Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 59 Number • Issue 4911
Friday,December March 16, Friday, 6, 2018 2019
Thompson, Manitoba Thompson, Manitoba
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Flood-damaged operating rooms in Thompson won’t be repaired until March Surgeries remain limited to life- and limb-saving procedures, emergency C-sections
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
The three operating rooms at the Thompson General Hospital that were shut down in June as a result of water damage will not be ready for use until early in March, the Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA) says. Previously, an opening date of January had been expected but unspecified production
delays mean it won’t be ready until about three months later. “Surgical procedures remain limited to life and limb-saving surgeries and emergency C-sections,” said NRHA communications co-ordinator Twyla Storey Dec. 4. All but one of the hospital’s four operating rooms were knocked out of commission in June as a result of water damage from a
faulty rooftop air conditioning unit. Elective surgeries and procedures were cancelled as a result. By mid-July 123 surgeries had been cancelled and 27 others performed at other health care facilities in Manitoba. At that time, the NRHA was predicting it would be four to six months before the operating rooms were ready to be used again.
While the operating rooms have been unavailable, the hospital has aimed to keep one surgeon and one anesthetist on call at all times, NRHA CEO Helga Bryant told the Nickel Belt News in July, along with one obstetrician and three operating room nurses. The Thompson General Hospital’s operating room area was originally built in 1957 and renovated to the current layout in 1972.
Santa Claus touches down in eight northern First Nations with help from Perimeter Aviation
Santa Claus’s visit to Brochet Dec. 1 was a treat for kids of all ages. In a longstanding holi“Many of the youth see Santa in their homeday tradition, Perimeter throughout MKO territory town,” said Settee. “We are Aviation and Manitoba do not have the opportunity very thankful that the Santa Keewatinowi Okima- to travel to urban centres to Express Initiative is there kanak (MKO) teamed up see Santa Claus during the for the north.” Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham once again this year to holiday season,” said PerFounded in 1960 and help bring Foundation Santa Claus imeter Aviation president based in Winnipeg, Addictions of to Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has writtenPerima book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. remote and northern First Nick Vodden in a press re- eter Aviation provides pasBY IAN in GRAHAM For all the harsh weather to write“So things have senger ‘Oh, I’mand justcargo as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say Nations Manitoba. lease. wethat areyou pleased services EDITOR@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 of polar Perimeter gave jolly to partner with MKO and as well as medevac operThough she’s now written when I get through.” I need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just fi nd somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it old St. Nick a free ride other organizations for 10 ations to 33 communities a bookWinnipeg about herto experienDeMeulles said she myManitoba grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would from Oxford years now to make thiswrote pro- in and Northern ces growing up inRiver Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in Ontario, because they willof bewhich lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to ChurchHouse, God’s and gram a success.” many Addictions 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.” Shamattawa Nov. 30, then MKO Grand Chief Gar- are isolated and difficult Manitoba northern director North -Settee Life insaid Churchill for or She also has atoreputation “I miss the shoreline, I took him into Brochet, Lac rison he was impossible reach by cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite Gisele deMeulles saidIndian writ- thankful a couple offor reasons. as a storyteller herself. out- on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the Brochet and South Perimeter’s ground transportation ing somethingday. she participation “I just sort of “I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though Lakewasn’t the following of the winter ice road in thought, making side always thought she youSanta knowExpress what, this his- season. tory andPerimeter I would tellhas people a reality. Kris Kringle waswould also the 750 spurred her on was the same boat in another area they’re very dangerous and Belt News photos courtesy Perimeter Aviation do. this is stuff in my we would scream I really of miss the Hudson stories and they would scheduled to touch down tory, “This allthat’s to bring a employees, about 150go, of hard times facing Churchill I thinkNickel “In my youth I never ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, about that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When I go head, it’s going to be gone since the Hudson Bay RailSanta Claus poses with Perimeter Aviation employees during the annual Santa Express in Cross Lake and Norway smile to the faces of little whom are of Indigenous felt good at writing,” she if I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, have the option to do that? back home, standing on the way suspended operations northern tour Nov. 30-Dec. 3. House Dec. 2-3. kids and an opportunity to descent. said. “But when I moved to Thompson to get into the school of social work, at that point I had to write for university and realized, ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, right?’ I certainly developed a lot of skill in university and came out of there with a very strong skill in my writing and confidence in my writing. I write very clear and that’s it. It’s there. Some people say it’s kind of blunt or direct. I don’t tend
said. “My kids are not go- ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. ing to get it if I don’t do it you? You’ve got to be really “It used to be a really and it’s something I’ve al- old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community ways wanted my mom to I did all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down do. My mom’s an elder and 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” to such a small population she’s an artist, she’s got so Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things Though she’s not there Contact Nelson 204-307-0281 cause she always tells her atshe might not do again. any longer, her parents and stories at Parks Canada in “I did some pretty bizarre her sister and other family pruderspropertyservices@gmail.com Churchill and I’ve always stuff like fuel hauls into the members still are. hounded her, ‘Please, justproperty high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin owns the to discuss your needs! put it on tape, I will write it deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware store there,” she for you because your story on me until after. That was a says. is going to be lost,’ and she’s very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, never done it and I thought, Being on a plane full of fuel deMeulles finds it hard to
Yer snow gotta go!
I think right now they’re feeling like they’re pawns in a political game and that’s really sad for them because I think the people of Churchill really want to thrive. They’ve built their worlds there. How would we feel if someone came to you and said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to leave your home community and we’re going to displace you somewhere else and all your loved ones and your history is gone?’”
Hudson Bay looking out on the bay, it just gives you an incredible sense. You feel so small and you feel great.” Now that she’s got one book under her belt, deMeulles says she may try to produce another. “I have another book in me,” she says. “It’s a darker story, more about personal growth and struggles. Maybe in the next five years it’s something I’ll focus on doing.”