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.
By Jonathon Naylor A few months back, I got into a mild argument with a friend who moved to the Flin Flon area from out east several years ago. She kept insisting that Flin Flon was too often backwards in its thinking, unwilling or unable to move forward without a heavy dose of grumbling from the masses. I told her that that had not been my experience at all, despite the stereotypes surrounding isolated mining towns. She told me that I had never really known anything besides Flin Flon, so how could I see what she sees? Well, after hearing feedback on the street about our new Pioneer Square, I must concede that there is a regressive sentiment within our community, and it is not small. Not everyone falls into this category. Probably not even most people do. But the resistance to change, to new ideas, undeniably permeates our coffee shops and dinner tables. The negative reaction to our newest park, nestled at the corner of First and Main, has caught myself and others off guard. More than a few have said Pioneer Square will become just another place for drunk people to roam when the bars and lounges close. And the concrete benches will become makeshift beds. I have no doubt that at some point in its history, Pioneer Square will encounter people who have had one too many to drink. And perhaps some day, one of these individuals will lay down on one of the benches. Is that the end of the world? Drunk people end up lots of places they shouldn't necessarily be, and this is a reality every community faces. If it turns into a regular problem, you can bet the RCMP Ð who are conveniently based just a stone's throw away Ð will give it the attention it deserves. Another complaint: the park is an all-too inviting target for spraypainters and other vandals. Again, is it possible that at some point the park will sustain some form of vandalism? Yes, yes it is. The same is true of any public space, private space or building in Flin Flon. Not naive Bear in mind also that it is not as though the park planners were naive about the potential for vandalism. To wit, the park will include security cameras. My point is that if all we do is worry about what might go wrong, nothing would ever get accomplished. We would remain stagnant as a society, entrenched in a world of unhealthy paranoia, a world where risks always outweigh benefits. That is not the kind of community I want, and I doubt it is the kind of community most residents want. Besides, what exactly was the alternative to Pioneer Square? Did we really want an empty lot, surrounded by plywood, to forever be what residents and visitors saw at such a prominent location in our city? Of course many residents have been highly favourable towards Pioneer Square. They see it as the community's next favourite gathering spot, a place to enjoy lunch on a sunny summer day or stop for a short rest during Christmas shopping. Kudos to the many volunteers, donors and construction workers who turned Pioneer Square from a vague dream into a beautiful reality. It is an elegant addition to Flin Flon. By the way, I would like to set the record straight on something. My article Wednesday stated that the park's fountain has three spouts. In fact the number is four. * * * Kudos also to everyone who participated in the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life last weekend at the Creighton Ball Diamond. I will dare call this the most inspiring fundraiser our community has ever seen. Keep it up, people. Cancer has never been so frightened. Local Angle runs Fridays.9/19/2011
