The Flin Flon Aqua Centre Fundraising Committee continue to raise money for the new swimming pool with lots of  successful fundraisers including a 50/50 draw which took place on Boxing day.

Karen Mackinnon wants to thank the community for the continued support and mentions some raffles that are coming up in the new year.

" Yes the draw went very well and the last couple of days we were selling tickets like crazy selling all 1500 tickets. I would like to send out a special thank you to Tania Benoit who helped us quite a bit in the last few days selling. Congratulations to Jelisa Wiegers who won $15,000.00. We still have the Senior's Challenge on the go and the information is on the facebook page. We are also going to be raffling off one of George Fontaine's sleds that he makes and we will have more on that soon."

The Committee has surpassed their goal of raising $50,000.00 with their Senior Challenge alread  raising over $32,000.00 and the last two 50/50’s have brought in another $30,000.00. They will announce some more fundraising efforts after their first meeting of the new year the second week in January.

Operation Red Nose will operate for the final time this Holiday Season as they get ready for the busiest night and New Years Eve.

Colleen Tower appreciates the volunteer groups that have all  stepped up and will be looking for some  help tonight. " So on December the 20th we had a group of employees from Hudbay come out and they provided 17 rides that night. There was over $270.00 in donations that night and a big shout out to Domino's for providing the food. A big thank you to everyone who has made this so successful so far and usually  on our last night we are quite busy. Community groups and business's filled all the spots on the first seven nights and we really depend on individual community members for New Years Eve. So we have had a really good response , and we have volunteers ready to go but would feel more comfortable with a few more."

If you would like to volunteer  tonight you can  contact Colleen at 204-680-8164 as  Operation Red Nose will operate between 9pm and 2am. Remember it is free to use the service and you can call 204-687-7331 to get you and your vehicle home safely.

On December 24^th  at approximately 4:00 pm, Thompson RCMP responded to a report of a firearm being discharged in the chapel at the Thompson General Hospital.

Officers responded immediately and when they arrived on scene, hospital security personnel had detained a lone male.

During their investigation, officers discovered a hole in the window of the chapel that was produced from a firearm, along with ammunition on the floor.

No one was injured in the discharge of the firearm, and officers located and seized the weapon used in the incident.

Russell Hyslop, 33, from Thompson, was arrested and has been remanded. Hyslop is being charged with multiple offenses including carless use  of a firearm, discharging a firearm while being reckless and careless use of a firearm.

Thompson RCMP and Manitoba RCMP Forensic Identification Services continue to investigate.

The annual Christmas Gift Program was very successful once again this year at the Flin Flon Friendship Centre. Program Coordinator Joe Anne Pelletier is very thankful for all the support from people and business’s in the community.

" It truly was a successful year and families were thankful and the community and business's were so kind and generous. The total of children we provided gifts for were  455 and total families was 173, so that is a huge amount. Christmas time is not supposed to be a dreadful time,  but I know with the help of everyone with the Gift Program it allowed parents to sleep a little easier knowing their children would receive something."

The Flin Flon Friendship Centre extend holiday greetings to the community and thank you for all your continued support. They are currently working on grants for lots of different events in 2025 including Bust The Winter Blues, National Indigenous Peoples Day and various family programs.

Flin Flon has been featured in the latest issue of Business View Magazine. The Feature is based on an interview between Airport Manager, Jeni East; Regional Economic Development Officer, Emily Roberts-Young and Business View Magazine's Editor-in-Chief, Karen Surca as part of a  series covering economic growth and best city practices.

Some of the topics covered include Revitalizing Main Street, Unlocking New Development Opportunities, Tackling Infrastructure Challenges, Cross Border Collaboration and a Vision For The Next 18 Months.

You can read the article at www.businessviewmagazine.com.

This past Friday at approximately 4:20 p.m., Prince Albert RCMP received a report of a robbery on Sturgeon Lake First Nation.

Officers immediately responded and the  investigation determined several individuals approached a male victim. The victim was threatened and his vehicle was stolen,   but  was not injured during the incident.

Officers began patrolling to locate the stolen vehicle and soon located it driving on Sturgeon Lake First Nation and attempted a traffic stop.

Officers set up a tire deflation device and the suspect’s  vehicle abruptly made a u-turn to avoid it, almost striking two police vehicles. Officers continued to follow the vehicle and it  eventually came to a stop and the three occupants were arrested.

