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.
There was as much holiday magic as there was snow at the Joe Brain Children's Petting Zoo on Sunday evening. Nearly 300 people gathered for the Third Annual Christmas at the Zoo celebration, featuring family skating, Christmas carols and an early visit from Santa Claus himself. "All around, I think it was a positive event for the community to kick off the holiday season," said Brenda Russell of Flin Flon Parks and Recreation, which put on the event along with other community sponsors. Fast becoming a holiday tradition, Christmas at the Zoo included a new feature this year Ñ skating. Workers for the City flooded a rink in the parking lot at the zoo, and dozens of children eagerly etched skate lines into the frozen surface. "People were really pleased with having a rink there," commented Russell. Not far from the rink in the fenced-off zoo, children and parents alike enjoyed harmonic carols from local group Yuletide as well as the grades 3-6 school choir. Young faces lit up when St. Nick emerged from the zoo concession, eagerly hugging the youngsters with a hearty "Ho Ho Ho!". The evening concluded with the official light-up of the Christmas display at the zoo Ñ a depiction of Santa and his reindeer as well as an elf feeding a reindeer. "We really appreciated the community support, as shown by the number of people who came out as well as the support from the sponsors," said Russell. "Without them, events like this couldn't happen." As for the rink in the parking lot, it is expected to stay for the remainder of winter.
