Mayor George Fontaine and Deputy Mayor Alison Dallas Funk were the guests on the final program of City Beat for 2025 and they talked about the various challenges and difficulties our community faced the past year.

Mayor Fontaine also talked about a lot of the accomplishments and some exciting news for the year ahead. " If you go to the Campground area,  there is a neat thing going on there, and it is shut down right now but still worth a walk for everybody. They are talking about a proto type for a  Snow Hotel . It is a tourism boost for the community. It is going to be really neat and involve a lot of artists and outdoors people by the time it is done. They had snow made by Big Ice and then Ross Industries. There is a form built and they have started pushing snow up against the form to show how it works. There are ice cuts, so if you are walking around the area, you should drop in to see it."

The grand opening of the new Snow Hotel will be January the 30^th and there is going to be a lot of events that will be coordinated around the opening. You can listen to the full interview at flinflononline.com by clicking on the your radio tab, CFAR podcasts and Flin Flon Today.

The Flin Flon Public Library wants to get as many people reading books as possible in the new year and are looking forward to the 2026 Reading Challenge.

Library Administrator Lisa Slugoski explains how it works. " You can begin anytime in 2026 and you can complete the month in any order, complete prompts multiple times and skip any of the prompts that arn't for you. We also have a lot of people that only  use the Read A Book of Your Choice  prompt and just track everything that they have read and you get an entry for each of those. So, if you do all 12 prompts you will get an extra entry into the Reading Challenge."

You can get a copy of the reading challenge at the Library or you can download a form off their website.

Congratulations to the 2025 winners, Bobby Chilson, Laiken Klemmer and Madsion Menkow who each win a $50.00 book gift certificate.

The Manitoba RCMP reminds everyone that travelling during blizzard conditions on closed highways and provincial roads is extremely dangerous and should not be attempted.

Weather conditions began to deteriorate in parts of western Manitoba in the middle of December.

Manitoba RCMP Operational Communications Centre (OCC) has received several  reports of motor vehicle collisions on highways throughout the province. There are also numerous reports of vehicles stuck in ditches.

Approximately 20 motorists  called in  to report that they were stranded due to road conditions and RCMP remind all motorists to drive with extreme care and caution.

If you plan on travelling on a provincial road or highway that is open, please ensure you have the following:

• Full tank of gas
• Winter tires
• Shovel
• Jumper cables
• Emergency road safety kit
• Appropriate clothing for weather conditions and blankets
• Fully charged cell phone
• Food or water for longer trips

RCMP reminds motorists the check Manitoba 511 for updates on road conditions before attempting any travel.

The Manitoba government is launching a new Business Security Rebate Program to help businesses repair property damage and make security upgrades.

The Business Security Rebate Program has $10 million available to provide rebates on a first-come, first-served basis to Manitoba businesses with 75 or fewer employees per location. Eligible businesses can apply for up to $2,500 per location to offset the cost of purchasing security equipment or repairing property damage on or after Aug. 23, 2024.

The Manitoba government initially launched the Manitoba Security Rebate Program in June 2024 to provide up to $300 to thousands of homeowners and renters for equipment to protect properties. In October, the Manitoba government opened a $2-million intake for homeowners and renters for purchases made on or after Aug. 23, 2024.

Businesses can apply for security rebates and read the full list of eligible and ineligible expenses at: www.manitoba.ca/justice/securityrebate.html.

The City of Flin Flon  have released their Garbage schedule for the rest of this week as the holiday break continues.

Today  (Tuesday, December 30th), garbage will be collected for residents whose garbage day was normally Monday, as well as the garbage normally collected on Tuesdays.

On Wednesday, garbage will be collected as normal for both residential and commercial pick-up.

On Thursday, January 1st, no garbage will be collected. Garbage will be collected  on Friday, January 2nd for both Thursday and Friday.

You can send the City Of Flin Flon a message if you have any questions.

On December 17th, Pelican Narrows RCMP observed a known wanted male walking near a residential area in Pelican Narrows. The man was wanted on charges including assaults, weapons/firearms offenses, drug-related charges, threats, and breaches of conditions.

The man was confirmed to be at a residence on Bear Street in Pelican Narrows. RCMP officers were permitted to enter the house. The man threatened the officers, and they exited the residence for safety reasons. Officers secured the area and engaged Saskatchewan RCMP’s Critical Incident Response Team to assist.

Efforts by the RCMP Emergency Response Team resulted in the adult male exiting the residence where he was arrested without incident.

As a result of continued investigation, 23-year-old Michael Morin from Prince Albert, SK, was arrested on outstanding warrants including  one count, uttering threats against a person and one count of resisting and obstructing a peace officer.

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Michael Morin appeared in Prince Albert Provincial Court on December 19^th.

The Flin Flon Credit Union gave away the last $3,250.00 of cash from their $85,00.00 of prizes  to celebrate 85 years of being a Manitoba Credit Union.

All of the Credit Union   personal members, old and new, were automatically entered to win in the 25 draws which were held on December the 24^th.

Congratulations to TRAVIS BUICK on winning the  Grand Prize cash draw of $2,500

The full list of cash prize winners were

TRAVIS G. BUICK - $2,500 Winner

EVELYN PONCIAN - $500 Winner

RACHELLE WESEEN - $250 Winner

They  also had 23 additional winners of Credit Union  "swag". You  will be contacted   over the next two weeks to  come in and pick up your  prizes.

The board and staff want to say thank you to all Credit Union members on what was a very difficult year and want to wish everyone in Flin Flon and area a happy holiday season and look forward to 2026.

On December 22nd, Creighton RCMP received a report of a missing 66-year-old male, Moise Sewap.

Moise was last seen in the Flin Flon area around December 9^th.

Since he was reported missing, Creighton RCMP have been checking places Moise is known to visit and following up on information received. They are now asking members of the public to report information on Moise’s whereabouts.

Moise is described as: 5 foot9, 220 pounds, brown hair and brown eyes.

