Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 59 Number • Issue 1611
Friday, 16, 2018 Friday,March April 19, 2019
Thompson, Manitoba Thompson, Manitoba
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Manitoba childto advocate and ombudsman Book a way preserve and pass on debut shared office in Thompson memories of growing up in Churchill
Acting Manitoba ombudsman Marc Cormier and head Manitoba advocate for child and youth Daphne Penrose celebrate the grand opening of their shared office in Thompson with a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 16.
Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook (left) presents deputy Manitoba advocate for children and youth Sherry Gott (right) with a certificate of appreciation during an April 16 opening ceremony at the City Centre Mall.
most exciting day she’s experienced since getting The Manitoba Advocate elected six months ago. for Children and Youth When it comes to MACY, (MACY) finally opened Smook said their physical its long-awaited office in presence in the north is a Thompson’s City Centre big boon to not just young Mall April 16 with a ribbonThompsonites, but for cutting ceremony featuryouth who hail from suring appearances from city rounding communities as councillors, health officials well. and educators. “When the kids come “My team and I are so from a community of 300 pleased to finally be here or 400 [people] that’s a today,” said head Manitoba big change in their life,” Nickel Belt photo Ian Graham advocate Daphne Penrose. sheNews said. “Soby it’s up to “This project has been a all of us as the citizens of Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. dream of our office for a Thompson, as the grannies BY IAN GRAHAM all the harsh number of years and we to write things that you have ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say ofFor Thompson, theweather mothEDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET I have all these stories and to fi gure out. It’s pretty clear to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers polar are thrilled that it’s finally ers of Thompson, of to make Though she’s now written when I get through.” I need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just find somewhere bears, said if it happening.” sure thatdeMeulles everyone is looked a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would Penrose’s office is reafter.” ces growing uprepresenting in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have back Churchsponsible for In moved terms of thetoombudsAddictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. I don’t.” the rights and interests of man, Smook welcomes this Manitobaornorthern She also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite new “I opportunity miss the shoreline, children youth updirector to age North - Life in Churchill for for her ad-I Gisele deMeulles said writ- a couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I missgood the 21 in the areas of mental ministration to make ing wasn’t something she “I just sort of thought, “I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though health, addiction, victim on their promise of mainalways she would and support,thought child welfare and you know what, this his- tory and I would tell people spurred her on was the same boat in another area they’re taining very opendangerous transparency do. tory, this stuff that’s in my stories and they would go, hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream Iwith really the Hudson education. the miss public. “In my youthrecognize I never head, it’s going to be gone ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Rail- about that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. said “When go “I especially “Somebody to Ime felt good at writing,” she if I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way suspended operations havephotos the option to Darbyson do that? back home,‘You standing Nickel Belt News by Kyle the importance of dedicatlast night, guyson arethe in said. “But when Iafforded moved said. ‘You didn’t do all that, did “My kidsblessed are notagonorth of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re looking on Elder Ed Azure City Centre Mall location shared by the Manitoba ombudsman and the Manitoba child and youth Hudson ing the resources trouble Bay now.’ And Iout said, to Thompson into to getwith it if aI prayer don’t do it a song you?during You’veits gotgrand to be opening really April “It16. used to be a really feeling like they’re pawns the it just gives you an to me to improvetotheget lives of ing ‘No,bay, we’re here to be open advocate and the school of social work, and it’s something I’ve alold.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community in a political game and that’s incredible sense. You feel so Indigenous children, youth and democratic,’” said at point I hadand to write wanted to scope I did allis that before I was it’s just dwindled down really for or them because I small and“So youtofeel and Youth Actmy onmom March going to be ex- and openness and transparency ment,sad local provincial, andthat young adults, their ways Smook. megreat.” this is for university and realized, mom’s an elder and 27,’ and Reviews they wentand ‘What?’” such a the small population think the people of ChurchNow 15, My 2018. panded. inves- to between government or if you’re having trouble just families, who continue to be do. one that more she’s tool in got the ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, she’s an artist, she’s got so now,” deMeulles says. one book under her toolbelt, Looking back, some of ill really want to thrive. “My office is also respontigations my team conduct and its citizens. navigating government proover-represented in public citizen of Thompson’s right?’ I certainly developed many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things Though she’s built see their worlds deMeulles says she sible for conducting formal are aimed examining the “What we do isnot wethere take They’ve cesses, come us.” systems,” said Penrose. box, one more toolmay for try us a lot of skill known in university she alwaysafter tells her notcurrently do again. longer, her parents and there. How said would feel to investigations the she gapsmight that are hap- any complaints from people Cormier hiswe office Originally as the cause as produce a councilanother. to work with.” and came outChildren’s of there with at children Parks Canada in pening “I didin some pretty bizarre her other family someone to you and “I have another book in deaths of if those public services.” thatsister have and concerns about if also servescame as an invaluOffice of the Ad- stories The shared MACY/oma very of strong skill this in my and had I’ve contact always stuff likeoffice fuel hauls intoalso the members ‘I’m sorry,for youanybody have to me,” she says. a darker are. children have The will how theystill were treated by said, able resource vocate Manitoba, or- Churchill budsman office“It’s is currently writing andgot confi dence in hounded ‘Please, high Arctic -35,” said cousin owns your home community personwith childher, welfare in just the serve as an at extension of the“My government and … the we leave interested in getting access story, ganization a new name staffedmore by twoabout full-time emmy I write very put on tape, I will death,” write it deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware store there,” she and we’re going to displace al growth yearitprior to their acting Manitoba ombudsconduct investigations,” to government information. and writing. an expanded mandate ployees andand willstruggles. be open clear and that’s It’s there. you because your story meMarc until after. That was somewhere else and all Maybe the next ve years Penrose said Tuesday. “In on man Cormier, whoa says. he said. “So if you have you Thompson Mayor Colfollowing the it. passing of for from 9ina.m. to 5fip.m. on Some people say kind of is to be lost,’ and she’s dangerousfor thing to do. a concern Becauseabout of governthat, your loved ones and isyour something I’ll focus on thegoing coming months, that very is responsible fostering leen Smook said this the it’s the Advocate forit’s Children weekdays. BY KYLE DARBYSON
KYLE@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
blunt or direct. I don’t tend
never done it and I thought,
Being on a plane full of fuel
deMeulles finds it hard to
history is gone?’”
doing.”