Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 59 Number • Issue 1511
Friday, 16, 2018 Friday,March April 12, 2019
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Book a way to preserve and pass on Residents weigh in on public transit Smaller vehicles, of more student input andin better promotion memories growing up Churchill could improve bus service, say meeting attendees
Kyle Tomchuk said that an RDPC representative After a lot of chatter be- should have a seat at the hind closed doors and on table as the council goes social media, Thompson about making their new city council set up shop at contract, especially since the Thompson Regional high school students make Community Centre April 9 up a big chunk of the city’s to hear from the public dir- overall ridership. ectly about how to improve Coun. Earl Colbourne, the local transit system. the head of the city’s ad City manager Anthony hoc public transit commitMcInnis said all of the tee, was receptive to Tomfeedback from Tuesday’s chuk’s idea and said he public transit meeting will would make the Grade 12 be collected and taken into student a stakeholder in the account as council tries to city’s public transit system come up with a long-term moving forward. bus contract to replace their Clashing ideologies current agreement that exbetween bus companies pires at the end of June. Representatives from Increasing both Maple Bus Lines bus rates and NCN Thompson Bus McInnis opened up Tues- chimed in with their own day’s meeting by laying out opinions on how to make the facts about the public Thompson public transit transit system, saying the sustainable and affordable. city spent $44,654 on bus NCN Thompson Bus service in March despite employee Addie Colbourne low ridership that bottoms echoed a lot of sentiments Nickel Belt News photos by Kyle Darbyson out at around 20 passengers that were thrown around on a day on the weekends. Tuesday night by saying Grade 12 students Dawson Danttouze- Driscoll, Kyle Tomchuk and Acelyn Doran-Campbell (three from right) made their Recently, council con- that the city should start do- voices heard April 9 on behalf of the R.D. Parker Collegiate student body, demanding that at least one student be given sidered, then tabled, a ing its own maintenance and a voice on the future of the city’s public transit system. resolution to pass a great- trade in its larger passenger er share of the costs onto buses for smaller models to trations with the local trantransit users by eliminating cut down on costs. sit system is how poorly its monthly passes and jacking “Why are we using large services are advertised to up student/senior and adult buses, 65-seat passenger the public. bus fares by 66 and 100 per buses with one, two or three Outside of the fact that Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham cent, respectively. persons in them? Whose some bus Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles hasstops writtenaren’t a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. However, on Tuesday, fault is that?” he asked. adorned with the approthis moveGRAHAM faced heavy criti- to “[You] have tothat zero inhave and ‘Oh, priate said the was not a very safe thing swallow when people say BY IAN For all the harsh weather write things you I’msigns, just asshe bad, right?’ cism from a group of R.D. to gofithrough needs to do a better EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET have all these stories and to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar gure out.the It’s transportapretty clear Icity Parker Collegiate in Thompson Ijob of letting people know Though she’s nowseniors, written tion whensystem I get through.” need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it who said the majority of with a fine tooth and about up-to-date routes and until the plane landed and easier to live. a book about her experienDeMeulles said comb she wrote my grandchildren really had been viable she would theirgrowing fellow high stu- her lookbook, at alltitled theseWhispers issues that schedules. ces up inschool Churchill, in because they will be lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to Churchdents wouldFoundation be negatively are costing you unnecessary “How many people know fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. Addictions of the Wind: Stories from the I don’t.” affected the change in money.” there a bus stop right cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite Manitobaby northern director North - Life in Churchill for that She alsoishas a reputation “I miss the shoreline, I cost. deMeulles said writ- a couple However, Wendell Fitz- as across from Lakeview Gisele of reasons. a storyteller herself. Inn on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the from Maple Bus, the and I asked the staff ingAcelyn wasn’tDoran-Campbell something she patrick “I just sort of thought, “ISuites? had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though talked hershe own ex- company is currently thereand howI would many times they spurred her on was the same boat in another area they’re very dangerous and always about thought would you knowthat what, this his- tory tell people periences taking the bus tory, underthis contract to provide told people about the bus do. stuff that’s in my stories and they would go, hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson everyday her home in head, publicit’s transit July 1, ‘That’s stop …not none of them “In myfrom youth I never true, is it?’