August 3 2018 NBN

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Nickel Belt News Volume 9 Volume 58 58 Number • Issue 3111

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Council takes Canada Goose CEO regarding Book a way to preserve and pass on Federal regulations marine first step towards donates $1 million towards mammalsofthreaten Churchill whale memories growing up in Churchill reducing their polar bear conservation facility Polar Bears International (PBI) received a $1 million donation towards the conBY IAN GRAHAM struction of a new facility EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET in Churchill during their Beluga whale-watching Polar Bear Affair galatour in operators new federal reguToronto say Feb. 27. lations interaction Daniconcerning Reiss, president with marine mammals could and CEO of Canada Goose, jeopardize businesses and as well astheir a current Polar

watching, tour operators say ranks in October

ing them build a muchneeded facility which will serve as a launch site for that’s our size, we have the PBI’s research and educa- BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET most,” she said. tional activities on polar Council approved fi rst Matechuk said that bear habitat conservation reading of a bylaw to re- since the need to cut costs around the world.” The proposed Polar duce the number of coun- is partly due to the new, Bears International House, cillors from eight to six at lower grant-in-lieu (GIL) construction of which is their Feb. 26 meeting by a that Vale Manitoba Operthey are fighting them in court. noise risks disrupting their ac- tempts in 2017 and earlier this expected to begin at the vote of 6-3, with council- ations pays the city instead Members of the Churchill tivities and needlessly stressing year to discuss the regulations start of the 2018 polar bear lors Ron Matechuk, Dun- of property taxes, the counBeluga Whale Tour Operator the animals. Our impacts on with the DFO and the Coast season, will be built on do- can Wong and Judy Kolada cillors who negotiated that agreement could make it Association (CBWTOA) filed them must be minimized if Guard were not even acknow- nated land on Churchill’s opposed. Before the reduction possible for council to go an application for judicial re- we are to continue watching ledged by those agencies and main street and designed that association members first to be energy efficient and becomes reality, however, through a trial period with view with the Federal Court them.” Whale watching in Canada learned that the new regula- ecologically sound. It will the bylaw must be the fewer members. of Canada on July 19, about “If the three councillors a month after the new regula- has grown in popularity over tions had taken effect when serve as a site to educate subject of a public hearthe last few decades, from they were published in the visitors to Churchill about ing, currently scheduled that negotiated the GIL, this tions took effect June 22. “The tours operated by the about 185,000 people taking Canada Gazette. polar bears, climate change for March 12, and then miserable, this very poor “We are very troubled that and the urgent need to take receive second and third GIL, were to do the honmembers of the Churchill commercial tours in 1991 to Beluga Whale Tour Operator more than 1.15 million in 2008 the minister and his department action, as well as provide reading, which are tenta- ourable thing and resign Association both enrich the and there were an estimated put in place regulations affect- broadcast facilities for tively slated to occur March from council, we would habitat of the beluga whales 366 small- to medium-sized ing our businesses and our cus- media, support polar bear 12 and March 26 respect- have a couple of weeks to and protect the whales from whale watching companies in tomers without any consulta- research and outreach ef- ively. City manager Gary find out whether we want hunters. Sadly, the minister of Canada in 2015, nearly 200 tion with us,” Daudrich said. forts, and assist visiting Ceppetelli says the bylaw to proceed all the way to “Worst of all, the minister and scientists, educators and must be passed 180 days third reading on this,” said Fisheries and Oceans and the of them in British Columbia. “It is not possible for tour his department brought these other guests whose work prior to the election date Matechuk, who repeated Canadian Coast Guard want to shut down the operations of operators to keep 50 metres regulations into effect, without and support are critical to of Oct. 24. If it is, the next comments made Feb. 12 the beluga whales’ best friends: distant, let alone 100 metres, any prior notice, at the peak of polar bear conservation. election could be a bit of when council voted 5-2 the tour operators and their from the belugas,” said Dau- our beluga whale tour season The facility will include a a case of musical chairs, to amend the Thompson guests who travel to Church- drich, describing them as very serving guests who made res- workspace, bunkhouse, with the eight incumbent Charter Act, which stiputhat council should ill to view and to interact with social animals that approach ervations a year in advance. kitchen and storage space councillors, assuming all of lates Nickel Belt News file photo them decide to run again, have eight councillors and the belugas,” said association boats as soon as