Due to the temperatures, officers are concerned for Moise’s safety.

Moise is known to travel to the Creighton and Flin Flon area, but his current whereabouts are unknown.

If you have seen Moise or know where he is, contact Creighton 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.

On December 19th, The Pas RCMP responded to an armed robbery in progress at a bank located in The Pas.

Information provided to police was that a male suspect had entered the bank, displayed a firearm and demanded money from the teller.

The teller noted that the firearm being held was clearly a fake and refused to provide any money to the suspect and then called police.

Officers, who were near the bank when the call came in, responded and confronted the suspect.

The 38-year-old male suspect was placed under arrest and refused to comply with the officers demands. After a brief struggle, the suspect was taken into custody without further incident.

Norman Castel, 38, of Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, was charged with Robbery and Fail to comply with a probation order and released for court which is scheduled for January 19^th in the Pas.

The Pas RCMP continue to investigate.

The Flin Flon Recycling Centre will be going strong over the Christmas break,  and wants to remind you on what can and can’t be recycled as we get the details from Deb Odegaard.

" We definately can recycle all beverage containers, empty them please. Cardboard, boxboard and paper products and most packaging. We can't do styrofoam, wrapping paper, that is one thing we have to say every year, and I have noticed we already have some. Otherwise check our website because all the things that are usually recyclable are recyclable at Christmas as well."

The Recycling Centre will close today at noon and be closed on Christmas day. Regular hours resume on Boxing Day from 8am to 4pm. Remember you can drop off materials any time at 9 Timber Lane.

The City of Flin Flon  have  announced their hours at City Hall and their transit schedule over the holidays.

City facility hours include Dec 24^th 8 to noon, closed December the 25^th and 26^th and will resume with regular hours on December the 29^th from 8am to 4pm. City Hall will be open 8am to noon on Dec 31^st and closed New Years day.

City transit will not run on December 24th, 25th, and 26th, as well as December 31^st  and January 1st. Transit will otherwise operate on the regular transit schedule.

Something to look forward to in Flin Flon  for  2026 will be the opening of the new Snow Lodge by the Rotary Wheel.

The City of Flin Flon’s Crystal Kolt is excited to be able to offer this to the community to help celebrate Winter. " We are going to be having the grand opening at the end of January on the 30th. So there is going to be wonderful events that are going to be coordinated by the Events Coordinator Ainsley McIntosh Stallard. There has been a team of people and businesses to make this possible. Big Ice,  we couldn't of done this without them with the snow making and all the help with that. The City Of Flin Flon with the camp ground and snow machine and Rekiance stepped in and helped."

Work started about a week ago and it will continue first thing in the new year. The  weekend will mark the beginning of an exciting new winter tradition in the North — a celebration of community, culture, creativity, and winter tourism right here in Flin Flon.

To kick off the Snow Lodge journey the City will be hosting a festival style weekend featuring local vendors, arts and performers, story tellers and cultural experiences, community programs and lots of volunteer opportunities.

If you are interested in being involved you can e-mail flinflonsnowlodge@gmail.com.

Canada Post in  Flin Flon  is fully prepared to support customers and businesses during the busiest season  with delivery  throughout the holidays. Mail and parcels are moving as expected – items can be inducted, pickups are underway, and they  are processing and delivering new items safely and efficiently.

As their  delivery agents work to do their best to deliver through difficult weather conditions in Flin Flon throughout the year, winter elements pose a particular safety risk to their employees.

• Canada Post has some tips on how to keep their mail carriers safe throughout the winter season. Remove snow and ice from your walkways, driveway, and around your mailbox. De-ice your stairs, entrance, and the path to your mailbox, using sand or salt. Keep your stairs, handrails, and mailbox free of obstructions, and in good repair. Turn on outdoor lighting to keep pathways and stairs visible. When driving – especially in neighbourhoods – be mindful of delivery agents as they deliver letters and parcels.
•  

Canada Post wish everyone in the Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach area a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Operation Red Nose continues to get a lot of people and their vehicles home safely throughout the Holiday season in Flin Flon and area.

The Rotary Club’s Colleen Tower tells us it was another good weekend. " This weekend we had no particular clubs volunteering,  but we had a lot of community members step up so that was great. We had a bunch of people knowing we needed help step up and volunteer. On Friday night we had KFC as our meal sponsor and on Saturday it was Creighton's Pizza. Over the weekend we had well over 20 rides and made some really good donations."

Only one night remains and that will be New Year’s Eve and they still need a few more volunteers. If you would like to help out you can call Colleen at 204-680-8164. The hours will be between 9pm and 2am with last call for the lake areas at 1:30am.

The number to call to get you and your vehicle home safely is 204-687-7331.

A holiday season text message scam is targeting Manitobans with a bogus energy bill reminder.

The text message claims a Manitoba Hydro bill is due or overdue and provides a link to make payment.

Manitoba Hydro does send bill reminders via text message but does not ask for payment online or via phone, text, e-transfer or cryptocurrency.

The utility is reminding customers who receive such texts not to click the link and delete the message.

Manitoba Hydro warned customers recently of a similar scam sent via email.

Customers can verify their account information by logging onto their online account via web browser or the Manitoba Hydro app or by calling us at 1-888-624-9376 (1 888 MBHYDRO).

You are invited to a free Christmas Dinner this Wednesday December the 24^th, Christmas Eve at the Lutheran Church in Flin Flon.

Kristina Lies who is the organizer explains how this event first came about and the history behind it.  " It started years ago, my dad Lyle Borgstrom always wanted to have a dinner of some kind to bring people together. Whether you were hungry or just lonely, lots of people don't have their family around. He wanted to have something like that and this is actually our 10th year. It is something our family likes to do and it has really grown over the years. We have lots of people share in the donation of food so they can share in the dinner to."