As a result of continued investigation, 29-year-old Tonisha Fulton from Prince Albert is charged with multiple offense including assaulting a police officer with a  weapon and one count of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and other offenses.

She appeared in Prince Albert Provincial Court yesterday.

Tonisha Fulton was also arrested on a warrant from Prince Albert Police Service.

The other two individuals arrested were released without charge.

The investigation continues.

Creighton Recreation has once again teamed up with CFAR for the Deck The House Holiday Lights contest and Creighton Rec Director Lindsay Shirran is happy with the amount of entries so far. " We have received a few entries already and the deadline to enter for our Deck The House Holiday Lights contest is today at noon. We will sort everything out and the online voting will happen from December the 27th til January the 2nd and that will be on the CFAR facebook page. You can select your favorite with the winner being announced January the 3rd."

Remember  to send your photos to creightonrecreation@sasktel.net and the winner will receive a gift card from Canadian Tire.

The Flin Flon Recycling Centre wants to remind you what can and can’t be recycled over the Christmas break. We get the details from the Administrator Deb Odegaard.  " So if people are recycling they should check the list to make sure what they want to recycle is on it. One of the thngs we find at Christmas time that people want to recycle that isn't is Christmas wrap, ribbons, bows and that sort of thing. Any styrofoam plastic bags, disposable dishes, all those kinds of things we can't recycle. The regular pop cans, glass bottles and jars , any kind of packaging including news papers and magazines are recycible. We encourage people to check our website and give us a call."

The Recycling Centre will be closed at noon on Christmas Eve and December the 31^st and will be closed both Christmas day and New Years day. They will have regular hours every other day including Saturday and Sunday. The landfill will be closed at 1pm today and closed Christmas day and Boxing day  and will close at 1pm New Years Eve and closed New Years day.

For more information on recycling or the landfill you can go their website at flinflonrecycling.org or call 204-687-6169.

In the early morning of December 19th RCMP in The Pas received information that a man wanted about a shooting that had taken place on the 15th had re-entered the same property on Cathedral Avenue.

Officers attended to the area and with the assistance of police dog services were able to contain the apartment.

Emergency response teams then entered the residence and arrested the suspect without incident.

Darcy Campbell, who was wanted in relation to that shooting was remanded into custody on charges including assault and several firearms charges.

That investigation is ongoing.

There will be another Possession and Acquisition License course coming up at the Creighton Community Hall in the new year.

Ryan Gray will be handling the course and go’s over the details." We will take a look at proper firearm storage, proper ammuninition storage and transportation legally of firearms in any type of vehicle. That is trucks, cars,sleds,quads, all those things have to comply with that. We will take a look at some of  the major parts of the different actions  that the students will be required to learn. We are hoping the students can familiarize themselves with some of the more common firearms that are out there." 

The course will take place on January the 24^th and 25^th and will cost $175.00. You can register by contacting Ryan at 204-687-3163 or kanvasback5253@gmail.com.

UCN is looking forward to 2025 and will be offering different programs for people in Flin Flon and the surrounding areas.

UCN is bringing a Mining Readiness Program to Flin Flon in the new year which will focus on hands on learning and virtual reality while covering a variety of relevant topics. This is a four week course that will help get you your start in Mining and tuition and materials are free for successful applicants.

UCN will also be offering a Health and Safety Professional Certificate program. Dates will start in February and run til the end of June with classes running Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

The HSP program is designed to provide students with a solid base of occupational health and safety knowledge that will assist them with pursuing a career in Occupational Health and Safety.

To register for either of these programs you can go to www.ucn.ca/cis.

Mayor George Fontaine made his way down to the CFAR studio on Wednesday for the final City Beat Program of 2024. Fontaine looks forward to the new year and has some good news about the current infrastructure situation.

" What we are working on is we have grants that are in place right now or requests for grants that we have budgeted for.The first two years we were here we are quite aware that our roads need a lot of work but finances didn't allow us to just dig into that. We have sorted through some of the things we had to do and we have put aside $900.000 for the next couple of years for road work. If we get the granting that will more than double the value at over 2 million dollars each year for two years , so that will make a difference in the quality of roads that people drive on. I understand the concern and we will do what we can and we have to pay the bills when we are done so that's what we are into."

