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Creighton town council report: Town chips in for planned Aqua Centre upgrades

The Town of Creighton is helping to refurbish the Flin Flon Aqua Centre. At their Jan. 11 meeting, town council presented $50,000 to the Flin Flon Aqua Centre Committee.
Mayor Bruce Fidler
Mayor Bruce Fidler presents Aqua Centre Committee members Corey Thompson and Kara Plamondon with a $50,000 donation on behalf of the Town of Creighton.

The Town of Creighton is helping to refurbish the Flin Flon Aqua Centre.

At their Jan. 11 meeting, town council presented $50,000 to the Flin Flon Aqua Centre Committee. The money, drawn from the town’s Nuclear Waste Management Organization fund, will help pay for planned renovations.

“We do appreciate all the work you guys have done so far with fundraising and realize how much of a benefit the pool facility is to the region,” said Mayor Bruce Fidler, who presented committee members Kara Plamondon and Corey Thompson with a large novelty cheque.

Plamondon and Thompson discussed the renovations with council members at a meeting in December. The fundraising committee’s preferred option would include improvements to the centre’s pool deck and weight room, as well as accessibility upgrades and a multipurpose room.

The project is expected to cost around $7 million. The committee hopes to fund the project using federal and provincial grants, as well as donations.

Fidler did not rule out the possibility of the town donating more to the project in the future.

Homeless shelter

Council discussed at length the idea of a local homeless shelter.

Flin Flon Aboriginal Friendship Centre housing coordinator Patricia Gibson spoke to council about homelessness in the area.

“It’s a conversation that service providers, on both sides of the border, have discussed for a while,” she said.

Gibson talked about the root causes of northern homelessness, including a high cost of living, aging housing stock and overcrowding on reserves.

Gibson advocated for a centralization of services to assist area homeless, either in the form of an emergency shelter or transitional housing.

Fidler voiced his support for the idea of a housing project for area homeless.

“There is a serious need for this kind of facility,” he said. “There’s so many different issues out there that we need to deal with. It would be a very good thing.”

Miscellaneous

Fidler and area economic development officer Perry Trusty met with representatives from Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation on Jan. 10.

The meeting, held in Prince Albert, saw Fidler and Trusty discuss forestry with Chief Peter Beatty and economic development coordinator Mel Merasty.

“They didn’t give us any details about what they’re working on, but they did say they were trying to get some things going and they would keep us informed,” Trusty told council.

A new snow removal bylaw passed final reading. The bylaw increases penalties for residents and businesses that shovel snow onto town property or in a haphazard fashion.

Residents can be fined $100 for violating the new bylaw. Businesses face a $500 fine. Additional offences would mean increased fines.

Council discussed the idea of hiring additional high school and post-secondary students to cut grass at municipal properties this summer, doubling the number of positions from two to four.

The extra positions depend on the town receiving a government grant. The town will receive word on the grant in April.

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