"Flin Flon, "The City Built on Rocks", is located just over 800 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg in the heart of Northern Manitoba's lake country. The mining community is set in a beautiful vacation land on the edge of the Precambrian Shield where the area is notable for its distinctive greenish, fine-grained stone - greenstone.

Flin Flon also has the distinction only city in the world named for a science fiction character - Flintabbatey Flonatin.

To take advantage of this unique aspect of the city, in 1994 Community Futures Greenstone partnered with the local tourism association and other community groups in an ongoing (and very successful) tourism project that has increased the area's profile and attracted new visitors.

The components of the "Flinty Project" celebrate the novel The Sunless City - a book found by the area's first prospectors which told the story of prospector Flintabatty Flonatin who traveled in a fish-like submarine and eventually discovered an underwater city of gold.

The Flinty project has led to a boardwalk around Ross Lake, which lies within the city; an 8-km walking trail and Flinty's Submarine Park, which boasts a famed 20-foot sculpture of the park's namesake.

In addition, promotional materials for the city have been developed around the Flinty theme and serve to promote the area in a unique way.

The benefits of this community project have been felt economically and socially. Not only have local businesses benefited through the sale of their goods and services for the construction of the project components. Since its inception the project has generated over one million dollars worth of material labour and equipment. They continue to do well as a result of increased tourism to the area.

The local community is also enjoying newfound outdoor leisure space and regularly take advantage of the boardwalk, trails and park for their local functions as well as their personal fitness.

The Flinty Project is ongoing. Future plans include increasing signage, additional landscaping of the Submarine Park, creating a petrified forest and adding rest areas and more walking trails.