The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It wouldn't be impossible for a candidate to overtake Gerard Jennissen's MLA seat. One of the first rules of politics is, after all, to never say never. But given the New Democrat's popularity and down-to-earth reputation amongst his constituents, any challenger would certainly bear the "underdog" title. A long-time teacher in Cranberry Portage, Jennissen first campaigned in the Flin Flon Riding back in 1995, defeating his major opponent by 715 votes. Voters clearly liked what they saw and reelected Jennissen in 1999, this time by a margin of nearly 1,700 votes over his closest challenger. By the time the latest election rolled around last June, Jennissen seemed unbeatable. And he was, garnering an impressive 73 per cent of the popular vote. While the Flin Flon Riding has been an NDP stronghold for more than three decades, Jennissen is not by any means guaranteed a victory based on his political stripes. Northerners, it's been said, vote for the person rather than the party. The Reminder caught up with the 62-year-old politician yesterday for a revealing one-on-one interview on both local and regional issues. * * * Reminder: What are your top concerns for Flin Flon and your constituency as a whole? Jennissen: I would like to keep the mining sector as strong as possible. We've gone through some very stormy and rough times. I will always keep worrying about young people and jobs. I know that there are a lot of part-time jobs in the mall (Flintoba Shopping Centre) but, you know, we need to develop more jobs in Northern Manitoba for our young people so there's a reason for them to stay. And that's been a long-standing concern, that our young people don't have the necessary jobs here. It's a long, slow process, but I think we're chipping away at it. I think University College of the North is a step in that direction. It will bring the education to northern children and it will be a degree-granting institution. And we want to try to get industry and upgraded infrastructure here whenever possible because we're in competition with other parts of the world. See 'Mining' P.# Con't from P.# Reminder: And health care is always high on your list. Jennissen: Health care is always a concern Ñ hospitals, the conditions of hospitals, the number of doctors and nurses, transportation systems so people can go to the South when they have to see a specialist. Those health concerns are there and we're trying to address them. Reminder: It's now been a year and a half since Flin Flon's Wal-Mart store opened, and it looks as though the Flintoba Shopping Centre will continue to grow. How do you respond to concerns that this development has hurt other businesses? Jennissen: There's two sides to everything. I worked on the assumption, when we looked at the mall in the beginning, that it would create more jobs, bring more business, bring more shoppers into Flin Flon, and it's sort of like the argument that a rising tide lifts all ships, so the more people who come in, everybody will benefit. Now some people say that has happened to some degree, others say it hasn't. I notice a number of stores have closed and that concerns me, and so, we probably will have to look at some options Ñ some way of reinvigorating Main Street. How we go about that, I'm not yet sure. Reminder: So the development was a good thing. Jennissen: Overall, when you're faced with the option of, either you're going to build a mall or you're not going to build a mall, it would be very difficult for me to say, "Let's not build that mall. Let's have the Canadian Tire store go to The Pas instead." I mean, that's not good for business here. We want to pull people into our part of Manitoba. It's a double-edged sword Ñ it hurts some and it creates prosperity. I think on balance, though, the City agrees, the province agrees, most of the citizens in the city agree, that it's been a positive. Reminder: You were a part of the province's Mining Task Force, which looked at ways to strengthen the mining sector. What kind of a future does mining have in Northern Manitoba? Jennissen: I think we've got a great future. We've gone through some really rough times, and I'm hoping we're nearing the end of that. The reality is, though, we all have to be aware that ore reserves are finite, they're limited. You can have great strikes, and I'm sure there are many more, but any great strike will eventually peter out. You will mine the ore. Now this community has been very lucky, we've been in mining for more than 70 years, and we're still going strong. And I still think there's a lot more ore out there. Reminder: How are things on the exploration front? Jennissen: We're looking for diamonds in Northern Manitoba, at least some companies are. Who knows? There are kimberlite deposits and there are rare earth deposits. I think the future is good but that doesn't mean that right now it's good, necessarily. I think we've got a longer future ahead of us now than we've ever had before. The oldtimers tell me that in the 1940s, the (Flin Flon) mine was going to be finished in five years. Nowadays, we're talking about 2012 and beyond, so that's longer than we've ever had. I think we'll do well, but we'll have our ups and downs depending on mineral prices. Reminder: Why do you support the indoor public smoking ban set to take effect across Manitoba in the fall? See 'Smoke' P.# Con't from P.# Jennissen: All three parties have supported it because we think it's a health issue. It's something that we have to do even though you know it's going to anger some citizens who have formed certain habits and have smoked for years. And I was a heavy smoker myself for many, many years, I know exactly how they feel. I feel sorry for these guys who have to stand outside a building in the middle of winter to smoke. I know that there will be some repercussions for business as well, but Ireland has gone completely non-smoking Ñ the whole country. They see it as a health issue and I think we have to see it as a health issue. But will it lose you votes? Yeah, probably. Reminder: Many people see the smoking ban as a logical step forward for our society. Do you agree? Jennissen: I think the reality is that the culture has changed. When I was a teacher, some 30 years ago, you couldn't walk into a staff room in this country anywhere without there being a room full of smoke. Now you walk in, nobody smokes. So people have changed. Reminder: Do you find there are misconceptions about your role? Jennissen: People sometimes think that I can push a magic button somewhere and things will just go away. Right now, a lot of people want lots at the lake and more seasonal camp sites, and I don't blame them. But it's a long process to get that expanded to accommodate everybody. And there's no quick way that I can push a button to get it done. Now some things you can, if they're minor, but if they're major, it takes a lot of time. It's always hard work. You've got to phone people, you've got to dig, you've got to set up meetings, you've got to work with bureaucrats, and they've got ways of stalling you, so it's not always easy. What I always thought should take about a day sometimes takes months. But people, I would say, 99 per cent are very positive, even if they don't necessarily agree with you. Reminder: This is your third term. Have you given any thought to running for a fourth? Jennissen: I have not given this any thought. You never rule anything in or anything out in politics; you've got to go with the flow. But, you know, I'm getting up there in age. I'm no longer a young pup. That's a decision I will have to make when the time comes.
