As part of an ongoing investigation, RCMP in Thompson searched a residence in Split Lake and arrested a man believed to be trafficking drugs in the Community.

Upon searching the residence, the 26-year-old male, who was not a resident, was located and arrested without incident.

While searching the residence, a large quantity of drugs was located, including over 400 grams of Cocaine, over 300 grams of Crack, a stolen handgun, a large amount of cash, scales, and a cell phone.

Goitom Gezehey, a 26-year-old resident of Calgary, has been charged with 11 offences related to drugs and firearms, including possession for the purpose of trafficking.

He has been remanded, and an ongoing investigation is being conducted.

It is going to be a busy February at the Norva Centre with  lots of programs being offered.

Megan Dupeis provides the details.  " Yes we have a Dauphin based artist instructor Tim Griek, who is coming to the Norva Centre on Sat Feb 8th and Sunday Feb 9th. He will be teaching a workshop those two days and he will be showing artists the steps to quality painting . It is the tips and tricks you need to know before you put any point on canvass. It is going to be a great workshop and there is a full outline and supplies list available to anyone who is interested. It is $75.00 for Norva members to take it and $100.00 for non members."

Another event that will be taking place is the Bob Ross Paint night on Sat February the 15^th where Norva Artists will be showing people how to paint a scene with Polar Bears. It is $50.00 to attend and you can sign up for both these events  at norvacentre@gmail.com or phone 204-687-4237.

Norman Risk Consulting is a business that was put together by Les Taylor over a year ago to deal with crumbling infrastructure as well as Radon awareness, water issues and electrical issues and risks in Flin Flon and area.

Les Taylor is the founder and talks about the vision behind the business and how they fixed a major water leak which has been affecting the Walmart area for some time.

" Norman Risk Counsulting was a firm that we established to manage risks in the North. One of our mandates and stradegic goals was to utilize local and Northern contractors in fixing complex problems. This Walmart site really represented that and this leak kept getting worse and worse and we knew we had to deal with it. We had to make sure we dealt with it in a financially prudent matter. Once we established the ok, we had three days to do this job and Whitford, Unijet and M.A. Ironworks all came through and they did a fantastick job."

If you have any questions and would like to reach out to Norman Risk Consulting,  you can visit their website at normanriskconsulting.ca.

Saskatchewan RCMP’s Prince Albert Crime Reduction Team (CRT) and Pelican Narrows Detachment recently conducted a series of enforcement activities to combat gang activity and remove illicit drugs and firearms from Pelican Narrows, SK, a community part of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation.

On January 21st, RCMP officers from the Prince Albert CRT, Pelican Narrows Detachment and Critical Incident Response Team executed search warrants at four residences in Pelican Narrows in relation to ongoing drug and firearms trafficking investigations.

Overall, officers located and seized four illegal firearms at multiple residences, two replica firearms, 94 grams of crack cocaine, 13 grams of cocaine, a small amount of methamphetamine and other drug trafficking paraphernalia.

In total, 31 people were arrested – four suspects are facing charges and 27 individuals were released without charges. The investigation continues.

As a result of investigation, Olaitan Iyanda Amoo, a 23-year-old male from Mississauga, ON, Leah Sewap 35 from Pelican Narrows, Jocelyn Linklater 37 from Pelican Narrows and Kelvin McCallum from Pelican Narrows are all charged with multiple offenses including unauthorized possession of a firearm, and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

“These seizures and arrests are examples of how targeted enforcement can take dangerous drugs and weapons out of a community,” says Sgt. Toby Martin, Saskatchewan Enforcement Response Teams’ (SERT) north region acting manager. 

Tickets will be available soon for the Flin Flon Community Choirs spring production which will hit the stage in Flin Flon in May.

We hear more from the Flin Flon Arts Council’s Crystal Woodward. " Annie will be playing on  May the 8 to the 11th at the FF Community Hall, 4 days the production will be running. Tickets will be available starting at noon on Friday. Tickets are $50.00 for adults and youth under 18 will be $25.00. You can get your tickets on Showpass or from the Uptown Emporium."

The Arts Council is also looking for musicians who would like to be part of the production for Annie. They are looking for people to play the Flute, Alto Sax, Clarinet, Piccolo, Soprano Sax, Baritone Sax, Base Clarinet and Tenor Sax.

If you are interested you can contact crystalkolt@gmail.com.

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK THE FLIN FLON SCHOOL DIVISION REPORTED RECEIVING A REQUEST FROM THE FLIN FLON CREIGHTON SENIORS FOR FUNDING ASSISTANCE FOR THE PURCHASE OF A CHAT E BIKE.

THE CITY OF FLIN FLON HAS ALREADY RECEIVED AN AGE FRIENDLY GRANT WORTH TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS TO BE APPLIED TOWARD THE BIKE.

 IN ORDER TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT LETTERS OF SUPPORT WERE REQUIRED FROM THREE GROUPS THAT BELIEVED THIS WAS A WORTHY ENDEAVOR. THOSE GROUPS WERE THE FLIN FLON CREIGHTON SENIORS,NORMAN COMMUNITY SERVICES,AND THE FLIN FLON SCHOOL DIVISION.

THE TOTAL COST OF THE E BIKE IS APPROXIMATELY TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. A GRANT APPLICATION IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE THROUGH NORTHERN NEIGHBORS AND

OTHER SOURCES OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT ARE BEING SOUGHT AFTER TO OBTAIN THE BALANCE REQUIRED. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AGREED TO  REFER THE REQUEST TO FINANCE FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. 

