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.
Several hours before Monday's do-or-die Trout Festival meeting convened, I made a prediction. I told Dianne O'Brien, who would facilitate the get-together, that I fully expected negativity to rear its ugly head en masse that evening. Over the years I have attended more than a few meetings, organized with good intentions, that have denigrated to such a level of pessimism as to be rendered completely counterproductive. But as I arrived at the jam-packed City Hall Council Chambers that evening and saw the look of concern and dedication on the faces around me, I realized that Nostradamus I was not. The meeting was full of serious people with serious ideas, ready to do what needs to be done to rescue this long-standing summer tradition from oblivion. Encouragingly, many of them were young men and women. Everyone seemed to recognize that the status quo is no longer an option, that in order for the Trout Festival to carry on, it needs a healthy injection of new blood and fresh ideas. Many solid suggestions were put forth. One of the best called for the creation of "Flin Flon's Got Talent," a talent showcase in which the audience votes on the winners. Sounds like fun! Other attendees wanted to tap into the sort of macho enthusiasm we see on display each year at the Demolition Derby, by developing events for quadders and dirt-bikers. This would certainly raise the festival's profile among our younger generations. The importance of promoting the festival, both inside and outside of Flin Flon, was also on the agenda. This concept is key, since the more the festival is advertised, the more "hype" it generates. Sure, most of Flin Flon knows when and where the Trout Festival is. But most people also know where to buy Pepsi, and that doesn't stop the soft-drink giant from advertising. Why? Because Pepsi understands that in order to maximize interest in their product, they need to keep it at the forefront of our minds. They need to frequently remind us how great it is. The same principle works for decades-old summer festivals. Advertising outside Flin Flon? There's no reason not to. Trout Festival used to be much more of a regional event, and that's part of what made it great. The more people we can draw, the more feasible a larger slate of events becomes. The challenge for the new board of directors is to build on Monday's momentum by effectively tapping into the vast and enthused volunteer base that clearly wants to see this beloved festival live to see many more summers. Last week, I wrote in this space that Flin Flon and area no longer wants the Trout Festival in its current form. I was right. They want to see it blossom into something much bigger and much better. The good news is that now, after years of burnt out volunteers being forced to bite off more than they can chew, the festival has the support required to see that dream realized. Local Angle runs Fridays.
