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Jonathon Naylor Editor Our countdown of the top stories of 2012 continues with our picks for the 10 most significant happenings of the year. *** 10. Labour Peace Labour stability came to the lifeblood industry of the Flin Flon region. By October, all of Hudbay's northern Manitoba unions had signed three-year contract extensions. Workers gave up no concessions while securing more pay along with other improvements over the life of the deal, which expires at the end of 2014. Tom Davie, president of USW Local 7106, the largest of the unions, called it a 'good bad contract.' The last union to agree to re-sign with Hudbay was the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 1848, or IAM. At one point the 176-member IAM threatened to walk off the job even as Hudbay took the position that a strike would be illegal. Davie said his union is now stressing to members to be ready for the next round of negotiations in 2015, when striking will be a tool at their disposal. See 'Skate...'on pg.6 'What we've told our members is, yeah, their wages aren't where they should be and the pensions aren't where they should be, but under the 2012 umbrella, this is what it is,' he said. Recent years have been somewhat tumultuous for Hudbay-union relations. 9. A Place To Call Their Own The Flin Flon Skatepark opened to much fanfare in September, just two years into its planning thanks to generous community support. 'Had those people not contributed, this (project) could have taken easily two more years to build or maybe it wouldn't have happened at all,' said City of Flin Flon recreation manager Mike Dubreuil. About 100 people were out for a two-day grand opening at the former jungle gym site beside Many Faces Education Centre. Dubreuil, who helped the volunteer committee involved with the park, began his job with the city in 2010. In his first week he met with then-councillor and current mayor George Fontaine. Fontaine told Dubreuil that a skatepark had been attempted many times over the previous five or six years but 'it never seemed to grab hold or get off the ground.' As the new recreation manager, Dubreuil did some research and found there were plenty of youth using skateboards at various locations in the area. The next step was to organize a committee, so Dubreuil and Fontaine called for those interested in getting the project going. 8. Nuclear Option? Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) released a final list of 21 communities it may consider for the future storage of nuclear waste. Creighton's place on the list meant that 2012 saw further debate on what has become a hot-button issue. NWMO plans to build a high-tech underground repository to permanently store spent nuclear fuel rods from nuclear power plants. It expects the repository to open in 2035, and is is still years away from selecting a host community. While Creighton is learning more about the project, any final decision will involve input from neighbouring communities such as Flin Flon. In February, Flin Flon Mayor George Fontaine said he and his council are neutral for now on the prospect of nuclear waste storage in Creighton. 'We are not lobbying for anything, we are not lobbying against anything,' Fontaine said. 'We think that educated people can make their own decisions, ask their own questions and make sure that they're happy.' In October, anti-nuclear activist Pat McNamara visited Creighton to share his thoughts on the subject. McNamara, who resides in Lund, B.C., claimed the NWMO's plan to store nuclear waste underground has hardly been proven safe. The NWMO disagreed, of course. 7. How's Your Health (Care)? Northern Manitoba's two major regional health authorities merged in a cost-cutting move mandated by the provincial government. The Flin Flon-based NOR-MAN RHA and the Thompson-based Burntwood RHA amalgamated in May to form the new Northern Health Region. It was one of five RHA mergers imposed across Manitoba in a bid to save money on executive staff and board costs. While some northerners applauded the move, others wondered how the new Northern Health Region could effectively serve such a vast and diverse area. The Northern Health Region covers about 61 per cent of Manitoba's land mass and service some 73,000 people. Excluding hamlets, cottage settlements and Saskatchewan towns near the Manitoba border, it provides care to 44 communities. Former NOR-MAN RHA CEO Helga Bryant was subsequently named the first CEO of the new entity. A registered nurse from the Brandon area, Bryant joined the NOR-MAN RHA as interim CEO in May 2011. In January 2012, she was promoted to permanent CEO, likely unaware that the organized she headed was just months away from folding. The RHA mergers were announced by Health Minister Theresa Oswald. 6. Pop. Drop Flin Flon, Creighton and Denare Beach saw yet another population decline, collectively losing 364 citizens between 2006 and 2011, the latest census showed. The combined population of the three communities now stands at 7,759, or 4.5 per cent below the 8,123 recorded five years prior. As the largest of the three communities, Flin Flon _ the Manitoba and Saskatchewan portions combined _ was hit the hardest by the decline, down by 244 residents (4.2 per cent) to 5,592. 'As a council we've anticipated it going down but...we thought it was going to go down more,' said Coun. Ken Pawlachuk after reviewing the data. 'We'll have to live with what we have.' Across the border, Creighton fared far better, losing just four residents (0.3 per cent) to bring its population, down to 1,498. The census found that Denare Beach lost 116 residents (15 per cent), down to 669 people, a stat that shocked Mayor Carl Lentowicz. Denare Beach formally challenged the official finding and organized its own census. Nonetheless, it's clear the area as a whole is shrinking as factors such as Hudbay downsizing take their toll. Elsewhere, Snow Lake's population dropped by 114 people (13.6 per cent) to 723, while Cranberry Portage went down 87 (13.2 per cent) to 572. 