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.
Flin Flonners have voted for change, but not necessarily massive doses of it. While they turned the page on the Tom Therien era, they replaced the mayor with George Fontaine, who as a councillor has had a hand in municipal decisions for the past four years. Voters could have gone for a complete political outsider in Leslie Beck, whose campaign promised "Change on the Status Quo," but they evidently wanted at least some level of continuity. At the council level, voters settled on an even split between incumbents and fresh faces. Perhaps their most surprising decision was to end veteran councillor Cal Huntley's political career, at least for this term. While voters showed they were not entirely thrilled with the past four years of City Hall governance, they resisted an all-out house-cleaning. Precisely what they want to see done differently, and what they want to see remain the same, will be a question for each member of council. At the mayoral level, Beck, Therien and Fontaine were all strong candidates. Not since Nazir Ahmad squared off against Dennis Ballard a dozen years ago did Flin Flonners have this level of talent to choose from. But from the outset it was evident that the Fontaine campaign would be formidable. The mayor-elect's personal popularity and solid reputation, forged over decades of teaching and volunteer involvement, is thoroughly impressive. More than that, on the campaign trail Fontaine looked and sounded like a mayor. He knew the issues and brought forth welcome, practical ideas. He was honest with people and avoided the trap of simply telling them what they want to hear. Platform Aspects of Fontaine's platform struck a chord. His plan to slash the price of residential lots to spur construction. His talk of cutting costs. And even though it is ultimately out of his hands, Fontaine spoke for many when he suggested local doctors on fixed contracts need to see more patients. For Therien, the election marks the end, at least for now, of one of the lengthiest political careers in Flin Flon history. Like Fontaine, Therien was neither born nor raised in Flin Flon but grew to love the community after moving here as an adult. In turn the public took a liking to him, sending him to City Hall in four straight elections over 15 years. Whether one was supportive of Therien or not, he deserves to be commended for his years of service. It came with a lot of flack and not much by way of money or, one suspects, gratitude. Beck, the enterprising former RCMP officer, should also be applauded for letting her name stand. Her campaign was cohesive and ambitious. Several of her ideas Ð including increased communication with non-city partners and a quality review of all departments Ð are worthy of adoption by Fontaine. Onerous time Fontaine has just been thrust into the mayor's chair in what would be an onerous time for any civic politician. The public mood is one of uncertainty, though with some optimism. Residents are feeling the pinch of soaring tax and utility bills. Many can't understand why their priorities for the community are not also City Hall's priorities. Residents have placed their faith in Fontaine to deal with these and other challenges over the next four years. They overwhelmingly believe he is up to the task. Only time will tell. Local Angle runs Fridays.
