Flin Flon
| Flin Flon | ||
|---|---|---|
| City | ||
| ||
  Flin Flon | ||
| Coordinates: 54°46′05″N 101°51′51″W / 54.76806°N 101.86417°WCoordinates: 54°46′05″N 101°51′51″W / 54.76806°N 101.86417°W | ||
| Country | Canada | |
| Province | Manitoba, Saskatchewan | |
| Founded | 1927 | |
| Incorporated (city) | January 1, 1933 | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | George Fontaine[1] | |
| • Council | Flin Flon City Council | |
| • MP |
Niki Ashton (NDP) Rob Clarke (CPC) | |
| • MLA |
Clarence Pettersen (NDP) Doyle Vermette (NDP) | |
| Area[2] | ||
| • Land | 11.55 km2 (4.46 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 300 m (980 ft) | |
| Population (2011) | ||
| • Total | 5,592 | |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) | |
| Postal code | R8A | |
| Area code(s) | 204 | |
| Website | http://www.cityofflinflon.ca/ | |
Flin Flon (pop. 5,592 in 2011 census; 5,363 in Manitoba and 229 in Saskatchewan) is a Canadian mining city, named for a science fiction literary character, located on the border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the majority of the city located within Manitoba.
History
Founding
Flin Flon was founded in 1927 by Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting (HBM&S) to exploit the large copper and zinc ore resources in the region. In the 1920s, HBM&S invested in a railway, mine, smelter, and a hydroelectric power plant at Island Falls, Saskatchewan. By 1928 the rail line reached the mine.
The town grew considerably during the 1930s as farmers, who were impoverished by the Great Depression, abandoned their farms and came to work at the mines. The municipality was incorporated on January 1, 1933, and in 1970, the community reached city status. The city has continued to be a mining centre with the development of several mines adding to its industrial base, although its population has been in decline. With a scenic setting and a number of nearby lakes, Flin Flon has also become a moderately popular tourist destination.
Origin of the name
The town's name is taken from the lead character in a paperback novel, The Sunless City by J. E. Preston Muddock. Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin piloted a submarine through a bottomless lake where he passed into a strange underground world through a hole lined with gold. A copy of the book was allegedly found and read by prospector Tom Creighton.
When Tom Creighton discovered a high-grade exposure of copper, he thought of the book and called it Flin Flon's mine, and the town that developed around the mine adopted the name.
The character of "Flinty", as he is locally known, is of such importance to the identity of the city that the local Chamber of Commerce commissioned the minting of a $3.00 coin which was considered legal tender amongst locally participating retailers during the year following its issue. A statue representing Flinty was designed by cartoonist Al Capp and is one of the points of interest of the city. In 1978, the National Film Board of Canada produced the short documentary Canada Vignettes: Flin Flon about the origin of the city's name.[3]
Geography
Flin Flon straddles the provincial border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the majority of the city being located in Manitoba. The 2011 census reported 5,363 residents in the Manitoba portion and only 229 in the Saskatchewan section; the Manitoba portion has a land area of 13.88 km2, while the Saskatchewan portion has a land area of 2.37 km2. Due to the zig-zagging nature of the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, the Saskatchewan section of town lies south of the Manitoba section, not west. The city's Main Street crosses the provincial boundary just south of its intersection with Church Street; Hudson Street crosses the provincial boundary between its intersections with 5 Ave E. and Harrison Street, adopting the new name South Hudson Street at the point of crossing; an undeveloped stretch of Channing Drive briefly crosses into Saskatchewan before reentering Manitoba just west of the city's rural Channing neighbourhood.
The town of Creighton, Saskatchewan, is immediately adjacent to Flin Flon. Nearby lakes include Kipahigan Lake.
The majority of Flin Flon's surface topology is exposed Canadian Shield bedrock, hence the nickname "the city built on rock". Due to this and climatic factors, agriculture is generally not possible, although grain farming is found 130 km southeast in The Pas, Manitoba.
