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.
Jonathon Naylor Editor He wants a 'fair agreement' for cottagers, but MLA Clarence Pettersen would 'work towards' annexation of cottage subdivisions should Flin Flon City Council go down that path. With the province having the final say on any takeover of land, Pettersen plays a key role in the debate over whether cottagers have a duty to financially support Flin Flon. 'I'm on both sides of the fence here,' he said in a phone interview last week. 'I do support (Mayor) George (Fontaine) and council, but I also support the cottagers in a fair agreement.' City council has asked cottagers to devise a proposal to help cover municipal expenses. If City Hall does not get a proposal it deems realistic, council will attempt to annex cottage subdivisions outside Flin Flon on the Manitoba side of the border. If that scenario materializes, Pettersen said he would side with council and back annexation. 'When the mayor and council approach me, definitely I have to work with their thoughts in mind and, yes, I would work towards that,' he said. Asked outright whether he would support annexation, Pettersen again said: 'I would work towards that, yes.' Minister responsible But Pettersen would not have the final say on annexation. Instead, that responsibility belongs to the minister of local government, a title presently held by southern Manitoba MLA Ron Lemieux. Asked whether Lemieux is for or against annexation, a provincial spokesperson did not commit to a position. Instead, the spokesperson called annexation 'a significant matter' that would have to follow a 'detailed process' before occurring. The spokesperson noted the 'important role' that the Manitoba Municipal Board, a quasi-judicial tribunal, would play in making recommendations to Lemieux. 'Consultation is integral to the process,' added the spokesperson. 'The municipality must submit a report of the consultation to the municipal board that describes the process used and a summary of the views expressed, as well as any changes to the original proposal.' see 'Cottage...' on pg.3 Continued from pg1 Pettersen stressed that city council is not yet attempting to annex land, instead asking cottagers to formulate a financial plan on their own. 'They (city council) have come up with a very, I think, fair issue in talking to the cottagers,' Pettersen said, 'and saying, 'Look, here's the situation. You guys can get together and come up with some form of strategy to pay some sort of a fee to Flin Flon for the services that we all benefit from, whether it's the water and sewer that goes to Walmart, whether it's the municipal airport, whether it's the rink, whether it's...the schools, the roads.' 'And I guess that's where the problems lie, where some people don't want to pay anything, they like the situation the way it is. And some people recognize that, 'Yeah, I am a Flin Flonner and I should have been paying before and now let's work out some form of a formula where we can all be happy.'' User fees Many, if not most cottagers endorse the concept of a user fee for non-residents who visit municipal facilities like the Aqua Centre. There is also widespread support for having the province hand over the fees it already collects from cottagers to City Hall. Asked whether his government would redirect those funds into city coffers, Pettersen said: 'I'm thinking they would.' But no official announcement has been made. The question of whether cottagers should pay a new residency fee to Flin Flon or, if annexation occurs, property taxes is far more controversial. Pettersen called the situation 'very complex.' 'The City of Flin Flon isn't the same as it was 30, 40 years ago, or 20 years ago or even 10 years ago,' he said. 'And the city is in a bind in that we have infrastructure for over 10,000 people and we're sitting at (5,592) people and there's other costs (accumulating), and from that we've got to find money...and pay for these things, whether it's the municipal airport, the hockey rink, the Aqua Centre, whatever.' Of course not all cottagers believe they owe City Hall funding. Why them, the argument goes, and not other non-residents who utilize Flin Flon, such as those from Pelican Narrows or even Creighton? Pettersen said the difference is that those people 'wouldn't consider themselves Flin Flonners,' while his friends in cottage country do. But what about cottagers who send their kids to school in Cranberry Portage and rely more on that community for services? Why should they pay anything to Flin Flon? 'There's always going to be wrinkles in (a plan) and, you know, you'll have to look at different things (as they) come about,' said Pettersen. 'I mean, nothing is written in stone.' Pettersen said he has spoken with different government officials, including Minister Lemieux and Premier Greg Selinger, about the cottage situation. He said they are aware of the issue not only as it relates to Flin Flon, but also to The Pas and Thompson, which have nearby cottage subdivisions as well. Flin Flon, however, is the only community of the three that has publicly put annexation on the table of options. Questioned All other arguments aside, the feasibility of annexation has been called into question. Simply put, how realistic is it to think that Flin Flon can go from a small dot on the map to a fairly extensive region? 'Snow Lake probably goes out 10 miles,' Pettersen said. 'You know, I don't think it really matters.' The provincial spokesperson said annexations 'can involve single properties or large parcels of land, encompassing many properties.' 'They are not required to be adjacent to the current municipal boundary, but often are in close proximity to the municipality wishing to annex these lands,' said the spokesperson. Annexation is not particularly common in Manitoba. The spokesperson said there have been no more than four or five per year, and some years none at all. There are about 400 cottages between Flin Flon and Cranberry Portage. While some are seasonal, most appear to be year-round residences.
