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.
Ron Dodds was born "at the Co-op store about where the paint section was" in Robinson's Hospital in 1937. His parents were Arthur, who passed away in 1996 at the age of 95, and his mother was Rachel Dodds who passed away in 1999 at the age of 94 years. Ron and his brother Vincent grew up on Church Street. Their original home was built by their uncle Vincent Dodds across the street from where it now stands. The house was moved to its present site. Ron went to Main School, which then became McIsaac School, before it was torn down to enlarge the hospital. So the Dodds brothers lived only a 'stones throw away' from school. However Ron laughingly said, "my brother had the highest record for being late in the whole school!" From Main School, Ron went on to Hapnot School, which at that time began at grade 7 and up. The site is now Ruth Betts School. Ron talks of the matinee shows at both the theatres, and said he could remember there used to be a "Fun Club" at the Northland Theatre. "There would be a sing-a-long before the show started and the words were up on the screen with a ball bouncing along the words so we could follow along." See 'Theatre' P.# Con't from P.# "As kids, we used to take our cap guns and sit up in the balcony and shoot them, till one day I dropped my cap gun and it hit someone on the head and that was the end of taking our cap guns to the shows." "I can remember long line-ups to both shows at both the Rex and Northland theatres. People used to get dressed up and then go out to a restaurant afterwards," said Ron. As a teenager Ron played peewee and midget hockey and he did play one year of juvenile before deciding that he had had enough. He was also involved in Cubs and Scouts, and went to Camp Whitney with his dad Art and Neil McLennan as well as Stewie Crerar and others. Ron said that in the early years, the Elks fixed up Camp Whitney. "As kids we would hang out around the old Community Hall, the Jubilee Hall, and we would walk the foot path to Phantom Lake all summer long. We'd play in the neighborhood and on the rocks. We also played around the clay pit which was between South Main and the Open Pit where we would watch the Brownie Crane. The golf club was on the 'flats' which was the Flin Flon Lake bottom." "We used to play baseball a lot and we would go tobogganing and skiing where the old Scout Hall was." On Friday nights as a teenager Ron said they would go to the Company cafeteria and have chips and a drink and then go to the Jubilee Jives at the Jubilee Hall. On Sundays the Company opened the cafeteria to the public and a lot of families would go there for supper. Ron fondly remembers that in those days, "There were five hotels and lots of people in town and there would be lots of dances held for entertainment. There was the Legion, Jubilee, Elks, Lobstick in Channing, Wigwam at Denare Beach, as well as the Creighton Hall. "The music was supplied by live bands," said Ron. "There was Wes Vickery, Fred Barnowich, the Northern Ramblers and a couple of others, I can't remember their names." Flin Flon was a very "social" town, everybody loved a good time and liked to get together. Some of the family names that Ron recalls from his school days are: Keddie, Urich, Vielgut, Kenny, Struch, Husti, Dembinsky, Baker, Steventon, Czettisch, Scozs, Redahl, Putko, Biggs and Greenberg. "I remember that in the early days bread, milk and ice were delivered by a horse and wagon." "And as kids, there were five churches on Church Street, and we would go to each one no matter what denomination we were, just for the cookies that were served after the service!" "I can also remember that Mr. Sonnichsen used to teach piano downstairs at the old Elks Hall because we would hear them when we were playing in the back lane." Ron said families in those days never traveled much. "I can remember going to Beaver Lake and thinking that was a big trip!" "As kids," Ron smiles, "we used to go down to the train station and watch the trains come in. There were usually two trains, one from Regina and one from Winnipeg. Everything came in by train, even the mail and at Christmas it was really busy!" Ron remembers Frechette's Dairy up beside Floch's Bakery. He also recalls John Decannon who owned a dairy down at Queen's Park. Also a man named Joe Gorky had a small farm on the Beaver Lake Road and would come to town to sell chickens and vegetables. Also Ron recalls a Jacob Baddner who lived next to where the Post Office is now and he used to buy furs and fish from the Natives. Ron's working career is very interesting. He started at Co-op Plumbing with Ivor Hedman, worked at Northland Motors with John Kepper, worked at Central Northern Airways in Channing with Oscar Erickson (pilot). Then he worked at Parson's Airways as a mechanic with Harley Evans, Jimmy Hoglander, Bert Warttig and Rudy Hoffman. Then Ron started in the Mill at HBMS in 1960 and then went with Hudson Bay Air Transport and worked with Alex Moore, Bob Ferguson, Barry Smith, Ted Vancoughnett, Bill Beveridge, Norm Akert, Gerry Gagne, Herman Olson, Roy Willis, Al Lindsay, Norman Eryou, Bob Burgess and Art Wilson. He said, "we used to have some great curling bonspiels!" In 1961 Ron married Marion Strindland from Island Falls. Then he went back to the Mill for about eight months before heading out to the Bakers Narrows Airport where he worked with Bert Jackson. Joe Van Ness was on the air board at that time. There were DC3's and DC4's as well as the Victory Viscounts coming into the airport. He helped build the new terminal in 1967. "In 1970 we went to Lynn Lake as I got the job as Airport Manager there," said Ron. "We had three flights coming in daily, one from Thompson, Churchill and Flin Flon all going to Winnipeg. And then when the CNR went on strike in 1972 we had more than that. We were actually flying cars out for people so that they could go on their holidays! Our home then, was right at the end of the runway and when the plane came in at night our whole kitchen lit right up." The population of Lynn Lake was about 4,000 at that time because of the construction going on at Leaf Rapids. "We came back to Flin Flon in December of 1973," said Ron, "And I started working for Northern Bus Lines under Peter Heibert. Some of the drivers were Clifford brooks, Les Jeffrey and a guy named Bill. I also drove Joe's Taxi which was owned by Rose and Joe Pallaniuk as well as working part time for Parson's." "Then Bill Bevans asked me to come work with HBED, so that is where I stayed for 24.5 years and I did such a good job," he laughs, "that they downsized me!" Now that Ron is retired, he spends much of his time at the Flin Flon Museum where he has been on the board for five years. He also helps to maintain Flinty's Boardwalk, works as a volunteer at bingos and at his church. Marion and Ron have three children and have no plans on leaving Flin Flon. Thanks so much for such an interesting story, Ron. I am sure our readers will enjoy it!
