark Kolt will do a beautiful rendition of Star Of Bethleham. Then we will do a mass piece with all the choirs and Red Moon Road all together,  and it will be fantastick and you will get in the Christmas spirit with this beautiful show."

Angela mentioned that they will also be performing one of the songs for  the spring production of Annie. Tickets are $25.00 for adults and $10.00 for youth and can be picked up at the Uptown Emporium or online at flinflonartscouncil.ca.

Fundraising continues for the new Flin Flon Aqua Centre as the committee had a chance to meet late last week.

Karen Mackinnon from the volunteer committee lets us what fundraisers they have going on right now. " The latest on our 50/50, we are still selling them and we have a few more to sell,  and we want to thank everyone for buying and the volunteers for selling them at the CO-OP, it has been great. The draw is going to be on December the 26th and we hope to sell them all, and you can win up to fifteen thousand dollars. We have that happening and we also have the Senior's Challenge and that is running til June. We are very excited about this as we have already raised over 7 thousand dollars by our Seniors."

There is still the Pizza Pool Party  where anyone 12 and under can submit a letter to the pool committee and  win a pool party for up to 12 friends.

You can get additional information by going to the Flin Flon Aqua Centre Fundraiser facebook page.

The annual Flin Flon  Rotary Christmas Party will take place this Sunday at the Flin Flon Community Hall starting at 1pm.

Rotarian Cheryl Hilts shares the details for  a busy afternoon. " For over 50 years the Rotary has been hosting a Senior's Christmas party. All seniors and guests are invited to come out and enjoy a fun afternoon of entertainment from our local choir and some school children coming out to sing. If you are lucky some Rotarians may be doing some entertainment as well and Jolly Ol Saint Nick may make an appearance as well."

A big thanks to the CO-OP and Victoria Inn for sponsoring the lunch and treats and to the Inner Wheel Club for preparing the lunch. If you need a ride you can contact Bill Pauley at 204-680-9688.

The Flin Flon Rotary Club kicked off their annual Operation Red Nose campaign at their meeting yesterday at the Flin Flon Community Hall.

The chair’ s this year are Alison Dallas Funk and Colleen Tower who talk about the importance of the service and how you can use it this Holiday season. " There is a number of factors why it is so important, it is a great program that allows people to go out and enjoy the holiday season while being safe and keeping our community safe. The other aspect is it raises a lot of funds  in our communty to help with kids  organized sports. If anyone wants to volunteer, we really need help for December the 31st so you can give us a call. We run from about 9pm to 2am,  and  this year we are going to try something different and try to stop at 1:30 for rides out to the lake to respect our volunteers. What you do is call the number and someone will take your information , come to where you are and pick you and your vehicle up and drive you and your car home."

The number to use the service is 204-687-7331 and they will use Council Chambers as their headquarters. The service is absolutely free and  MPI will also make a donation to Operation Red Nose for every ride that is logged. You can contact Alison at 204-687-0838 or Colleen at 204-680-8164 for more information or to volunteer.

The Central Canada Film Group looks forward to kicking off another weekend with another classic film at the Hapnot Theatre tonight.

Colin Davis gives us the details.  " Well we have a great cult classic coming tonight as we are proud to present the original The  Time Machine from 1960. This is a classic with Rod Taylor and that great iconic Time Machine that you have probably seen before. So made in 1960 this film pre dates Star Trek, 2001 A Space Odyssey and other early sci fi cornerstones. Sure, some of the effects will look pretty dated but the film is such a class that all the dated effects are just part of it's charm." 

Doors open at 7pm and the show will start at 7:30. Snacks and drinks available at the door and don’t forget the show is free.

Thirteen people ran for 5 positions with four by election and one position appointed by PBCN.

The four people Elections took place last night for the Creighton School Division.

elected were: Meredith Norman 196 votes,  Tracy Andrusiak 173, Lisa Linnick 167 and Melanie Durette 141.

Walter Olson was appointed by PBCN.

A total of 463 people voted and the Creighton School Division wants to acknowledge all the people that let their name stand and the people that came out to vote.

The Municipal Election took place in Creighton last night with 7 people running for six Councillor  positions.

Five of the six people elected are incumbents they include : Neal Andrusiak with 167 votes,Corey Eastman 175, Darren Grant 193, Dan Hlady 179 and Anita Rainville with 170.

