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.
We've all heard of A Tale of Two Cities, but when it comes to post-secondary education in Northern Manitoba, it's A Tale of Three Facilities. And unlike the Dickens classic, this is not a story many Flin Flonners will enjoy. Behind the newly-refurbished Parkdale School building, now home to Many Faces Education Centre, rests a single portable building. It's a nice enough facility, as far as portable buildings go, that could comfortably house (I'm guessing) 20, maybe 25 people. There are no washrooms because, well, there's no plumbing. If you feel the urge to go, however, all you have to do is throw on your jacket and take a few steps over to Many Faces. No big deal, right? On 7th Street East in The Pas sits another, much larger (and permanent) building. It has more amenities than you can shake a stick at, from daycare and workout facilities to a cafeteria and counselling services. Even more exciting, in March the Manitoba government committed a whopping $17 million for enhancements. Down in Thompson, on Princeton Drive, there is another impressive building. A book store, library, on-site nursing station and many of the comforts found in The Pas are present. But wait, there's more... in March the province unveiled $27 million for an entirely new facility, and another $3 million to ensure its energy efficiency. Each of these buildings are University College of the North centres, and the disparity between the first and the latter two raises serious concerns about the province's educational commitment to Flin Flon. While The Pas and Thompson enjoy massive UCN campuses, we are only good enough for a "regional centre" that offers nowhere near the same range of courses. It's true that The Pas and Thompson have historically had a stronger relationship with UCN (and Keewatin Community College before it), as well as many more students. But what comes first, the chicken or the egg? By dedicating so few resources to the Flin Flon UCN, the government isn't exactly helping it flourish. There's no reason why Flin Flon should not have a UCN campus, too, even if it were smaller in comparison. We're pumping out over 140 high school graduates each year. We've got a surrounding populace that already utilizes Flin Flon for many services. And we've certainly got the drive as a community to grow and offer more opportunities. The only thing we don't have is the same level of enthusiasm (and money) the provincial government affords to The Pas and Thompson. But who are we to complain? We've already got our single, plumbing-less portable building. We're already sending our young people to The Pas and Thompson for the training they need. We'll be fine... we're only Flin Flon. Local Angle runs Fridays.