THE BOARD ALSO MADE AN EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT FOR PARENTS WHO HAVE A CHILD THAT RIDES THE SCHOOL BUS WITH A BRAND NEW APP BEING LAUNCHED NEXT WEEK. THE FIRST STUDENT APP WILL ALLOW PARENTS TO TRACK THE BUS, AND RECEIVE ALERTS IF THEY SIGN UP. PARENTS WILL BE INFORMED FURTHER WITH A QR CODE BEING SENT HOME WITH STUDENTS, AND THE NAME OF THE APP IS FIRST VIEW. 

There are lots of events coming up in our community to help celebrate the winter season including Bust The Winter Blues which will be taking place in both Flin Flon and Creighton.

Flin Flon Rec Director Cait Bailey tells us what they have planned so far. " We are looking forward to it again and we are keeping our fingers crossed for nice weather. This year we don't have to worry about a lack of snow, so we will be ready for that. We have some popular returning events including the Kinnettes Trivia Night, the Home Business Market, Border Explorers Poker Derby, Aloha Family Dance and fireworks. We are going to be doing a snowshoe event with the Trails Committee, the Flin Flon Ski Club is bringing back their Centaloppet. There is all sorts of great stuff taking place."

All the events will be listed on the Flin Flon and Creighton Recreation websites and facebook pages. Bust The Winter Blues takes place February 28^th to March 2^nd.

We are just a few weeks away from the third annual  Cranberry Portage Winterfest with events that will allow you to come out and celebrate winter.

There will be events for the kids, skill events, curling tournaments,a fishing derby and a Makers Market.

Barb Bragg is organizing the Makers Market which is a brand new event this year.  " So it is a bit of test this year, so we have limited it to 20 vendors and it filled up almost immediately. We have a lot of our regulars from the Market who will be showing up to sell their artwork, their jewellery, honey, Ukrainian food as well as a couple of new people who are going to be with us. We are pretty excited about it beacause if this one works there is no telling how big it will get in the future. So take a break from winter and the snow and  come out and buy some stuff."

Vendors are full but there is a waiting list and you can contact Barb to get on the list at 204-680-6003. The Market will run on Saturday Feb 22^nd 11 to 3 at the Legion.

A number of organizations presented a Connection Jobs Fair at the Creighton Community Hall yesterday which was represented by organizations in Saskatoon, Prince Albert as well as Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach.

The Regional Economic Development Commission was on hand representing Flin Flon and the surrounding area. Emily Roberts Young who is the Regional Economic Development Officer mentions this was a great opportunity to reach out to the public.

" So we were reached out by SIIT to come today because we have a few open positions within Creighton, Flin Flon and Denare Beach with the Municipal Government. We also came because we want to hear from the community and see what the community needs. For example,  we had a lady approach us about resume workshops, so we are loking to see where those different resources can be accessed by the community. So for 2025 our Business Retention plan is complete and we are doing the final reporting and that will be launching soon. We also have our strategy finalized which will be published in February. We will be looking at expanding our data base building and industry development."

The Business Retention Plan will be posted online by the end of February as well as lots of other information and upcoming projects at investfdc.ca.

On January 23^rd  at approximately 12:15 a.m., Prince Albert RCMP received a report of a firearm discharge near a business in Northside, SK.

Investigation determined an adult male discharged a firearm towards a vehicle. No injuries were reported by the occupants to police. The adult male, along with a group of individuals, got into a vehicle and left.

Officers responded and located the suspect vehicle on Highway #2. Officers engaged their emergency equipment and attempted a traffic stop. The suspect vehicle did not stop and instead fled at a high rate of speed.. While following the vehicle, the occupants discharged a firearm and threw multiple items out the vehicle window, including a rifle. Officers located and seized the firearm from the side of the road. No officers reported physical injuries.

For safety reasons, a tire deflation device was set up and the suspect vehicle ran it over near Shellbrook, causing the vehicle to slow to a stop. Two adult males and two adult females were arrested at the scene.

During subsequent investigation, officers located and seized ammunition and three containers of cocaine in the suspect vehicle.

As a result of continued investigation, 28-year-old Kirk McDonald, 30-year-old Randy Charles, 27-year-old Nadia Naytowhow and 33-year-old Alisha Ross, all from Montreal Lake, are each charged with multiple offenses including assaulting a police officer, discharging a firearm inside a vehicle and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

Saskatchewan RCMP’s Police Dog Services assisted in this investigation.

We are nicely into 2025 and the Flin Flon Aqua Centre Fundraising Committee continue to find ways to raise money for the new Flin Flon Aqua Centre.

The Committee’s Karen Mackinnon tells us about the two fundraisers that are going on now.  " The one we just started is 4 items that have been donated by our Mayor George Fontaine. These are items that he created in his workshop including a big sled for pushing children. He donated a cribbage board, a beautiful trinket box and a bird that was made out of local wood. The other thing we are doing is a Escape Room coming up on February the 21st and 22nd, which will be a murder mystery. It will be a little different this time as we are looking at having food available and a liquor license."

Raffle tickets are $10.00 each or 6 for $50.00 and you can e-transfer webuildweswim@gmail.com. All the information and pictures of the items can be seen on the Flin Flon Aqua Centre Fundraising facebok page. Details on the Murder Mystery can be seen on the City Of Flin Flon Rec page.

The Flin Flon Arts Council are preparing for the MTC production of Murder For Two which will be taking place at the Flin Flon Community Hall on Friday March the 7^th.

They are in need of some volunteers and the Arts Council’s Crystal Woodward explains what they need help with.  " They need help loading in all of their sound equipment which is very heavy. We will need people before and after the show. The load in and set up time is 1:30, so we will need people to meet at the Community Hall at 1pm. When we load out it will be 9:30 pm, so you will be helping til at least 10 pm and be able to watch the show for free." 

