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.
On Saturday, September 20, 40 or so friends of Audrey Robertson and Charlie Strasser stayed behind after the LegionÕs weekly meat draw to help celebrate the birthdays of the local couple. Charlie turned 78 and Audrey is 80. Emcee for the evening, Cauline Armsworthy, welcomed everyone and gave a touching tribute to the duo prior to calling Coun. Grace Chrapun to the microphone to bring greetings from the Town of Snow Lake. Formalities out of the way, Gordon Cann placed a massive and beautifully decorated cake (Wanda HuffÕs handiwork) on the table in front of Audrey and Charlie. It had two large candles at its centre. No doubt they were placed to represent not the number of years the two have been on this earth, but the longevity of the glow they have both provided. It was noted during the formal part of the evening that Audrey has been a Snow Lake resident since 1971. Over her years in the community, she became almost a personification of the Snow LakeÕs curling rink, not only operating the clubroom for numerous years, but also for the teams she curled on. Charlie has likely been a Snow Laker just as long; however, his stay has been spread over two separate visits. During the evening he relayed a humourous story of how he arrived in Canada in 1951 from his native Germany. It seems that as a young man he and several friends signed a contract to go and work in San Antonio. Charlie told his buddies, ÒI know where that is. ItÕs in Texas.Ó So with visions of cowboys and cattle firmly in mind, they arrived in Halifax. From there, they traveled on to Winnipeg, and then on a floatplane to San Antonio. When the plane banked for its final approach, Charlie says all he could see was five rooftops and right there the men knew it wasnÕt San Antonio, Texas, but the San Antonio Gold Mine in Bissett, Manitoba. He stayed and made the best of it. And friends on this evening were glad he did. In other news, during the afternoon and early evening of Wednesday, September 17, Manitoba Hydro held a community open house on the options and considerations revolving about their Bipole III project concept. The Elks Hall was set up with a myriad of storyboards, and Northern Community Consultation Coordinator Carl Johnson held court and fielded questions on the theory behind Bipole III. Professional, knowledgeable, and always accommodating, Johnson explained the idea with ease. While noting that the open house wasnÕt set up to argue the route Bi-Pole III will take, Johnson made clear that the provinceÕs current high-voltage supply lines, Bipoles I and II, run side by side Ð from the north, between the lakes, to the south. Being so close together, these lines have been damaged by the weather in the past (1996 Grosse Isle wind storm). In order to increase HydroÕs reliability and allow the capacity to carry new power from the proposed Conawapa and Keeyask generating stations, it appears that Bipole III will have to be built. Some who have followed the project, wanted to see the new line take a route down the east side of Lake Winnipeg; however, for environmental reasons, the provincial government is opposed to that course. This new line, as with Bipole I and II, will run down the west side of the lake, but it will travel through the extreme west Ð on the other side of LakeÕs Winnipegosis and Manitoba. Johnson says the western route will put about 450 kilometres less area between Bipole III and its counterparts, but is quick to add that the rule of thumb for the spacing of these types of lines is 50 to 80 kilometres. The western route will far exceed that. The exact tract of the line has not yet been chosen, that is what these open houses are for. Johnson says Hydro will, through this concept, consult residents and stakeholders, then put forward a preferred route at a future date. He envisions that happening in about a yearÕs time. It is hoped the utility will receive the required environmental approval for the line by late 2012, and that it will be constructed and in service by 2017. My Take on Snow Lake runs Fridays.
