Services in Cranberry Portage
Emergency Services
- RCMP
- Ambulance
- Cranberry Portage Volunteer Fire Department
- Clinic
- Public Health Nurse
Government
- Niki Ashton (NDP), MP for Churchill Constituency
- Gerard Jennissen, MLA for Flin Flon Constituency
- Unincorporated Village District of Cranberry Portage
Government Departments
- Highways
- Department of Natural Resources
Communication: The telecommunications tower dominates the skyline of Cranberry Portage. The tower is situated on the elevated ridge of land that comprises the town site and provides important microwave, telegraph, and television links with surrounding areas. Three radio stations are received locally: CBC North Country (FM 88.9 - Thompson), CFAR (AM 590 - Flin Flon), and NCI (FM 96.9 - Winnipeg). Cable television is available from satellites serviced by Shaw Cable in Flin Flon. Satellite TV service can be installed by Streamer's Hardware Store. Internet service is provided by Gene's of The Pas, Explorenet, and most recently by MTS.
Transportation: Bus services are provided by the provincial Grey Goose Bus Lines. Three buses per day leave for Winnipeg and points along the way. Connections are also available to Flin Flon, Snow Lake and Thompson, as well as to other provinces. Airports are at Flin Flon and The Pas which provide even more rapid contacts with the outside world. Though the local railway station was closed in 1983, the rail line through Cranberry Portage is still fairly heavily used. It provides a passenger service into Sherridon (Cold Lake) and Pukatawagan. The rail line once served to haul ore from the Ruttan Mine at Leaf Rapids for smelting in Flin Flon, and and continues to transport high quality granite used in railway construction from Millwater, just north of Cranberry, to various parts of western Canada. The Hudson Bay Railway provides Cranberry Portage and the other communities named with links to the Canadian National Railway system at The Pas and points south and to the Hudson Bay line to Wabowden, Thompson, Churchill and other communities along the Bay Line. Such services facilitate the movement of people and goods and reduce the sense of isolation that is commonly found in many of the smaller northern communities.
Medical: The Health Centre has an office for the Public Health Nurse and examination rooms for use by a Medical Doctor from Flin Flon who visits Cranberry on a regular basis, usually once a week. Ambulance service is available. Patients are taken to hospital at either Flin Flin or The Pas. The high school has an infirmary, located in A Wing, which provides services to the residence students.
Accommodation: Winter visitors to Cranberry can find accommodation in the local hotel, called the Northern Inn, or at Caribou Lodge, while summer visitors also have the option of staying in one of the other lodges mentioned earlier.
The Northern Inn, offering 12 rooms and licenced beverage and dining facilities, is on Main Street.
Banking: Banking services have not been available in Cranberry Portage since the mid-1980s when the Flin Flon Royal Bank closed the branch in Cranberry Portage. A lack of banking services often causes inconvenience for local business people and ordinary residents and for some visitors.
Shopping: Several outlets provide shopping facilities for residents and visitors.
On the opposite side of the street are some of the other businesses in town. On the west end of Main Street is Streamers' True Value Hardware Store which also serves as a government liquor board outlet. Next is the town's grocery store, Family Food Town.
The movie theatre that used to be on this block burned down in 1989. The building at the end of the block was a dry-goods outlet, the Variety Shop. This shop specialized in crafts supplies, especially yarn which is marketed throughout Canada and in several other countries. In May 1996 the Variety Shop announced a closing-out sale, marking the end of a local enterprise that has long brought visitors and business activity to Cranberry. Subsequently, a new Crafts' Centre opened in the basement of Streamer's Store.
The importance of the tourist trade for the local economy is revealed by the fact that during the months of June to September, some businesses provide extended hours of service. Even on Sundays, it is common to find several establishments open to serve the public during the tourist season.
Religion: On Sundays, local residents and visitors are welcome to attend either of the two churches in town: The Canadian Martyrs Roman Catholic Mission and the Grace Church of the Mennonite Brethren. The latter is affiliated with the Simon House Bible Camp for children, youth and adults, located on the shore of Simon House Lake southeast of Cranberry along Provincial Highway 39.