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.
Flin Flon City Council weighed in on the Creighton high school debate Tuesday, and no one at the table was endorsing the idea. A report concluding that it is feasible to offer a full high school program at Creighton Community School Ñ a scenario that could take away about 130 Saskatchewan students from the Flin Flon high schools Ñ has been the talk of the town for two weeks. "We're in a small enough community, and all we seem to focus on is this stupid border," said Councillor Tom Therien at the regular Council meeting. "We have multiple services that other communities don't have Ñ protective services, fire department, whatever the case may be. We're wasting a tremendous amount of money on that alone, and now we want to turn around and do this and it just doesn't make any sense." Councillor Therien commented that implementing the high school program would "hurt both sides of the border" and that the course selection for high schoolers would decrease. "So who in fact are we making this decision for? We should be making this decision for the betterment of the kids," he said. "Unfortunately, I think we're making it for the betterment of whatever side of the border you're on." The high school issue has put a damper on efforts in recent years to try and unify Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach, in the view of Mayor Dennis Ballard. "It really disappoints me to see this happen right now," he said. "All I hope is, whatever decision is made Ñ and I'm not going to tell anybody what they have to do Ñ that they take a good hard long look and sit down and talk about it." Councillor Cal Huntley agreed with both men's statements and stressed that residents should start thinking of Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach as a single community. "And we have to start thinking that way for the benefit of everyone because we know we're one community," he said. "The border causes us problems, but I think sometimes the way we think causes us problems, too." Councillor Huntley said that a unified community pespective may prompt "a lot more solutions and better times ahead" for area residents. Councillor Dave Law concurred, saying "there are many times when we should be working together as one" and that the high school issue is one of those instances. "We already are working together as one. Maybe there are some problems. Let's get together and try to work it out," he said. Two weeks ago, a task force assembled by the Creighton School Division released its 47-page feasibility report on the possibility of adding grades 10, 11 and 12 to Creighton Community School. The report stated that there would be a host of benefits from the move, including projected annual savings of $300,000 and local control of the high school program. The matter is now in the hands of the Creighton School Division, which has promised to hold public consultations prior to reaching a judgment. Copies of the report are available at Creighton Community School.
