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.
Local roads will be a safer place to drive this holiday season with Operation Red Nose volunteers again out in full force. The program, which drives people home in their own vehicles, starts tonight and will run each Friday and Saturday night throughout December, as well as New Year's Eve. "Operation Red Nose is a safety operation for the safety of the people," said Graham Craig, honourary chairman of the service. "And it's free, but donations are very much welcome." Now in its fifth straight year of operating in the Flin Flon area, Red Nose is again being organized by the Rotary Club of Flin Flon, of which Craig is a member. A team of three volunteers respond to each call. A driver and navigator take the caller home in his or her own vehicle while the third volunteer follows in an escort vehicle. At the end of each trip, the escort vehicle returns the team of volunteers to Flin Flon City Hall, where Red Nose is headquartered. Craig feels that anyone unfit to go behind the wheel should not hesitate to give the service a call. "Don't take the risk Ñ one drink is one drink too many when it comes to driving," he said. All of the money donated to the service will stay in the local area, where it will be used for youth initiatives. Projects that have been supported by Red Nose funds in the past include Camp Whitney and playground projects at elementary schools. Flin Flon is one of just a handful of communities across Manitoba to host the Red Nose program. Others include The Pas, Thompson and Winnipeg. The sponsor of the Red Nose programs across the province is Manitoba Public Insurance, which has for years endorsed the program. "With more than one-third of motor vehicle deaths attributable to drinking drivers, MPI strongly supports anti-impaired driving initiatives like Operation Red Nose," said MPI President and CEO Jack Zacharias in a news release. "This is an example of Manitobans saying that drinking and driving is not acceptable." See 'Concept' P.# Con't from P.# Operation Red Nose began in Quebec in 1984, and since that time has spread across Canada, where some 100 organizations host the concept. The service will run from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. on December 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27, and 31. Operation Red Nose may be reached at 687-7331. Anyone wishing to volunteer may contact either of the co-chairs of the program, Lois (Bunny) Burke at 687-6967 or Ted Hewitt at 687-1621. Volunteer applications may be picked up at Standard Insurance Brokers or Flin Flon Insurance.
