Flin Flon | ||
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City | ||
City of Flin Flon | ||
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Location of Flin Flon in Manitoba | ||
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 | Cal Huntley | |
• Council | Flin Flon City Council | |
• MP |
Niki Ashton (NDP) Georgina Jolibois (NDP) |
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• MLA |
Tom Lindsey (NDP) Doyle Vermette (NDP) |
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Area | ||
• Land | 11.55 km2 (4.46 sq mi) | |
Elevation | 300 m (980 ft) | |
Population (2016) | ||
• Total | 5,185 | |
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. 5,185 in 2016 census; 4,982 in Manitoba and 203 in Saskatchewan) is a mining city in Canada. It is located on the boundary of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the majority of the city located within Manitoba.
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.
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. Flin Flon shares with Tarzana, California, the distinction of being named after a character in a science fiction novel.