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.
A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to attend one of Flin Flon historian Gerry Clark's amazing slide show presentations. Although I went in with a fair amount of knowledge of the early days, all of those black and white photos, intertwined with fascinating tales from years gone by, really brought to light just how fertile in history Flin Flon is. From Mandy Mine to the 'Marijuana Mine', from the Glee Club to the Community Choir, not only could you write a book about our past (as has been done), you could also put together an encyclopedia collection. One of my favourite stories relates to our first bank. Although I've heard it at least a dozen times, it never fails to prompt a chuckle. As the story goes, an official with a national bank came to town to set up a new branch, bringing with him a suitcase containing $10,000 in cash he would need. That's a huge amount of dough by today's standards; imagine what it was worth back then. But where to store such a vast sum? A business owner informed the banker that there wasn't a single vault in the community. The businessman suggested the safest place would be in the back room of his store, tucked safely under a bed. Amazingly, the banker obliged even though the room was frequently rented out. So there this money-stuffed suitcase sat, with strangers constantly coming and going. Nobody seemed to stop and think that perhaps this wasn't such a good idea. Just as it is today, Flin Flon has been filled with an abundance of colourful characters over the years. If not at the top of the list, former mayor Jack Freedman certainly ranks high in the compelling category. The curious, cigar-chomping entrepreneur would share his opinions with the public via a blackboard he installed outside his Main Street confectionary. He was never shy about pointing out what he thought should be done differently. Considered a focal point of Main Street for years, that cherished blackboard no doubt help propel Freedman to the mayor's seat. Anyone old enough to remember the vocal Freedman's tenure (I'm not) knows he was one of a kind. As one elderly gentleman once told me, "You never knew what he would do next." Mayor Freedman was a reporter's dream, providing endless copy for newshawks in search of a great quote or headline-worthy behaviour. Consider the time he and one of his councillors engaged in a shoving match at a council meeting. On another occasion, he stormed out of a meeting over a strongly-held disagreement. I could go on and on with interesting tidbits from the past, but there simply isn't enough paper in the building. Maybe I'll have to get started on that encyclopedia project. One More Thing... Congratulations to the Flin Flon Community Choir on their 10th anniversary. I'm still amazed that this is a community choir and not a professional group. Local Angle runs Fridays.