If you are interested in volunteering you can contact Crystal at the Arts Council office at 204-687-5974. If you are looking for tickets for the show you can go to flinflonartscouncil.ca and click on the showcase link.

Wahkohtowin Trails Committee are looking forward to expanding to more trails this year and are excited with the amount of support they continue to receive from different organizations and groups in our community.

Leslie Beck mentions a few more ways you will be able to show your support. 

" I think we are really excited that we are partnering in with the Bust The Winter Blues , and we are going to have a table at the Community Market at ST Annes on March the 1st. Leading up to that,  we are collecting prizes for the Penny Parade table and we will be having a 50/50 draw. We want everybody in the community to be able to participate in that , so we can max out the number of tickets sold. So, someone would win $25,00.00 and we will get $25,00.00 to go towards the projects we have in the region."

Tickets are only $5.00 each and will be sold at the CO-OP every Tuesday in February. You will also be able to purchase tickets through an e-transfer at lesliebeck1960@gmail.com.

Cranberry Portage is getting ready to host their third annual Winterfest event which will take place February the 20^th to the 23^rd.

This is going to be a winter festival that celebrates the cold with lots of great events for the whole family.  Carleen Wolman shares the details. "  On Monday the 17th , we will have our registration opening up. Most of the events are free but you still have to register including the kid's events and everything like that. Registration will close Friday at 4 and Thursday we will have a bingo at the Cranberry Legion at 7pm. We are still working on a couple of details that we have to confirm times for but on Friday we will have our opening ceremonies. After the opening ceremonies on Friday,  we will have the start of the Pearl Anderson Memorial Mini  Bonspiel and the Rick Murray Memorial Singles Cribbage Tournament."  

A complete list of all the events  can be seen at cranberryportagewinterfest.com or the Cranberry Portage Winterfest Facebook page.

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CREIGHTON REPORTED RECEIVING A REQUEST FROM NORMAN RISK CONSULTING THAT THE TOWN SUPPORT AND PROMOTE RADON TESTING. THE REQUEST WAS REFERRED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.

THEY ALSO RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM THE CRANBERRY PORTAGE WINTERFEST COMMITTEE FOR A DONATION TOWARDS THEIR PENNY PARADE.COUNCIL AGREED TO SUPPORT THE REQUEST FOR THE EVENT WHICH TAKES PLACE FEBRUARY 20-23rd.

A REQUEST WAS ALSO RECEIVED FROM THE CREIGHTON SCHOOL DIVISION FOR A SUPPORT LETTER FOR THEIR FUNDING APPLICATION TOWARD THE MENTAL HEALTH CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT TO IMPLEMENT THE VALUABLE PROGRAM AT THE SCHOOL.COUNCIL AGREED TO PROVIDE THEIR SUPPORT.

COUNCIL AGREED TO DONATE THE USE OF THE SPORTEX FOR UPCOMING CLASS OF 2025 GRAD FOR CREIGHTON SCHOOL IN JUNE.

There are a few organizations including PAGC Labour Force Development, Woodland Cree, PAGC Urban, Sitag and SIIT who will be presenting a Connections Job Fair in Creighton next week.

Marla Pewapsconias explains the job fair and some of the organizations that will be participating.  " They are coming from Saskatoon and Prince Albert and we have partnered with some of the employers around Flin Flon and Creighton and surrounding areas. They will join us at the Creighton Community Hall and people can come in and apply for jobs and get on the spot interviews. We will have everything from 1A Drivers to janitorial, waitressing and Mcilvenna Bay Catering is going to be there, RCMP and Regina Amisk Lake."

This takes place this Tuesday January the 28^th at the Creighton Community Hall between  9am and 3pm. Please bring a resume and credentials. Printing and resume updating services available on site.

The Flin Flon Trout Festival will be holding their first meeting of the year on Monday February the 3^rd from the Creighton Rec and Tourism office.

Since Covid,  the Trout Festival has been on a major upswing and they want to keep the momentum going for 2025. There were over 2,500 people that came out to enjoy last summer’s events.

They made a profit last year and want to lay out their plans and event schedule  for this year and are looking forward to having  as many people involved as possible.

They continue to work with and have representation from The City Of Flin Flon, Town Of Creighton and Village Of Denare Beach.

Bring your suggestions and ideas to to the Creighton Rec Office with the meeting starting at 2:30.

If you are looking for a night out this Friday, you might want to stop by the Hapnot Theatre as they will be showing another movie. The Central Canada Film Board will be presenting it,  and Colin Davis tells us you are for a real treat this time.

"  Well Peter Sellers had a great body of work in the film industry and although you probabley associate him with the Pink Panther movies as Inspector Clueso. There is one other film that  he starred in that his fans will always remember him for. It is the highly controversial film The Party. Now this is one of the great comedies of it's time, but why was it so controversial? You will want to come by the Hapnot Theatre this Friday to find out."

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

The City has agreed to lease a loader that they will be able to use all year long and can be used all over the community. The City will also purchase a new snow blower which will be able to pick up snow and then be loaded into City Trucks and Contract Vehicles.

A grant has allowed the City to purchase a new city bus that will be able to handle the terrain in our community and should be able to last a long time. The agreement is with Custom Coach Inc and it will be a 20 seat wheelchair accessible to the public. The grant was for $260,000.00 and 80 % was covered by the grant.

7 shelters will also be purchased and there will be new curbs and shelters.

Councillor Judy Eagle was able to attend a Eagle Feather ceremony at the Red Square which was a gathering and feast to celebrate the Indigenous culture. Margaret Head and other dignitaries were in attendance for the swearing of the oath on a sacred Eagle Feather.

