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.
LetÕs start by giving credit where credit is due. City council accomplishes a lot in its proposed 2008 budget. ItÕs a tidy plan that takes a substantial bite out of the problem of aging infrastructure by replacing sewer and water lines in some of the areas most in need. With millions in grant money, mainly from Ottawa, council is punching above its weight with a document that allots $11.6 million for capital spending without raising taxes. But there was one element glaringly absent from the budget: subdivision development. Last year, council set aside $200,000 to form a new subdivision of roughly six or seven lots at the end of Horace Avenue, not far from the Adams Street apartments. This yearÕs plan makes no mention of new lots. ItÕs an unfortunate omission at a time when Flin Flon is competing for warm bodies with the growing cottage subdivisions that surround us. In recent years, the Manitoba government has been opening up cottage lots faster than you can say Òpopulation drain.Ó Lots already sold will continue to be developed. Lots not yet established probably will be. This issue is not going away. As the bulk of our population ages, more people will be in the market for that dream home in which to retire. As our working population gets younger, there will be more families whose needs canÕt be met by the selection of existing homes, many of which theyÕll consider too small, too old or improperly located. ItÕs inevitable that many of these individuals will be drawn to cottage country. Who can blame them? Developments like Schist Lake, Sourdough Bay and Lake Athapap offer an unmatched beauty and serenity. But if there were more options for would-be homebuilders, if the playing field were made more level, the continued population drain could be at least partially averted. A few years back, The Reminder carried an article about city council opening up vacant space on Centennial Crescent to residential development. Administration at the time was taken aback by the amount of interest shown, and it wasnÕt long before new housing went up. If more prime areas were opened up, thereÕs no reason to think we wouldnÕt see a similar result. Flin Flon needs more residential lots, and it needs them quickly before more residents and potential residents decide that a year-round cottage is their preferred option. Local Angle runs Fridays.
