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 Remember how much attention Flin Flon received around the time of last fall's provincial election? It was fantastic to see Premier Greg Selinger tour the new UCN facilities, not to mention Main Street and its many wonderful offerings, in August. The very next month, Premier Selinger was back in Flin Flon, this time armed with a pledge: a re-elected NDP government would spend at least $10 million to upgrade our ER and up to $50 million to reconstruct Highway 10 between the city and Bakers Narrows. Folks can banter back and forth all day about whether those are really Flin Flon's top priorities. But there can be little debate over the fact that seniors housing and modern residential lots are key to turning the tide against population descent in our community. The latest Stats Can figures show Flin Flon was yet again a loser in the census, dropping by 244 residents between 2006 and 2011. Some blame an aging population, the movement of people to the lake and, of course, a smaller workforce at HBMS _ or a combination thereof. But now with HBMS gearing up to open at least two mines near Snow Lake, and with long-defunct mines in the region potentially restarting, Flin Flon has reached a pivotal moment. Are we going to attract new people and retain our existing citizens as they retire? Or are we going to wither away? Mayor George Fontaine and his council have certainly worked hard toward the former objective. But they are a cash-strapped municipal government that can only do so much. Which brings me back to Premier Selinger and his rather spend-free NDP government. The province recently had a golden opportunity to help Flin Flon not only hold steady, but quite likely grow for the first time in decades. Bridge Road Developments, a Manitoba-based construction company, applied for a provincial grant to help build a 36-unit complex for seniors on fixed incomes. Grant rejected Despite Mayor Fontaine's optimism, the grant _ and I never have been able to pin down how much money was being sought _ was rejected by the powers that be. Approval of that project would have meant so much more than another 36 apartments for the elderly, though that in and of itself would have gone a long way toward filling a dire shortage of seniors housing. It would have bolstered the feasibility of a separate 24-unit complex, open to wealthier seniors, that Bridge Road may have very well built on its own, without government assistance. The buildings would have gone up on the tract of vacant land between Roche Boulevard and Wallace Avenue, overlooking Manitoba Avenue and beautiful Ross Lake. With the City of Flin Flon having tentatively allocated $400,000 to service the property, city council had plans to open a deluxe new subdivision there. With large lots and a stellar view of Ross Lake, the homes that would have been built on this now-stillborn subdivision would have surely been impressive _ and poured significant tax income into city coffers. Oh well, that's how it goes, I guess. Yet again Flin Flon put its faith in a provincial government we support election after election, and yet again we are left disappointed. Sometimes I swear the NDP has no shame. Sure, they make us feel like we are equal partners around election time. But then, when given the chance to fork over a few bucks to help preserve the very future of our city, they dole out the dollars elsewhere. MLA Clarence Pettersen wants this project as much as anyone, let there be no doubt about that. He is still optimistic he can either change minds within government or find another source of funding for this crucial initiative. I hope he can, but forgive me for being just a bit cynical about his chances of success. Local Angle runs Fridays.