A big thanks to the  local Lion’s Club for their donation in helping buy the food.  It takes place between 4 and 6pm and TY’S Taxi will be providing free rides by phoning 204-687-4441. 

On December 16th, Grand Rapids RCMP received a report of a pickup truck travelling out onto Cedar Lake and falling through the ice. This occurred approximately 75 meters from shore near the Manitoba Hydro boat launch, located west of the Grand Rapids Generating Station.

RCMP, along with local EMS, the Grand Rapids Fire Department and Manitoba Hydro, immediately attended to the area to conduct a search.

Investigators were able to determine that the vehicle, containing a male and female passenger, drove out onto the ice when it broke through. The two occupants were unable to escape the vehicle before it went under.

The fire department launched a zodiac to conduct a search in the nearby open water with the RCMP launching a drone to conduct an aerial search but it was unsuccessful.


The RCMP’s Underwater Recovery Team is continuing its search.

Grand Rapids RCMP continues to investigate.

You are encouraged to stop by the North Of 53 CO-OP today and take part in the local RCMP’S fundraiser by donating non-perishable  food items  for the Lord’s Bounty Food Bank.

It is the third annual Cram  The Cruiser and Constable Addison tells us this was inspired by a similar event that took place out in BC. " I think it was around 2012 in BC, the RCMP started this sort of thing around Christmas time. Where you bring a Cruiser down to the grocery store and fill it with donations and take them over to the Food Bank. So we are doing that today and it is the third year we have been doing Cram The Cruiser in Flin Flon and I am really excited about it."

The hours are 12pm to 5pm today and a police cruiser will be parked in front of the CO-OP,  and there will be pre packaged bags available at the front end of the store.

It has been a busy Christmas season for the Salvation Army with the ringing of the bells and Christmas Hamper applications.

The Salvation Army has delivered 187 hampers to residents in Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach, Cranberry, Sheridan and Cold Lake.

The Salvation Army is excited about a new event that they will be running on Monday December the 22^nd in conjunction with the Candy Bar. Nelly Brown has the details. On the 22nd which is our regular Soup Days , the Salvation Army is doing Soup Days every Monday and Friday, so anyone who needs a hot meal gets one at the Anglican Church Hall. This year Robbie and Loraine Poirier in memory of Ernie Poirier have provided all the food for a complete dinner for anyone who come's out on the 22nd."

The dinner will take place at the Anglican Church between 11:30 am and 1pm. The Salvation Army will continue to run kettles til December the 24^th and if you would like to help out and sign up you can contact Nelly at 204-687-4283.

RCMP and Winnipeg Police partnered in a joint operation from December 8 to 11, 2025, to arrest prolific and violent offenders with outstanding warrants in the Flin Flon, The Pas, and Opaskwayak Cree Nation area.

The Manitoba Integrated Violent Offender Apprehension Unit, with support from other police services, targeted 23 wanted individuals.

Five people were arrested on charges including robbery, assault, weapons offences, and failing to comply with release orders.

Four of them were found in Flin Flon, and one was located in the Opaskwayak Cree Nation.

Four were taken into custody without incident, while one man from Flin Flon was caught after trying to run away.

The other 18 individuals are still at large.

The Manitoba Integrated Violent Offender Apprehension Unit’s investigation is ongoing.

Another  Possession and Acquisition License course has  been added for the end of January for anyone who legally has firearms in their possession or dwelling.

There is one scheduled for the middle of the month but is completely full,  so Ryan Grey has decided to offer an additional one and go’s over what he will be covering. " So we cover a lot of safety aspects about firearms which includes Shotguns and Rifles. We talk about the maintenance and cleaning and some of the protocols that are expected when you store and transport firearms. That seems to be the biggest thing that people might not be familliar with. We go over what some of the rules and regulations are."

The extra course will take place on January the 30^th and 31^st at the Creighton Community Hall. The cost is $175.00 and you can sign up by calling Ryan at 204-687- 3163 or send an e-mail to kanvasback5253@gmail.com.

Deputy Mayor Alison Dallas Funk mentioned that they have received a grant from the Manitoba Government which is the Manitoba Gro Grant. The City has received $2.45 million dollars to go towards the new Aqua Centre build.

The City also went to bat for residents of Flin Flon Saskatchewan to make sure they were approved for the 2025 Home Owner's  Tax Credit. Even though these people reside on the Saskatchewan side of the border their kids attend school in Manitoba. They were exempt but now will receive a credit of up to $15,00.00.

Other topics that were discussed include the city updating their 2026 Emergency Plan to include contact information, responsibilities , emergency procedures for everything from wildfires to snow storms, evacuations and any other form of emergency.

The City Of Flin Flon has approved CAO Joy Capyk, Utilities Supervisor Dan Hotel  and Fire Chief Jason Kuras attend the Manitoba  Disaster Management Conference in Winnipeg in January of 2026.

The City of Flin Flon has also come into agreement with Foran for the naming rights of the new lap pool at the Aqua Centre for a sponsorship of $250,000.00.

Mayor Fontaine wrapped up the meeting by wishing all residents in Flin Flon and the surrounding area a Very Merry Christmas and hopes everyonr has a safe  holiday season.

On December 12^th,  Cross Lake RCMP officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle located in the community.

An officer approached the vehicle, with a single occupant, and spoke with the driver, identified as a 34-year-old male from Winnipeg.

During the conversation with the driver, the officer observed multiple liquor bottles in the vehicle and a quantity of cash tucked into the back of the passenger seat. The driver was immediately placed under arrest and secured in the police vehicle.

A search of the driver and vehicle led to the seizure of over 63 grams of suspected cocaine, several bottles of liquor, a machete and Canadian currency.

James McLeod, 34, was remanded into custody on charges of Possession for the purpose of trafficking and Possession of property obtained by crime.
 
Cross Lake RCMP continue to investigate.

Operation Red Nose just wrapped up their third weekend getting people and their vehicles home safely in Flin Flon and area.