they leave the The tour operators have made for equipment. New federal regulations that require boats and swimmers to stay at least 50 metres from for only six a mayor, to the effect that dock. significant outlays of planning, chair Wally Daudrich. “Thiswhales is theinsingle lar- competing beluga the Churchill area put the existence of the whale watching industry of in The regulations also pro- recruiting and training staff, gest donation PBI has available spots, along with reducing the number Under the new regulations, the Northern Manitoba port town at risk, tour operators say. all the other candidates. council positions would hibit swimming with marine purchasing capital equipment which the Department of Fishreceived and it is an Eliminating two council prevent “new blood” from and bringing in supplies to amazing commitment to eries and Oceans (DFO) said mammals. appear to authorize the coming Daudrich these reguin 2005 and then pub- lished positions would save just intosays council. “The department is of the serve these guests, well in ad- drafted were made to ensure all boaters helping secure the polar minister to create an exemplations put as many as 200 lished in the Canada Gazette under $20,000 in salarDeputy mayor Colleen view that swimming with vance of the season.” are operating under the same bear’s future,” said PBI saidperhaps the CBWTOA. jobs and said up tothat $10 million of 2012 for a 60-day public tion,” ies and about Smook isn’t neThe department says the in set of rules, boats can not come whales constitutes a disturbexecutive director Krista Nickel Belt News photo byasIan Graham economic activity as risk in tourtooperators have period. A proposal “The $5,500 $16,400 in cessarily true she and within 50 metres of beluga ance… this is an activity that process of amending regula- comment Wright. “We’re humbled Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. a community that is already sent a letter to the minister to require whale watching whales in the Churchill estu- the department does not sanc- tions regarding marine mam- by this generous gift and travel expenses, based Valentino were among the this in respect of suffering operators to be licensed requesting on the amounts spent on top threeeconomically. vote-getters in because it leads to the mals began in 2002 through tour ary the GRAHAM Seal River between tion extremely BY or IAN For all the weather to write things that you have ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a grateful.” very safe thing swallow whenkayaking people say boat and 2014 “Sadly, the harsh government of was dropped because of the their travel bytours, the two lowestdespite having not habituation of marine maminformal discussions with June 1 and Oct. 31. For other EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET to figure out. It’s pretty clear I have all these stories and to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar snorkelling, on the grounds Canada adds this burden to its unfair burden it would place spending councillors and been on council before, to vessels and human whale watching tour opertypes of marine and mals Though she’smammals now written when I get through.” I need to capture them for thought that exciting just fi nd somewhere deMeulles said if ita of tours’ enriching the be- bears, ongoing failurePenny to achieve Erica Dani Reiss do- should on oneand group ofwas boaters. thethetwo highest spending while Coun. Byer interaction. Swimming with ators and via formal discusin other Canadian waters, boats a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would habitat on2016. their role solution with OmniTrax on The regulations allow luga nated $1 million do towards in the fiscaland year said fresh faces don’t automarine mammals is discoursion in the subsequent two are required to stay 100 to 400 ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing the in “To say, ‘Those people have movedBay back to Churchprotecting beluga Hudson Railway and the minister to authorize the Shrinking councilwhales to six the matically equate to differaged due to possible serious years, including meetings in Polar Bears International’s metres away, something the Addictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the I don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. hunting.” of Churchill, and new of marine mam- from would put Thompson in the entPort results. consequences for hu- Quebec and B.C. and via the disturbance DFO said isn’t possible in the negative proposed in ChurchManitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for She also has a reputation cats, I wasfacility probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite “I miss the shoreline, “The presence of beluga owners to operate thesewhethassets,”I mals if it could benefit them, line with other similarly “I’m not sure that mans and animals alike.” internet and Canada Post in narrow confines of the Churchill during the organization’s simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss the rock, Gisele deMeulles said writ- a couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” I miss the Daudrich said. “With a rail link whale tours and tour opertheir immediate sized communities said er you have new blood Daudrich said that could New Brunswick, Nova Scotia improve ill Thesomething department also Bear Affair gala inthat To- spectful. ingRiver. wasn’t