A prominent Flin Flon business is up for sale, two businesses will soon move and University College of the North (UCN) is expanding to provide classes on Main Street.
UCN has reached terms to rent the building at 68 Main Street, currently occupied by Nasselquist Jewellers and Sal's Fitness. The institution will take over possession later this year, using the property to help expand its nursing school program, with both businesses slated to move out this fall.
In the meantime, Nasselquist’s ownership plans to sell the store "to another entrepreneur looking for an opportunity," according to an online announcement issued August 18.
UCN plans to use the new space to expand its diploma in practical nursing program, using the Main Street building in addition to the school’s current campus on Second Avenue, shared with the Northern Manitoba Mining Academy. Last December, the school and the provincial government announced the number of training seats in the UCN program would expand from 14 to 28.
“We hope that the program will be able to move into the new space for the winter term,” said UCN director of communication Monte Koshel in a statement to The Reminder.
“The space will require leasehold improvements which we anticipate will begin in the fall. The program will move into the new space once it is ready for programming. We are in negotiations to determine when this will take place.”
The two current tenants of the building will soon move out. The jewellery shop will reopen for a short-term pop-up store along Highway 10A in the former site of the Gateway Drive-In restaurant, starting in late October and running to the holidays, but do not plan to hold a second pop-up.
Nasselquist Jewellers was opened in 1930 by the Nasselquist family, who eventually sold the business, which had since gone through several owners. Alfie Boyce owned the store until 1983, when Sheila Dubreuil took over, until 2005 when Treasure Daneliuk, the current owner, purchased the store.
Daneliuk says she is planning to change fields to occupational health and safety training and hopes to sell the business. The store’s tentative closure date is mid-February if no buyer is found.
“We have reached a deal with UCN to rent the whole building on Main Street, bringing nursing school to the community - another great opportunity for our town. At this time, we have decided to put Nasselquist up for sale for another entrepreneur to carry the torch of keeping it in our community,” said Daneliuk.
"Treasure, Sheryl, Helena, Donna and all staff past and present will miss serving these communities and miss their clients dearly. They feel fortunate to have been a strong part of Main Street and your lives," reads the Nasselquist Jewellers statement.
Sal's will move into the building at 1 Park Street, formerly occupied by McMunn and Yates, directly across from City Hall. The move will come with Sal’s becoming a mostly unstaffed facility with keyfob access.
“We are expecting our new space to be very similar to the current in regards to equipment and layout,” said Morgan Fox, owner and operator of Sal’s Fitness.
“The biggest change that Sal’s will see is that we will be an unstaffed facility. Members will have access via their key fob and all new member registration and drop-ins will go through our website. “
Fox said the gym tentatively plans to be out of the Main Street site by the end of next month and plans to be open in the new site by the start of October.
“We will be hiring a cleaner to ensure the facility meets and exceeds our members’ expectations that we always try to strive for. We do hope to be able to add a new piece or two of equipment either when we open or shortly after,” Fox said.
“We anticipate the closure at the current location mid to the end of September and hope to keep the closure minimal, but no time frame has been set. We do hope to be open in the new location around the end of September/beginning of October.”