[did],” I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Rail- about that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When I go goinguntil to be gone Eastwood and how an she in- said switching to smaller said Montean. front felt good at writing,” if I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ “The They’d go, way suspended operations have the option to do that? back home, standing on the crease from $1.50 to $2.50 vehicles could result in desk knowsdohow to calldida north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on said. “But when I moved said. “My kids are ‘You didn’t all that, not goperThompson ride would put that into ser- ing some taxi, You’ve but they to to get to accessibility get it if I don’tissues do it you? gotdon’t to be know really “It used to be a really feeling like they’re pawns the bay, it just gives you an viceschool out of her reach.work, and for seniors and people whatIthe schedules are. thriving large community in a political game and that’s incredible sense. You feel so the of social it’s something I’vewith al- old.’ wasbus like, ‘No, actually alternatives are disabilities. know whatInumat “My that point I had to write ways wanted my mom to They I did don’t all that before was and it’s just dwindled down really sad for them because I small and you feel great.” either a 30-minute walk do.Fitzpatrick scoffed ber to why aren’t to for university and realized, My mom’s also an elder and 27,’ andcall. theySo went ‘What?’” such a smallBus population think the people of Churchthat she’s NCN Thompson employee Addie Colbourne spoke about whyNow the city should investgot in to school a part at thean idea thatshe’s the School being back, provided with ‘Holy, I’minnot bad of at town this, she’s artist, got so they deMeulles says. one book under her belt, Looking some of now,” ill really want to thrive. smaller buses and conduct its own vehicle maintenance during an April 9 meeting about where sometimes don’t District of Mystery Lake this information?” right?’ IIcertainly developed many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things public Though she’s notThompson there They’ve their worlds transit at the Regionalbuilt Community Centre. deMeulles says she may try feel walking by myself cause shouldshe absorb the tells responResident Martin any longer, her parents and there. How would we feel to produce another. a lotsafe of skill in university always her she might notRoss do again. Moving forward Thompson transit,’” said. if someone take place 3 p.m. at City ... or came a cab which sibilities of running off this line her and out of often there costs with stories at Parks Canadathe in piggybacked “I did some pretty bizarre sister and otherhe family came to you and which “I have another book in Colbourne youare. should do said, Tuesday. $9 to and fromskill my in home system, saying that stuff of thinking saying a very strong my transit Churchill and I’ve always like fuelby hauls intothat the “Perhaps ‘I’m sorry,wrapped you haveup to Hall me,”every she says. “It’s a darker members still by thank- story, with the schools McInnis council will and that’sand notconfi affordable a move could its something writing dence for in such hounded her, would ‘Please,result just the highcity Arctic at increase -35,” said “My cousin owns the Tuesday’s leave your meeting home community moresaid about personing allwe’re of thegoing attendees for their al and say, ‘We need a logoshe for and probably vote on struggles. whether or me and it’s not affordable in a itsharp increase taxes. presence in “It thedidn’t community my writing. I write very put on tape, I willinwrite it deMeulles. dawn hardware store there,” to displace growth and and saidelse theyand are all all Maybe Thompson transit.’ Maybe feedback, not theyinshould increase bus for many of theit.people liv- for you Better promotion by me improving itsThat branding. clear and that’s It’s there. because your story on until after. was a says. you somewhere the next five years welcome to attend the city’s ad fares they could do a contest or during their April on 15 ing in the Eastwood area,” Resident Bobbi Montean “It’s time that we had an Some people say it’s kind of is going to be lost,’ and she’s very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, your loved ones and your it’s something I’ll focus hoc public transit meetings, doing.” something.”finds it hard to history meeting. she said. said one of her biggest frus- Being identifier said is deMeulles blunt or direct. I don’t tend never done it and I thought, on athat plane full‘this of fuel is gone?’” BY KYLE DARBYSON
KYLE@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET