Flin Flon,
October 24, 2005

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Flin Flon Workshop #2
(November 16, 2006)

We travelled from The Pas to Flin Flon, a town beautiful in the sunset, built quite literally around the mining business. Our workshop was offered at The Friendship Centre where we were received true to their name and were provided with a tasty lunch. We were pleased with the diversity of the group of women attending our full day workshop; this is important so that we can hear the spectrum of women's concerns in each community. The expertise ranged from women who had lived in Flin Flon most of their lives, women who had just moved to Flin Flon, women living just over the border in Saskatchewan, Aboriginal women, white women, senior women, professional women and low-income women.

A participant who worked at the Friendship Centre stated at the end of the day, "I thought it would just be us sitting here and being lectured about how the government spends our money and how we couldn't do anything about it. I didn't think it would be this interactive and interesting."

We have discovered that our workshops provide valuable networking opportunities for women. One workshop participant reiterated this saying, “It was great connecting with those with common experiences.” After our workshops we often hear that many women discover that they are not alone in their situation and that they face similar difficult realities.

Thanks to the Nor-MAN Regional Health Authority and the Women's Resource Centre for hosting our workshop.

The following ideas were generated by workshop participants as part of our gender budget consultations. Please note that this list does not represent the official position of the UN Platform for Action Committee Manitoba (UNPAC). Neither UNPAC nor all of the participants have endorsed these suggestions.

1. What are key concerns for women in your community?

• HOUSING
  • Accessibility for seniors (most houses in Flin Flon have stairs) - Flin Flon has lots of hills!
  • Low-income housing not maintained
  • Utility costs high, heat can be as high as rent in winter months - MB Hydro does not do equalized payments if you have a balance or if you are renting
  • Rent is high: Adams St. subsidized housing is $452 for small two bedroom apartment
  • Overcrowding
  • Expensive housing for the working poor - large MB Housing building always seems to have space but no grocery store nearby
  • Safety concerns
  • MB Housing provides initiatives to fix housing which will provide low-income units (one participant using this program herself)
• PUBLIC TRANSIT
• MINE – everything in this town is about the “boys” at the mine
• PHYSICIANS
  • Limited access, only one physician doing obstetrics/gynaecology for whole community and surrounding area
  • Waiting list to see doctors
  • Lots of travel to Winnipeg (expensive and time-consuming)
• SENIOR WOMEN
  • Elderly women caring for elderly spouse
• FOOD & NUTRITION
  • Food security
  • Story of an 1 8-year-old who did not know what grapes were
  • High cost of nutritious food in northern and isolated communities
• CHILDCARE
  • Expensive, not enough subsidy
  • Qualifications for subsidies too tight
  • Lunch not provided
  • If you make $20 an hour - $14 after taxes minus $6 for childcare = $8 dollars an hour
  • Costs up to $36/day for childcare
• MINIMUM WAGE – Wal-Mart brought employment to women, yet it is low wage and shift work
• RACISM AND SEXISM (in institutional settings ie. hospital)
• SINGLE PARENTING
• SAFETY
  • Not enough places to go for women who have been abused
  • Gangs and violence not recognized
• SOCIAL ASSISTANCE
  • Harder with split payments (every 2 weeks) ie difficult to buy bulk

2. a) What Government programs and services have really helped to meet women’s needs and concerns? How could they be expanded upon or made better?

• Primary Health Care – thoughtful location, near bus stop and accessible
  • Cervical screening and Pap smear tests
• Baby & Me Best Beginnings: Pre-natal and up to 6 months after baby is born, nutrition for pregnant mom
• Family First: Home visits up to 3 years.
  • Much concern because there is little communication between these two programs, yet they could work together quite effectively. Women were curious to know what is the philosophy behind the programs, where they began, what is the point?
• Aboriginal Head Start Preschool
• Employability Training Centre - Good program, resume, interview, job training, life skills, basic skills
  • Needs to be better advertised
  • Poor public relations
• Adult Learning Centre
  • Not accessible, only stairs
  • Good program with kids, can access anytime
• Many Faces – alternative high school, high exam results
• Women’s Resource Centre
• AFM (Addictions Foundation Manitoba)
• Flin Flon Friendship Centre
• Safe Home
• Parent and Child Centre
  • Gym nights
  • Weekend fun
  • Transportation
• Youth Centre
  • Lighthouses for 11+ years
  • Every second Wednesday: Primary Health Care for women – sexual health
  • Drug and Alcohol Awareness Education
• CODI – Co-occurring Disorders initiatives
  • Joint initiative between AFM and Mental Health – communication is increasing
• Aboriginal Liaison Person
  • Good program – needs to be expanded, more people more positions

2. b) Are there programs or services that should be stopped because they are not working?

• Maintenance Enforcement
• Mb Housing – Slum Landlords
  • Shoddy work, mould, repairs needed
  • Waiting list is, 6 months to a year
• “Baby think again” – dolls that are programmed to educate about parenthood
  • not very realistic, does not work

2. c) What other ideas do you have for programs and services that could meet women’s needs?

