After several moves between communities in the north and south, Charles Boulet is committed to setting down roots in Flin Flon.
Beginning his duties as the director of works and operations for the City of Flin Flon on June 1, Boulet is learning about his new home and how to serve it in his position.
“The community has a unique infrastructure system due to the topography of rock and the extreme temperatures in the region,” said Boulet, who is spending a great deal of time learning the details of the system and getting to know the people in the community.
Born on a farm in southern Manitoba and raised in Winnipeg, Boulet attended the University of Manitoba, earning degrees in computer science and civil engineering. Over the years he worked for the province of Manitoba as well as private companies on projects that included bridge construction, community planning, water and sewer systems, road maintenance, and drainage, to name a few.
Working in communities such as Norway House and Sioux Lookout have given him experience with the Canadian Shield and the challenges it presents in terms of infrastructure.
Most recently, Boulet was employed as the CAO for the Town of Snow Lake. He moved to Flin Flon last month.
With his wide range of experience, Boulet describes himself as a generalist. “I work with everything that makes up a town,” he said, listing off buildings, municipal works, town planning, infrastructure, sewer, water and flooding among his concerns.
Being able to work with a wide range of people is important in Boulet’s job and is something he said he is comfortable with. In addition to managing his staff and communicating with taxpayers, he is comfortable working with all levels of government to ensure the needs of the community are met.
“We are the stewards of assets of our town, which are paid for by the taxpayers,” he said. “We work to put value back into the town.”
Planning is a major focus of Boulet’s role as he works to “do things in a cost effective way.”
In the coming months the new director will familiarize himself with the inner workings of the community as he strives to continue to provide the services citizens expect on a daily basis.
“There are a lot of services brought to the people every day,” he said. “It’s always challenging to make sure these services are delivered.”
It’s a challenge Boulet is up for as he works with the community of Flin Flon.
