Highlights from the Flin Flon city council meeting held last Tuesday, March 3:
NWMO thoughts
Following comments from Mayor Cal Huntley on the demise of nuclear waste storage talks in Creighton, Coun. Bill Hanson offered his thoughts on the concept.
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) removed Creighton from consideration last week because its geology could not support an underground repository.
“Saskatchewan is the largest producer of uranium in the world,” said Hanson. “The Saskatchewan people have benefited incredibly because of those uranium sales. I just think that the people of Saskatchewan should’ve been more responsible for the end product seeing as how they’ve benefited so greatly. So I was really anxious. I was hoping it would happen, but again I’m very glad that [NWMO did] their due diligence and when they say it’s not safe, it’s not safe. But if it had have been proven to be a safe place to do it, I certainly would support it.”
Speaker support
Council voted to donate up to $1,700 to the Flin Flon Aqua Doves to defray the costs of an underwater speaker system.
Coun. Karen MacKinnon said the motion provides support of “up to” that amount because the Aqua Doves may be able to access funding elsewhere.
Underwater speakers are widely available online and are commonly used for synchronized swimming and water aerobics.
Coun. Leslie Beck said the Aqua Doves are northern Manitoba’s only synchronized swimming team and that she is happy to support them.
On another sport-related note, MacKinnon congratulated those involved with the Flin Flon Ladies’ Bonspiel held Feb. 27 to March 1 at the Uptown Curling Rink.
Though the long-running bonspiel had been at risk of cancellation due to a lack of participants, MacKinnon said the event featured 16 teams.
Speeds set
Council finalized reduced speed limits near École McIsaac School and Ruth Betts Community School.
That fulfills a request from the Flin Flon school board, which called for a limit of 30 km/h in areas within 150 metres of the boundaries of the two schools.
The limit will be in effect weekdays from 7 am to 6 pm from June 30 to Sept. 1 of each year.
Provincial amendments enacted in 2013 gave Manitoba municipalities the authority to set speed limits in school zones.
There is already a posted speed limit of 30 km/h near Hapnot Collegiate.
Congratulations
Coun. Tim Babcock, a member of the Kinsmen Club, publicly congratulated the club on its takeover of the Scout Hall.
Babcock wished the Kinsmen good luck in the endeavour, first reported by The Reminder in January.
The local Scouts group had long operated the building. When the group folded, it offered the building to the Kinsmen for $1 with a planned takeover date of March 1.
Babcock said previously the Kinsmen plan to operate the building similar to how the Scouts had done so.
“We are looking forward to being able to continue to offer the building for rent as part of our service to the community,” he told The Reminder in January.
The Kinsmen have held their regular meetings at the Scout Hall for the past several years and will continue to do so.
Poetic participation
Huntley announced that the City of Flin Flon will participate in the national Mayor’s Poetry City Challenge.
He said an invitation will be extended to a local poet to read poetry at the next council meeting.
This came after council reviewed a letter from Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, who wrote, “I hope you will take up the Mayor’s Poetry City Challenge for 2015.”
Nenshi wrote that while all Canadian cities are urged to participate in the challenge, “yours is one of those identified as a strong supporter of culture in your region.”
