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.
It won't have the hype or attendance of the 2000 Homecoming or the 75th anniversary celebrations. But Flin Flon will still mark the city's 80th birthday in style at Pioneer Square in conjunction with the Trout Festival. 'We're planning a free barbecue along with cake, balloons and entertainment,' said Tim Babcock, president of the Trout Festival. 'We are hoping that the crowd is so big it spills onto Main Street.' Called simply Flin Flon's 80th Birthday Party, the event will be held from 5-8 p.m. on F r i d a y, J u n e 2 8 . Dignitaries, past and present residents and a host of others will be on hand. 'There are some benches available and we'll have some chairs, but we are asking people who are able, to bring their own chair,' said Babcock. Partnership Fl in Flon's 80t h Birthday Party marks a partnership between the City of Flin Flon, of which Babcock is a councillor, and the Trout Festival. 'We felt this was a good way for Trout Festival to help out the City of Flin Flon, by taking a bit of the load off of their shoulders,' Babcock said. 'We were going to be throwing a party or two that weekend anyway, so this was a good fit. Trout Festival has been a part of Flin Flon for 63 years now, and we are thrilled to help Flin Flon celebrate this milestone.' The theme of '80s' will carry over to the Canada Day Parade, also a big part of the festival. But does that mean '80th bi r thday' or '1980s'? Babcock is encouraging both interpretations. That should make for an interesting parade. Those who prefer '80th birthday' may construct floats illustrating how far Flin Flon has come over the past eight decades. And those who like '1980s' better? Well, they are free to dress up like a hair band and toss leg warmers to the onlookers! This all comes with plans now finalized for a time capsule to be sealed on Aug. 8, which will mark 80 years to the day Flin Flon was incorporated as a town. A committee is asking residents to think about which items, representative of Flin Flon in 2013, not historically, should be included in the capsule. The capsule will be in the ground for 20 years and retrieved in 2033, the 100th anniversary of Flin Flon. Application forms listing the criteria will be available beginning on Monday at the Friendship Centre, Aqua Centre, Women's Re sour c e Centre and Flin Flon City Hall. The deadline to return the forms to those locations will be July 15. Decisions will then be made on which items make the final cut. Jonathon Naylor Editor
