* Note: This has been updated since first posted after a conversation with staff from the Village of Denare Beach. The vote in October is not a referendum which binds the Village Council to act on the decision of the vote. It is a plebiscite which is not binding. (Aug 9/16)

*Note 2: Further discussions with Denare Beach staff indicate the question is whether the Village should charge a new annual  fee to cover the costs of  Denare Beach's share of the the Recycling Centre's costs like Creighton and Flin Flon and the cost of curbside pickup.

I am disappointed the question is not a simple yes or no 'Should DB support recycling?'. If the outcome was positive, it would be another item paid from the tax base, not an extra levy.  I realize it all comes from the same place - the tax payers, but I am not very optimistic a majority of people will vote to pay another fee. It seems set up to fail.

I hope I am wrong.  ​
Here is the Recycling Centre's position:


There will be a plebiscite about recycling in Denare Beach with the municipal election in October.
Please vote yes.

Recycling is part of responsible waste management. It saves landfill space and costs. It helps the environment by saving resources.
 
The recycling service is available to everyone in the Flin Flon, Creighton, Denare Beach and surrounding areas. Recyclables can be dropped off in Flin Flon at the Recycling Centre or the trailer parked by Canadian Tire.
 
Municipal funding is needed to cover the Recycling Centre’s costs for processing and shipping recyclables.
1. - Recycling is part of waste disposal which is a municipal responsibility.
2. - Selling materials does not make enough money. For example, shipping costs in 2015 were $7,300.00 more than the sales of materials. Only corrugated cardboard, printers mix and newspaper are sold. Prices are very low. Most materials are not sold as it is cheaper to bale them all together and ship them to Winnipeg where they are sorted on a sort line at the cost of $45.00/metric ton.
 
Municipal grants do not pay for pickup services. Businesses are charged a fee for pickups.  Creighton pays for their residential pickup service.  Flin Flon residents buy a red bag which pays for the curbside service.
 
Flin Flon and Creighton have supported recycling financially since 1996. Their annual grant is based on population. Currently it is $11.40/person/year.
   The Village of Denare Beach contributed $500.00 in 2004, its only contribution. Some residents have contributed individually each year for the past three years. The total of these contributions is about $225.00 each year.
 
Voting ‘yes’ in the plebiscite will give the Village of Denare Beach the mandate to support recycling financially using the same population based calculation as Flin Flon and Creighton
 
Voting ‘yes’ will give the Council the mandate to consider offering a recycling service of some kind in the Village. There are a couple of options such as providing a trailer like the one parked by Canadian Tire in the village or a curbside pickup service like Creighton provides. There are pros and cons to each. The Recycling Centre would be pleased to provide information and support in making that decision.
 
We believe it only makes sense to vote in favour of Denare Beach supporting the community recycling program. Recycling is a necessary part of responsible waste management in the 21st century. It will save space and money at the landfill. The Village will be contributing its fair share and can consider ways to make recycling more convenient for residents.
 
For more information call the Recycling Centre at 204 687 6169.

The Annual General Meeting of the Flin Flon & District Environment Council, Inc was held on April 29, 2015 in the Council Chambers of Flin Flon City Hall. 

There was a power point presentation titled 'Twenty years and Going Strong' which briefly reviewed 2014 and took a walk down memory lane with photographs from the past 20 years since the Environment Council was incorporated in 1995.

Several awards recognizing support for the recycling program were given. 
- The Community Support Award was given to Kendall & Pandya represented by Kelsey Horrocks. 
 - Kathy Lysohirka received the Community Champion Award.
 -  The Employee 10 Year Service Award was presented to Wayne Freund.  
 - Jan Modler and Greg East received the 20 Year Board Member Award. They have been on the Board since it began. 

The presentation statements are posted below.

The business meeting was held after the refreshment break. 
There were reports from the Chairperson La Verne Hinzman and the Administrator Deb Odegaard.
The financial statements were reviewed and adopted. Kendall and Pandya were appointed as auditors for 2015.
Two Board members terms expired this year. Both Barb Lyons and Angela Simpson were re-elected to another two year term. 

Comments For Award Recipients

Kendall & Pandya

The Flin Flon & District Environment Council incorporated in 1995. This was an important step in being able to secure funding from grants and municipal governments.

Incorporation needs outside oversight to verify the responsible use of funds for those who give us money. Kendall & Pandya has provided the audit services for a very reasonable cost for 20 years.

They have also been helpful when the organization began using Simply Accounting for bookkeeping, providing information on how to best record transactions, and helping with problem solving for Doreen. When I began in October, 2013, I had basic understanding of bookkeeping. Doreen’s training was great. Part of it was, if you have a problem, call Linda at Kendall and Pandya. And I have. At first it was to sort out messes I had made, until I got wise and decided to call when I was unsure to avoid the mess.

Kelsey has been helpful with making the yearend adjustments, and hopefully we have got it to the place where next year I will be on my own.  I know I can still call if needed.

We would like to acknowledge and express our appreciation today to the valuable support Kendall & Pandya has provided to the Recycling Program.

Kathy Lysohirka

For many years, the Great Recycling Event was a major fundraiser for the Flin Flon & District Environment Council each spring. It involved walking or riding bicycles and collecting pledges or paying to participate.

At the beginning it was held in conjunction with Bakers Narrow’s Day. After it’s demise, the event was moved to Phantom Lake for 3 years.

I remember Kathy arriving back at the centre of activity at Phantom Lake later than most who walked. She had collected garbage along the route.

Kathy has been a relentless campaigner for a cleaner environment, everything from picking up litter and inspiring others to prevent it, to giving happy faces on the receipts of customers at Walmart who brought reusable shopping bags. She regularly would check if particular items were recyclable, and was genuinely disappointed if the item in question couldn’t be recycled.

Kathy always has encouraging words.  She has been a cheerleader and a promoter of recycling and environmental responsibility. These actions are not very obvious to others but very much appreciated.

We would like to give Kathy this certificate of Appreciation to recognize her contributions and the support she has given.  Thank you for your support.

Wayne Freund

Wayne joined the Recycling Centre staff in December, 2002 as part of the Wage subsidy program.  He is the only staff member who has worked in both buildings.

If you do the math, it seems that 10 years is inaccurate.  Wayne has taken advantage of some other employment opportunities a couple of times since he was originally hired. When those opportunities ended he returned to recycling.

Wayne’s pleasant attitude and hard work has benefited the recycling program in many ways.  In 2013, he was given the position of floor manager, the position he continues in today.

Wayne’s  faithful service is a key factor in the successful day to day operations of the Recycling Centre.  Today we are recognizing his service and say thanks. 

Janet Modler and Greg East

Greg and Jan were part of the original the Flin Flon round Table on the Environment that became the Flin Flon Environment committee.  Jan is one of the signers of the original bylaws.

Over the years, the Environment Council has benefited greatly from their involvement. Greg has found vehicles for the program, helped resolve maintenance issues with vehicles, negotiated the purchase of two buildings, provided maintenance to the building,  raised funds to retire the mortgage. As a lover of great music who has connections to talented individuals, the Environment Council fund raisers seem like a good reason (excuse) to have a concert.

Jan has been a great hostess for the many concerts taking care of reservations, decorating and many other details that make these events a resounding success. She has also been very helpful with personnel policies and issues, was a member of the bylaws rewriting committee as well as being the recording secretary for many years.  Jan has also organized community cleanups on several occasions.

Their dedication and wisdom through thick and thin are a significant factor in the success of the Recycling program and other activities of the Environment Council. For this we wish to say thanks.