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.
Kelly Carrington Staff Writer A walk down memory lane quickly offered a jolt of reality as one Flin Flonner ventured out to Phantom Lake. Sherrie Worden headed out to the once-popular gathering place on May 3 with a friend to rehash old memories. 'It was always such a special place,' Worden said. 'I remember it as a kid...and now it's so heartbreaking with the garbage that's there.' Once a peaceful destination for families and children to spend sunny afternoons, Phantom Lake has become a party spot with broken glass, garbage and graffiti. 'We want it back to what it was,' said Worden. Worden is a cofounder of Phantom Lake Revival. The group started on Facebook earlier this month and quickly gained interest with 150 people supporting the page. Thirteen days after her initial visit to Phantom Lake, Worden, along with roughly 30 community members, have begun cleaning up the area. It's been done before, but Worden hopes to see a lasting change this time. All in all, she hopes to make Phantom Lake a fun place that can cater to people of all abilities. As a mother of a child with optic nerve hypoplasia, Worden sees the opportunities children with impairments and disabilities often miss out on. She doesn't want Phantom Lake to be another missed opportunity. 'I want it so all kids can enjoy Phantom Lake like we did,' says the mother. Over the past week, groups and community members have taken full bags of garbage and debris away from the beach and playground. 'We're willing to take care of it and that's a really big step,' said Worden. Currently, Phantom Lake Revival is solely a Facebook group, though it has big intentions. Worden says they have already received a lot of support from the community in both Flin Flon and Creighton. The group has gathered information needed to pursue permits for a water cleanup. Phantom Lake Revival is not permitted to remove weeds from the waterfront until they have the proper permit. 'We're going to pursue this permit not to destroy the fish habitats, but to push them back farther,' said Worden, who notes that the group is allowed to remove things like garbage and glass from the water. 'We want to (be) environmentally friendly,' she said. 'We want to follow every guideline and bylaw that is put forth by the Saskatchewan Government.' Phantom Lake Revival has plans to host a community forum, June 1, to help generate ideas for the green space as well as to voice their concerns. 'Our group is just a few (people),' said Worden. 'We want to make sure everyone gets heard.' Hudbay is owner of the land while the Phantom Lake Golf Course takes care of the space. Before being able to apply for grants, Worden and the rest of the group will need permission from the two groups. Step One After deciding to clean up Phantom Lake, Worden received information about a Mike Holmes project to restore green spaces as well as community recreational spaces. Taking the beach, campground, playground, bathrooms and concession into consideration, Worden is working on a submission. Worden is collecting and documenting memories residents of Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach and locations further away have of Phantom Lake. 'As a kid, I used to build sandcastles there. I watched others swim and listened to the shrieks of that first plunge,' Worden said. Worden hopes compiling fond memories of Phantom Lake into a presentation will be another plus for Phantom Lake Revival. Five-Year Plan Phantom Lake Revival has a vision of a cleaner place to play, swim and spend time with family. But the reality of the revitalization hits home with the price tag associated with the clean up as well as the time frame. 'We know that we can't bring this up this summer,' said Worden. Before anything can be called finished, water and sands tests will be have to be completed. 'We're doing everything according to the guidelines,' Worden said. 'We're hoping next year, but realistically it could be five years if the water isn't safe.' Worden hopes the five-year plan won't deter people from helping with the project. '...we need the support and the communities behind us. If it's only three of us, it will take forever.' Worden says with the help of others, the work will go much faster. For those looking to help with Phantom Lake Revival as well as memory submissions, contact Worden at 271-2582.