This was their biggest weekend so far brining in donations as we hear more from Alison Dallas Funk. " Last weekend was really great in the donation department, we raised $920.00 from community donations. The Kinettes and Steelworkers did Saturday night and on Friday night we had community members come out and drive everyone home safe and sound. We had CO-OP and Domino's as our sponsorsfor food and everything went great." 

Operation Red Nose will be going strong again this weekend both Friday and Saturday night with KFC and Creighton Pizza donating the food for the volunteers. Community members will be providing the rides all weekend. The hours are 9pm to 2am both nights  and the last lake call is at  1:30am.

The Rotary Club still needs volunteers for New Years Eve, so if you are interested in helping out you can contact Alison at 204-687-0838.

Jordan McPhail the MLA for Cumberland was in Creighton and Denare Beach on Monday to speak to both councils, see updates in Denare Beach and speak to residents on progress from the government on the Wolf Fire.

McPhail says the NDP continue to press the Sask Party to make sure the issues in the area are being resolved. " We just finished the fall session here and tried to get some answers  out of this government by talking about a public inquiry into the wildfire situation that we had over the summer. No stranger to anyone here on the issues surrounding that. We called for that, we called for the removal of PST  on construction labour and removal of the fees for Line Lifts and help these folks get their lives rebuilt. Obviously last week we saw a shuffle in cabinet,  and I wanted to make sure I got back up to the community and make sure we are keeping our finger on the pulse of the issues that the people are facing with the rebuild."

The Saskatchewan NDP were also  in Saskatoon on Tuesday and called  on the new Minister Responsible for the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) to commit to launching an independent public inquiry into the disastrous 2025 wildfire response that saw entire communities burn to the ground.

The Saskatchewan NDP continues to call on Premier Moe and his Minister to stop taxing wildfire victims for rebuilding their homes,  and to  develop a comprehensive, province-wide wildfire strategy with northern leaders and experts. If you have any concerns you can reach out to Jordan McPhail’s office at 306-425-2525 or Cumberland@ndpcaucus.sk.ca.

On December 10th, Oxford House RCMP received a request to assist the First Nation Safety Officers (FNSO) outside a residence located in the community.

Officers responded and were advised that a 35-year-old female was being detained as a result of a drug investigation.

A search of the suspects backpack led to the discovery a quantity of crack cocaine, oxycodone pills and an undisclosed amount of cash.

The 35-year-old female was placed under arrest and upon her search, officers located and additional amount of drugs in her possession.

The investigation led to the seizure of approximately 86 grams of crack cocaine, 127 oxycodone pills and approximately $28,800.00 in cash. The community street value of the drugs seized is estimated at $68,300.00.

RCMP have charged 35-year-old Melvina Kanabee, of Bunibonibee Cree Nation, with Possession of proceeds of crime and Possession for the purpose of trafficking x2. She was remanded into custody.


Oxford House RCMP continue to investigate.

Don’t forget to bring your Teddy Bears and stuffed animals to the Flin Flon Bomber game this weekend for the annual Northland Ford Teddy Bear Toss.

Mike Slipp is excited that Norhland Ford is once again sponsoring this event. " As soon as the Bombers score that first of many goals, throw your bears on the ice. The Northland Ford gang and a minor hockey team will colect them and we  donate them to the Friendship Centre. We look forward to everyone coming out Saturday night and having some fun."

Once all the stuffed animals are collected on the ice they will be sent directly over to the Friendship Centre for their annual Christmas Gift program. The game is this Saturday 7:30 against the Laronge Ice Wolves at the Whitney Forum.

The annual Santa Clause Parade hosted by the U-11 Northland Ford Bombers was well attended and a big success this past Thursday night.

The parade took place on Flin Flon’s Main street with both Santa and the Grinch in attendance. Greg Kritzer is the U-11 Head Coach and appreciates everyone who came out on a cold December night. " Main street was lined with kids, it was loud and everyone was screaming and trying to get Santa's attention. He was in good spirits on the back of the float. We had 22 floats this year which is right up there with some of the biggest parades that I have had the pleasure of planning. It was chilly but everyone had a good time, there was lots of noise, good music, and it seemed like it was exactly what we all hoped it to be."

Kritzer wanted to thank all the sponsors, parents, young hockey players, fire department, RCMP, everyone who entered a float and everyone who came out to watch. They look forward to hosting the event again next year.

Twenty-seven people have been charged so far as part of a sustained police investigation into a drug trafficking network operating on the Bunibonibee Cree Nation.

Project Derry was launched in June by the Manitoba RCMP Integrated Law Enforcement Team following several violent incidents that occurred in the community, The investigation uncovered a criminal drug trafficking organization involving cocaine, oxycodone, fentanyl and carfentanil. as well as  storage and dissemination of weapons.

The investigation also revealed that float planes were being used to fly large quantities of alcohol into the community to bootleg to residents.

In total, 51 charges have been laid as of Friday against 27 suspects as part of Project Derry. Eighteen of the 27 suspects live on the Bunibonibee Cree Nation, with the remaining suspects from Winnipeg and Thompson.

Luke Grieves, the suspected leader of the criminal network from Thompson has been charged with conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance, instruction commission of an offence for a criminal organization and recruitment of members by a criminal organization. He was arrested while in custody at Milner Ridge Correctional Centre.

Further arrests and charges are expected.

The Inner Wheel club of Flin Flon is putting on their annual Senior Christmas Light tour this Wednesday. The Club’s Fran Rebin lets us know how it will run.

" Everyone will meet at City Hall at 6pm and there will be a bus that will go around Flin Flon looking at the beautiful Christmas lights.If someone needs us to pick them up at a Senior's place,  we do stop at Rotary Court, Legion  Housing, Hemlock and the Northern Lights Manor.