The new person elected to Council was Jennifer Johnsgaard with 150.

A total of 229 people voted.

There was no election for Mayor as Bruce Fiddler was elected by acclamation.

CFAR is still awaiting School Board results and will announce once they are released.

Denare Beach held their Municipal Election last night with 232 people coming out to cast their vote.

There are two new people elected to Council with four incumbents.

The two new people are  Jesse Madarash and Bruce Ritchie with 153 votes each.

Also elected were Nicole Bayliss with 114 votes, Dale Holmgren  with 110,  Beverly Wheeler 108 and Karen Thomson with 105.

There was no voting for Mayor as Carl Lentowicz was elected by acclamation.

The Village would like to thank everyone who put their names forward and everyone that came out to vote.

Tim Horton’s has chosen the Flin Flon Friendship Centre as this year’s Smile Cookie Charity for 2024 where they will donate proceeds from purchases of coffee and cookie sales.

Joe Anne Pelletier who is the Program  Coordinator for the Friendship Centre lets us know what they will be using this year’s proceeds for.  " We are really quite honored that we got chosen once again,  as we were actually chosen last year and the proceeds went towards our shelter. This year the proceeds are going to our gift program. I encourage you guys when you are out to  stop in and get a coffee, a cookie or maybe two or even buy a box and help support our gift program be successful."

You can go to Tim Horton’s November the 18^th to the 24^th to purchase your cookie and coffee and help out the 2024 gift program. The annual Christmas Gift Program helped 463 children receive gifts for Christmas in 2023. 

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CREIGHTON REPORTED RECEIVING A REQUEST FOR THE DONATION OF THE SPORTEX FROM THE CREIGHTON GRADUATING CLASS OF 2025 FOR THE OCCASION. COUNCIL AGREED TO REFER THE QUESTION FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

THEY ALSO RECEIVED A REQUEST FOR SUPPORT FROM THE FLIN FLON FRIENDSHIP CENTER FOR THEIR ANNUAL GIFT PROGRAM. A MOTION WAS PASSED TO DONATE $150 DOLLARS.

ALSO FROM THE FRIENDSHIP CENTER A REQUEST FOR SUPPORT TOWARDS THEIR COLD WEATHER SHELTER WHICH WAS REFERRED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

COUNCIL ALSO PASSED A MOTION TO NOMINATE SUSAN PHILLIPS TO THE BOARD OF THE CREIGHTON HOUSING AUTHORITY.

COUNCIL ACCEPTED THE CREIGHTON CONNECTION TRANSIT RIDERSHIP REPORT FROM JANUARY 2020 TO OCTOBER 2024 SHOWING STEADY INCREASES.

COUNCIL AGREED TO ASSIST THE BORDER EXPLORERS WITH ROCK REMOVAL NEAR RUBIS OUTDOORS IMPROVING RIDER SAFETY.

IN CLOSING MAYOR BRUCE FIDDLER THANKED ALDERMAN COLLEEN STALLARD FOR ALL THE YEARS AND TIME PUT IN AT THE COUNCIL TABLE STATING SHE HAS BEEN A VERY BIG ASSET TO THE GROUP AND THE COMMUNITY. STALLARDS LAST COUNCIL MEETING WAS THIS PAST WEDNESDAY

The City of Flin Flon is excited to celebrate the Christmas season and are holding their tree lighting at Pioneer Square tonight starting at 6:30.

Flin Flon Rec Director Cait Bailey invites the entire  community to come out. " We are excited to have the tree lit up again, although the weather doesn't quite feel like Christmas yet we are really excited to see everybody out. Santa will be there, so please bring your family and friends and we will have some carrolling and kick off our Christmas season."

Everybody that comes out will get a free cup of hot chocolate courtesy of the Victoria Inn.  This will be the first event to celebrate the Christmas season with the Santa Clause Parade Of Lights coming up on December the 3^rd and Winter Wonderland on December the 8^th.

Resident will head to the polls today in Creighton and Denare Beach for the Municipal Elections.

There will be no voting  for Mayor as Bruce Fiddler has been elected by acclamation. There will be seven candidates running for six counsellor positions.

