He was once interested in potentially building a new hotel and a seniors’ housing complex in Flin Flon.
But now that Nizar Mawani is no longer with Ontario-based Kothari Developments, it’s unclear whether that interest still exists.
In 2013 interviews with The Reminder and Winnipeg Free Press, Mawani mentioned Flin Flon as a possible benefactor of Kothari’s real estate expansion plans.
“Cities always have an abundance of people to come in and invest,” Mawani, then a vice-president with Kothari, told The Reminder. “But in smaller markets there seems to be a gap, so our vision is to see if there are any opportunities to work in areas like Flin Flon.”
Mawani said he saw room for another hotel in Flin Flon and wanted to investigate the potential of bringing a major hotel chain to the community.
He also had a strong interest in possibilities around a seniors’ housing complex complete with recreational amenities like a swimming pool and fitness centre.
When The Reminder contacted Kothari on Monday to follow up with Mawani, a secretary said he was no longer with the company. A request for another Kothari official to speak to possible interest in Flin Flon was not returned.
Good news, bad news
The weakening loonie presents a good news, bad news scenario for mining companies with operations in Canada, reports Mining Markets.
Jürgen Beier of professional services firm Deloitte Canada tells the magazine that the upside relates to the fact that all commodities are priced in US dollars.
That means Canadian miners with domestic operations will get more Canadian dollars for every ounce or pound they sell, he says.
The downside is that the cost of imported commodities, equipment and anything else priced in US dollars is going to increase, the article points out.
Beier adds while the loonie rose throughout much of the 2000s, rising commodity prices masked its impact on Canadian miners.
With commodity prices down, a higher dollar means more of a challenge for miners, adds the article.
Detox centre urged
A provincial court judge has added her voice to the chorus calling for a detox centre in northern Manitoba’s largest city.
Judge Doreen Redhead made the establishment of a detox centre in Thompson one of two recommendations following an inquest into the 2008 death of a man being held in the custody of the Thompson RCMP.
Redhead recommended that Thompson establish a detoxification centre similar to the Main Street Project in Winnipeg to provide rehabilitative services and program to people with substance abuse problems.
She also recommended that a medical assessment be done before a person is lodged in RCMP cells under the Intoxicated Persons Detention Act to ensure they do not have any pre-existing medical conditions.
Jeffrey Ray Mallett died while in police custody in the summer of 2008. The cause of death was determined to be bacterial pneumonia.