After the tour , the bus will return to City Hall and attendees will have coffee and dainties and those who received rides will be bussed back .The community is encouraged to have their  full light displays on for Wednesday.  The tour will begin at 6pm and is free for all seniors. Please reserve your spot as soon as possible by calling  Fran at 687-0057

If you are looking for an early Christmas present for yourself or someone else, there is still time to purchase a 50/50 ticket for The Flin Flon Public Library.

The draw will take place this upcoming Tuesday, December the 16^th at the Library.

Library Administrator Lisa Slugoski lets us know how you can purchase tickets.

“Tickets are $5 each, and there’s been a thousand tickets printed. You can purchase tickets at the Co-Op this weekend. We’ll be there on Friday and Saturday from 11 to 3. You could also purchase at the Library or by e-transfer if you visit our Facebook page. We use this money to supplement our Collection Development Budget. So, we use it to buy new books for the library and we appreciate all the community support.”

You can watch the draw live this Tuesday at 4pm on the Flin Flon Public Library Facebook page. Don’t forget that the Library has extended the evening hours on Tuesday and Wednesday until 6:30 pm on a trial basis. They will be open 11am to 5pm the rest of the week.

Flin Flon Rec Director Cait Bailey recently attended the Parks and Recreation Association Summit which took place in Ottawa,  and she stopped by the CFAR studio to discuss the meeting on the most recent City Beat program.

Bailey says it was great to attend the first ever summit they ever had and was able to learn more about Recreation’s role in emergency and disaster preparedness.

“CPRA is our national board that represents parks and recreation practitioners across the nation of Canada. There were people there from every province and territory, including a large board of directors. Couple of the asks that we had, of the federal government, that would affect us most specifically when it comes to emergencies would be a two-million dollar grant that they would fund through the CPRA for parks and recreation practitioners to apply to during emergencies, like we had over the summer. I think, people don’t realize that parks and recreation are a huge point when it comes to emergencies and disasters.”

AT THEIR MEETING THIS PAST WEDNESDAY COUNCIL REPORTED RECEIVING A REQUEST FROM THE CRANBERRY PORTAGE WINTERFEST COMMITTEE TO HELP SUPPORT THE EVENT TAKING PLACE FEBRUARY 26th TO MARCH 1st 2026. COUNCIL AGREED TO DONATE A HOODIE TO TOWARDS THE ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY SPIRIT, WINTER FUN, AND NORTHERN CULTURE.

COUNCIL AGREED TO SUPPORT AND GIVE PERMISSION TO THE FC REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION'S TRANS CANADA TRAIL PROJECT TO REGISTER THE PORTION OF THE TRAIL WITHIN CREIGHTON JURISDICTION. SOME POSSIBLE TRAIL NAMES WERE DISCUSSED SUCH AS PRECAMBRIAN TRAIL,BORDER ROCK CROSSING ROCK N ROLL BORDER TRAIL,AND CROSS BORDER TRAIL. THE FINAL CHOSEN NAME WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

The annual Santa Clause Parade will hit Flin Flon’s Main Street later tonight and is being hosted by the U-11 Northland Ford Bombers.

Greg Kritzer is the coach of the U-11 Bombers and is happy that his team has the chance to get involved with a popular Christmas event.

“Well it’s very important for me and our hockey group, because this community supports all of our hockey teams and not often do we get an opportunity to say thank you. And as a team we try to put together this parade, try to go and find some businesses and individuals to put together floats and give us something that we can gather for, especially in the Christmas season. It’s just a way for us to say thank you for your support and give everyone a good time for the evening.”

The parade will start at 6pm and will feature Santa, the RCMP, Fire Department and between 10 to 12 individuals and businesses that entered a float. If you would like to register a float you can drop off a registration form at CFAR during business hours today or reach out to Greg who will be taking registrations right till the start of the parade at gkritzer@gmail.com.

THE BOARD WELCOMED JORDAN DUMENKO PRINCIPAL AND MICHAEL McLELLAN VICE PRINCIPAL FROM HAPNOT COLLEGIATE AND MANY FACES EDUCATION CENTER PRESENTING THE HI-LITES AND CHANGES BEING MADE AND THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT THEIR SCHOOLS.

THIS IS THEIR SECOND YEAR AT THE SCHOOLS AND ONE OF THE CHANGES MADE AT MANY FACES WAS GOING TO YEAR LONG CONTINUOUS COURSES WITH A GOAL OF INCREASING CREDIT ATTAINMENT. THEY HAVE ALSO SEEN ATTENDANCE AT THE SCHOOL INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS.

 ONE OF THE THINGS THEY PRIDE THEMSELVES ON IS THEIR PROVINCIAL EXAM SCORES WHICH ARE CONTINUALLY ABOVE PROVINCIAL AVERAGE SCORES. THEY ARE ALSO PROUD OF GETTING STUDENTS READY FOR THE NEXT STEP BY HOSTING CAREER DAYS.

THEY TALKED IN DEPTH ABOUT STUDENT ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, MENTAL WELLNESS PROGRAMS, CULTURAL EXPERIENCE, ATHLETICS, AS WELL AS FRENCH IMMERSION.

IN OTHER SCHOOL NEWS THE BOARD AGREED TO FUND NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A SENSORY ROOM AT ECOLE McISSAC OUT OF SURPLUS FOR THE 2025/26 SCHOOL YEAR.

THEY ALSO APPROVED THE REQUEST TO MANITOBA EDUCATION EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING-EDUCATION FUNDING BRANCH TO SET UP A RESERVE FOR PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT UP TO A MAXIMUM OF $300 THOUSAND DOLLARS.

Ecole McIsaac School is holding a giant garage sale this up coming Monday December the 15^th, called the Giving Grotto.

The event is to allow a child to buy gifts for their loved ones for between $1 and $2.00. They will even wrap the gifts so every child can take their present’s home.

This will be open to students between 9am and 4pm and the community between 4 and 6pm.

They are looking for people to donate gently used items by stopping by the school office today. They will also be looking for volunteers to help with the set up including gift wrapping and supplies, bags, tissue, wrap and tape.

