The Flin Flon Public Library is a thriving cross-border resource for residents of Flin Flon and Creighton.
That was the message from Cindy McLean, library administrator, at a presentation to Creighton town council at its Feb. 24 meeting.
“The library is the epitome of how two communities can work together to have something really awesome” said McLean. “I’m really proud of that.”
McLean presented a draft of the library’s 2015 annual report to council. It showed that over 40 events, attended by more than 2,000 people, were hosted at the library last year, with many aimed at children and young families.
Perhaps the most popular of these events was the Reggie Leach book signing in December. More than 300 people came to get a signature on their copy of the hockey legend’s memoir, The Riverton Rifle.
McLean reviewed the library’s budget, which was not final as the audit of 2015 accounts was not yet complete at the time of the presentation.
“There is not a whole lot of wiggle room for what we spent last year and what we budgeted for this year to get to a balanced budget,” she said. “It’s really tight in every capacity.”
She added that replacing DVDs was an unexpected expense: “We lost about 42 that were stolen out of their cases.”
McLean said library staff members have re-catalogued the DVD collection and the discs are now kept apart from the cases to prevent theft of items that are already free for patrons to borrow.
“I don’t know how much more free we can make them,” McLean said.
In her review of the 2016 budget, McLean noted that she had increased her budget for wages as she hoped to be able to hire two summer students this year, pending receipt of Young Canada Works grants, to support summer programming for kids.
She also noted that she requested the same amount of funding from the Town of Creighton as was received last year: $18,421.
“We received an increase of around $3,000 last year, and at the time I was told it was not going to be ongoing but would be reviewed annually,” she said.
“I think for the Town of Creighton residents, to get a library of our caliber for $18,000 a year is awesome.
“That wouldn’t even pay for one staff member if Creighton had its own library, not to mention all the programming and books.”
Following the presentation, council passed a motion to grant $18,421 to the library.
James Hope Howard, library consultant with northern Saskatchewan’s Pahkisimon Nuyea?ah Library System, gave $18,421 to the library to match Creighton’s funding in recognition of the library’s service to Creighton and Denare Beach.
Zone change
An experiment in extending the town’s school zone speed limit area has ended.
“We had 30-km school zone signs on Highway 167 by The Prospector [Inn], and after discussion with numerous different agencies we deemed it wasn’t necessary to have them there because they have four-way stops there anyways and it’s not an issue,” said Mayor Bruce Fidler.
Fidler said the Creighton school board had requested the trial period, which he estimated lasted one or two years. The town’s other school zones remain unchanged.
Landfill tags
Council passed a motion to allow residential owners of Northern Saskatchewan Administration District, within a 15-km radius of Creighton, to purchase the town’s new landfill tags at a cost of $120 per year.
The tags indicate that a user is eligible to use the landfill.
Council passed a similar motion to allow neighbouring commercial/industrial resort owners to purchase tags at a cost of $45 per month.
Hearing
Council gave notice of a proposed amendment to a zoning bylaw that would allow a temporary work camp on King Crescent.
The move came in response to a request from Jeff Wood of Cumberland Rentals to create a temporary work camp that would accommodate up to 15 workers from the Flin Flon ER redevelopment project.
A public hearing on the bylaw will be held on Wednesday, March 23 at the town office council chambers.
Business
Council approved a request for Allie Higgins, a Creighton resident, to set up a home business as a financial advisor.
