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 At the corner of what is now Main St. and First Ave. sits a property of great historical significance. In the 1920s and '30s, the first Flin Flonners would pass by the site on their way to seek much-coveted work at HBMS. In 1931, it housed one of the community's first major businesses, Abe Ostry's grocery store, and in time became home to a series of other popular commercial ventures. It is only fitting, then, that all of these decades later the site serve as a homage to the men and women who built Flin Flon in the form of Pioneer Square. "It's, I think, very appropriate to name it the Pioneer Square for those builders that built this country, that built the North, that were here, that opened up the mines," Flin Flon MLA Gerard Jennissen told the grand opening Saturday. About 50 invited guests, including civic leaders, donors and construction workers, attended the afternoon ceremony, getting a sneak peek at the park prior to the long-awaited removal of the surrounding wooden barricades early Monday. And from the moment their feet touched the smooth brickwork, they were in something of awe of the handsome $569,000 undertaking. Overlooking benches In one corner rests a cement stage overlooking three rows of inviting concrete benches. Near another corner is an attractive fountain, complete with three spouts. Within the walking surface is a design of a large star that forms a compass, surrounded by more benches as well as trees and colourful plants. As he surveyed the square, Mayor George Fontaine was full of praise and pride. "I would like to thank the organizing committee, who stuck to their guns," he told the gathering from the stage. "This wasn't an easy thing to get going. Once it got some momentum and once people got involved in it, it was okay, but I think there was a lot of bumping and grinding that gets going before that happens." Mayor Fontaine reserved special acclaim for the anonymous donor who provided the land, once considered prime retail space, for the park. See 'Park...' on pg. 3 Continued from pg. 1 "Obviously, from the viewpoint of all the members of our community, they should be thanking the donor," he said. The concept of Pioneer Square dates back to 2007, when the donor first offered the property to the city on the assurance it would be turned into a park. At the time, the site had sat vacant for more than a year following a devastating blaze that destroyed the Mr. Ribs Restaurant and Northern Rainbow's End gift shop, both of which had shared the former Ostry's building. The city council of the day initially rejected the offer, in part because they still saw a strong commercial potential in the site. In 2008, with the land still vacant, council was again asked to consider the proposal. Just last week, council formally accepted ownership of the property. But it was a Chamber of Commerce committee that put in the real legwork to make the square happen. Through grants and fundraising they have secured $569,000 for the project. Original funding of $351,000 came from several sources, most notably the HudBay Minerals 80th Anniversary Fund, which gave $200,000. The project also received support from the Flin Flon 75th Birthday Committee, which donated the $65,000 surplus from the 2008 celebration. Dave Kendall, chair of the committee, said all of the pieces have come together nicely. 'Very pleased' "We're, as a committee, very pleased with everything's that's been done," he told Saturday's gathering. Though now open, the square is not complete. Among the additions to come are a waterfall, a clock, a pillared entrance, a roof over the stage and security cameras. The committee hopes to have the cameras installed within a couple of weeks, while the goal is to complete the remaining work next year. The final budget is expected to come in at at least $650,000, making Pioneer Square one of the costliest park projects in Flin Flon history. But rather than look ahead at the work still to come, Mayor Fontaine preferred to honour what has already been completed. "What I'd like to see now...is (for) everybody to encourage the community to use this place," he said. "Don't consider it something so sacred that you can't come out here and be here. It's yours, lounge around, that's what it's for. It's a town square, so be here or be square."
