Mayor Colleen Smook, deputy mayor Les Ellsworth, Thompson city manager Anthony McInnis and communications officer Kacper Antoszewski committed mutiny on Friday afternoon when they raised Flin Flon’s flag at Thompson City Hall.
The clandestine operation, aided by members of Flin Flon’s elite spy service, was in response to Flin Flon’s victory over Thompson in the 2020 SledTown ShowDown. Everyone in attendance had a good laugh to celebrate solidarity and community spirit in Northern Manitoba.
Smook, who received a honk from a passing vehicle, said the just-for-fun event was about friendship.
“Last year, Flin Flon came in first for the north,” she said. “Today, Karen Mackinnon and Cal Huntley from Flin Flon are here … we sort of had a challenge that when it came down to the final four, it was Thompson and The Pas and Flin Flon and Snow Lake. So then when we ended up in this position against Flin Flon, we thought we’d make a little challenge for the north. Thompson didn’t quite get enough votes to get it, so we agreed to fly the Flin Flon flag … and it’s great for the north. It just shows how our northern communities work together, so whether you’re snowmobiling in Thompson or Flin Flon or The Pas or Snow Lake, you’re going to have a great time.”
The mayor said that for round five, she is pulling for Flin Flon.
“Because that way, Northern Manitoba will have it,” she exclaimed. “Then when it’s the final, it goes Flin Flon against Hudson Bay [Sask.] right now, and then the next round it’ll be in the finals. So in the next round, it’ll have to be all Flin Flon because that will be for all of Canada.”