Councillor Alison Dallas Funk will be meeting with Lisa Naylor who is the Provincial Transportation and Infrastructure Minister next week to discuss the Channing Road 291 and possible rerouting for trucks.

There is lots going on at the FF Public Library including lending out free Radon Test Kits and there is also a new library app to access lots of books online.

Lisa Slugoski has  the details. " So the Radon test kits have been provided  free to us by the Manitoba Lung Association, and Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer for non-smokers and second lkeading cause for smokers. They really want to push testing for Radon and what these detectors will do is they will give you a baseline reading for Radon in your home. From there you can decide to test for longer if you get a high reading. So the Lib Ap is free with your Library card and it provides members with access to over 56, 000 titles in both E-Book and Audio Book format. It automatically returns the books when they are done,  and there are no late fees so it is a no brainer to download the Libby Ap today."

You will need a library card to access these kits and get the app and you can get more information by going to the FF Public Library Facebook page or their website at flinflonpubliclibrary.org.

The annual Lions Journey For Sight Snowmobile fundraiser will leave Flin Flon today as it heads to other Manitoba communities down south.

Local Lion,  Andy Wasilciw mentions the different communities they will be stopping  in at. " We will prep and then head to The Pas and then over to Swan River. Once we hit Swan River some will head over to Roblin , Russell and some will head to the Dauphin area. On Saturday we will meet in Brandon and there is approximately 10 snow machines coming this way and some of my family will join them for part of the trip."

Once again they will be raising money for the Lions Eye Bank for Manitoba and Northwest Ontario. If you like you can head over to the Victoria Inn between 10 and 10:30 and  make a pledge,  and see the snowmobilers off.

Well over a million dollars has been raised in the 20 plus years of the fundraiser.

Pas resident Henry Wilson had a Christmas he won’t forget as he won $100,000.00 in the Lotto 6-49 15 Super Draws.

Wilson purchased his ticket at the Paskwayak Gas Bar on Highway 10 North in The Pas. He scanned his ticket at the store and says he couldn’t believe all the zero’s.

The new winner says he has two big plans for his windfall including buying himself a new truck and taking his wife to Mexico.

UCN will once again be offering First Aid and Intermediate First Aid training at the Northern Manitoba Mining Academy.

The courses will take place February the 4^th and 5^th between 8:30 and 4pm.

Basic First Aid is a one day course using face to face delivery of St.John Ambulance curriculum. The primary focus will be CPR and Defibrillator training in emergency situations. Intermediate First Aid is a  two day course using face to face delivery of St.John Ambulance curriculum and includes CPR Level C with more thorough coverage of first aid situations.

The course instructor is Kari Lentowicz and you can register and get more information by contacting the Northern Manitoba Mining Academy at 204-687-7038 or nmma@ucn.ca 

The Flin Flon Chamber Of Commerce has introduced their new Executive for 2025.

Kory Eastman is the new President with Leslie Beck the Vice and  Becky Cianflone  the  Secretary/Treasurer. Directors are Lawrence Gillespie, Heather Richardson Enns and Deb Odegaard. Dianne Russell is the past President.

Eastman looks forward to representing the Flin Flon business community. " We are going to start out this month with resetting our strategic objective, we are looking to build on what we have already heard people say. People are interested in Main street revitalization, safety, parking downtown and trying to maintain our population and insuring we are a welcoming serivice hub for other partners. We also want to hear what else is on people's minds,  and what they want from their Chamber to represent in the business community."

The Chamber is a working board made up entirely of volunteers and plan on having their first general meeting in February and encourage all Chamber members to attend. If there is something in the community that you would like to see, you can let them know by sending an e-mail to flinflondistrictchamber@gmail.com.

UCN is going to be offering a Health and Safety Professional Certificate program starting in February via zoom.

Angie Henkelman who is the Operations Coordinator lets us know what the program will be covering.  " It is designed to provide students with a solid base of occupational helath and safety knowledge,  which will help them pursue a career in occupational health and safety. It will assist them if they are already in this existing role in this field. There is a comprehensive broad selection of health and safety courses and advance courses. They will also complete a practical field project during the program."

The program will run  February the 27^th til June the 30^th with classes Tuesday and Thursday nights between 6 and 9pm. To register contact Angie at ahenkelman@ucn.ca or call 204-734-4419.

If you are looking for work or maybe thinking about trying  something new, Frontier Collegiate in Cranberry is hiring for various positions.

Al Roschuk  the Dormitary Administrator provides the details.  "  We are looking for a lot of different positions , and right now we need Dorm Mentors which is basicilly Supervisors for the kids living areas. We are looking for kitchen staff and experienced cooks. All our positions are listed on our website and we do provide training and excellent benefits for all our positions."

You can apply for all these jobs by going to fsdnet.ca and clicking on careers. There are both full time and part time positions available.

The Flin Flon Ministerial is  holding a prayer drive this Sunday and Harry Hobbes invites the entire community to come out and take part.

" Based on what they have in the Pas is the Jericho Drive, where communities start the new year by driving around the community to pray for people. We are in a world with lots of difficulties and we all could use prayer. Flin Flon Ministerial will be doing this for the first time to replace the week of Christian Unity which we were not able to hold."

Everyone is invited to meet at the Alliance Church parking lot this Sunday at 1:30. There will be an opening prayer and Eric Darussell will lead a route through Flin Flon and Creighton. It is open to the entire  community whether you attend church regularly  or not.

The Northern Juried Art Show is returning to Flin Flon this year April the 10^th to the 12^th and will give people from Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach as well as other communities in the North a chance to showcase their artistic abilities.

