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 has a way of welcoming people with open arms, no matter where they come from. Just ask Vianney Dhuyser and Marco Rapp. The teens came here last August through exchange programs and have loved every minute of it. "I think it is a very nice place," says Vianney, a 19-year-old from France. "Before I came to Canada, I had a view of Canada like Flin Flon Ð the bush and the lake." Sixteen-year-old Marco finds his northern Manitoba surroundings unlike those of his Germany homeland. "It's pretty different. It's pretty far to the next town," says Marco. Not surprisingly, the teens have become good friends as they've spent these past months attending Hapnot Collegiate and adapting to a new culture with unfamiliar customs. Vianney has enjoyed his experiences of snowmobiling, fishing and attending Bomber games to cheer on the hometown boys. "I really like the Bomber games because in France, it's not a very popular sport, hockey," says Vianney. "Here it is like this big thing." Like many before them, the first-time visitors to Canada have come to see why the North is famous for its charming people. "Everybody's nice here. It's pretty cool," says Marco. "I found everybody very welcoming. At the school, too, the teachers are very nice, the students are very nice," says Vianney. The teens have different plans when they head back to their homes next month. Vianney is set to study computer science at university, while Marco will finish up high school and look at a career in management. But wherever life takes them, they are sure to always remember the time they spent as Flin Flonners.