All the proceeds this year will go towards the Lord’s Bounty Food Bank and if you need more information you can call the school at 204-687-7578.

The Flin Flon Community Choir has received a tremendous honor as they have been selected to perform at Music Fest in Niagara Falls Ontario in May of 2026.

Director Angela Ishaka talks about this tremendous honor. " I just got an e-mail saying that we had been selected to perform and that was very exciting.I knew they would be selecting some people but I really did not know where we would stand in the placings for that. I am very excited and very proud of the choir for all the work they have been doing."

Ishaka  explained that there was a grant that the Manitoba Choral Association applied for  to bring a specialist in  from Edmonton  into many parts of  Manitoba including Flin Flon. He had a two hour workshop with  the Flin Flon Community  Choir  and they sang together and he  showed them what he did. At the end of his tour in Manitoba he made his selections of groups he thought would qualify to go to the festival.

To  find out more and see the entire lineup of musicians for next year you can go to musicfest.ca.

This past Sunday, Flin Flon RCMP received a report of a theft of gas from a Service Station located on Third Avenue in Flin Flon.

The suspect’s  vehicle information provided to police matched that of a vehicle which had been reported stolen earlier that morning in Pelican Narrows, at gunpoint from a 21-year-old male victim. The vehicle had been last seen heading towards Flin Flon with a female driver and three passengers.

Based on the information provided , the suspect’s were last seen travelling at a high of speed, possibly heading towards Thompson.

 Thompson RCMP, who had been provided the information on the suspect’s  vehicle, were conducting a patrol in the Paint Lake area when they encountered a female walking alone on the road which seemed suspicious. . It was determined that she was from Pelican Narrows. The 32-year-old female was detained and a short drive further down the road led to the discovery of the stolen vehicle, with two of the three additional suspects, a 27-year-old male and 27-year-old female. They were arrested without incident.

The fourth suspect had fleed on foot.

A quick search of the scene led to the seizure of 5 firearms and other stolen property strewn about.

Thompson RCMP with assistance from Manitoba RCMP Dog Services located  the fourth  suspect walking along Provincial Road 275 and he was  taken into custody without incident.

A further search of the stolen vehicle on scene led to the seizure of a sawed-off shotgun, a pellet gun, various rounds of ammunition and a sword.

RCMP have charged Jonas Merasty, 27, Gailynn McCallum, 32, Drew Linklater, 27, and Kolton Ballantyne, 26, all of Pelican Narrows, with a number of offences including Possession of property obtained by crime, Theft, Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, Mischief and multiple firearms-related offences. All four were remanded into custody.

Flin Flon RCMP continue to investigate.

You are invited to a Christmas get together this Sunday which will feature traditional Christmas Carols and Lessons for the Lord’s Bounty Foodbank.

Borealis and the Children’s Choir will be holding their annual Christmas Carol Service,  and Tim Spencer invites the community to come out and celebrate the season for a good cause. " It is based on the Lessons and Carols that happen over in Cambridge England every year with their choir. We have the Borealis Choir and the Children's Choir singing. So basically the lessons are Bible readings about the story of Christmas and a lot of music. There will be 5 famous carols that the congreagation will all get to sing with the choir."

This all take place at the Lutheran Church this Sunday December the 14^th at 3:30 pm. Everyone is encouraged to bring in a non perishable food item to donate to the food bank and all cash donations and offerings will be donated as well.

It was another busy weekend for Operation Red Nose in Flin Flon and area as we hear more from the Rotary Club’s Alison Dallas Funk.

" So this past weekend we had a number of volunteers come out including the Disc Golf team, Hudbay and the Ski Club. We had a total of 27 rides and donations totalling $460.00. This upcoming weekend December the 12th and 13th, the food is being sponsored by the CO-OP and Dominoes. The first Friday night it is a local group of people and on Saturday it is the Kinsmen, Kinnettes and Steelworkers driving everyone home with their teams."

The hours of operation will be between 9pm and 2am and don’t forget if you are headed out to the lake areas you will need to call in by 1:30am. The number is 204-687-7331. Operation Red Nose still need volunteers for December the 20^th and 31^st and if you are interested,  you can print off the volunteer sheet from the Rotary Club’s facebook page and then take it into the RCMP for a safety check.

Last Saturday, Thompson RCMP responded to a check on a wellbeing of a 43-year-old female at a residence located on Ashbury Place.

Candace Wastesicoot, 43, fled the scene before officers arrived and she has not been seen or heard from since. RCMP are concerned for her safety.

She is described as 5’8’’, 250 lbs, with black hair and black eyes. No clothing description was provided.

If you’ve seen Candace Wastesicoot or have any information on her whereabouts, please call the Thompson RCMP Detachment immediately at 204-677-6909/6911.

If you were impacted by the 2025 Saskatchewan wildfires, you can receive in person support at the Creighton Sportex Lounge this week.

The hours are 9am to 4pm up until this Thursday December the 11^th.

Virtual Case Management support is also available Monday through Friday 9am to 4pm and is closed weekends and stat holidays.

For more information you can call 1-800-863-6582, e-mail skrecoversupport@recross.ca. You can also go to the website at redcross.ca/2025saskatchewanwildfires.

The Province of Saskatchewan held a community meeting in Denare Beach last Thursday to update the Village on progress they continue to make , as well as resources available for people due to the wildfire this past summer.

The SPSA, Sask Mental Health, Canadian Red Cross and members of Denare Beach administration were all in attendance.

Meredith Norman, the Chief Administration Officer explains how you can get the assistance you need. " The Red Cross can help you with any insurance questions, engineering questions, legal questions, if you need financial support. They can also help you with mental health supports, if you are looking at companies like Mennonite Disaster Service to help you rebuild,  if you are uninsured or under insured they are the case manager for them as well. So any questions you have that we can't answer in the office, the Red Cross can help."