Megan Dupas explains what the Northern Juried Art Show is all about. " The Northern Juried Art Show in a nutshell is a large public exhibition that artists enter their work into. There are different categories to enter, like oil painting, drawing , photography and special categories like best of show, peoples choice and a theme category. On average there are about 200 entries that come in each year , so the public will definately want to come out and check out the show from April the 10th to the 12th at the Community Hall."

You can enter up to 6 different pieces of art and you can register by going to northernjuriedartshow.ca as well as by going to the Norva Centre website and facebook page.

On January 14^th  at approximately 11:40 pm, The Pas RCMP received several reports of a firearm being discharged in the area of Hone Street in The Pas.

Officers immediately attended to the area and were advised that two suspects, dressed in black clothing, had been seen running down the back lane of a nearby street.

A third call had then been received reporting a home invasion involving two similarly described suspects, one armed with a firearm. The home had been entered with the suspects then fleeing out the back. No injuries were reported. Additional reports continued to come in, one victim indicating his residence had been shot at and damaged.

With the assistance of RCMP Police Service Dog Phlex, officers were able to track one of the suspects to a nearby parked vehicle where he was attempting to hide underneath it. He was arrested without incident.

The search for the second suspect continued on with the use of Phlex who successfully tracked the suspect attempting to enter another residence a short distance away. He was arrested without incident.

Officers returned to the scene of the home invasion and a search of the property led to the recovery of a loaded sawed-off shotgun believed to have been used by the suspects.

The Pas RCMP have charged Shane McGillivary, 25, and Shawn McGillivary, 31, both of Opaskwayak Cree Nation, with Breaking and Entering, Discharge Firearm while Being Reckless, and numerous other firearms-related offences. They were both remanded into custody.
 
The Pas RCMP continue to investigate.

The Wahkotowin Trails Committee met for the first time in 2025 this past Tuesday at the Creighton Rec Office to put together their plan for the up coming year.

Leslie Beck is excited about the year ahead. " Well we talked about completion of our signage for Phantom Lake, so we got the go ahead to work with a sign company in the Pas for completion of our story boards. We also had a discussion with Denare Beach setting up a trail group to move forward on the Peninsula Trail, so we are very excited about that. We talked about the temporary signage we did on the Creighton Trail and moving forward with the Creighton Council on giving the trail a name."

They are sitting very good financially due to the grants and donations that they have received including a donation from a skate that took place in Creighton, plus RE UZ IT, and the Credit Union. They will also be applying for grants from the Northern Neighbors Foundation and the  Sask Trails Group.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday March the 11^th once again at the Creighton Rec Office and is open to anyone who would like to attend. For more information you can reach out to wahkotowintrails.com or contact Leslie at 204-680-6089.

The University College of the North (UCN) is excited to announce plans for a dedicated student housing facility in Flin Flon. This initiative ensures that students attending short-term programs have a place to stay, reflecting UCN’s dedication to overcoming barriers to education in northern Manitoba.

Vice President of Community and Industry Solutions Jamie Grant says this is a major announcement going forward .  " We have a request for a proposal currently out for a modular unit for 30 to 35 beds is what we are looking for. It is going to be placed in the empty lot that was donated by Hudbay many years ago next to the Mining Academy. We will be looking at site preparations in early February with the dorms arriving into Flin Flon by the end of February early March. We will be mobilizing those, getting them tied into the water sewers, power and getting them student ready. We are looking at placing students in there by this summer."

Grant went on to say that this is big news for the entire community which will allow them to offer many education programs in Flin Flon and become a go to training centre.

If you would like further information you can contact the Northern Manitoba Mining Academy.

On January 11^TH  at approximately 6:15 pm, Thompson RCMP responded to a call for service at a residence on Brandon Crescent.

When officers arrived on scene, they were informed that someone inside had been assaulted and another person stabbed.

After entering the residence, a male was identified as the suspect by others on scene. The suspect began verbally assaulting officers, and while they were trying to arrest him, he resisted, ensuing in a physical altercation assaulting one of the officers.

A 49-year-old male was treated in hospital for a minor stab wound, while a 45 year-old-female sustained minor injuries and was treated in hospital. Both victims were known to the suspect.

Everette Hart, 22, of Thompson was arrested and charged with multiple offenses including aggravated assault

Hart has been remanded.

The Flin Flon Kinnettes are calling all super heroes and princesses to come out for their annual Capes and Gowns event at the Creighton Community Hall.

Vice President Kerri Wood provides the details. " It is one of our big events in the community for the kids put on by the Kinettes. Capes and Gowns has  been happening for multiple years now and it even continued during Covid online. This year it is Saturday February the 8th from noon til 2 at the Creighton Community Hall. There is going to be a Photo Booth, Tatoo Booth, dancing , crafts and treat bags for the first 100 kids."

It is $10.00 per child and parents and children under two are free.

There is a very unique art exhibit which is being featured at the Norva Centre in Flin Flon for the month of January.

The exhibit is called A Show Of Hands and Megan Dupas talks about this nostalgic exhibit.  " It is really interesting because wool is the medium and the artist is a francophone artist from Southern Manitoba named Rose Marie Peloquin. She sculpts with the wool , so there is a few three dimensional sculptures of hands doing different hand gestures and poses which are really cool. She also does artwork as well on sweaters."

You can check out the exhibit Tuesday to Friday 10 am to 5pm and Saturday from 12 to 4pm. Megan also wants to remind everyone that the Northern Juried Art Show is returning to Flin Flon on April the 10^th to the 12^th. Entry forms will soon be available on the Norva Centre website.

Johnny’s Social Club is hosting a Vinyl Night this Friday. It’s a gathering of local record enthusiasts who share and discuss their musical collections. The public is invited to take apart and have some of your albums played on the quality Johnny’s Social Club sound system. Record collector, Len Lahonen discusses more of how the evening works.

