There have been a number of groups take an interest in HudBay Minerals Inc. copper smelter over the 80 years it has been around. However, just lately a group of J.H. Kerr chemistry students did a project on the Flin Flon landmark and came away from it with a better understanding of the processes it involves and reasons that the company will shutter it later in the new year.
In a group project entitled "So long Smelter, Smell ya Later!" the Snow Lake students researched their topic mainly the old-school way without the use of the Internet. Teacher Steve Deighton noted that it was pretty tough to do things this way and that he had to relent on at least one occasion, because there really was no other way to get the information. Nevertheless, in explaining the process, one could easily detect a teacher's pride in a job well done by those under his charge.
The project encompasses the students writing and artistic abilities and fills a display case outside the school's library and home economics rooms. It includes transcribed research as well as a massive paper mache mock up of HudBay Minerals Inc.'s Flin Flon smelter complex.
The students explained that the thing that surprised them most in their research was the far-reaching effects of the smelter's smoke. Some were startled that it can reach Snow Lake and area's beyond. Deighton noted that the students were also amazed and impressed with the communication aspect of the assignment. "They thought it was great to get e-mails back from vice-presidents and managers within a large company like HudBay," he said. The teacher noted that there were a number of company officials, both in Flin Flon and Snow Lake, who helped the students out with their research.
In other news, the Town of Snow Lake recently heard from a delegation with an interesting business proposition.
Two residents of Winnipeg proposed the purchase of the community's trailer court during a meeting with Snow Lake's town council Dec. 15, 2009. Through this meeting and a written proposal, Johanna Denesiuk - who is a retired professional mediator and semi-retired employee of Elections Canada, and Gilles Racine - a retired banker, enquired if the town would consider selling the trailer court to them.
The offer pointed out that the sale could reduce administrative requirements and eliminate liability issues for the town, in addition to resulting in increased property tax revenues that would evolve out of their intention to carry out improvements to the site after purchase. The couple also advised that they were interested in negotiating the acquisition of adjacent land for future expansion of the court. "Perhaps to the extent of eventually extending English Drive to link with Lakeshore Drive in its eastern extremity," they disclosed in the proposal.
In explaining their background, Denesiuk and Racine established that they reside in Winnipeg, but enjoy excursions to the North. "We have visited as far North as Churchill, but would like to invest a little closer to home," they commented. "We feel that the Snow Lake area has a lot to offer and we would like to participate in its growth. That is what initiated our trip to Snow Lake in search of property."
Council prior to further discussion and ultimately a decision will study the couple's proposal. Further information will be obtained regarding assessment of the property if it were sold and put on the tax roll.
Snow Lake Mayor Garry Zamzow is known particularly well for three things: His love of politics, his big cowboy hat and his amazing eye for photography. He has parlayed two of the aforementioned into three terms as the mayor of our beloved little community and the third was just engineered into a beautiful little book of nature photography.
Zamzow's new book is titled Nature's Best. Its a compact 20-page hard cover that seems just perfect for a coffee table. The pictures are stunning, the color is amazing, and as always Zamzow's eye for subject matter is unparalleled. He advises that all but one of the photos were taken in Snow Lake; that lone exception was taken at Iskwasum Park.
The book was published in California through a McIntosh software program the mayor uses and he states that he only commissioned 10 copies to start with, but will increase that to 35 shortly and if people are interested, who knows after that?
As the publisher had no setup fees or such that are common with similar publishers, Zamzow says that the price for one book is the same as it is 25. However, once you buy over that number there is a quantity discount.
Zamzow notes that the whole process was quite automated; he was the photographer, editor, designer, and layout person and once that was done, he simply e-mailed it to the publisher. "I have control and the capacity to do a variety of things (with the Mac software)," said the mayor. "Then I e-mail the finished product off to Apple in California and they run it through and deliver it."
Zamzow says that he put this book together and has offered it up for sale for a number of reasons, but mostly because of the immense pleasure he gets from taking photographs of nature and his wish to share it with others. "I get a real rush when I get a photograph that is pleasing to me," he said. "I like to think that perhaps there are other people who see a photo, particularly one of nature, from the same angle that I do. I felt, well, I've never done this before and I've certainly been liberal in showing my photographs and had a lot of positive feedback, so okay, I'm going to try this once and just see where it goes and if people out there appreciate it in the same way that I do, then that is a good thing."
Zamzow has had his work published in a number of travel magazines, newspapers, on websites. He's he's also entered it and won awards in the Northern Juried Art Show. For much of his latest work he uses a D300 Digital Nikon - with an 18-70-mm and a 70-300-mm for working at a distance.
The books are currently being sold at a cost of slightly under $50 at Snow Lake's Sweet Nothings. This local venue also has a number of Zamzow's beautiful framed photographs on display and for sale at their downtown Snow Lake location.