• Empowerment programs for teenage girls
  • Pregnancy prevention – many think that abortion is an option for birth control
  • Adoption is okay
  • " Being a young mother is no fun”
• “Teen Pregnancy working group”
  • This is in initial stages
  • Primary Health Care – network of community developers, nurses, school counsellors, teachers
  • Character building & empowerment
• Responsible Sexual Education
  • Where to get birth control
  • Teach abstinence?!
• “Finishing School for young women”
  • Value yourself, stop trying to be like men (sexually)
  • Learn how to find apartment, budget course, life skills, balance cheque book
  • Could be implemented in school curriculum
• Cooking Circle / Community Kitchen – educate about cooking, nutrition and healthy eating
• Women’s shelter – wages always an issue
• Affordable/ Safe housing for everyone. Anything. Mixed housing lessens stigma
• Programs for men
  • Educate about abuse and violence
  • Programs for abusers
• New Careers program (20 years ago)
  • Was a really good 2 year program that led to good jobs
• Grants for small business people to train new employees
• Mentorship program that used to exist for government employees – benefits people who did not have a chance to go to university
• Day cares
  • Need 24/7 care
  • Shared daycare. Barter system – do not rely on money
  • Co-op
• Public and Safe Transportation
  • Late service
  • More routes
  • Better timing
  • Encourage environmental care
• Marriage/family professional counselling
• Health Food Store in hospital
• Affordable Youth Programs
• Foster Care/ Group Homes for Youth in their community
• Diabetes Liaison worker
• Programs for women
  • Senior women, housing
  • Not just their kids, women tend to list ideas for their kids not for themselves
  • Affordable exercise
• Training Programs: need more interesting programs, there are only “6 jobs” for women in Flin Flon – “I don’t want to be a Health Care Aide." Education isn’t accessible.

3. Women often do not have enough money to do the things they need to do and they often do not have enough time to do the things they need to do either. Where are you crunched for time? What could the government do to give you more time to do the things you need to do?

• Need to compensate people on boards ie. wage replacement so everyone can participate and have input
• Crunched in terms of volunteering
• Getting kids into extra-curricular activity, there is less physical activity in school therefore parents are trying to get kids into sports
  • Compromised nutrition – eating at the rink
  • Even harder without car and limited bus routes
  • Hockey is so expensive: ice, equipment and gas

Solutions:

• P.E. should be in school everyday, as youth get older in school phys ed becomes more limited
• Expand subsidies so parents do not have to stand in the cold for two hours fundraising, cover transportation too, buses only go to 6:45
• Professional Development creates major time crunch (going to city for conferences)
  • Use technology better to connect people, so don't have to travel
• Child care paid for during shift work
• MINET could help learning
• Senior women do loads of volunteering
  • Childcare for kids away at conferences
  • Elderly spouse caregiving
  • Provide opportunities for wellness
  • Learning and leisure activities, not just social
• More flexible workplaces – schedules and hours
• Professionals would like to work Sundays if they could take a week day off to do errands i.e. Post office, government offices, banking, etc.
• Childcare needs to accommodate shift work, evening work (this whole town works shift work, not just a problem for single parents)
• Universal time off for sick children (some get it, some do not)
• Support for small business owners so they are not forced to discriminate i.e. When kids are sick, not allowing coffee breaks
• Employer needs to comply with labour laws – accountability
• Better daycares
• Childcare/housing subsidy tied to wage rather than just an income line
• MB housing – complaints go to The Pas and Winnipeg, takes so much time to get there, same with many other government services
• Raise EIA rates – single person gets $213 month for rent - not enough
• Extra costs related to school i.e. supplies, sports, outings
• Childcare provided for volunteers, so that they have time to volunteer
• Keewatin Community College – Board is made up all older people, young people do not have time yet their input is crucial, but all the responsibilities…

4. What ideas do you have on how the Government could earn more money? Use the creativity you have learned from your experience as a woman living with a tight budget.

• Spend less on perks
• Raise corporate tax
• Higher income earners should pay more taxes
• Close tax loopholes
• Tax breaks only to businesses doing something – ie. apprenticeships, need more trades people – currently relying on immigrants
• Make child maintenance part of income tax
• Get rid of all middle people in government
• Eliminate Maintenance Enforcement program - doesn't work
• Child maintenance should not be deducted as income - should be a null amount
• Federal Transfer payments should be higher – update for 2005, it has been decreasing, lowest since WWII
• Think through things, be smarter and more accountable, always jumping on things
• Always thinking about elections
• Reduce $ going to professional sports teams
  • Flin Flon City Council just gave Bombers $11,000

Steps for Local Action:

• Speak to your MLA
• Newspaper Article
  • Supportive programs for women in the work force
• Senior women’s advocacy group
• Women’s organizations together speak to MLA
  • Canadian Women’s Congress – women’s action group meets
  • Rebecca Lodge
  • Women’s Resource Centre
• 8 women wrote letters to their MLA Gerard Jennison