"  Vynyl night is a great experience for everyone, whether you are collecting old vynyl or new vynyl, it has made an amazing comeback the number of years. There are a number of reasons including the presentation of the visible orientation of the whole process is great. It is nice for everyone to come out and make some new friends,  and share your vynyl with other people who appreciate it as much as you do. So this is an open invitation to come out on Friday night and have some fun."

You are invited to bring records from any genre to Johnny’s Social Club on Green St. this Friday from 7-10 . Vinyl night is free to attend. Their bar will available and you can bring your own snacks.

A Provincial wide organization is providing opportunities for youth.

Local high school students are gaining professional mentorships via a program from Creative Manitoba. Danita Stallard provides training; teaching young artists how to sustain themselves creatively and financially.  Stallard goes in depth on how it all works.  " Creative Manitoba puts on the program once a year,  and you do have to apply to work with your mentor or the Rural Mentorship program. The whole idea behind it is giving artists in rural locations such as Flin Flon,  the opportunity to work with active artists who will give them a chance to work with professionals. They take care of all the funding for us as we get together and have un and make art."

Mentorship sessions take place weekly at the Norva Centre at no cost to the protégés.  The goals of the program include having students learn more about productivity and profitability in the arts sectors

On January 9th  Deschambault Lake RCMP received a report of a male teen seriously injuring a dog in Deschambault Lake.

Officers located the dog deceased that day. As a result of further investigation, a male teen from Deschambault Lake was arrested at a residence in the community the same day. He has been charged with one count of death to an animal.

The youth can't be identified due  to  the Youth Criminal Justice Act. 

The Wahkohtowin Trails Committee will be holding their first meeting of the year tomorrow night at the Creighton Rec Office starting at 7.

Some of the items which will be included at the meeting include information on quotes to finish the story boards for the trails at Phantom Lake. They will also discuss Completion of the Creighton Trail, and working with Denare Beach on the Peninsula Trail.

They will also be going over what other financing will be needed for other trails and the different grants that they will be applying for.

An update will also  be provided  on what they will be doing for the Bust The Winter Blues Festival coming up in late February.

This meeting is open to everybody and you can come out to join the committee, share an idea or suggestion or just listen.

The Flin Flon Arts Council is looking for people that are interested in being part of the community.

Crystal Woodward tells us the spots that are available. " So,  we have two committees that we are loking for help with that are brand new. One is for the Uptown Emporium,  and we are looking for people with different type of backgrounds especially  Indigenous backgounds, anything that would help us with policies and organizing the store. The second committee is for Culture Days 2025, so this will be mainly coordinating. We will be looking for people to call people who want to hist events and what they will need to be able to host."

If you are interested in either of these you can get more details from the Arts Council Office by calling 204-687-5974 or e-mailing flinflonartscouncil.com.

The Northern Health Region is holding a 6 week program  called Get Better Together which is designed for anyone living with an ongoing health issue.

Christa McIntire who is the Community Health   Developer explains what the program offers.  " It is designed for individuals with on going health conditions to try and take control of their health. The weekly sessions offer group support and help build people's confidence to better manage their health. Get Better Together is a program that was actually developed by the Patient Education Resource Centre and Stanford University. It is run in countries all over the world. It is a best practise really evaluated program. We run it here in Flin Flon under the Northern Health Region,  but we are under the direction of the Seven Oaks Welness Centre in Winnipeg."

The program will start at the end of January and will take place at the PHCC, or you can take the program online. To register or for more information , contact Crista McIntire at the Northern Health Region at 204-681-3145. The program is free.

AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK THE TOWN COUNCIL OF CREIGHTON WERE JOINED IN PERSON BY JORDAN McPHAIL THE RECENTLY ELECTED MLA FOR CUMBERLAND TAKING OVER FOR DOYLE VERMETTE WHO HAS RETIRED.

 JORDAN ADDRESSED COUNCIL STATING HE WAS GLAD TO BE THERE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY WHETHER AT A COUNCIL MEETING OR THROUGH ZOOM AND GETTING DOWN TO WHAT COMMUNITIES ARE FACING.

HE WENT ON TO STATE THAT WHEN ISSUES ARISE HE HOPES THAT HE IS SEEN AS A TEAMMATE THAT CAN HELP IN WHATEVER WAY HE CAN BE OF SUPPORT.

McPHAIL RAN FOR OFFICE TO BRING BETTER HEALTHCARE,OPPORTUNITY, AS WELL

AS RESPECT TO NORTHERN SASKATCHEWAN.

HE ALSO WENT ON TO SAY HE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING AS HE DID LAST YEAR AT THE UPCOMING BUST THE WINTER BLUES WEEKEND.

McPHAIL IS ALSO THE SHADOW MINISTER FOR SASKTEL, FOR FORESTRY, AND FOR

NORTHERN AFFAIRS.

New sessions of Read To Me have started at the Flin Flon Public Library with sessions happening every Friday morning  and Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.

Lawrence Gillespie explains the program.  " The whole focus of Read To Me is we are trying to make reading fun for pre-schoolers, and trying to equip parents and care givers with the tools that they need to make the whole reading experience more fun for their children. We meet three times a week in the library basement and it depends a lot on the children we have that what form the program takes. The library has the biggest toy collection in Flin Flon and it almost like a miniature Disneyland with all the toys we have there. We also do crafts, things with clay."

This is a free program open to all pre schoolers between 2 and 5. There are lots of spots available and you can sign the kids up and get more information by contacting Lawrence at 204-271-2890. 

Creighton Recreation  has announced the winner for the Deck The House Holiday Lights contest.

