He was one of Flin Flon’s most active volunteers, a two-term mayor and sat on so many boards and groups it’s hard to count them all. Graham Craig died earlier this month, leaving an extensive legacy in his adopted hometown.
Craig died Sept. 6 at Northern Lights Manor. Born in Winnipeg in 1931, Craig and his family moved to Scotland before his first birthday but moved back to Canada following the Second World War. In 1952, Craig received a diploma as an optometrist in Toronto and began his career in Winnipeg, got married and moved to Flin Flon in 1958. He would live in the community for the rest of his life, working for 32 years as an optometrist.
Since heading north, Craig wore several prominent hats in the community - the list of groups Craig was not involved in seems shorter than the list of ones he worked with.
Craig served at different times as a school board trustee and board chair, city councillor, mayor and a member of the Flin Flon Masonic Lodge, the Order of the Eastern Star, Shriners, the Kin Club, North of 53 Consumer’s Co-op, the Royal Canadian Legion pipe band, Flin Flon Glee Club, Flin Flon Community Choir and others.
After a period as a city councillor, Craig served as the mayor of Flin Flon from 1992-1998, coming into office by defeating his predecessor Gordon Mitchell. Craig served for six years before choosing to not run for reelection, leaving the mayor’s chair to Dennis Ballard. Over that time, Craig oversaw the introduction of a recycling program in Flin Flon, the creation of Flinty's Boardwalk and oversaw the hiring of Mark Kolt as city solicitor in 1995, a decision that inadvertently sparked a renaissance of the arts in Flin Flon as both Mark and his wife Crystal took on prominent roles in the community.
At the Sept. 15 meeting of city council, members of the City’s top group each shared their own stories of Craig. Half the table said the former mayor was, at least in part, responsible for them getting involved in civic affairs.
“Always a fine gentleman - which is really hard to be when you’re a politician,” said councillor Ken Pawlachuk.
“He was always positive. He briefed me on some things at times - ‘this is the way you do this’ and all that.”
When councillor Karen MacKinnon was first elected to city council, she said Craig came to her office and shared key information before her first meetings.
“He ended up coming to my office, came in and shut the door. He sure taught me lots. I didn’t really know him before that. He knew so much about the history involved, what he was involved in, what happened over the years - just a fine gentleman,” she said.
“Graham was one of the pioneers. He came up here, out of the blue, from Winnipeg into this northern mining town and set up his practice. He didn’t know anybody when he came here,” said Pawlachuk, who added he credited Craig with bringing the Kolts up north.
“He impacted me quite a bit and a lot of people like me, maybe thousands of people, who were impacted by what he did here. That was the start of it.”
The man occupying Craig’s old seat, Mayor Cal Huntley, also shared his own experiences with who he referred to as “a wonderful man.”
“He was an individual that got me involved in civic politics initially through the Flin Flon Economic Development Commission and he got me involved in several other things as well,” said Huntley.
“He was just a remarkable person. We want to send our condolences to his family - hopefully, at some point in time, we can properly acknowledge his passing and formally do so. He will be missed.”
Craig was 89 years old. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.
