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.
I have a bit of a catch all for this week's column, so please bear with me as I touch upon several important occurrences within the community of late. At the close of the day on April 30, the Snow Lake Pharmacy, which has been run by Dr. Neil Macleod and staffed by his wife Maureen and Joanne Schuman for 30-plus years, closed and pharmacy operations will now be run under the auspices of the Northern Health Region. I think I speak for most when I say it was all we have ever known, but it has been an exceptional service and we will miss it _ as well as Maureen and Joanne's smiling faces and sunny dispositions. Still on Dr. Macleod, over the lunch hour on April 24, and in the presence of coworkers and his wife, the physician accepted a Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal from Mayor Clarence Fisher. Situated within the boardroom of the Snow Lake Health Centre, those assembled congratulated the doctor on the honour, which Mayor Fisher noted was presented for his decades of medical service to the community and countless hours of volunteer work. Dr. Macleod thanked wife Maureen, as well as past and present medical staff, for their own hard work and dedication to the community. With respect to the town in general, a local mining company has created a position that will focus on touting the community's amenities. The Town of Snow Lake has full intentions of being ready for the influx of people expected once the Lalor mine is completed and the full-scale mining of the deposit gets underway. The mine is projected to employ close to 200 new people. Some will commute if it is cost-effective; others will move to Snow Lake. If a suitable partner is found, the Town has several ambitious lot-development proposals it wants to get moving on. There is also a further private subdivision on the backside of Crystal Street that is in the planning stage. Adding to this, there seems to be a number of residences about the community that are either for sale or rent. All this shows a certain aspect of readiness and it's good to know; however, does anyone have all the facts, figures and information compiled and ready to disseminate to new arrivals in the community? As the major employer in Snow Lake and sole owner and operator of the Lalor project, it is no doubt of interest to Hudbay where available housing sits and what amenities are available to prospective workers and their families. As a result Hudbay has hired a person in the community to assist with new people who are looking to work for Hudbay and come to Snow Lake. 'This person will help us by doing the following,' Sandra Ward, a human resources specialist at Hudbay said in an e-mail. 'Keep us informed of available accommodations (houses/rental units). Tour potential candidates and their families around Snow Lake. Follow up with new people who have moved into Snow Lake. See 'Prepare' on pg. Continued from pg. 'Prepare information sheets - regarding things people ask about, such as housing, daycare, the school system, recreational programs, shopping, where can they get their hair cut, etc.' Ward says the person hired for this position will be a link between the company and the community of Snow Lake. 'I think this is a very positive situation for both Hudbay and Snow Lake and will hopefully give new people a certain level of comfort when moving here; knowing they have a contact in the community itself,' Ward said. The person Ward speaks of was to be in the new position at the outset of May, and people within Snow Lake will no doubt get to know him or her in the coming months. In closing I bring forward another item of note: On April 25, at their regular weekly meeting, the Snow Lake TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) Group celebrated its 40th year as a charter! My Take on Snow Lake runs Fridays.
