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.
Here we are six days into the new year and I'm still trying to figure out what the heck happened to 2005. That last year seemed to whiz by faster than Paul Martin on a campaign stop in Alberta. Anyway, with our living rooms tree-free (well, most of us) and the noisemakers tucked away in the attic once more, it's time to look ahead at the next 12 pages on the calendar. I'm not going to get stuck in that old column clich of making predictions for the new year. Instead, I'll share with you some of my sincere hopes for Flin Flon and area in 2006. 1. Seniors' Housing Will Be Built Right now, in some provincial vault, sits $1 million ready to be spent on seniors' housing in Flin Flon. Trouble is, we still need a contractor, an organization Ð anybody Ð to step up to the plate to get construction started. Obviously there are reasons no one has signed on the dotted line just yet. A housing project with government money understandably has strings attached. An entrepreneur isn't likely to turn a notable profit for a number of years. Hopefully, however, some common ground can be found. We're in the midst of a seniors' housing shortage, folks, and as our community ages, it's only going to get worse. I can think of no bigger shame than were we to lose that considerable sum of money because nothing could be finalized. 2. Let Us Know With the federal election out of the way, this should be the year when we learn, once and for all, the fate of the proposed CommunityPlex. This concept first surfaced way back in 2002, if you can believe it. Yet still, we wait for some kind of final word. Only when residents are told definitively "yes, this will happen in some form" or "no, this will not happen in any form" can we begin to formulate other possible options. 3. More Business The entrepreneurial spirit shone brightly this past year when a handful of new businesses opened up on Main Street. This was quite encouraging not only for the core area, but also for the community as a whole. It shows that people are willing to invest in our community, to take a gamble on Flin Flon. Let's wish for even more businesses to open their doors. 4. Excitement at the Polls There wasn't much suspense in covering Flin Flon's last mayoral race back in 2002. We all knew Mr. Ballard would come out on top. In fact, I even wrote my "Ballard re-elected" story well ahead of time. But in the election this October, the seemingly unbeatable mayor won't be on the ballot (unless, of course, he changes his mind about retirement). That opens up the floodgates to a number of potential Ð and quality Ð candidates. I think (or at least hope) this year's mayoral campaign could be close and, by extension, quite exciting. 5. Bomb the Opposition If you think fans of the Flin Flon Bombers have been frustrated in recent years, imagine how the players felt. I don't think anyone wants on-ice success more than the young men who represent our community and its long, proud hockey tradition. With a new direction set under the recently-hired coach-GM Doug Stokes, let's hope the Bombers can turn the page and not only make the playoffs, but make some serious noise while there. Obviously some of these wishes are more likely to come to fruition than others. But who knows? If the stars line up just right, we could be looking at a very productive, interesting year. Once again, all the best in '06. Local Angle runs Fridays.
