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 A Flin Flon city councillor is defending a taxpayer-funded contribution toward the new Christmas tree at Pioneer Square. Council earlier this year voted to put $4,000 toward the $27,000-plus artificial tree, money well spent in Coun. Colleen McKee's view. 'What we did decide to put up is what it would cost us to put up the real tree every year,' she said at last week's council meeting. Coun. McKee said it cost the city $3,500 each holiday season to bring in a real Christmas tree for the downtown area. The real tree used to go up in front of City Hall, but last year was at the adjacent Pioneer Square. Coun. McKee said 'the city is being accused of dumping all kinds of money into this tree,' which she did not see as fair. 'I don't think that we were extravagant,' said the two-term councillor, who often takes fiscally conservative positions. Coun. McKee noted that a volunteer committee, the Main Street Business Builders, raised funds to purchase the tree. 'I congratulate them, they did a wonderful job and to me that's what makes the city is when people come together and do those kinds of things,' she said. City council also provided an interest-free loan to the Business Builders to help them cover a portion of the tree. (Note: A recent Local Angle editorial wrongly claimed council had provided no funding toward the tree.)