They include Neal Andrusiak, Courtney  Biberdorf, Kory Eastman, Darren Grant, Dan Hlady, Jennifer Johsgaard and Anita Rainville.

There will also be no voting for Mayor in Denare Beach as Carl Lentowicz has been elected by acclamation.

There are ten people running for 6 Councillor positions.

They include: Nicole Bayliss, Dale Holmgren, Jennifer Hysart, Jesse Madarash, Bruce Ritchie, Alannah Scott, Karen Thomson, Paul Trottier, Beverlee Wheeler and Frank Wiegers.

There are also 13 candidates running for four Creighton School Board positions including : Donna Ferguson Anaka, Tracy Andrusiak, Janet Clark, Amanda Gautier, Lisa Linnick, Meredith Norman, Joleen Rossington, Shannon Anaka, Crystal Banting, Melanie Durette, Lacy Hynes, Cari McLean and Wally Olson.

The polls will be open today in Creighton at the Creighton Town Office and the Denareplex in Denare Beach between 9am 8pm.

Listen to full results on CFAR Radio tomorrow.

If you or someone you know is in need of a Christmas Hamper this year, registration for Christmas Hampers  is taking place at the Salvation Army starting next Tuesday.

Salvation Army Captain Shelly Vancoughnett discusses the criteria to apply for a hamper this year. " If you require a Christmas Hamper please call the Salvation Army,  or you can come to the church between 10 and noon or 1 to 3 at 3 Hemlock Drive. You will need some id and proof of income in order to register. So if you need a hamper please call in to register."

The phone number is 204-687-7812 or e-mail flinflon.church@salvationarmy.ca. The Salvation Army will also start their kettle campaign on Friday at  Walmart between noon and 7pm and the CO-OP from 11:30 to 4:30. If you or your group or organization would like to volunteer for the kettles this year reach out to Mike at 204-687-7812.

Mayor George Fontaine and Councillor Judy Eagle were guests on the most recent City Beat program that took place on CFAR this past Wednesday afternoon.

Fontaine mentioned that there is a new initiative being put together on Economic Development . " So what we are talking about here right now there is a survey going out. I believe there are 60 business's in the community being surveyed. They are being surveyed on what is working for them, what isn't working , what they need, what we and the province can do, what local lenders can do. It just depends on the situation,  as it is going to be different for every business and we will talk about all those questions. After doing 60 different business's that will also include Creighton and Denare Beach , a report will be made and we will contact everyone and let them know what the results were. We will then try to see if there is anything we can facilitate and make the business's grow."

Fontaine also talked about the recent Tourism Initiative that took place at the Flin Flon Community Hall a few weeks back. It  went very well allowing groups and organizations to come together and share ideas and an overall plan for business’s and tourism.

You can listen to the complete City Beat program on flinflononline.com.

The Christmas season is upon us and we are only a few weeks away from the Santa Clause Parade Of Lights on Flin Flon’s Main street.

The parade will take place on Tuesday December the 3^rd  starting at 6pm and will be hosted by the Flin Flon/The Pas U-15 Hockey Team.

This is open to any business, organization or individual who would like to enter a vehicle and light up in the spirit of Christmas. It is easy to do, all you need is to plug in an inverter into the lighter on your vehicle and plug some lights into it.

You can pick up registration forms at CFAR or the Reminder and you can get a registration form online at flinflononline.com. Completed forms can then be sent to gkritzer@gmail.com.

The Santa Clause Parade is sponsored by Hudbay, The Flin Flon Chamber Of Commerce, Flin Flon Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation , The Reminder and CFAR.

Teen and Adult Challenge in Denare Beach held one of their biggest fundraisers of the year this past Thursday with their Fall Fundraising dinner at the Creighton Community Hall.

Kandie Lagore who is the Development Director was very happy with the turn out and the amount of money that was raised. "It was such a wonderful evening as we had about 150 people out,  and it was a great time with information, testimonies from a couple of our students and our Desert Dash game and auction. Including our Desert Dash  and auction we were able to take in $31,500.00 and after expenses we netted about $ 27,000.00.

There were people in attendance not only from this community but people from Split Lake, The Pas and Deschambault Lake. Teen Challenge want to thank all the volunteers, Koop Geotechnical, CFAR and all the table sponsors. With the proceeds that came in from the dinner , Teen Challenge will use towards their operating expenses and opening up a Thrift Store in the future.