For the third year in a row the Town Of Creighton has teamed up with CFAR by encouraging residents in Creighton to hang up lights and decorations and then vote for your favorite display on the CFAR facebook page.

The Rosenbergers  at 107 Creighton Avenue are the winners for the third straight year and received the most votes out of 10 entries. The Rosenberger’s receive a gift card from Canadian Tire and a certificate from the Town Of Creighton.

A big thank you to everyone who took time to vote and preparations are already being made for the contest to return in mid December of 2025.

A 37-year-old Winnipeg man is facing drug and firearm charges stemming from a vehicle search that took place in the OCN on December 19th.

A traffic stop found that the driver was on release conditions and under a curfew set in Winnipeg.

He was remanded into custody on various drug and firearms offences.

The other two passengers, a 39-year-old female from the OCN, and a 42-year-old man from The Pas have been released on undertakings with a later court date for careless storage of a firearm and other firearms-related offences.

The MFNPS is always looking for crime tips in the community; leave an anonymous tip at 1-833-978-0048.

The Flin Flon Arts Council is  ready for 2025 and have a number of big shows  for you and your family to look forward to.

Some of the shows  that have been confirmed include the Ham Sandwich production of When The Rain Stops Falling taking place at the FF Community Hall March the 21^st and 22^nd,  and the FF Community Choir will be performing Annie on May the 9^th to the 11^th.

Another event to look forward to is the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre performing Murder For Two in early March. The Arts Councils Crystal Woodward has more.  " So the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre is doing a regional tour and they are doing a musical called Murder For Two. It is like a small town Police Officer and an aspiring detective who are out and about on a stormy night who show up at a surprise Birthday Party. It is a whole thing and I don't want to spoil it and say to much."

Tickets for all these events are available on Showpass. You can also get show updates on the Arts Council’s Instagram and facebook page.

Flin Flon City Council gathered for the first time at Council Chambers on Tuesday night.

A number of resolutions were passed including the use of Council Chambers for the Pat Bruderer Art exhibit from March the 13^th to April the 17^th. The City has also approved the schedule rates for their 911 service which will go up by 3 %.

The City has also resolved an agreement with the  Clean Communities group  who are doing a study on possibly adding a new apartment block to the community which could see an additional 80 to 100 suites being added. They are looking at possible locations including 20 Boam, 320 Green street and North Princess street.

Mayor Fontaine was quick to point out that this is just a study at this point and a lot of research and work needs to be done.

Mayor Fontaine and the rest of council are very excited about the new year with a lot of promising things to look forward to including the building of the new RCMP detachment, new UCN housing complex, and a new community  bus , shelter and sidewalks.

Work will also be completed on Main street with paving and the addition of new lights.

Council has also terminated the employment of Chief Administrative Officer Sandy Stokes as of January the 6^th. Lynn Brown will fill in til a successor is found.

On January 4^th , at approximately 5:30pm, Gimli RCMP responded to a report of gunshots from a residence located on Highway 8 in the RM of Gimli.

After arriving on scene, officers learned that three males had come to the residence, threatened the male occupant, and kicked in the front door.

Before fleeing, the victim’s dogs chased the suspects, one of which was shot resulting in injuries to the animal.

Officers immediately began patrols for the suspect vehicle and, through their investigation, located the three suspects at a residence that was being rented out in Gimli.

A search warrant was executed at the residence and RCMP seized a .357 Magnum, $17,000 in cash and a variety of prescription medication.

All three suspects were arrested without incident at this residence.

Gimli RCMP have charged Arthur Mills, 23, J’ziah Cassanova, 18, along with a 17-year-old male youth, all from Mississauga, Ontario.

All three have been charged with Break and Enter, Assault, Reckless Discharge of a Firearm, Using a Firearm in the Commission of an Offence, as well as various drug trafficking and Criminal Code offences.

They been remanded into custody.

RCMP advise this incident was not random, and there is no threat to the public.

The investigation continues.

The Flin Flon Public Library is kicking off the new year with their 2025 Reading Challenge.

Library Administrator Lisa Slugoski explains this year’s challenge. " So we have a 2025 Reading Challenge right now which will go right til December. Every month we have created a prompt for readers to read with us. The January prompt is to read a book nominated for the Good Read Choice Awards for 2024 and there is a list of those books on the back of the Reading Challenge. Every month there is a different prompt that will give you an entry into the Reading Challenge for every prompt you complete. You will get an extry entry into the Reading Challenge if you complete all 12."

You can pick up forms at the library or download the form from Flinflonpubliclibrary.org. Don’t forget to bring the form  in at the end of the year for a chance to win one of three book certificates for $50.00.

The Ham Sandwich Theate group will be holding an audition for their winter production  When The Rain Stops Falling tomorrow night at 6:30 at the Flin Flon Community Hall Auditorium.

Director  Tom Heine gives us a description about the show. " It is a play that was authored by Andrew Beauvel, I directed one of his plays a few years ago that I was very happy with Speaking In Tongues. When The Rain Stops Falling examines some of the multi generational  effects of people's actions and how some things can have long term influences. The play itself go's from 1958 to 2039 and it examines some of the very not nice things that happeded in previous generations. It shows how that legacy gets transfered to succeeding generations."

They will be looking to fill 9 spots including 4 for women and 5 for men. If you are not interested in being on stage , they also need people to help out backstage including some carpentry work, make-up, set design and costumes.

The show will take place on Saturday and Sunday March the 21^st and 22^nd. For more information you can contact Tom at 204-687-4433.

There are still some spots available for the first Possession and Acquisition License course coming up later this month at the Creighton Community Hall.

