Three areas of Flin Flon have measured outside acceptable levels for radon, according to information Coun. Colleen McKee said she recently received.
She said she spoke with an official about radon testing during the Federation of Canadian Municipalities convention in Winnipeg.
“I actually got her to pull out the stats on Flin Flon and most of the areas are well within the acceptable levels,” said McKee, speaking at Tuesday’s council meeting. “There were three areas identified that weren’t, though. But the information that they had, because of privacy and protection [laws], they don’t give the actual addresses. So I have her contact information and I want to find out which areas.”
Radon is an invisible, radioactive gas that occurs naturally in the environment. According to Health Canada, exposure to high levels of radon in indoor air increases a person’s lifetime risk of developing lung cancer.
Sworn in
Council welcomed its newest member in Coun. Guy Rideout.
City treasurer Glenna Daschuk swore in Rideout in the centre of the council chambers. Several of Rideout’s family members looked on from the public gallery.
“We’re very pleased to have Guy with us,” said Mayor Cal Huntley, who met with Rideout shortly after his victory in the June 1 by-election.
Rideout later delivered the fire chief’s report for May, commending firefighters for their efforts in the aftermath of the May 25 propane explosion at Stittco Energy Ltd.
“They’re amazing, what the guys do,” he said.
Rideout also spoke on reviews of emergency response procedures being undertaken by new fire chief Chad Cooper, calling him energetic.
In terms of seating arrangements, Rideout filled the same chair once occupied by Coun. Leslie Beck, who resigned earlier this year.
Budget passed
A budget that holds the line on the residential tax rate, but slightly increases a fee for police and fire protection, received final approval.
As The Reminder previously reported, the city’s 2016 budget forecasts $13.44 million in spending, including $20,000 for a dog park and $85,000 to begin implementing the Clean and Green community clean-up initiative.
The residential mill rate remains the same, but some homeowners still face higher taxes because the provincial government has assessed their properties at a greater value.
Council upped the special services levy for fire and police protection by three per cent, meaning property owners will pay an additional $17.96 this year.
Even with higher property values and the levy increase, the budget projects total revenues will drop by four per cent over 2015. To help compensate, council will draw $215,000 from surplus and reserve accounts.
The budget derives $6.08 million from Hudbay’s grant in lieu of taxes – a six per cent increase over last year – but those dollars must still be shared with the Flin Flon School Division.
Encouraged
Huntley said he was encouraged by developments at the recent Federation of Canadian Municipalities convention he attended in Winnipeg.
Referencing a speech by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Huntley said “it does sound like there’s going to be some dollars for municipalities.”
“Now, Prime Minister Trudeau, he talked a good story,” said the mayor. “We want to make sure that he comes through with the dollars that he says [he will come through with], too.”
Huntley said he liked the tone of the convention in that it signalled municipalities are taking a lead role in influencing government. He said that feeling was also apparent at the latest Association of Manitoba Municipalities convention.
“They’re starting to realize that the reason we have a country is because we have communities, and the community infrastructure is very important to being a country,” he said.
McKee, who also attended the convention, said the trade show portion showcased some interesting products.
Mentioning a push by residents to have a washroom installed at Channing Beach, she said there is now a self-contained, self-cleaning washroom on the market.
“It’s a $100,000 touch. That’s the only problem. That was the drawback,” McKee said.
Remembered
Huntley took a moment to address the recent passing of long-time Flin Flon businessman and volunteer Doug O’Brien.
The mayor said he worked with O’Brien in a volunteer capacity and was impressed by his dedication.
“You would never find a more giving person, a more caring person, a person so committed to family and community,” Huntley said. “It just makes you proud to be around someone like that.
“He is someone the community will miss greatly. And I’m sure his family is going to miss him enormously. But he was such a fixture in the community. He participated and helped out with everything. A businessman, but [also] a contributor to the community and an unbelievable family man. So my condolences to the family. He’s gone, but he’ll never be forgotten, not in this community.”
O’Brien, who had owned CFAR along with radio stations in The Pas and Thompson, passed away last month at the age of 80.
Traffic concerns
Council had no comment on a Flin Flon School Division request for new safety-enhancing traffic measures around schools.
In a letter, Heather Fleming, secretary-treasurer of the division, asked the city to consider installing speed bumps and increased signage around all Flin Flon schools.
The division also sought school-zone and speed-limit signs on Aspen Grove and Hemlock Drive, and improved school crosswalks. It further requested that Parkway Boulevard on the south side of École McIsaac School be turned into a one-way street.
The division also wants approval to install “permanent speed indicators” around the schools, “no drop zone” signage near McIsaac and no-parking signage at the north end of McIsaac near the fitness trail.
Council referred the letter to the traffic commission for further discussion.
Kinvention
Coun. Tim Babcock delivered a verbal report on the Kin Canada District 2 Kinvention held in Flin Flon last weekend.
The gathering brought together Kinsmen and Kinette club members from across Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. About 90 people attended some or all of the convention.
Babcock, a Kinsmen member who also brought greetings to the convention on behalf of the city, called it a fun weekend with
“a lot of great ideas” exchanged between clubs and members.
He said the Flin Flon Kinsmen Club also marked its 70th anniversary with former member and one-time mayor Graham Craig cutting the celebratory cake and delivering remarks. Full coverage of the Kinvention appeared in The Reminder on Wednesday, June 1.
Dog doo-doo
It will take a community effort to resolve the problem of dog doo-doo being left behind in yards and public places, Huntley said.
The mayor was responding to concerns about residents walking their dogs without scooping up and disposing of their pet’s feces.
“We don’t have dog police. All we can do is police ourselves and try and really influence people to pick up after their pets,” Huntley said. “…I’m tired of seeing all that stuff around. And I’m a pet owner. I pick up after mine. I don’t see why anybody else can’t pick up after theirs. We just really need to push that to all our friends, all our neighbours, everybody. It’s something that you can’t police. It just needs to be a change in paradigm in how people think. They want to have a clean community.
“We understand we’ll never eradicate it totally, but even people in their own yards, when they have their pets on ropes, if they don’t clean up until the spring, man, what a mess they’ve got.
“You wouldn’t let your kid poop all over your house and not pick it up, or your yard, so we hope that there will be a bit of a groundswell so that people will see somebody [leaving their dog’s feces behind] and say, ‘Hey, hey! Aren’t you going to pick that up?’”
Huntley added that the new dog park planned by the city will be a place where “they have some place to formally go.”
His comments came after uptown resident Dennis Hydamaka told council he sees many people walking their dogs down a path near Fifth Avenue – and none of them carry doo-doo bags.
Hydamaka made his statement after asking council about the status of a previously approved walkway for Fifth Avenue to alleviate concerns that pedestrians are at risk of being hit by vehicles.
Huntley assured Hydamaka that that project would proceed this year and is on the list of projects for the works and operations department. The walkway would run along Fifth Avenue, connecting Main Street with Hapnot Street.