Fontaine also commented about the progress of the new swimming pool, that  he and council are very happy with the work that is being done. The City also would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

The City Of Flin Flon has appointed Emily Roberts Young to sit on the newly formed  Regional Immigration Committee and Emily is looking forward to the opportunity and can’t wait to get started in the new year.

" We are looking to increase population and get new some folks in  the area with this plan and it will go on for 4 or 5 years. It is still in it's planning phases and we haven't quite figured out the full details yet. We are looking to have approximately 25 new immigrants per year depending on how the program go's.  They will have work placement in different areas including mining,health care, education and retail sector so we are loking to partner with the business community as well."

The first meeting is planned for the middle of January 2025 and Emily will be meeting virtually with representatives from Swan River, The Pas and Snow Lake.

Flin Flon City Council gathered at City Council Chambers for the final  time in 2024.

There were a number of resolutions passed including Council agreeing to donate $200.00 to Wallee Olson and Vanessa Campbell for the third annual Jimmy Custer Memorial Dog race, and a donation of $150.00 to Ecole McIsaac and Ruth Betts schools for yearbooks.

Council has appointed Emily Roberts Young to sit as the representative for the Regional Immigration committee. Emily will be joined by representatives from Swan River, The Pas and Snow Lake with their first meeting virtually coming up in January.

The City has also signed off on an agreement by the Minister of Infrastructure under the snow removal agreement for responsibility for maintenance of Provincial roads for Highway 10A to the Saskatchewan border.

Councillor Alison Dallas Funk concluded the meeting by commenting on all the positive projects that the people in our community can look forward to including the paving of Flin Flon’s Main street with new lights, a new City Bus including shelters and new curbs and the completion of the new swimming pool.

You are invited to come out and celebrate the Winter Solstice at the Flin Flon Community Hall tomorrow night.

Hudbay will be sponsoring the event with the City Of Flin Flon organizing the events. Flin Flon Rec Director Cait Bailey let’s us know what they have planned.

" We are going to have an opening prayer and welcome everyone with some remarks to the Winter Solstice. There is going to be a Creator's Spirit Dance Troupe doing some Metis holiday songs with Low Budget Rock Star performing and of course Santa Clause. They will also invite everyone to take part in a Round Dance, so it loks like there is lots of  really exciting things happening. We are hoping that people will come out and enjoy the holiday and participate."

It all starts at 7pm and is open to the entire community and is free to attend.

The Flin Flon Aqua Centre volunteer  committee continues to fundraise and accept donations towards the building of the new swimming pool.

Karen Mackinnon from the volunteer committee tells us there is a lot going right now as we prepare for 2025. " First of all,  a fun thing we did with the pool committee for the children in the community with sponsorship from the Vic Inn, Arctic Beverages and Creighton's Pizza. Henry Chilson Sealy won a pool party at the Victoria Inn  for a letter that he sent in. Our Senior's Challenge is going well and people continue to donate to that , and that is a minimum $25.00 donation for 55 plus. A great stocking stuffer is our 50/50 draw which will happen on Boxing Day and we still have tickets available and they are $20.00 each and if we sell out the winner will receive $15,000.00.

You can get more information on all these Aqua Centre fundraisers by visiting their facebook page and the Aqua Centre Volunteer committee want thank everybody for their continued support and wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Wahkohtowin Trails Committee will be holding their first ever group event this weekend. It will be a chance to come out and enjoy the Phantom Trail.

The committee’s Leslie Beck has more: " Yes Christeen came up with an idea that we should celebrate the Winter Solstice by getting people out on the short loop of Phantom trail. It will give you a chance to experience the trail whether you are an experienced snow shoer, new at it or just want to come out and give it a try. I do have some extra snowshoes for anyone that wants to come out and just give it a go."

They will meet at the trailhead this Saturday at 1:30pm and will head out for a 2km snowshoe stopping to enjoy the lookouts. The Wahkohtowin committee is looking forward to 2025 including finishing their second trail in Creighton and working with the region to bring in the Trans Canada Trail.

You are invited out for a free Christmas dinner at the Lutheran church on Christmas Eve. It is being put on by the Lies family and Kristina  talks about the inspiration behind this event.