Meredith also went on to mention that they have forms available at the Denare Beach Village office if you are in need of temporary housing as well as a form for Individual Needs Assessment.

The Village Office hours are Monday to Thursday 9am to 4:30 pm and Friday 9am to 1:30pm. Call 306-362-2025 for more information.

The Trout Festival AGM took place last Tuesday at the Creighton Recreation and Tourism office.

President Dianne Russel  opened the  meeting and  mentioned  it was a difficult year  for the Festival with the cancellation due to wild fires.

Thankfully grant funding was extended to accommodate their  situation and most of the events were re-scheduled in August and September.  The Fish Fry was a success and all profits from it were donated to all the Fire Departments in the area. 

Discussions were held regarding what  events to run next year including the  Fishing Derby, Parade, Fish Fry, Midway, Makers Market among others.

The committee would like to start advertizing on a broader scale including the Free Press or possibly a festival guide and will discuss further at their next meeting. The Trout Festival committee is also looking at collaborating with the Flin Flon 27 Home Coming  committee.

The proposed slate of officers for 2026 include Dianne Russell- President, Lindsay Shirran Vice President, Kelsey Andersen Secretary and Elly Spencer Treasurer.

The next Trout Festival meeting is planned for early 2026.

On November 30th, RCMP received a report of a missing 67-year-old man from an address located on Ospwagon Drive in Thompson.

Rodger Pelley, 67, was last seen 4 days ago in the City of Thompson.

Efforts to locate him have met with negative results.

He's described as being 5’10’’, 200 lbs with short gray hair. No clothing description was provided.

If you’ve seen Rodger Pelley or have any information on his whereabouts, please call the Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909/6911.

The Flin Flon Friendship Centre and the Red Apple will be hosting Fill The Sleigh Day this Saturday to help with their annual Christmas Gift Program.

Brianne Roberts tells us it is going to be a busy day. " All day we will have table games and ornament making for the children. Starting at 11 am we have the Silver Evening Star Singers and the Northern Eagle Traditional Dancers coming in from the Youth Centre, along with the Women's Resource Centre doing face painting. In the afternoon from 1 to 3pm we will have Santa,  and I will personally be taking photos so the kids can make photo ornaments for their Christmas trees." 

It all starts at 11 am at the Red Apple on Flin Flon’s Main street and the Red Apple will donate 5 % of all their sales that day to the Friendship Centre’s Annual Gift Program.

The Flin Flon Rotary Club will be hosting their annual Senior’s Christmas Party this Sunday at the Flin Flon Community Hall.

The Rotary Club’s Dennis Whitbread invites all the senior’s in Flin Flon and area to come out for a wonderful Christmas get together. " The doors will be open at 12:30 because Mark Kolt will start to play music at 1pm, and the event will run til about 3:30. The big guy Santa will be there, and there will be music and entertainment all afternoon while they enjoy their lunch and snacks."

The Rotary Club would like to thank the CO-OP and Victoria INN for donating the lunch and dainties for the afternoon. This is open to anyone 55 years of age and older and all Senior’s in attendance will receive a Christmas present.

If you need a ride you can contact Bill Pauley  at 204-680-9688.

Flin Flon’s Main Street is all lit up and getting ready for the Santa Clause Parade and Christmas on Main, next Thursday December the 11^th.

The City’s Crystal Kolt is very excited about all the activities that will be taking place. " There is of course the Santa Clause Parade happening that evening, stores will be open a little later and we are going to have caroling and shopping. Community Futures Greenstone will also be holding their Holiday Makers Market and everyone loves to buy home made products, and that will be super  exciting."

Kolt also went on to say that they are hoping to have the Uptown Emporium open at the same time. The Santa Clause Parade will go at 6pm and the Holiday’s Makers Market will open right after the parade at the Greenstone building.

The Saskatchewan government awarded the Premier’s Commendation Award to 64 volunteer and municipal fire departments, and the tribal council partners whose  firefighters  protected communities and supported their  fellow Saskatchewan residents when they were in need during the 2025 wildfire season.

Three local fire departments from our area were recognized including Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach. Flin Flon Fire Chief  Jason Kuras,  and Creighton Fire Chief Dwayne Wenger were both in attendance to accept awards on behalf of their fire departments.

Denare Beach Fire Chief Seth Fernandez was also invited but was not able to attend.

Congratulations to all the recipients across the province including our three local fire departments for their commitment, heroism and dedication in helping saves our communities.

The awards were presented at the Saskatchewan Legislature in Regina on Tuesday.

The residents were there to share their objections on a public hearing on a re-zoning bylaw that would affect the highway going through Channing.

The Company Strong Pine out of Saskatchewan has purchased land in Channing and will be building a facility in the community as they want to transfer silica sand from Saskatchewan into Manitoba. It would be brought in by trucks from Saskatchewan and then shipped from Channing by rail out to BC.

Residents filled out notice of objections at the meeting and those notices will be sent out to the Manitoba Government for final say.

Members of City Council recently attended the Association of Manitoba Municipalities Conference in Winnipeg and felt they made major headway meeting with different ministers and a one on one meeting with the Premiere Wab Kinew.

Wildfires was a big part of the discussion that included how to better prepare if this ever happens again, lack of health care during the evacuation,  funding for wildfire training and border issues between Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Flin Flon Mayor George Fontaine concluded the meeting by congratulating former Flin Flon Councillor Karen MacKinnon on her Lifetime Honorary Award at the recent AMM and he also commented on the passing of long time resident Ron Dodds.

Ron recently passed away  and Fontaine mentioned how he will be missed by the community for all his volunteer work including many hours spent at the Flin Flon Museum.

The Norva Centre in Flin Flon has lots of events planned for you and the family to celebrate the Christmas season throughout December.

They are planning a Christmas Arts and Crafts sale with some great gift ideas for this Saturday.  Megan Dupuis would like to see you there. " We are going to have Christmas music playing and treat bags to give away to the first 20 visitors. People can come from 11 am to 3pm and we have a bunch of Norva artists and other Artisan's from town who will be selling a bunch of cool hand  made goods. We will also have a lot of other art work for sale that we have on hand, so a lot of unique items to give to people for Christmas."

