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 on Tuesday commended the provincial government for committing to further upgrades to Highway 10A. The province has announced $4.8 million in funding to reconstruct the route of Third Avenue, First Avenue, and Main Street leading to the Saskatchewan border Ñ all provincial roadway. Mayor Dennis Ballard said he phoned Transportation Minister Ron Lemieux to personally thank him for the funding. "I happen to know that it was not easy for him to push this project through," said the mayor. "He had a lot of opposition from bureaucrats or whoever down there who tried to divert it." Mayor Ballard relayed a portion of the conversation in which Lemieux credited Flin Flon MLA Gerard Jennissen with ensuring the money got approved. "I think his words were really very simply Ð without Gerard being on his doorstep all the time and pounding on the door, it wouldn't have happened. That's what he said," said the mayor. Councillor Huntley said developments like the road project have raised Flin Flon's profile. ". . . we're going to work very hard to keep the profile of Flin Flon there, to have the presence down south so that the North does, and Flin Flon does, get its fair share when it comes to projects, projects money, and improvements with infrastructure," he said. Councillor Law pointed out that the province has set aside a significant portion of its highways budget for the North. He said this has come "at some political cost, I'm sure, in the South." The reconstruction work will pick up where the province's 2000 highway reconstruction, which started at the entrance to Flin Flon and ended just shy of Third Avenue, left off. See 'Other' P.# Con't from P.# The province anticipates spending $1.8 million this year on planning the project, with the actual road and sidewalk replacement to take place in 2005 and 2006. While the province spends this summer planning the project, the City will undertake the necessary preliminary work along the route, such as underground repairs and moving power poles. Here is a recap of other matters from Tuesday's council meeting: Council voted to contribute $500 toward a graduation bursary for Heather Pauley, who has been the youth representative on council this year. Council also thanked Heather for her time at the council table. Councillor Huntley spoke highly of the City's National Day of Mourning luncheon held last week at the City Garage. He said he looks forward to this becoming an annual event. Councillor Bill Hanson encouraged the public to attend the Flin Flon Community Choir's production of Follies, which opens tomorrow. Mayor Ballard shared a letter commending the City for "doing an incredible job" with snow removal over the winter. The mayor said that "we don't get many of those" types of letters.
