Mistaken assumptions and hostile critiques of the Flin Flon Fire Dept. have a city councillor speaking out.
Coun. Ken Pawlachuk launched into an impassioned defence of firefighters at Tuesday’s council meeting.
He began by saying that contrary to rumour, the fire department did not refuse to assist in the rescue of an ATVer who went through the ice of Kisseynew Lake last week.
As Mayor Cal Huntley said, the department did not receive a call on that incident and would have responded had it been asked. He also said the Flin Flon department provided drysuits to Creighton firefighters who did respond.
The false rumour reminded Pawlachuk of a blaze in Channing a couple of years ago that elicited criticism of the fire department.
“We had a whole bunch of people out telling everybody how these firefighters don’t do their job,” he said of that Channing fire. “You know, people have to look at firefighters – it’s a completely different job than being an electrician or being a refrigeration mechanic. These guys go to a house fire and if there’s somebody inside, they go inside. Nobody else does that. They deserve quite a bit of respect from our citizens [and from] all these people who think they know everything about firefighting…
“And these guys take offence to that when they hear it. Because of all the trades or anything, they’re probably the most dedicated. I’ve worked with firemen and I know lots of firemen. They’re probably the most dedicated people at what they do…
“You know, in Winnipeg there was four firefighters [who] went into a burning building with no exits and pulled some people out, one in a wheelchair. Three of them aren’t back to work yet. That’s the kind of people they are.
“And I think they deserve – our fire department and the ones around us, too, Cranberry [Portage] and Creighton and Denare Beach – they all deserve respect. When you go to a fire and you see these guys working, you don’t have a clue what they’re doing. Shut your mouth. You know, if you want to know what a fireman does, sign up and be a fireman and they’ll show you how to do it.”
Huntley added that if there is criticism of firefighters, it comes from a minority of residents.
“As far as I’m concerned [firefighters] are very well respected people and they are very dedicated people,” he said.
Park plan
Mitchell Chute told council he is interested in upgrading the BMX park off of Alder Avenue.
Chute, a Flin Flon resident, said the park is “impractical” and is not generating usage.
“I think if we just changed the design of the course, make it more practical for more [users] – quads, bikes, RCs [remote-controlled vehicles], stuff, whatever – it will look better because more people will be there using it,” he said.
Chute said he has many friends willing to help him turn the park into a more attractive destination.
Huntley agreed “no one’s using” the park but said caution is warranted since it was never intended for quads or dirt bikes, but for riding bikes.
He suggested Chute write a formal proposal and present it to council to see whether something can be done within regulatory and budgetary restrictions.
Coun. Tim Babcock offered to help Chute if he decides to write a proposal.
The BMX park, visible from the Perimetre Highway, opened in 2010. Mounds of dirt provide ramps and obstacles for visitors.
Pawlachuk said usage at the park dropped when the concrete skateboard and BMX park was built near Hapnot Collegiate. That facility opened in 2012.
Forum
The two candidates for council’s vacant seat have been invited to appear at a public forum this Tuesday, May 10, Coun. Karen MacKinnon announced.
The forum will be part of the Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce meeting beginning at 12 noon at the Friendship Centre restaurant. Everyone is invited to attend.
MacKinnon, who represents the city on the chamber, said it would be interesting to hear from the candidates, Colleen Arnold and Guy (Beastie) Rideout.
The city’s by-election will be held Wednesday, June 1 to fill the seat left vacant when Coun. Leslie Beck resigned earlier this year to run for MLA.
Budget
Huntley offered a brief preview of the city’s proposed new budget, which will be made public on May 24.
Asked about spending and taxes, Huntley said, “You’re not going to see anything dramatic but we have challenges and we’re going to have to start meeting some of those challenges. We’ll see what that means.”
Huntley added that everyone is invited to attend the budget presentation. Watch the city’s weekly advertising feature in The Reminder for details.
Congratulations
Appearing without the Flin Flon Bombers jersey he had been wearing in recent weeks, Huntley congratulated the club on its run to the SJHL final.
After his councillors broke out in applause, the mayor continued.
“They made a good run and it was so close,” Huntley said of the Bombers, who lost the Canalta Cup Final 4-2 to the Melfort Mustangs. “I think they’re going to do the same next year, except maybe it take it that one little step further.”
Huntley said the Bombers enjoyed a “wonderful season” that offered “great hockey.”
“It was wonderful to see the Whitney Forum as full as it was,” he said, adding that the club hopes to maintain the level of excitement generated this season.
New sergeant
Sgt. Mark Svaren, the new detachment commander of the Flin Flon RCMP, attended the meeting to formally introduce himself to mayor and council.
Svaren, who was previously in charge of the Creighton RCMP detachment, told council he has lived in Flin Flon for the past five and a half years.
He said his door is always open as he is available to discuss any matters of interest.
Condolences
Huntley passed along condolences to Opaskwayak Cree Nation, the reserve adjacent to The Pas, where three people died in a car crash over the weekend.
“It was a real tragedy and I just want them to know that our community is thinking about them in their time of mourning,” he said. “No community wants to go through that. We’ve all at one time or another experienced it, and it’s not a pleasant situation and it’s a loss to the whole community.”
According to CBC, the three people who died in the crash were all believed to be in their late teens or early 20s.
Odds and ends
Council voted to hire Mary Wright as the city’s noxious-weed inspector for the season.
Wright will earn $25.12 an hour, the same as the past two years when she filled the position.
Chief administrative officer Mark Kolt said Wright’s services have not been required for a significant number of hours.
Council voted to sponsor the École McIsaac School and Ruth Betts Community School yearbooks to the tune of $100 in total.
Council also reviewed the animal control officer’s report for April, which noted that two dogs were captured, both of which were redeemed.