Climate
Flin Flon has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) that is on the borderline between humid continental and subarctic (Köppen Dfc). Flin Flon experiences a wide range in seasonal temperatures, with warm summers and very cold winters. Temperatures in January have an average low of −25 °C (−13.0 °F) and an average high of −16 °C (3.2 °F). Temperatures in July have an average high of 24 °C (75.2 °F) and an average low of 13 °C (55.4 °F).[4]
| Climate data for Flin Flon | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high Humidex | 9.6 | 9.2 | 15.1 | 26.4 | 38.4 | 40.4 | 43.4 | 40.0 | 33.8 | 25.5 | 17.0 | 8.3 | 43.4 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 9.5 (49.1) |
11.7 (53.1) |
15.5 (59.9) |
29.4 (84.9) |
33.5 (92.3) |
36.7 (98.1) |
40.0 (104) |
35.6 (96.1) |
32.0 (89.6) |
25.0 (77) |
15.5 (59.9) |
8.3 (46.9) |
40.0 (104) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −16.2 (2.8) |
−10.5 (13.1) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
7.3 (45.1) |
15.5 (59.9) |
21.1 (70) |
23.7 (74.7) |
22.2 (72) |
14.4 (57.9) |
6.4 (43.5) |
−5.0 (23) |
−13.7 (7.3) |
5.2 (41.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −20.4 (−4.7) |
−15.3 (4.5) |
−8.1 (17.4) |
1.8 (35.2) |
9.8 (49.6) |
15.7 (60.3) |
18.5 (65.3) |
17.2 (63) |
10.1 (50.2) |
3.0 (37.4) |
−8.0 (17.6) |
−17.5 (0.5) |
0.6 (33.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −24.5 (−12.1) |
−20.1 (−4.2) |
−13.6 (7.5) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
4.1 (39.4) |
10.3 (50.5) |
13.2 (55.8) |
12.2 (54) |
5.9 (42.6) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
−11.0 (12.2) |
−21.2 (−6.2) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −46.1 (−51) |
−43.3 (−45.9) |
−40.0 (−40) |
−29.4 (−20.9) |
−15.0 (5) |
−2.8 (27) |
0.0 (32) |
0.0 (32) |
−10.0 (14) |
−21.7 (−7.1) |
−34.4 (−29.9) |
−43.3 (−45.9) |
−46.1 (−51) |
| Wind chill | −58.1 | −53.1 | −48.0 | −39.7 | −20.2 | −7.8 | 1.5 | −1.5 | −11.5 | −27.1 | −45.6 | −56.2 | −58.1 |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 16.8 (0.661) |
14.9 (0.587) |
18.3 (0.72) |
23.1 (0.909) |
43.7 (1.72) |
72.5 (2.854) |
75.5 (2.972) |
61.8 (2.433) |
56.6 (2.228) |
35.1 (1.382) |
21.4 (0.843) |
23.5 (0.925) |
463.1 (18.232) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.1 (0.004) |
7.5 (0.295) |
40.9 (1.61) |
72.8 (2.866) |
75.5 (2.972) |
61.8 (2.433) |
56.9 (2.24) |
26.2 (1.031) |
0.6 (0.024) |
0.2 (0.008) |
342.5 (13.484) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 16.8 (6.61) |
14.9 (5.87) |
18.1 (7.13) |
15.7 (6.18) |
2.7 (1.06) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.1 (0.43) |
9.1 (3.58) |
20.7 (8.15) |
23.7 (9.33) |
122.8 (48.35) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 6.8 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 8.6 | 11.0 | 12.0 | 10.8 | 10.4 | 8.0 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 99.3 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0 | 0 | 0.10 | 2.1 | 8.2 | 11.1 | 12.0 | 10.8 | 10.2 | 5.9 | 0.18 | 0.07 | 60.6 |
| Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 7.1 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 3.1 | 0.52 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0.32 | 2.8 | 7.2 | 7.9 | 40.0 |
| Source #1: Environment Canada[4] | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: Environment Canada[5] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1951 | 9,899 | — |
| 1961 | 11,104 | +12.2% |
| 1971 | 9,344 | −15.9% |
| 1981 | 8,261 | −11.6% |
| 1991 | 7,449 | −9.8% |
| 1996 | 6,861 | −7.9% |
| 2001 | 6,267 | −8.7% |
| 2006 | 5,836 | −6.9% |
| 2011 | 5,592 | −4.2% |
| Population figures shown here are the totals of both the Manitoba and Saskatchewan parts of the city. | ||
| Canada 2006 Census | Population | % of Total Population | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visible minority group Source: [6][7] | South Asian | 15 | 0.3 |
| Chinese | 0 | 0 | |
| Black | 10 | 0.2 | |
| Filipino | 30 | 0.5 | |
| Latin American | 0 | 0 | |
| Arab | 0 | 0 | |
| Southeast Asian | 0 | 0 | |
| West Asian | 0 | 0 | |
| Korean | 0 | 0 | |
| Japanese | 10 | 0.2 | |