"  In about 2014,2015 my dad Lyle Borgstrom wanted to feed people. He worked at the food bank and could see that lots of  people needed stuff and he wanted to host a dinner. So he came up with lots of different names for it,  and I said let's not concentrate on that , let's just put it out at the food bank and community. This just isn't for people who need food, but for people who may be lonely at Christmas or don't have family around and just want to share some fellowship." 

It takes place at the Lutheran Church in Flin Flon on Chistmas Eve between 4 and 6pm. It is open to anyone in the community and if you need a ride please let Kristina know at 204-271-4668.

Operation Red Nose was in full swing  in Flin Flon and the surrounding area once again this past weekend,  and the Flin Flon Rotary Club’s Alison Dallas Funk tells us it was their busiest weekend so far.

" Yes this weekend was much busier than last weekend , so on Friday we had the U-11 Northland Ford Bombers as the club that was driving everyone. Aurora and Pine provided the food. On Saturday we had the Kinsmen, Kinnettes and Steelworkers providing the rides with KFC providing the food. On Friday we had 18 rides and 19 rides on Saturday for a total of $1,165.00 in donations. I also wanted to mention with every ride we do get a donation from MPI, from the province to Flin Flon Rotary."

Operation Red Nose will only operate for two more nights including this Friday and Hudbay will be volunteering for the evening. They are also providing the service for New Year’s Eve and still need lots of  volunteers.

If you would like to help out and volunteer that night you can contact Alison at 204-687-0838.

 Due to the current postal strike the Manitoba government is making sure families and businesses may pick up cheques and other essential mail with pickup and drop-off locations across the province.

You can pick up your Provincial  essential mail at your Provincial building in Flin Flon, Thompson and The Pas.

You can also drop off mail for the Provincial government at any location. Letters must be addressed to a specific department including the room number, street address and city or town.

Bring proper id which would include one piece of photo id and two non pieces of photo id with a current address. All offices are open Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Saskatchewan RCMP Major Crimes is now investigating a  motor vehicle incident and a woman’s death, as suspicious which occurred  on December the 5^th. This was an accident that happened  approximately 5 km’s south of Hudson Bay.

The Saskatchewan Coroners Service, Hudson Bay RCMP, Saskatchewan RCMP Forensic Identification Services, as well as a Saskatchewan RCMP collision reconstructionist are assisting.

As this is an active investigation, they  are unable to provide additional details at this time. Updates will be provided as they become available.

Anyone with information should contact their local police of jurisdiction. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK FLIN FLON SCHOOL TRUSTEE LESLIE 

FERNANDES GAVE THE BOARD A BRIEF UPDATE ON SOME OF  THE WORK THE GOVERNANCE AD-HOC COMMITTEE HAS ACCOMPLISHED. MEETINGS CONTINUE WITH THEIR CONSULTANT TO REVIEW THE EXISTING POLICY AS WELL AS WRITE NEW BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND PARTAKE IN DISCUSSIONS REGARDING BY-LAWS AND WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO SET UP A CLEAR AND EASY TO FOLLOW POLICY MANUAL. THEY ARE CURRENTLY IN THE LATER STAGES OF THAT PROCESS AND THE BOARD HAS BEEN PRESENTED THE NEW DRAFTS AND ARE WORKING THROUGH THE DETAILS.

AS THIS WAS THE FINAL MEETING BEFORE THE HOLIDAY BREAK SUPERINTENDENT TAMMY BALLANTYNE AND BOARD CHAIR JACKIE HUCKALUK THANKED ALL THE STAFF,STUDENTS,AND FAMILIES FOR A GREAT START TO THE 2024/25 SCHOOL YEAR WISHING THEM A WONDERFUL BREAK WITH THE LAST DAY OF CLASSES BEING HELD ON DECEMBER 20th AND CLASSES RESUMING ON JANUARY 6th.

The Town Of Creighton has opened up a new skating rink on Broderick Ave.  Creighton Rec Director Lindsay Shirran has the details.

" The Broderick Bunk is now ready for use and it was funded by the Northern Neighbors grant and the Town Of Creighton. It was put together by our Public Works crew and Jamie Kozar did the cement work and we are very grateful for all of their contributions and all their help assembling it and putting it together. It is in a well lit area and the Public Works Crew are now working on a warm up shack that will be assembled and placed in a week or two."

