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.
The City of Flin Flon and the Town of Creighton want your input on the proposed Community Plex. The municipal governments have mailed a complimentary magazine entitled Flin Flon/Creighton Community Plex Community Awareness to every home in the area. A key component of the 32-page magazine is a one-page survey, which residents are encouraged to fill out. It asks just two questions ? whether the reader supports the project and in which community he or she resides ? and gives an opportunity to offer comments. "This is a critical time. We need to know whether the community as a whole supports this," said Flin Flon Mayor Dennis Ballard. "If the survey does not come back positive, there's no project." Mayor Ballard said he has no doubt that most people want the Community Plex, but said it's crucial that everyone make their feelings known by taking a moment to fill out and return the survey by Jan. 6, 2005. Flin Flon and Creighton will use information from the completed surveys in continuing to pursue federal and provincial funding for the proposed $11.2-million facility. "For infrastructure funding, an awful lot of emphasis is put on community support," said Mayor Ballard. Creighton Mayor Bruce Fidler is firmly behind the proposal and hopes "that the community can get behind it and show their support." "It's a great opportunity for the two communities to work together and for the two provinces to work together," said Mayor Fidler. "We need to know what the people think because it's ultimately the people who are going to make the decision." Aside from the survey, the magazine provides a detailed outline of the Community Plex, including answers to many questions that have been on the minds of residents. See 'Blueprint' P.# Con't from P.# Sections deal with financial figures, funding sources, the impact on taxes and user fees, and problems with the existing recreational facilities. There is also a blueprint of the two-storey complex, which would include a swimming pool, curling rink, auditorium, licensed restaurant and seniors' centre, among other amenities. Copies of the magazine have gone out to 5,532 homes in ten communities: Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach, Cranberry Portage, Sherridon, Wanless, Pelican Narrows, Sandy Bay, Deschambault Lake and Pukatawagan. Copies will also be made available at various outlets later this week. Mayor Ballard said the magazine is the first step in a community awareness campaign he hopes will include a call-in show and regular spots on local radio as well as ongoing articles in The Reminder. "I don't think there's any questions out there that we can't answer reasonably, although there are some things we don't know yet," said Mayor Ballard. Mayor Ballard hopes to know by February whether the Manitoba-Canada Infrastructure Program will support the project. Meanwhile, Mayor Fidler hopes to know by the spring whether money is on the way through a similar program in Saskatchewan. Both men are optimistic of the projects' chances. "I'm becoming more optimistic all the time," said Mayor Ballard. "When we started out, I really privately felt that the chances were real slim and now I'm starting to think, 'Whoa, this can happen.'"
