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.
Jonathon Naylor Editor The City of Flin Flon will buy its bulk fuel from out of town following a divisive vote that pitted fiscal constraint against the virtues of shopping local. Council voted last week to award the 2013 municipal fuel tender to Doak's Bulk Fuel Services of The Pas, which offered the best price. But two dissenters, councillors Karen MacKinnon and Colleen McKee, felt the contract should have gone to the Co-op, the only local business to bid. 'They were (higher) but they are a local business and I like to support local businesses whenever we can,' said Coun. MacKinnon in a post-meeting interview. 'I know how much the Co-op does for the community.' Coun. MacKinnon said the Co-op has contributed over $20,000 to charities this year alone and each year pays $125,000 in local taxes. It also doles out over $2 million in salaries. See ' Prud...' on pg. 6 Continued from pg. 3 But that wasn't enough to convince the majority of council, who saw the bid from Doak's, $35,000 less than that of the Co-op, as the prudent option. Coun. MacKinnon said council does not automatically go with the lowest bid on any tender. 'We've gone with higher tenders before,' she said. 'To me their (the Co-op's) service has been excellent also (and) it's all money that's staying in the community and I think we have to look at that.' In an unrelated matter at last week's meeting, council voted to renew its membership with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, a lobbying group, for $1,039. 'FCM gives your municipality the strength of close to 2,000 communities across the country to overcome the challenges you face,' wrote Karen Leibovici, FCM president, in a letter to council. Leibovici said the City of Flin Flon will benefit from FCM-driven programs by receiving a combined total of about $520,863 in revenue from GST rebates and the Gas Tax Fund this year. Also, Coun. MacKinnon joined Coun. McKee in praising the new artificial tree at Pioneer Square. The tree, purchased by the Main Street Business Builders Committee with some city support, was officially lit earlier this month. Coun. MacKinnon, who works at The Reminder, said a photo of the newly lit tree has become the most viewed picture ever posted on the newspaper's Facebook page.