The rink is good to go 24/7 and the nets have been set up and a big thanks to the Town Of Creighton and Creighton Fire Department for all their hard work in setting it up.

There is a big fundraiser for Northern Growing Abilities in Creighton this weekend with the annual Festival Of Trees at the Creighton Community Hall.

Deb Odegaard stopped by the CFAR studio earlier this week and tells us it will be a chance to pick up some great Christmas gifts.   " It is kind of like the last event before Christmas with a lot of vendors there, so some great Christmas gift ideas. It is the Festival Of Trees so we have donated trees, wreaths and centre pieces that creative people in the community have made. Everyone that comes gets to vote for their favorite in each category, plus your favorite in the entire  show." 

You can also bid on the different items and the highest bidder this Saturday at 3 will get to take the items home. There will also be a 50/50, Penny Parade, baking, crafts , concession and of course Santa will be there.

The hours are Friday 6-9pm and Saturday 10 to 4.

Early Tuesday morning RCMP in The Pas responded to a report of shots fired on Hone Street in The Pas.

When officers arrived they were advised that a residence had been hit multiple times but no injuries were reported.

Witnesses in the area reported seeing two males, wearing all black fleeing from the scene in a black Dodge Ram pickup truck described as being a 2015 to 19 model.

Later in the afternoon the OCN detachment and the MFNPS received a report of a robbery where a 35-year-old male from Flin Flon was shot.

The victim was transported to hospital and remains in stable condition.

The suspects matched the same description and the incidents are not believed to be random as the suspects and victims are possibly known to each other.

Anyone with information in relation to these shootings is asked to contact The Pas RCMP at 204-627-6204 or online at manitobacrimestoppers.com.

People have been very generous in supporting the Flin Flon Friendship Centre’s Christmas Gift Program with lots of different  fundraisers.

Joe- Anne Pelletier on behalf of the Friendship Centre wants to thank the community. " Well honestly the support of the business's and the community has been absolutely phenominal and the Teddy Bear Toss was a great turn out as that truck was full of Teddies. The Red Apple event went well this weekend and people enjoyed their time with Santa and came out and purchased gifts. People from the community continue to bring items into the Friendship Centre and with the Smile Cookie campaign we tripled the amount we did last year."

The Smile Cookie Campaign brought in a total of $1,658.22 and the Red Apple will donate 5 % of total store sales from this past Saturday. You can still donate to the Christmas Gift Program by dropping off a toy or cheque to the front desk at the Friendship Centre by December the 20^th.

Borealis and the Children’s Choir will be holding a traditional Christmas Carol service on behalf of the Lord’s Bounty Foodbank this Sunday.

Tim Spencer says it is a big tradition that they have been doing for a number of years and they look forward to performing  again this year.  " It is basically a traditional Christmas Carol service, Lessons in Carols. The lessons are Bible readings tracing the Christmas story and it all originated in Cambridge England about 80 years ago and is done all over the world. So there will be lots of carols and 9 readings and the congregation will get to sing 5 or 6 of them with the Choirs."

It takes place at the Lutheran Church in Flin Flon starting at 3:30 and you can offer a non perishable  food item or cash donation towards the food bank. Tax receipts will be available for any donation of  ten dollars or more.

Yesterday  at approximately 2:15 a.m., La Ronge RCMP received a report of a missing 28-year-old male, Scott Ross.

Scott was last seen on December 9 at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Backlund Street in La Ronge, SK.

Scott is described as approximately 5’7” tall and 150 lbs. He has brown eyes, medium-length black hair, and a goatee. Scott was last seen wearing a black hoodie with a cartoon character on the front, black joggers, and gold coloured shoes.

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

The Flin Flon Salvation Army have wrapped up all their Christmas Hamper interviews and now will start to pack and get ready to distribute the hampers to different communities.

Shelly Vancoughnett lets us know the delivery schedule.  " We are getting them all packed up, labelled and ready to go out. On December the 17th we do our Sheriden delivery and we will truck our hampers out starting at about 7am. On December the 18th,  we will be taking the hampers out to Denare Beach at about 11 am and we will be taking them to the Rec Centre. We will also make a delivery to Cranberry later that day at the Legion at 2pm. On December the 19th the Flin Flon Creighton pick ups happen at the church at 3 Hemlock Drive between 3 and 7 pm."

