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 It has been an eventful few weeks on the media landscape here in Flin Flon and area. Here is a look at some of the headlines and, for whatever they are worth, my thoughts on them. * * * Item: City council causes a minor stir by introducing a bylaw that forces residents to mow municipally-owned boulevards adjacent to their properties under threat of financial penalty. What Some Said: Damn city! You have no right to force me to mow YOUR grass. I pay taxes! You have all those kids with lawnmowers working for you! You do it! What I Say: Much ado about almost nothing. While there may be some rational slippery-slope arguments to be made Ð if the city makes us maintain its property, what will they make us do next? Ð these sorts of bylaws are both prevalent and sensible. As a community, we should want to put up an attractive front for residents and visitors alike, particularly during our all-too-short summers. Unless your boulevard is particularly onerous Ð in which case you should appeal to the city Ð suck it up and do something for your city. * * * Item: A mystery arsonist strikes a parked van on Church St., lighting a fire that put nearby homes, garages and vehicles at risk. What Some Said: It's those damn kids with nothing to do! They're going to kill someone one of these days! Where are the police?! What I Say: No one can say for sure that children are behind this or any other unsolved arson, but that is a strong possibility based on past precedence. Of course all arsons are dangerous, whether they involve a van on Church St. or, as we saw earlier this summer, an occupied home on Green St. With fire near residential areas, fatalities are always a possibility. Always. As for the police, they can't be everywhere at once, which is why we must all be vigilant in terms of arsons and other crimes. A police force is generally only as good as the community with whom it cooperates. * * * Item: Premier Greg Selinger leaves the door open to government support for a potential dormitory for the new Flin Flon UCN. What Some Said: I'll believe it when I see it. What I Say: It's a good idea, even if it sort of takes away from the notion that UCN was going to be "our" learning institute. After seeing the province put so much emphasis on UCN in The Pas and Thompson, I guess you could say I'm in a wait-and-see mode, too. * * * Item: Rumours of a No Frills store replacing the soon-to-close Extra Foods are untrue. What Some Said: That's not what I heard... What I Say: This rumour was inevitable given that the parent company has switched Extra Foods for No Frills in some other communities. The fact that No Frills is out of the picture only adds to my curiosity level as to what, if anything, will become of this huge commercial building. * * * Item: City council will support an Association of Manitoba Municipalities call for additional provincial funding for infrastructure. What Some Said: Sounds reasonable to us. What I Say: More than reasonable. People sometimes think Flin Flon is alone in its eternal struggle with crumbling roads and piping, but nothing could be further from the truth. Until the province (and the feds) are willing to commit more cash for these vital projects, communities like Flin Flon will continue to hobble along at the mercy of broken pipes, potholes and, quite possibly, higher taxes. * * * Local Angle runs Fridays.8/22/2011
