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.
If ever there was a time for greater innovation from Flin Flon City Hall, this is it. WeÕre coming off a year in which we learned that our population has again declined and in which HBMS declared that its copper smelter Ð employer of up to 300 people Ð could close Òat any time.Ó Some might be inclined to brush aside both of these developments. The prevailing wisdom among more than a few people is that Flin Flon is not really shrinking Ð the census figures are just wrong Ð and that the smelter will not close because the company is merely jockeying for a government handout. But our civic officials cannot allow themselves to fall prey to this potentially delusional thinking. Instead, they must take both developments at face value and set out a plan on where to go from here. Does City Hall have a publicly-developed plan on where it wants the community to be in five, 10 or 15 years? This is a must. Without some sort of blueprint, Flin Flon could become a rudderless ship, moving aimlessly from one challenge to the next. A key component of any such plan needs to be population attraction and retention. And in that regard, City Hall need look no further than Creighton for enlightenment. One of the great recent success stories of Creighton is its slashing of residential lot prices. In April 2006, The Reminder reported on how, in just a few short weeks, the town sold eight lots after cutting the prices by over 80 per cent. Prime lots on Collins Street Ð an absolutely gorgeous area Ð were quickly gobbled up for $1,000 apiece after the asking price came down from as much as $6,000. Contrast this to Flin Flon, where in January 2005 the previous city council chose not to accept an offer of $2,000 for a vacant First Avenue lot assessed at $4,200. Today itÕs just another empty lot in an area that is in dire need of new development. Is a $2,000 lot, or even a $1 lot, that unreasonable? Considering the benefits of new development Ð years of added tax revenue, rejuvenation of neighbourhoods, the impact of construction on our economy Ð any arguments against cheap lots seem negligible. Flin Flon is in a competition for warm bodies. ItÕs not good enough to hope people will live here because they like the city or have a good job. WeÕre going head-to-head not only with Creighton, but also with the growing subdivisions of cottage country. In recent years, the Manitoba government has been opening up cottage lots outside city limits like theyÕre going out of style. Lots already sold will continue to be developed. Lots not yet established probably will be. The cottage drain is not going away, and the province is unlikely to help municipalities suffering as a result. Granted, cottage lots often cost far more than lots within the city. But full-time cottagers enjoy a host of benefits Flin Flonners do not, from no municipal taxes to a lakeside view. Flin Flon needs to exploit any advantage it has to keep people. And why not have more lots? Why not establish a new subdivision beside Ross Lake? Give would-be cottagers the best of both worlds Ð a lakeside view and the convenience of staying in the city. There was once talk of opening up lots at the tip of Horace Avenue, overlooking Ross Lake. City Hall should fast-track that initiative now before more people decide that a year-round cottage is their preferred option. A thriving business community is also vital, and again, Creighton has blazed a promising path. In 2006 the town introduced a three-year incentive program in which new commercial developments enjoy tax exemptions of 75 per cent in the first year, 50 per cent in the second and 25 per cent in the third. For entrepreneurs thinking of testing the commercial waters, such relief could mean the difference between opening or not, and between choosing Creighton over Flin Flon. The time has come to become more proactive. A lot of things are out of City HallÕs control, but with careful planning and bold measures, Flin Flon can be an even more appealing community. Local Angle runs Fridays.
