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.
With the Manitoba legislature set to reconvene next week, there are still a few days for MLAs to plot out what they will do (or attempt to do) for their ridings in the new session. So now is a good time to examine how the provincial government can wield its spending and legislative power to Flin Flon's benefit. First off, the province is to be commended for stepping up to the plate recently with its $1-million Forestry and Mining Training and Workforce Retention Initiative. Amid layoffs in resource-based industries, including here in Flin Flon, the province says the Initiative will involve up-skilling and re-skilling opportunities that match current and future job demands. The Initiative will also support apprentices to complete their apprenticeship programs, and train aboriginal people for employment at future mines. That's all good stuff, but one wonders why there was no mention of re-training laid-off individuals to work in other sectors. While the economy is in a tough spot right now, not every sector is cutting staff like mining and forestry are. Some in fact remain short-staffed and are hiring, so why not expand training initiatives to expand people's employment opportunities? Mining and forestry aren't the only game in town, and given the inherent boom-and-bust cycles of those sectors, one would expect to find many individuals yearning to earn a living some other way. That's one area where the province can bring about positive change, but there are others. Abolition Also needing some adjustment Ð abolition, really Ð is the province's domineering policy on school closures whereby a school cannot be shut down unless Education Minister Peter Bjornson says so. The policy is a cold slap in the face to Flin Flon. After all, we elected trustees at the local level Ð people who actually live here and understand the community Ð to make such crucial decisions. Having the government tell us that we were wrong, that this choice must instead rest with a distant politician, is insulting and undemocratic. The province is in effect patting us on the head like we were children: "It's okay, kids. The big decisions are for grown-ups to make." The day may arrive when Flin Flon no longer needs or can afford four schools. I hope it never comes to that. A school closure is an unpleasant scenario, but it's still preferable to a heavy-handed government forcing Flin Flon taxpayers to foot the bill for unnecessary facilities. As has been written before, one of the most obvious issues warranting attention relates to cottage lots. If the province is going to continue opening up cottage lots in this area, then the responsible thing for them to do is to help Flin Flon deal with the declining tax base that has and will continue to result. You can't blame people for wanting to make their year-round home at the lake. But at the same time, you can't blame local politicians who over the years have drawn the province's attention to what happens when large numbers of people move outside city limits. What's the answer? A number of cottagers I've talked to have said they would like to see the annual fee they currently pay to the government go directly into Flin Flon's coffers. It's an idea that deserves a close look at the legislature. Last but not least, it's time for the province to beef up the presence of University College of the North in Flin Flon. The UCN regional centre we have offers good programming and has allowed many residents to earn a great education and solid employment. But there is just so much untapped potential. A UCN campus, even a scaled down version of those in The Pas and Thompson, would greatly expand learning opportunities while making Flin Flon a destination for post-secondary students. Of course none of these proposed changes, popular as they may be with Flin Flonners, are likely to come to fruition. But at least now it can be said that these concepts are out in the public domain. Our politicians will do with them what they see fit. Local Angle runs Fridays.
