It’s no secret that Flintabbatey Flonatin was recently named the number one roadside attraction in all of Manitoba.
Now Flinty has received the accompanying prize – a framed certificate from Travel Manitoba.
Travel Manitoba social media specialist Kirsten Neil was on hand last Wednesday, April 22, to present the certificate during a Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce luncheon meeting.
Neil said she had originally hoped for a couple of thousand votes in the online roadside attraction contest.
She was pleasantly surprised at the 75,000-plus votes cast – over 10,000 of which went to Flinty.
“Your community showed a lot of support,” said Neil at the meeting, held at The Unwinder.
“It’s a great honour for our community,” said Dave Price, chair of the Flinty Committee, as he accepted the award on Flinty’s behalf. “Flinty is obviously a big attraction, he’s a big guy.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Cal Huntley received a letter, addressed to himself and council, from Glenboro, home of Sara the Camel.
Flinty beat Sara in the final round of voting in the Travel Manitoba contest. Huntley read the humourous letter as it applauded the community and offered a token of appreciation from Sara herself.
Council received hats, t-shirts and keychains that depict Sara, a gesture Huntley says was appreciated and unexpected.
There hasn’t been talk of whether the contest will return anytime soon, but Neil says it has helped meet at least one goal – get people exploring Manitoba.
“It’s a great way to shine a light on our rural communities that don’t always feel included,” she said. “Hopefully it gets more people road-tripping to discover Manitoba’s perky roadside statues.”