The Northern Neighbor’s Foundation which supports  charitable organizations and groups in the Flin Flon area  are encouraging residents to donate with Endow Manitoba.

Funds will be donated province wide and Barb Bragg explains how this will work. " From November the 12th to the 17th we have what is called the Giving Challenge which is happening right across Manitoba. It is to bring awareness to foundations and how they operate, but it is also an opportunity to stretch your dollars. If you make a donation through Endow Manitoba between the 12th and 17th , any five dollar donation you make will be matched two dollars from the Winnipeg foundation and Manitoba Government . Although you may be donating incriments of five dollars your getting that extra two dollars. So this really bumps up the principal amount that go's to the foundations."

You can donate by going to the Northern Neighbors Foundation website at northernneighbors.com or go to endow.mb.org. Your donation will then be filtered to the appropriate foundation. 

It is  Remembrance Day on Monday and the local branch number 73 in Flin Flon will be holding their Remembrance Day Banquet on Saturday and service on Monday.

Branch President Bob Penner has the details. " Penny Woloshin is looking after supper with cocktails at 5:30 on Saturday , the head table and guests will be paraded on at 6:30. There will be opening remarks from the Master of Ceremonies. We will go through supper then the presentation of Years Of Service Pins and 50 Year Service Medals. Monday we would like everybody to be in the Legion by 9:30 , we will leave 45 minutes later at around 10:15. We will march down Hapnot street to Fourth Ave, then to Hill street past the Cenotaph to up and around to the Community Hall."

You can still pick up tickets for the banquet which are $30.00 each and can be picked up at the Legion Lounge til  5pm today. The Remembrance Day Service will  be at the Flin Flon Community Hall on Monday starting at approximately 10:50am.

You will be able to listen to the broadcast on 102.9 CFAR and flinflononline.com and everyone is reminded to have their cell phones turned off during the service.  

Operation Red Nose is once again taking place in Flin Flon and the surrounding area and is sponsored by the Flin Flon Rotary Club. It is a service  that  will get you and your vehicle  home safely through out the holiday season.

The official kick off will take place in the Green room at the Flin Flon Community Hall on Thursday November the 14^th starting at noon. This year’s honorary chairperson is Abby Burbidge from Flin Flon Insurance.

Operation Red Nose will be operating for 8 different nights starting on November the 29^th and they will be looking for volunteers to help out each weekend leading up to Christmas and their busiest night on New Year’s Eve.

If you are interested in volunteering you can contact Colleen Tower at 204-680- 8164 or ctower1974@gmail.com, Alison Dallas Funk at 204-687-0838 or deescourier@gmail.com.

For the tenth straight year Northland Ford collected food for the Lord’s Bounty Food Bank with the We Scare Hunger campaign for the entire month of October.

Northland Ford’s Mike Slipp says it was another big success.  " It was fantastick, that is the only word I can say about it. The community came through yet again and we loaded up three F-150'S with food and delivered it to the Food Bank with the help of some Flin Flon Bombers. It is great and they are very happy and it ended up beinng more than last year. We have to thank all the people who donated."

Northland Ford wants to thank all the groups and organizations that helped out including the Flin Flon Bombers, The U-11 Northland Ford Bombers, Creighton Kodiaks, schools in Flin Flon and Creighton and all the people that dropped off donations at the dealership in October.

Mayor Fontaine congratulated City Councillor Heather Richardson who was chosen to attend and take part in the Strong City Network Conference in Victoria BC. Richardson was one of only  three presenters from Canada and the US and it was quite an honor.

Tuesday’s Council meeting was also the last for the Public Relations Manager Thomas Duncan who is moving to BC. Thomas has been with City since 2022 and Mayor Fontaine and the rest of council wished Thomas well.

Mayor Fontaine also congratulated the Arts Council’s Crystal Kolt on receiving her King Charles the 3^rd Coronation medal at a special ceremony in Winnipeg last week.

Other highlights from the meeting included the Mayor and Council giving authorization to new CEO Sandy  Stokes to sign, execute and endorse financial transactions, legal documents and other official agreements. The City has approved the use of City Hall as the headquarters for this year’s Operation Red Nose for November the 29^th and 30^th, December the 6^th , 7^th, 13^th,14^th,20^th and 31^st.