Ryan Grey will be teaching the course and explains what will be covered.  " The course basicilly outlines some of the federal qualifications which will allow you to purchase firearms , shotguns and rifles primarilly. That is as  long as they haven't been deemed restricted and the ammunition that go's with them. It will also allow you to inherit, loan. lend and buy the same type of firearms as well, so we will take a lok at that. Of course one of the big ones is storage and transportation of these firearms."

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

Presley’s Project is a fundraiser that takes place in Flin Flon twice a year including Christmas time.

The fundraiser is organized  by Jen Mitchell who does this in remembrance of her son who passed away 8 years ago. This year she sold tickets for raffles and did a 50/50 and explains the history behind the fundraiser.  " He always wanted to help people and he never really  got the chance , so when his birthday came up in August of 2017 we decided to do that. We raised money back in Saskatoon that year and we just kind of kept it up. We choose something different  every year for his birthday and then again at Christmas."

This year $1,880.00 was raised and was used for gift bags for the people at the group homes and different  programs for Northern Growing Abilities.

If you are looking to make a change or start a fresh new career the UCN Mining Readiness program is coming to Flin Flon.

The Mining Readiness program offers hands on learning, covering topics like the fundamentals of Mining, Workplace Safety, and practical skills such as operating a forklift. It also incorporates virtual reality training for rock scaling and hoisting techniques and mine site tours.

It is a four week course that starts February the 10^th at the Northern Manitoba Mining Academy in Flin Flon and comes with free tuition and materials.

You can apply through the link on the UCN facebook page.

Operation Red Nose wrapped up another holiday season of getting you and your vehicle home safely through out December.

New Years Eve was extremely busy and Colleen Tower thanks all the volunteers for stepping up over the course of eight nights.  " Vey first,  I want to thank everybody as we had a really successful season that included so many volunteers. On New Year's Eve we had 35 rides and over six hundered dollars in donations and a big thank you to the Victoria Inn for providing the food for our volunteers. In total over the eight nights that we did Red Nose  we had a total of 118 rides."

Donations are still being tabulated and you can still make a donation if you wish by reaching out to Colleen at 204-680-8164 on behalf of the Flin Flon Rotary Club. All the money raised will stay in the community and go towards local sports activities.

The Jimmy Jackfish Ice Fishing Derby is set to return on Rocky Lake on Saturday March the 8^th, noon to 3.

Early bird tickets are available til January the 31^st which will include a free second hole, and allow you to be on the  ice one hour before derby starts for $80.00. Regular tickets will be $100.00 starting February the 1^st.

There are lots of great prizes to be awarded once again including $15,000.00 for the biggest Jackfish. Second prize is $7.000.00 and third $3,000.00, with all  prizes  guaranteed.

Tickets are available all over the North including Rubi’s Outdoors in Creighton and online at eventbrite.ca.

If you are a non profit community group or organization that is looking for financial assistance, the Northern Neighbor’s foundation grant application deadline is coming up in February.

Shylo Rogers explains the process. " This year we are going to grant out approximately $170,000.00 to the communities of Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach, Cranberry and Snow Lake. These funds are to be used for community projects like literacy, safety, anything community oriented. In order to be eligible you need to be a registered charity that has a community project they are looking for. There is a way around that if you are not a registered charity, you can actually borrow a charity number from your municipality, it is just an additional form on your application." 

To get an application you can go to the website at northrtnneighbors.com and click on the pdf then e-mail it to northernneighborsfoundation@gmail.com with the deadline February the 15^th. Funds will be dispersed on June the 15^th.

The City Of Flin Flon is looking forward to 2025 and have a lot of things going on for both individuals and business’s .

Councillor Mike Slipp provides the details. " We are really excited about a lot of things going on,  including the Aqua Centre which is on track and we should hopefully be swimming in it by this time next year. We are still working with the Provincial government to help us with that. We are looking at a new bus for our community, we got a great grant for a new transit bus and also some bus shelters. We are going to continue on with our Main Street Frontage Revitalization where there is a matching grant up to  $10,000.00. If you put ten thousand in,  we'll put ten thousand in,  if you put five hundred in we'll put five hundred in." 

The City will also continue to sell vacant lots where you can purchase a lot for one dollar as long as you put up a house within two years. Details on all these projects can be seen at cityofflinflon.ca or call 1-833-210-6435.

On December 20^th  at approximately 11:40 p.m., Nipawin RCMP received a report of a vehicle that was stuck in the ditch near Weirdale, SK.

Smeaton RCMP located the vehicle. Investigation determined the adult female driver left the scene on foot. Officers determined the woman was wanted on a warrant for driving while disqualified from Saskatoon Police Service and was subject to court-ordered curfew conditions.

They soon  located her sitting in a vehicle in Nipawin. She was arrested. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers located and seized 262 grams of cocaine, a sum of currency and various pre-packaged drugs.

As a result of investigation, 43-year-old Dana McCulloch from White Fox is charged with:

Three counts on  failing  to comply with undertaking condition,  possession of a weapon for dangerous purpose, possession of property obtained by crime less than $5000 as well as many other offenses. 

McCulloch appeared in Melfort Provincial court Tuesday.

The Manitoba government is ending its yearlong fuel tax holiday but bringing back the levy at a lower rate.

The government temporarily suspended the 14-cents-a-litre tax on gasoline and diesel at the beginning of 2024 as a way to help people deal with the rising cost of living.

The tax is now back as we begin the new year  at a rate of 12.5 cents per litre  roughly 10 per cent lower, the NDP government announced Monday.

Lower tax rates on other fuels, including propane and marked fuel used in agriculture, are also being reinstated at a 10 per cent lower rate.

Figures from Statistics Canada show Manitoba’s inflation rate for fuel was the lowest among provinces compared with a year earlier. But Manitoba also saw the steepest inflation on food over the same period.