The hampers are paid for by the Christmas Kettles which have been set up at various places in the community, and all the proceeds stay in Flin Flon and area. The Salvation Army want to thank the Bombers, Youth Centre and Teen Challenge for coming to help pack the boxes.

Operation Red Nose has wrapped up their second weekend of getting you and your vehicle home safely throughout the holiday season.

Alison Dallas Funk tells us rides picked up on Saturday. " This Friday night, December the 6th,  the Flin Flon Aqua Centre did the rides and Chicken Chef provided the food. We had a slower night with only 6 rides and $60.00 in donations. On Saturday the Ski Club and Hapnot were the volunteer organizations and Schwarma provided the food for the volunteers. They were busier and they had 11 rides and they had $318.00 in donations , so total in last weekend was $378.00 in donations."

The volunteers for this up coming weekend include the Northland Ford U-11 Bombers on Friday night and on Saturday night it is the Kinsmen/Kinnettes and the Steelworkers.

Hours will be 9pm  to 2am  and the number to call is 204-687- 7331.

With 2025 just a few weeks away , Adult and Teen Challenge are starting to plan for their first big fundraiser of the new year.

The Sled For Eternity is back and will take place in Swan River at the Swan Valley Historical Museum on  February the 22^nd.

Candy Legore stopped by the CFAR studio on Thursday and tells us how this year’s event will work. " This year it has been changed to the Western Manitoba Sled For Eternity for two reasons. So our head team doesn't get burnt out going to all these different locations and be able to have a larger congregation of people together, all for one cause. It will also be an opportunity to enjoy other people's trails as well."

Early bird registration is taking place right now for $80.00, after January the 1^st it will increase to $100.00. Posters are around town so you can scan the QR code or go to teenchallenge.tc. Lots of great prizes are up for grabs again this year including a 2025 Skidoo Expidition SE 900 Ace Turbo R.

It was a very good first year for the Wahkohtowin Trails Committee who not only completed their first trail at Phantom Lake but were able to gets lots of financial support and volunteers.

Leslie Beck looks forward to the future. " It is pretty exciting because back in January the Chamber Of Commerce took us on as a committee that really set forth our ability to start raising money. We have had  lots of support from Rotary and local business's to put up a commemorative   plaque for Bruce Reid  at the Phantom Trail which was a fabulous turn out for that. We have memberships now with Manitoba and Saskatchewan Trails and as a result of Sask Trails we are in their first inaugural edition of Sask Trails Explorer magazine."

Their second trail should be completed in January and will be located in Creighton just south of the Rec Office. If you would like to find out more information  or maybe join their committee you can check out their instagram page or get a hold of Leslie at 204-680- 6089.

If you would like to do some visiting and enjoy some Christmas goodies, make sure you stop by ST Anne’s Parish Hall this Saturday for a Christmas Tea and Market.

Donna Coles talks about all the events that will be taking place throughout the afternoon. " ST Ann's is having a Christmas Tea with Strawberry Shortcake or cake with Lemon topping. We will also be  having a book sale, novelty booth , puzzle sale, door prizes and a 50/50 and pictures with the Grinch."

There will also be perogies, sewing, knitting and a bake table.

It will cost $5.00 to attend the tea with the proceeds going towards the up keep of the Parish.

Make sure you bring a stuffed animal to the Flin Flon Bomber game tonight  as an annual Christmas tradition will be taking place, the Northland Ford Teddybear Toss.

Mike Slipp provides the details." It is coming up tonight as the Bombers will host the Melville Millionaires and it is our annual Northland Ford Teddy Bear Toss. So bring your bears down to the Whitney Forum and enjoy the game and when the Bombers score that first goal. We have done this for multiple years and it is a big deal and it is a lot of fun for everybody to throw stuff on the ice. The players will pick it all up and they get excited about it too."

Once the Teddy Bears are tossed on the ice they will be gathered and then donated to the Flin Flon Friendship Centre Gift program. Game time is 7: 30.

It is a big weekend at the Flin Flon Community Hall as the Flin Flon Community Choir and  Children’s Choir will be joined by the Winnipeg trio Red Moon Road for their  annual Christmas concert.