| Other visible minority | 0 | 0 | |
| Mixed visible minority | 0 | 0 | |
| Total visible minority population | 65 | 1.1 | |
| Aboriginal group Source: [8][9] | First Nations | 290 | 5 |
| Métis | 655 | 11.4 | |
| Inuit | 0 | 0 | |
| Total Aboriginal population | 950 | 16.5 | |
| White | 4,755 | 82.4 | |
| Total population | 5,770 | 100 | |
Transportation
Road
Flin Flon is accessed by Manitoba Provincial Trunk Highway 10, Saskatchewan Highway 106 and Saskatchewan Highway 167. The city has daily Greyhound and Grey Goose bus service. The city also runs a small public bus system.[10]
Air
The city operates Flin Flon Airport (YFO), which is located southeast of the city. The airport has a single 1,524m asphalt runway, and has regular flights to and from Winnipeg through Calm Air and Bearskin Airlines.
Rail
The Hudson Bay Railway operates railway freight service on its railway line between The Pas and Flin Flon.
Economy
Main employers
| Company | Service | Number of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting | Mining | 1,440 |
| Flin Flon School Division | Education | 137 |
| Victoria Inn | Hotel | 57 |
| MTF/Northern Freightway Ltd. | Freight Trucking | 37 |
| Alexander's Auto Ranch | Automotive Supplies and Service | 30 |
Mining
The economy of Flin Flon is primarily based on copper and zinc mining, chiefly Hudbay Minerals Co. Ltd/Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting's 777 Mine (including Callinan lenses) and Trout Lake Mine (slated for shutdown in 2012). Sphalerite concentrate is produced and then treated on-site to produce zinc, while chalcopyrite concentrate is produced and then sold for external copper production, a result of the HBM&S smelter closure in July 2010. [12] Although processing of any sulfide material (in this case zinc) usually emits large amounts of sulfur dioxide, the HBM&S plant uses a zinc pressure leaching process which greatly reduces emissions.[13]
Marijuana production
Flin Flon gained international notoriety in 2002 when the Government of Canada awarded a four-year contract to a Saskatoon-based company for the production of medicinal marijuana. Prairie Plant Systems, based in Saskatoon, used an inactive underground copper/zinc drift owned by the Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Company to produce approximately 400 kilograms of medicinal marijuana annually. The entire operation was situated several hundred metres under Flin Flon for security and climate control reasons.
Since the original stock of marijuana seeds were obtained from Royal Canadian Mounted Police drug raids, there was some lack of consistency in the early crops of medicinal marijuana. After selective use of seeds from the first crop, subsequent generations have shown to have a more consistent quality.
In 2009, Prairie Plant Systems discontinued operation at the mine due to the ending of their lease and the uncertainty regarding the pending closure of the Trout Lake mine.[14]
Culture
Sports
Flin Flon is the home of the Flin Flon Bombers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and the birthplace of NHL great and Hall of Fame member Bobby Clarke. As captain of the team, he led the Philadelphia Flyers to NHL Championships in the 1970s, and was also a star on Team Canada 1972 in the Summit Series. Other NHLers hailing from Flin Flon include Ken Baird, Ken Baumgartner, Matt Davidson, Kim Davis, Dean Evason, Al Hamilton, Ted Hampson (who was the second player to ever receive the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy), Gerry Hart, Ron Hutchinson, George Konik, Ray Maluta, Dunc McCallum, Eric Nesterenko, Mel Pearson, Reid Simpson, David Struch and Ernie Wakely.
Media
- Newspapers & Magazines
- The Reminder - Monday, Wednesday and Friday - Flin Flon's only newspaper.
- Northroots Magazine - a bi-monthly glossy, regional publication, northroots.ca published February, April, June, August, October and December. In-flight reading on Calm Air.
- Cottage North Magazine - local interest, local stories, and local people - published by the Reminder newspaper January, March, May, July, September, and November.
