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.
John Evans has spent hours this summer nurturing roses, violets and lilies, but he's no gardener. The retired diamond driller is the imaginative welder behind the impressive Neighbours of the North Park, which includes the official flower of each province and territory. "It's been challenging, but I enjoyed it. I get the pride of making them," says the Denare Beach resident. Located atop the hill at the south end of Main St., the park, which also includes a colourful base and the flags of Canada, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, neared completion over the weekend. Evans figures he has spent four or five days Ð sometimes more Ð to painstakingly reproduce each flower to a height of around eight feet. But for the man who is also behind the familiar Town of Creighton sign and the Flinty Submarine, fabricating metal is clearly a passion. "It's just the enjoyment you get of the reaction from people," he says. "People just say it looks really good, and, well, the picture-takers, they're the proof of the pudding. They're there at all hours of the day and night taking pictures. I think it's going over okay." And Evans isn't the only one who has found such a favourable reaction. "I've heard nothing but positive comments about it," said Doug O'Brien, president of the Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce, the group behind the park. The $25,000 project marks the end of the chamber's three-year quest to develop a park. The idea first surfaced in 2002 with talk of establishing a park complete with the flags of all provinces and territories at the south end of Hapnot Lake. Mining equipment and a seating area were also bandied about. The concept evolved over the ensuing months, and eventually came an idea to merge the project with the Flinty Submarine Park. That didn't work out, either, and soon the flags were replaced with flower sculptures and the new border location was selected. The flower project was one of the topics discussed at last week's chamber meeting. Here is a recap of other matters: Member Lois (Bunny) Burke noted that about 500 of the so-called Flinty coins are available, though they are no longer legal tender. The coins cost $3 alone, $3.50 with a soft display case and $5 with a hard case. They can be picked up at the Greenstone Community Futures Development office above Pharmasave; Flin Flon-Creighton Public Library; or the Flin Flon Station Museum. An upcoming community celebration was discussed. Flinty's Birthday Party will take place at the Flin Flon Station Museum on Sunday, August 14, from 1 to 4 p.m. Flinty will be there along with food and plenty of activities. The afternoon will also see the addition of a local couple to the Wall of Honour at the museum. It was noted that letters have been sent to about 125 businesses inviting them to participate in the chamber's upcoming radio auction fundraiser.
