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 Queen Elizabeth II has never visited Flin Flon, and probably never will. Nonetheless, a strong royal presence will be felt here next month in Her Majesty's honour. The Royal Weekend, slated for May 26 and 27, will mark the Queen's 60th anniversary on the throne with top-notch ballet, celebrations and entertainment. 'We are the only place in northern Manitoba, as far as I know, that is having a Diamond Jubilee celebration,' says organizer Crystal Kolt of the Flin Flon Arts Council. Performance The centrepiece of the Royal Weekend will be a performance by eight members of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet at the R.H. Channing Auditorium. Landing the dancers was no simple task, as the internationally renowned RWB has not been in Flin Flon in 40-plus years. The dancers will take to the stage in Flin Flon, The Pas and Thompson as part of a $50,000 northern tour sponsored largely by Hudbay, Manitoba Hydro and nickel miner Vale. See 'Wee...' on pg. 3 Continued from pg. 1 'There's going to be three different dances that are going to be performed,' noted Kolt, adding that the show will last about 90 minutes. Following confirmation of the RWB tour _ in the planning stages for more than six years _ Kolt began looking at ways to build around the performance. And so the afternoon before the ballet, Pioneer Square in downtown Flin Flon will host what Kolt is calling 'essentially a big town party.' It will feature live entertainment, including hoop dancers, aboriginal drummers and the enchanting voice of classically trained Spanish Soprano Luz Alvarez, who lives in Thompson. An opening ceremony will also take place with a number of dignitaries invited to participate. The day after the RWB performance, on the Sunday, the Diamond Jubilee Celebration Afternoon Tea will again showcase the world-class talents of Alvarez, this time at the R.H. Channing Auditorium. Guests at the formal event will dine on a variety of fancy foods, including high-end desserts, sandwiches and tasty scones. 'It's going to be out of the ordinary in terms of an experience,' said Kolt. 'It's going to be having a really amazing culinary experience as well as having an amazing performance.' Related events Leading up to the Royal Weekend will be a string of related events. On April 27 at 7 p.m., the Hapnot Theatre will show, free of charge, 40 Years of One Night Stands, a documentary on the RWB. Kolt noted the film includes footage of the RWB's performance in Flin Flon more than four decades ago. Then on Saturday, April 28, an etiquette class for adults _ called Shaken Not Stirred _ will be held at Bakers Narrows. Topics will include the proper use of utensils, how to strike up a conversation, and wine decorum. 'They give you all the information about dealing with etiquette situations,' said Kolt. The Little Princess and Knights Tea Party, an etiquette class for children, will be held the afternoon of Sunday, April 29 at the Flin Flon Community Hall. Friday, May 11 will see another free documentary showing at the Hapnot Theatre: Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier. Showtime is 7 p.m. The excitement surrounding the events has the ever-bubbly Kolt enthused. 'I'm finding it really, really fun to see who gets excited by a celebration like this in honour of somebody like the Queen of England,' she said. 'I wasn't too sure how that was going to go, but so many people are just really excited about the uniqueness of the opportunity to do something like this.'