Angela Ishaka is the director and talks about the lineup for  the show. " We will have the adult choir singing for us off the top of the show,  then Red Moon Road will do a big set in the first half and also in the second half. We also  have the kids singing and a little surprise from our musical that we will be doing in the Spring. The kids will sing the Grinch Song which will be really cute and All I Want For Christmas Is You. The adults are also going to do a big medley of Pentetonix songs, so if your a Pentetonix fan you are going to love this show as well."

The show is tomorrow starting at 7 and there are still tickets available. You can pick them up at the Uptown Emporium or online at flinflonartscouncil.ca. Prices are $25.00 for adults and $10.00 for youth.

How would you like to show off your Holiday decorations and win a prize?

The Flin Flon Rec Department is sponsoring a Christmas Decorating Event  and Kelsey Andersen tells us how you can enter. " This is open to anybody in our community, so if you see someone that has some awesome decorations or if you have some awesome decorations you can take a picture and send it in. Send it off to kandersen@flinflon.ca and we will be taking submissions til December the 16th."

You will be able to vote on Facebook to help pick the winner. The winner will be chosen on December the 20^th.

The Flin Flon Inner Wheel/ Rotary Club will once again be giving seniors in our community  a chance to travel around Flin Flon and Creighton  to view all the Christmas lights and displays.

Betty Smith tells us it is always a lot of fun and encourage all the seniors to sign up.  "  We will be using two of the little Flin Flon  white  school busses that they have and touring Flin Flon and Creighton to see all the lights around town. We will be doing pick-ups at Hemlock, Rotary Court and Legion Housing and the rest of the people will meet at City Hall. After we tour the city, we will return to City Hall for Hot Chocolate, goodies and sing some songs."

This takes place next Tuesday December the 10^th and will leave City Hall at 6:30 so try to be there at least 15 minutes early. To book your seat contact Fran at 204-687-0057. 

Members of Flin Flon City Council recently attended the AMM Conference in Winnipeg and that was one of the big topics at this Tuesday’s Flin Flon  City Council meeting.

Mayor Fontaine commented that he really enjoyed the sessions on health and had a chance to talk to some municipalities on how they were able to recruit and retain doctors. Council members had a chance to meet with all kinds of Ministers including Northern Relations, Addictions, Sport and Culture, Infrastructure and RCMP.

Thompson Deputy Mayor, Cathy Valentino was also named the new AMM President which means this is the first time ever that the position has been filled by someone from the North.

The City Of Flin Flon have released their 2025 council meeting schedule. Regular Council meetings will take place the first and third Tuesday of the month. Committee Of The Whole meetings will take place the second and fourth Tuesday of the moth.

There  was a report given by Councillor Eagle who mentioned that the Flin Flon RCMP will be required to wear body cameras, but is still about 18 months away. Shovels will hit the dirt this Spring for work on the new RCMP Detachment building. The new location will be the old Company apartments lot which was given to the City from Hudbay.   

Some residents attended the meeting and asked questions about the new reduced speed signs which are located throughout the community and wanted to know if the bylaws written correctly and the City will be looking into it.

Members of Flin Flon’s City Council recently attended  the fall meeting of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities Convention  in Winnipeg.

The representatives  from Flin Flon City Council included Mayor George  Fontaine, Mike Slipp, Alison Dallas Funk, Sandy Stokes and Lynn Brown.

Mike Slipp was able to share some of the topics that they talked about." It was a very busy couple of days and we were lucky enough to meet with six Ministers and we were invited to the Legislature. We met with Nahanni Fontaine about families, women in gender and equality. The Premier spoke, the leader of the opposition spoke and we were able to talk to different Ministers and let them know what is happening in Flin Flon and what we would like to get from them."

Some of the other topics that were discussed were Main Street Revitalization, health care, crime, housing and mental health.

The Flin Flon Chamber Of Commerce held their AGM, Tuesday at the Flin Flon Friendship Centre.

Dianne Russell chaired the meeting and mentioned that they are applying for a grant for the upcoming summer to hire a student to work on tourism for the Chamber and also help out with the Trout Festival. The grant would be done in conjunction with the Town Of Creighton.

The Chamber was instrumental in helping get the Trails Committee off the ground and Leslie Beck commented that they had a very good first year with lots of people using their first trail at Phantom Lake. They have had a number of sponsors step up and help with benches and signage.

