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.
Reporters dream of years like 2004. These past 12 months have seen a string of memorable stories that prompted plenty of conversation around our dinner tables. Here are The Reminder's choices for the top ten stories of the year: * * * 1. It's a Done Deal When 2004 began, not many residents had ever heard of Ontzinc Corp. But by the end of the year, the little-known Toronto-based company had become the new owner of Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting, the largest employer in the Flin Flon-Creighton area. The historic $312-million deal was seen by some as a positive step ? after all, Anglo American no longer wanted the operation ? but others worried that the comparatively small size of Ontzinc might lead to financial problems. To reflect its new acquisition, Ontzinc was renamed HudBay Minerals Inc. 2. Future Uncertain Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting President and CEO Peter Jones announced that the company anticipates a closure of its smelter in 2008 if a proposed federal air guideline is implemented. Jones said Environment Canada is proposing a new national guideline that would reduce by 25 per cent the maximum amount of sulfur dioxide the company may discharge. "If enacted, it is more than likely that the smelter would have to close" at the end of 2008, Jones said as guest speaker at a Healthy Flin Flon forum. A closure of the smelter, where copper is treated and the resulting sulfur dioxide discharged out the smoke stack, would impact in the neighbourhood of 300 employees. 3. Paper or Plastic? Competition for shopping dollars heated up when Extra Foods opened a spacious new store at the Flintoba Shopping Centre. It became the third 'big box' outlet at the site, creating new jobs and giving shoppers another option when it comes to crossing off the items on their grocery lists. "As far as I'm concerned, it's another nice big business in our town," said Mayor Dennis Ballard. "It's more development. More development, in my opinion, is better. It gives amenities to the people and taxes in the (City) coffers." 4. No Need to Leave After months of controversy, high school programming began at Creighton Community School with the addition of grade 10. Grades 11 and 12 are to follow in 2005 and 2006. The Creighton School Board's decision to open the high school did not sit well with many residents. A petition surfaced calling for the decision to be reevaluated, but the trustees stood by their decision as the right one. The high school will end the decades' old tradition of Creighton and Denare Beach students completing their public schooling across the border in Flin Flon. 5. For the Seniors Two seniors housing projects got underway while there was plenty of optimism a third facility would be built. Construction began on Bedrock Manor in Creighton and the new Hemlock Dr. seniors apartment complex (the original was struck by fire in 2002) in Flin Flon. Meanwhile, the Rotary Club sought donations and government funding for a new seniors housing facility at Rotary Court. No one was more pleased by these developments than Mayor Dennis Ballard. "I'm sure we don't have enough seniors housing right now, or at least the right type," he said at the beginning of the year. 6. Bev's Back, Rick's Out Bev Desjarlais held onto her seat as Flin Flon MP, but Creighton MP Rick Laliberte lost his to a young newcomer named Jeremy Harrison. Desjarlais was considered the favourite all along, but the victory by Harrison, a Conservative, surprised some residents. Though they belong to parties that are often at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, Desjarlais and Harrison have one thing in common: both support maintaining the traditional definition of marriage. 7. We've Been Reported PollutionWatch, an environmental watchdog, named the HBMS metallurgical complex in Flin Flon as the third-biggest air polluter in Canada for 2002. A report released by the group stated that the complex released 178.1 million kilograms of pollution into the air in 2002. Mayor Dennis Ballard said he wanted to know more about PollutionWatch, including its sources and legitimacy, before offering a comment. See 'Strides' P.# Con't from P.# HBMS spokesman Tom Goodman said HBMS has made great strides in pollution reduction over the years and continues to focus resources to that end. 8. New Opportunity After much anticipation, the University College of the North opened complete with a regional centre in Flin Flon. UCN, which absorbed Keewatin Community College, is expected to grow in the coming years both in terms of programming and student population. "One of our main goals is to try to offer as many programs as possible here in our community," said Dan Reagan, director of the Flin Flon regional centre. "This makes post-secondary education possible for people who cannot leave home for various reasons ? they have a family or can't afford it." 9. It's a Problem A cross-section of Flin Flonners identified the willful destruction of property as the number one crime problem facing the community. Vandalism topped the list of issues when about 40 people attended a police forum to pinpoint the most prevalent types of crime and how they might be minimized. The crowd tossed out a variety of potential solutions to vandalism, ranging from surveillance cameras in vulnerable areas to neighbourhood watch programs. 10. Staying Put Willowpark Curling Club members voted to close their facility and move to the Uptown rink ... and then voted to stay put after all. The second vote took place in August after concern was raised that not all of the pertinent information had come out prior to the first balloting. The episode left club membership divided over whether the proper course of action was taken, and a number of curlers from the 54-year-old Willowpark rink chose to move Uptown anyway.
