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.
Life is one big gamble. Every time we cross the street, there's a chance we'll be hit by a car. Every time we eat, there's a chance we'll choke. And every time we board an airplane, there's a chance it won't land in one piece. Obviously we all do things to minimize risk, though some people go further than others. One person will jog and take half an aspirin a day to ward off disease, while another will smoke two packs a day and gobble up bacon cheeseburgers for breakfast. Just as individuals vary in their willingness to accept risk, so too do governments. Flin Flon's drinking water, when measured against that which is available in much of the world, would surely be viewed as pristine. In fact, in the early half of this decade, The Reminder ran an article in which the public health inspector resolutely praised the quality of our water. That water, according to City Hall, is probably as sound today as it was back then. But now, at least as far as the Manitoba government is concerned, Flin Flon's water and the system that treats it are not up to snuff. Health standards are not being met, necessitating the construction of a $13-million-plus treatment plant within just a few years. Obviously the province has bright individuals in its employ who specialize in water quality and associated health risks, so one must assume that when they force such a massive expenditure on a small community, it's for good reason. But that sure is a lot of cash. Even if City Hall can convince the federal and provincial governments to each pony up one-third of the price tag, the municipality is still looking at a sudden estimated expenditure of around $4.37 million. How's that for a best-case scenario? Of course estimates are just that, and infrastructure projects, much like a dishonest mechanic, have a way of demanding far more money than was initially anticipated. If Flin Flon's proposed water treatment plant comes in "significantly higher" than the $13.1 million projected, Coun. Cal Huntley said last week that the city may not be able to afford the tab. That opens up an intriguing question: Then what? What would the province do if Flin Flon simply said it does not have the dollars to comply with the tightening government standards? It would be an interesting showdown, no doubt, but the situation likely will not (or at least should not) come down to that. Ensuring drinking water that is up to current standards Ð even if those standards are costly Ð is one of the most basic and important tasks of a municipality. So City Hall would presumably come up with the cash one way or the other, even if it meant raising taxes or inflating its debt load. Still, how fair is that city council should receive a water quality report in October 2008, as it did, then be expected to come up with over $13 million by 2012 in order to comply with shortfalls identified in that report, as is the case? The responsible thing for the Doer government to do, particularly as our community meets the challenge of layoffs at our major employer, is to cover a substantial portion Ð at least 70 per cent Ð of the cost of this water treatment plant it is so sure Flin Flon needs. Local Angle runs Fridays.
