This time of year I start to think about renewal.
Summer vacation stretches for a few more weeks, but as flyers and store displays remind us, back to school – and the accompanying back to work for vacationing parents – is right around the corner.
Renewal by its very nature demands change, and the past few weeks have been a time of change at The Reminder.
Our July 27 edition marked the last time we will publish a Monday paper. For a community this size to sustain a three-times-a-week paper is almost unique in the industry. The readers and advertisers of this area have made it possible for us to keep that schedule for a long time, and we are grateful for your support.
When we decided to stop publishing the Monday paper, we started to look at how we could renew what we offer the community.
One of those changes can be seen in today’s paper. We have put together a new look for The Reminder, drawing on the paper’s history but also adding some modern touches. The intent is that the paper will be more inviting and more readable.
The change also offers us the opportunity to add new voices to The Reminder’s pages, including the column you are reading now.
One of this newspaper’s roles is to tell relevant and interesting stories about the people and issues in Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach, Cranberry Portage, Snow Lake and the surrounding communities. That will not change. A newspaper can also inform, spark debate and encourage dialogue between community members, government and organizations.
As we look to the months ahead, there will be much to talk about, and The Reminder will be there, covering the stories that matter to the people in this community.
Canada will be going to the polls on October 19. Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s early election call has launched the second longest federal election campaign in Canada’s history. Both Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau and the NDP’s Tom Mulcair have set their sights squarely on Canada’s middle class, each with their own vision of how they can renew Canadian government.
After 10 years as prime minister, Harper will also be seeking to connect with Canadian voters with his party’s vision for our future.
Depending on the result of the vote, Canadians could be in for some big changes. And regardless of who leads the country come October 20, the next 11 weeks will open discussion on a range of topics that will allow us to reassess our views on our country and our place in the world.
Here in Flin Flon and surrounding area, the months ahead will bring some new experiences, such as the Manitoba Showcase Contact, which will draw artists from all over the country to our community.
It will also herald the return of favourites such as Flin Flon’s amazing Culture Days and the Flin Flon Bombers who, under the indefatigable guidance of head coach Mike Reagan, always have the league championship in their sights.
The community’s fundraising for the new ER at the Flin Flon General Hospital will continue as well, with the second installment of the popular Bollywood performance on deck.
The new ER stands to revolutionize health care in the region. Plans illustrate a modern and efficient facility that will improve care for patients and working conditions for staff. The community benefit will be immeasurable.
The ER project has generated questions given the provincial government’s requirement that community fundraising cover 10 per cent of the tab, or $2.2 million, before the tender is awarded. By the time detailed plans for the ER were presented in June, fundraising had almost reached $1 million.
There had been concerns that fundraising would fail to meet its target, at which point the province would require that 20 per cent of the tab, or $4.4 million, be generated over the next decade. The Northern Health Region, however, has said the 20 per cent tab will be averted, even if that means borrowing any outstanding amount on the 10 per cent tab.
While the promise of borrowed funds might seem a comfort, what we don’t pay for now we will pay more for later. It’s time for us to come together to make this project happen in the most efficient way possible.
It’s going to be a busy fall, but today, it’s still summer. Dreaming of the future and what it will bring is a great way to set things in motion. After that it will be time to act … but not for a few more days.