5. The People Have Spoken Creighton and Denare Beach voters blended experience and fresh ideas in electing municipal councils to guide their communities through the next four years. Between the two communities, more than 500 voters headed to the polls for October's municipal elections. With mayors Bruce Fidler of Creighton and Carl Lentowicz of Denare Beach acclaimed, it was up to voters to finalize the remainder of the councils. The new Creighton Town Council consists of incumbents Darren Grant, Jeff Lane and Don Aasen, former alderwoman Shirley Owen and newcomers Neal Andrusiak and Lorene Bonnett. In Denare Beach, voters elected incumbents Karen Thomson and Frank Wiegers to join newcomers Joanne Burkholder, Scott McCullum, Jean Champagne and Davis McKay. The Creighton School Board remained unchanged as all five incumbent trustees secured re-election: Rhonda Werbicki, Janet Clark, Tracy Andrusiak, Ray Biberdorf and Heather Jacobson. Hermeline Fagnan was acclaimed as the school board's designated Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation representative. Unlike previous years, council and school board candidates were elected to four-year terms instead of three. 4. Sorry, We're Closed Mining companies don't usually like to be wrong when it comes to their ore deposits. But in the case of Trout Lake Mine, Hudbay could not be more thrilled with its miscalculation. When Trout Lake entered production just west of Flin Flon in 1981, the company _ then known as HBM&S _ projected a modest lifespan of five years. In 2012, more than three decades, hundreds of employees and untold millions in revenue later, Trout Lake formally ceased production in June. 'It's been a good go, this mine,' says Bentley Busby, who has worked at the mine for about the past 15 years. 'It's too bad it couldn't have lasted another five years.' Busby was among just over 100 employees who remained at Trout Lake in the final weeks. Like a number of his coworkers, he opted to retire along with the mine. Others transferred to Hudbay operations at 777, 777 North and Reed Lake, but they knew the special atmosphere at Trout Lake was unlikely to be duplicated. Granges Exploration Ltd. discovered the Trout Lake ore body in 1976 under the waters of Embury Lake, known locally as Trout Lake. A joint venture consisting of Granges, HBM&S, Manitoba Mineral Resources Ltd. and Outokumpu Oy formed to develop and mine the property. 3. Cottage Country Controversy Do people who live at cottages just outside Flin Flon limits owe financial support to the city? That controversial question was at the heart of a new effort by city council to boost revenues. That effort basically comes down to this: if cottagers refuse to voluntarily pay an amount council deems fair, council will work to annex some or all of cottage country. Annexation would involve a lengthy process, with the provincial minister of local government ultimately having the final say on any takeover of land. Surprisingly, the city would have no legal requirement to provide newly annexed areas with services such as garbage pick-up or snow removal, though would likely consider such measures as a matter of fairness. But if fairness is the issue, many cottagers cannot understand why a municipality in which they do not even reside is targeting them. 'I chose to retire, to live out here, and I could have chose to retire anywhere,' said John Munson, who lives year-round at Bakers Narrows. 'I didn't move out here to get away from paying taxes. I paid taxes for 30 years in town. And that's my feeling, that this is my retirement home.' 2. Higher Learning Education in Flin Flon took a giant leap forward with the official launch of two modern University College of the North institutes. More than 80 dignitaries gathered Sept. 28 to open the Northern Manitoba Mining Academy and adjacent UCN Regional Centre. 'While we are here to celebrate the fact that we're opening two new buildings, I think it's more than just buildings,' UCN President Konrad Jonasson told guests from a podium. 'It's opportunities for our students, it's choices, it's the chance to access education closer to home.' Situated on Hart Avenue near the Hudbay Main Gate, the Mining Academy promises to turn Flin Flon into a national hub of learning for students entering the mineral sector. The Regional Centre, meanwhile, will offer a range of new and ongoing programs in areas such as business, health care, maintenance and trades. Premier Greg Selinger, who helped cut the ribbon to open the facilities, was particularly enthusiastic about the Mining Academy. The Academy includes a sophisticated geological laboratory, classroom space and, for students eyeing a career below the earth's surface, a high-tech electronic simulator that mimics underground equipment. Premier Selinger said Flin Flon conveniently provides different geological formations for students to study. 1. A New Chapter A new chapter in northern Manitoba mining began in August with ceremonies celebrating the Lalor, Reed and 777 North mines. On August 14, Hudbay officials and invited dignitaries cut the ribbon to mark the first production of ore from Lalor, located 17 km outside Snow Lake. 'This important milestone celebrates not only a significant development of the Lalor Mine at Snow Lake, but continues a rich history of success for Hudbay and northern Manitoba development,' said Rupert Klyne, deputy mayor of Snow Lake. Full production at Lalor is expected for late 2014. At that point, the mine and its concentrator are set to require some 250 new employees in addition to the roughly 100 transferring from Chisel North Mine. Later that day, 50 km west of Snow Lake, officials gathered at the future site of the much smaller Reed Mine, co-owned by Hudbay and junior miner VMS Ventures. Hudbay expects initial production at Reed by the fourth quarter of 2013 and anticipates ramp-up to full production by the first quarter of 2014. Once full production is reached, roughly 77 employees will be required. The next day, officials were in Flin Flon to celebrate the 777 North Mine, an expansion of the 777 Mine. Speeches led to a ribbon-cutting ceremony a few dozen metres in front of the mine's portal. Appropriately enough, the 777 head frame, though off in the distance, remained visible. Though not in the production phase until the first quarter of 2013, 777 North had by August already yielded more than 17,000 tons of ore in the development phase. As of July, 777 North employed 33 workers. At its peak, it will have 42 employees.