Money has been budgeted to repair the bridge on Pine Ave and the City will  make an assessment on fixing it or possibly replacing it . The City will also be reaching out to the Provincial Government through the Manitoba Gro for Municipalities program for assistance.

A variation order was ordered by Keekih Affordable Housing Project to decrease the size of parking spots in the Friendship Centre parking lot. Keekih is going to start to build an affordable housing project on the Friendship Centre property and will need more space.

On November 2^nd  at 3:25 pm, Swan River RCMP responded to a report of a 24-year-old male having assaulted several people and was now walking around the community with a firearm.

As officers arrived in the community, information was received that the suspect had fled the area after being picked up in a vehicle.

Patrols were made and the suspect vehicle was located at the gas bar in Mafeking. That led to the arrest of  a 24-year-old male, a 27-year-old male and a 40-year-old female. The 24-year-old male suspect had been found lying in the back of the vehicle with a loaded sawed-off shotgun, machete and ammunition.


24-year-old Chandler Cook and 27-year-old Travis Cook, both from Sapotaweyak Cree Nation, were remanded into custody on charges including Careless Use of a Firearm x2, Point Firearm x2, Robbery with Firearm x2 as well as numerous other firearm-related offences.

The 40-year-old female, from Brandon, was later released from custody for a future court appearance in Swan River.

Swan River RCMP continue to investigate.

The Norva Centre has expanded with programs for Seniors and Youth called Painting Buddies  in Denare Beach at the New Horizons Centre.

Vice President Donna Champagne lets us know how you can sign up and get more information. "  Yes at New Horizons we do the second and fourth Monday of every month. If anyone joins or wants to call me then we put them in a messenger group and then they will know exactly what days and times we are doing. We also let them know what we are going to be painting and what are our plans are for our next project. We do a little bit of work and try this  product  and see what this one will do and then we paint a picture which contains that."

A big thanks to the Rotary Club for donating supplies as the classes are free and if you want more information you can call the Norva Centre at 204-687-4237.

The advance poll for the November 13^th  Municipal Election will take place in Denare Beach today.

There will be no voting for  Mayor as Carl Lentowicz has been re-elected by acclamation. There are ten people running for 6 Councillor positions.

They include: Nicole Bayliss, Dale Holmgren, Jennifer Hysart, Jesse Madarash, Bruce Ritchie, Alannah Scott, Karen Thomson, Paul Trottier, Beverlee Wheeler and Frank Wiegers.

The advance poll is taking place at the Denareplex today between 4 and 8pm.

The regular polls for both Creighton and Denare Beach will take place on Wednesday November the 13^th from 9am to 8pm at the Denareplex in Denare Beach and also 9am to 8pm in Creighton at the Creighton Town Office.

On November 1, 2024, at approximately 11:00 pm, Swan River RCMP responded to a report of an unresponsive male in Legion Park in the Town of Swan River.

Officers arrived on scene and located a 21-year-old male, from Brandon, with obvious injuries who was pronounced deceased on scene.

His death is being investigated as a homicide.

RCMP are seeking out any witnesses and asking anyone who may have information in relation to this homicide to contact the Swan River RCMP at (204) 734-4686, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

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

A local resident in Flin Flon, Jennifer Mitchell is organizing some raffles to help raise money for residents of local group homes and for the Northern Growing Abilities Day programs.

Mitchell tells us how this all started. "  So what we are doing is  every year in my late son's memory who passed in January of 2017. What we do is choose a different organization around town here and we do a 50/50, a raffle and things like that to donate to different organizations."

The name of the project is the Christmas Presley Project and Mitchell started this in Saskatoon in 2017 and moved it to Flin Flon after relocating to Northern Manitoba in 2022. Some of the organizations they have donated to since coming to Flin Flon include the SPCA, PCH, Northern Lights Manor and Women’s Resource Centre.

If you would like to make a donation you can reach out to Jennifer Mitchell on facebook or call or text 306-250-7233.

The Flin Flon Arts Council held their AGM last week and have a lot of exciting events planned for the rest of 2024-25.

The next event coming on the arts slate is next month, when the Ham Sandwich drama troupe shows their new production - a stage adaptation of the classic board game Clue. The show will run at the R.H. Channing Auditorium Nov. 15-17.