They are also working on a give away pile on some supplies they don’t need including art books, picture frames and other items they have in bulk.

Once again it takes place this Saturday between 11am and 3pm and Norva  will also  be hosting some kids activities later in the month that they will be announcing soon.

Shoppers looking online for great deals this holiday season are strongly encouraged by Manitoba RCMP to be on the lookout for scams designed to empty their bank accounts and steal their personal information.

Online scams can be basic and straightforward, such as phishing texts that claim package deliveries are delayed or that payment information needs to be verified. They can also be sophisticated, with ads placed on social media that direct people to fake websites that mimic legitimate retailers and travel agencies offering incredible deals. Even charities can be impersonated, with people encouraged to give money to charities that don’t actually exist.

There are things Manitobans should look out for to avoid being scammed. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre recommends you look carefully for spelling errors in texts or on websites, references to a product as “the item,” overseas buyers who are looking to buy without seeing the product first and sellers with recently created social media profiles. 

Further steps Manitobans can take include knowing the market value of the product you are looking for, sellers contact information, looking for customer reviews and ratings and using a payment method with fraud protection, such as a credit card.

If you or someone you know has been defrauded, report it to the RCMP or your local police service. Your report can help identify links, catch criminals and prevent further frauds.

Registration for the Flin Flon Friendship Centre’s Christmas Gift Program is underway.

Bryanne Roberts is the Program Coordinator and she explains how the program works.  " So the Christmas Gift Program is about us striving to provide the opportunity for parents and care givers to give their children a gift for Christmas,  when circumstances arise and prevent them from doing so. A lot of this is non-profit as we ask for donations from the community and surrounding businesses. They can donate either gifts or cash donations, and the gift program is open  for people in Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach and Sheriden."

Registration will continue this week with confirmation of appointments next week and gifts will be available to pick up December the 16^th to the 23^rd.

This is for children 17 years of age and under and please have health cards available when picking up gifts. For more information you can reach out to Bryanne at 204-687-8852 or e-mail b.roberts@flinflonfc.ca.

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities held their yearly meeting in Winnipeg last week with over 137 communities represented including a strong contingent from Northern Manitoba.

Among the highlights was the AMM recognizing a person right  from here in  Flin Flon.  Karen MacKinnon  was named an Honorary Life Member for her many years of service for Flin Flon and the Province and was honored to receive this prestigious award.  " I first heard about the award just after we got back from evacuation in July and I got an e-mail from AMM saying they were going to honor me. It felt really good at the time esoecially after what we just went through. It felt very good just to receive it because it is a major honor. I feel very privileged to receive it." 

MacKinnon wanted to thank the citizens of  Flin Flon for giving her the privilege  to serve them for so many years. MacKinnon was the longest serving female AMM Board Of Director for 14 years,  and was  very happy to reconnect with so many people she had a chance to meet across the province the last several years.

It was a decent opening weekend for Operation Red Nose in Flin Flon sponsored by the Flin Flon  Rotary Club.

Alison Dallas Funk says things went pretty well. " Saturday was our kickoff and we were really excited as Border Explorers came out with 9 volunteers to make sure everyone got home safe in the community. Chicken Chef provided the food for the night and Arctic Beverages the drinks and snacks and that was fantastick. We had 11 rides and many were lake trips and that was good to see many people getting home to the lake and we collected $290.00 in donations."

Next weekend’s volunteer groups include the Flin Flon Ski Club and The North Of 54 Disc Golf Group on Friday night,   and Schwarma will provide the food. On Saturday the volunteer groups will include Hudbay and Aurora and Pine providing food for the volunteers.

Hours of operation are 9pm to 2am and don’t forget you need to call them by 1:30am if you are heading out to the lake areas. The number is 204-687-7331 and they still need volunteers for December the 20^th and 31^st.

Nine firearms and three machetes were seized and four people are facing drug trafficking charges following an investigation in La Ronge by Saskatchewan RCMP.

On November 27th, officers with the Saskatchewan RCMP La Ronge Crime Reduction Team (CRT) and Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) executed a search warrant on a residence in Sucker River, following an investigation.

Several occupants were located and arrested inside the residence with  several items being seized including approximately 369.5 grams of crack cocaine.

As a result of investigation, 33-year-old Leroy Eninew and 32-year-old Marjorie Eninew from Sucker River, are each charged with multiple offenses including possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Two male youth from the La Ronge Detachment  have also  been charged with multiple offenses including possession for the purpose of trafficking.

All four have appeared in Provincial court.

Flin Flon Mayor George Fontaine, Deputy Mayor Alison Dallas Funk, CEO Joy Capyk and Councillor Mike Slipp recently attended the Association of Manitoba  Municipalities conference in Winnipeg.

It was an opportunity to meet with many different Ministers and listen to various speakers. Mike Slipp  shares the details on what was covered. " We met with the RCMP talking about the issues here in the Flin Flon area. We got the chance to listen to a lot of good speakers and finished off with a fantastick meeting with the Premier of the province Wab Canoe. We talked about Arts and Culture in the North, issues that effect Flin Flon and regionality, preparing for wildfires with that season coming up around the corner."

The meeting ended with members of council presenting the Premier with a Flin Flon Bomber jersey on behalf of the City Of Flin Flon. The City will have more information from the AMM at the next Council meeting on Tuesday night and the City Beat Show this Wednesday on 102.9 CFAR.

The Christmas season is here and one of the most popular events of the season is the Santa Clause Parade Of Lights hitting Flin Flon’s Main Street.

The parade will take place on Thursday December the 11^th starting at 6pm hosted by the U-11 Northland Ford Bombers.

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

Feel free to challenge other businesses, schools, organizations or friends to compete with you.

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