she “I just sort of thought, “I had such a varied his- Polar Another thing If we were in the polar bears even though hunting of washed a year survival, con- ators Coun.discourages Blake Ellis, a commakes out thatmore greatthan a differforce one Churchill whale and Newfoundland and Lab- chances of said that while whale watching always thought she would you know what, this his- tory and I would tell people spurred was the same boat in another area they’re very and ronto Feb. 27. on beluga whales … The threat ago portdangerous thata iscouncil now shuttribute to her their conservation ment reiterated by Coun. enceand ina what is tour operator to shut down if rador, with hunter and trapcan have scientific, educationdo. tory, this stuff that’s in my stories and they would go, hard times facing Churchill Ito Churchill’s think we would scream Itered, really miss the Hudson beluga whales Churchill, Manitoba, can or protection,Nickel among Belt other News Kathy Valentino. able to do and accomplish an exemption isn’t granted. per organizations consulted al,“In environmental and sociomy youth 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 “When Iand go not come operill afford to says. lose these jobs “When youfrom looktour at every depending on what the ob“For at least one of our in Manitoba and Nunavut. reasons. economic benefits, “whale photooperations courtesy of does felt good at writing,” she if I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way suspended have the option to do that? back home, standing on the hunters.” commercial activity.” “The regulations as pub- ators, other but cityfrom or municipality snorkelling with be- Proposed amendments were watching activities disturb members, Continued on Page 3 Bears last International said. “But whencan I moved said. “My kids are not go- ‘You didn’t do all that, did north Polar of Gillam spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on to Thompson to get into ing to get it if I don’t do it you? You’ve got to be really “It used to be a really feeling like they’re pawns the bay, it just gives you an the school of social work, and it’s something I’ve al- old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community in a political game and that’s incredible sense. You feel so at that point I had to write ways wanted my mom to I did all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down really sad for them because I small and you feel great.” WE SELL for university and realized, do. My mom’s an elder and 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” to such a small population think the people of ChurchNow that she’s got • HOUSEWARE • ELECTRONICS ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, she’s an artist, she’s got so under her belt, Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. ill really want to thrive. one book HELIUM • TOYSThough she’s not there • FRAMES right?’ I certainly developed many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things They’ve built their worlds deMeulles says she may try BALLOONS! a lot of skill in university cause she always tells her she might not do again. any longer, her parents and there. How would we feel to produce another. • CRAFT • LINEN and came out of there with stories at Parks Canada in “I did some pretty bizarre her sister and other family if someone came to you and “I have another book in • the STATIONERY • CARDS a very strong skill in my Churchill and I’ve always stuff like fuel hauls into said, ‘I’m sorry, you WE have toARE me,” she says. “It’s a darker members still are. writing and confidence in hounded her, ‘Please, just high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin owns the leave your home community story, more about personTHE PARTY my writing. I write very put it on tape, I will write it deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware store there,” she and we’re going to displace al growth and struggles. LOOK FOR “GREAT CANADIAN DOLLAR STORE THOMPSON” ON FACEBOOK! SPECIALISTS clear and that’s it. It’s there. for you because your story on me until after. That was a says. you somewhere else and all Maybe in the next five years Some peopleMON say it’s kind of is going to be lost,’ and she’s very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, yourNORTH! it’s something I’ll focus on OFand THE - THU: 9 am - 9 pm • FRIDAY: 9 am - 10 pm • SATURDAY: 9 am - 9 pm • SUNDAY: 10 am - your 6 pmloved ones 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.” Bears International board member and a former chairman of that board individuals and to groups and from 2008 2017, such disturbances, if repetitive pledged the money, which and persistentabout over time, represents halfcan of produce harmfulthe conservation the money organimpacts. marine ization Approaching hopes to raise for mammals too quickly, coming Polar Bears International too close or making too much House.

“Over the least decade of working with PBI, I have seen firsthand the passion lugas represents two-thirds of and energy that the team their business,” Daudrich said. puts into their important “Turning research away and guests effortswho to want to engage these have kinds ensure polar in bears of interactionsaid wouldReiss shutterinoura a future,” family-run businesses.” press release. “It is a privThetoCBWTOA says atilege be a part of help-


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