Soon after will be the final planned show of 2024, the Flin Flon Community Choir’s annual holiday concert, taking place Dec. 7. This year’s show will feature accompaniment from Winnipeg-based folk trio Red Moon Road.

The Arts Council also received some wonderful news that they had received a $250.000.00  grant from the Canada Council Of The Arts. The Arts Council’s Crystal Kolt tells us this is big news for the entire Northern Region. 

" The Flin Flon Arts Council applied to the Canada Council Of The Arts and has been awarded another $250,000.00 for the Imagine North project which is  in it's second year. We are extremely excited about this,  because last year was the beginning when we got the initial project started  with our champions and got additional funding from the province for the shop and box. We are really excited to see where this additional funding takes us."

Kolt went on to mention that with this grant money they will be able to work with other groups across the North including The Pas, Thompson, Churchill, OCN and Brochet. They want to keep building on making products and expanding resources right across the North.

The Flin Flon Rec Commission are hosting a couple of fundraising events on behalf of the new Aqua Centre coming up later in November.

Flin Flon Rec Director Cait Bailey explains.  " We have an escape room and also a Murder Mystery Party. What that is first off  is a Great Gatsby Murder Mystery and it is taking place November the 16th and 17th. We have three time slots both days and food will be provided and you can purchase drinks. You will get a character the week before and there is 15 people per time slot. So if you have a few friends, a large group or just by yourself, we want everyone to sign up and participate. At the same time we will also be offering Escape Rooms , we have two time slots on both days once again the 16th and 17th. Group sizes of up to 6 and it is an adult physical T level so keep that in mind."

The time frames are 1:30 to 5:30 pm and 6:30 to 10:30pm. You can sign up at cbailey@flinflon.ca to register.

There is a Municipal election coming up for both Creighton and Denare Beach on November the 13^th.

The advance poll in Creighton is taking place today between 4 and 8 at the Creighton Town Office.

There will be no voting  for Mayor as Bruce Fiddler has been elected by acclamation. There will be seven candidates running for six counsellor positions.

They include Neal Andrusiak, Courtney  Biberdorf, Kory Eastman, Darren Grant, Dan Hlady, Jennifer Johsgaard and Anita Rainville.

There are also 13 candidates running for four Creighton School Board positions including : Donna Ferguson Anaka, Tracy Andrusiak, Janet Clark, Amanda Gautier, Lisa Linnick, Meredith Norman, Joleen Rossington, Shannon Anaka, Crystal Banting, Melanie Durette, Lacy Hynes, Cari McLean and Wally Olson.

Denare Beach will have their advanced poll on Wednesday and we will have their list of candidates later in the week.

Work continues to go well and on budget with the building of the new Aqua Centre in Flin Flon.

There are lots of ways you can  support the new Aqua Centre with a lot of different raffles and fundraisers as we hear more from Karen MacKinnon from the volunteer Events Committee.

" The 50/50 is going and you can win up to fifteen thousand dollars and  it is going to be drawn on Boxing Day. The tickets are $20.00 each and the information is on our pool fundraising page or Flin Flon Recreation. We will also be selling tickets at the CO-OP today between 11 and 6 and we will be accepting E-Transfers. We are also having Win A Pool Party at the Victoria Inn and we are hoping to get some more letters in. The Pool Party is courtesy of the Victoria Inn, pizza from Creighton Pizza and Arctic Beverages will supply drinks. This will be a fun event for up to 12 of your friends."

You can find out more about all these raffles as well as make a donation  by going to the City Of Flin Flon website, the City Of Flin Flon  and Flin Flon Rec facebook pages.

Congratulations to Flin Flon's Crystal Kolt, who was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal by Anita Neville, Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba in a special ceremony last week.

The ceremony took place on Thursday October the 24^th in Winnipeg and is the inaugural Manitoba presentation of the King Charles III Coronation Medals, with 55 people across Manitoba being recognized this year including Crystal.

Crystal adds this medal to her list of accolades which includes an Order Of Manitoba, Culture Days Chair for North Central Canada, Cultural Coordinator for the Flin Flon Arts Council, Director Of Flin Flon Community Choir and is the current Director of Culture and Community Initiatives for the City Of Flin Flon.