Water pressure, seniors’ housing and the future of the Aqua Centre were on the agenda as provincial Finance Minister Greg Dewar lent an ear to Flin Flon city council.
Dewar and fellow cabinet ministers Deanne Crothers and Melanie Wight met with council and other community representatives last Friday, Feb. 27 as part of consultations for the upcoming Manitoba budget.
“It’s a chance to hear from a northern perspective what Manitobans would like to see in their budget,” said Dewar.
What council would like to see are more investments in Flin Flon, including new lift stations servicing the uptown and South Hudson Street areas.
Coun. Leslie Beck, who attended the meeting with Dewar, said planned ER upgrades at the Flin Flon General Hospital include a new fire-suppression system.
The system requires stronger water pressure than is provided by existing lift stations. If pressure can’t be increased, the hospital would need a water reservoir.
With provincial help, Beck said council hopes to replace two lift stations to address both the hospital demands and long-standing concerns over low water pressure.
Beck said council spoke of the need for provincial support to upgrade the Aqua Centre, an idea that has long been on the drawing board.
And council reiterated a prior concern over emergency infrastructure funding.
While the province sent dollars to southern communities grappling with flooding, Flin Flon received nothing when it sought support for frequent water line breaks stemming from another force of nature – the unusually cold, snowy winter of 2013-14.
Seniors’ housing was another issue Dewar heard about, as he toured the Rotary Court and the Hemlock Drive seniors’ complexes.
Dewar’s government has confirmed it will open more seniors’ units in Flin Flon, most likely at the site of 4 Hemlock Drive, which once housed low-income family apartments.
His visit came as Manitobans learned the government’s projected deficit remains higher than expected. According to the Canadian Press, the province’s third-quarter financial report estimates the deficit for the fiscal year ending March 31 at $394 million.
Dewar defended his government’s fiscal record.
“Our finances are in excellent shape,” he said. “We made, now, a prediction between now and the end of the year, which is only another month, that…our deficit will be about $130 million less than it was last year. So we’re on the right track. We are…working towards a budget surplus.”
As for the criticism that Flin Flon does not receive its fair share from the province, Dewar referred to discussions with local MLA Clarence Pettersen.
“I just had a good conversation with the local MLA, Mr. Pettersen, who tells me that he’s very satisfied with the level of support,” said Dewar, adding that Pettersen mentioned projects like highway upgrades, the hospital ER and the new student dorm in Cranberry Portage.
“I think that Flin Flon is doing very well.”
Joining Dewar were Crothers, the healthy living and seniors minister, and Wight, the children and youth opportunities minister.
Dewar’s future as finance minister is uncertain. He was given the post last November by Greg Selinger, who could be ousted as premier at this
weekend’s NDP leadership convention.