- Books
- Tales From a Town With a Funny Name - by Doug Evans.
- Radio
- CFAR 590
- CBWF-FM 90.9, (CBC Radio One)
- CKSB-4-FM 99.9, (Première Chaîne)
- CIFF-FM 101.1, (NCI)
- Television
- CKYF-TV channel 13 (CTV, analogue repeater of CKY-DT Winnipeg)
- Shaw Communications operates a community programming channel; CATV Channel 11: Shaw TV
Television in Flin Flon began in June 1962 with the opening of CBC Television station CBWBT channel 10. The station broadcast kine recordings, sent to the transmitter from CBWT Winnipeg. On March 1, 1969, the province-wide microwave system replaced the kine recordings originating at CBWT, giving citizens of Flin Flon access to live television.[15] The repeater (along with Radio-Canada repeater CBWFT-2 channel 3) closed down July 31, 2012, due to the CBC's closure of its rebroadcasters.[16]
Law and government
Municipal
The operations of the City of Flin Flon are administered by the city council, whose members set the policies. The city council consists of a mayor and six councillors who are elected and serve a term of four years. The current council was elected on October 27, 2010, and consists of the following members:
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Mayor | George Fontaine |
| Councillor | Tim Babcock |
| Councillor | Bill Hanson |
| Councillor | Karen MacKinnon |
| Councillor | Warren ("Skip") Martin |
| Councillor | Colleen McKee |
| Councillor | Ken Pawlachuk |
Provincial
Flin Flon is in the southwest corner of the Manitoba provincial electoral district of the same name, and is the only urban centre within the district. The current Member of the Legislative Assembly is NDP Clarence Pettersen, who was elected in the 2011 election.
The Saskatchewan portion of Flin Flon is in the electoral district of Cumberland. It is represented by Doyle Vermette of the NDP.
Federal
Flin Flon, Manitoba, is in the federal riding of Churchill. The current Member of Parliament is NDP member Niki Ashton, who with 10,236 votes defeated Conservative Wally Daudrich (5253 votes) and Liberal Sydney Garrioch (4071 votes) in the 2011 general election.
The Saskatchewan portion of Flin Flon is in the electoral district of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, whose current Member of Parliament is Conservative Rob Clarke. [18]
See also
References
- ↑ "Mayor's Message". Retrieved 2013-11-23.
- ↑ "Manitoba Community Profilies - Flin Flon (Community Overview)". Archived from the original on 2007-04-07. Retrieved 2007-07-30.
- ↑ "Canada Vignettes: Flin Flon". Online film. National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Flin Flon, Manitoba". Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000 (in English & French). Environment Canada. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
- ↑ "Flin Flon Aiport, Manitoba". Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000 (in English & French). Environment Canada. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
- ↑ Flon&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=, Community Profiles from the 2006 Census, Statistics Canada - Census Subdivision
- ↑ Flon&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=, Community Profiles from the 2006 Census, Staistics Canada - Census Subdivision
- ↑ , Aboriginal Peoples - Data table
- ↑ , Aboriginal Peoples - Data table
- ↑ City of Flin Flon Transit
- ↑ "Manitoba Community Profilies - Flin Flon". Archived from the original on 2007-04-08. Retrieved 2007-07-30.
- ↑ "Manitoba Geological Survey Mines & Exploration Map" (PDF). Archived from the original on 2007-08-09. Retrieved 2007-07-28.
- ↑ 'Little change since Flin Flon's closure', Thompson Citizen November 24, 2010
- ↑ Globe and Mail article "Flin FLon's Pot Mine Goes Up in Smoke", July 22, 2009, retrieved July 22, 2009
- ↑ "Microwave Hook-Up Gives North Live TV". Winnipeg Free Press. April 29, 1969. p. 28.
- ↑ Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2012-384, July 17, 2012.
- ↑ "City of Flin Flon Website - Administration". Retrieved 2010-10-29.
- ↑ "Canada Votes 2011". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 May 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
- Community Profile: Flin Flon (part), Manitoba; Statistics Canada
- Community Profile: Flin Flon (part), Saskatchewan; Statistics Canada
External links
- City of Flin Flon
- Map of Flin Flon (Part), Manitoba at Statcan
- Map of Flin Flon (Part), Saskatchewan at Statcan
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