A plaque was just added which has been dedicated in the memory of Bruce Reed and is located on the trail head.

The Chamber  is doing well financially and had retail earnings of $38,760 for 2024 which is more than $10,000.00 more from 2023. A lot of that has to do with merchandizing and fundraising. Right now the Chamber has 102 local members and they are pursuing three others.

On going activities include participation in Trout Festival planning and events, Tourism, Trails Committee oversight, Business Retention and Expansion, music on Main Street , Pioneer Square Band Stand roof project and hosting guest speakers at general meetings.

The Chamber also wanted to thank Dianne Russell for serving as President for 12 years as she will be stepping down from that position and will remain on the board as Past President.

On November 23^RD  at approximately 7 p.m., La Ronge RCMP received a report of a robbery on Studer Street in La Ronge.

Investigation determined an adult male stole a vehicle from a group of individuals at gunpoint. No physical injuries were reported.

The vehicle has since been recovered.

As a result of continued investigation, 24-year-old Wayne McLeod from La Ronge is charged with multiple offenses including theft of a motor vehicle and robbery with a firearm.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest and La Ronge RCMP are actively working to locate him.

Wayne McLeod is described as having dark hair and brown eyes. He has a thin build. He has a small tattoo under one eye and numerous neck tattoos.

If you see him, do not approach him. Report sightings and information by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

Operation Red Nose officially kicked off  this past weekend  in Flin Flon  as they will once again get you and your vehicle home safely throughout the holiday season.

Colleen Tower says the opening weekend was quiet but they had fun. "On Friday night, November the 29th we had 6 rides and our volunteer organization that night was the Border Explorers. Then on Saturday night we had two groups team up for that night to volunteer including the Norman Female Wild and U-15 hockey team. That night we had 7 rides and it was a fun night also.  Coming up this weekend December the 6th,  we have the Aqua Centre Committee volunteering for us and on December the 7th another combination of groups.  The Ski Club and Hapnot Teachers Staff are both going to volunteer."

The hours will be 9pm to 2am this Friday and Saturday and the number to call is 204-687-7331 and it is once again a free service. Donations are welcome and will all stay here in our community to help out with local sports.

It is Aids Awareness Week and the Women’s Resource Centre on behalf of the Play It  Safer network want to bring awareness to HIV/Aids in the Flin Flon area.

Madison McIntire from the Women’s Resource Centre says treatments and information has come a long way in helping treat the disease.  " So there is medication right now to prevent HIV from spreading,  so if taken consistantly the amount of HIV living in their blood can be undetectible so it cannot be spread. This medication also helps people living with HIV to live longer happier lives than in the past. So the goal is to educate ourselves the best we can on prevention and treatment,  as well as getting tested which can be done at the Primary Health Care Centre here in Flin Flon."

The Play It Safer network are raising awareness by lighting up Flinty in the campground red and will also be hosting a lunch and learn about HIV  from the public health nurses at the Friendship Centre today at noon.

The Flin Flon Friendship Centre is once again  hosting their annual Christmas Gift Program and registration will start today.

Joe Anne Pelletier who is the Program Coordinator explains the objective around this annual event. " So the Christmas Gift Program has been around for 30 plus years and is a very important program that the Friendship Centre runs. It's objective is to provide opportunities for parents and guardians to give their child a gift at Christmas when circumstances may prevent them from doing so." This is for all community members that may be facing finanical difficulties to come in and register."

Appointments will be confirmed between December the 9^th and 13^th and gifts will be received December the 16^th to the 20^th. If you would like to make a donation, you can drop off gifts, cash or cheques to the Friendship Centre front desk. If required charity receipts can be issued.

Call 204-687-3900 for more information.

Flin Flon’s new pool has received a significant $25,000.00 donation on behalf of the McKee, Krokosz and Cosgrove families.

This was done in honor of former Flin Flon City Councillor Colleen McKee who started the vision to bring the new swimming pool to Flin Flon a number of years ago.

The money was raised by the community for medical expenses while Colleen was sick,  but unfortunately Colleen passed before using this generous donation from the community.

Kent McKee, Colleen’s husband presented the cheque last week to the Flin Flon Aqua Centre Fundraising Committee.