Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 59 Number • Issue 7 11
Friday,February March 16, Friday, 15, 2018 2019
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Book way$124,000 to preserve pass on Vale a fined forand not having memories of growing in Churchill emergency eyewashup equipment readily available during 2016 incident
Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill.
Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham
BY IAN GRAHAM
For all the harsh weather to write things that you have ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say 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 Though she’s now written when I get through.” I need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to ChurchAddictions 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. Nickel Belt News file photoI Manitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for She also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite “I miss the shoreline, Gisele deMeulles said writa couplefor ofan reasons. as ainstoryteller onone a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disrerock, emergency I miss the Vale was fined $124,000 in December April 2016 incident Thompsonherself. that resulted in worker suffering a permanent eye injury because of themiss lack the of nearby 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 washing equipment. always thought she would you know what, this his- tory and I would tell people spurred her on was the same boat in another area they’re very dangerous and do. tory, this stuff that’s in my stories and they would go, hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson “In my 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 says. “When I go felt good at writing,” she if I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way suspended operations have the option to do that? back home, standing on the said. “But when I moved said. “My kids are not go- ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on to Vale Thompson to $124,000 get into after ingpleading to get it if Iremaining don’t do itin his you? to be really “It used General to be aHospital really for feeling like they’re the bay, it just gives you an eyeYou’ve for an got extended per- Thompson treatment but aspawns a company we accept responsibilwas fined the school of social work, and something al- resulted old.’ I was ‘No, actually thriving community in a political andsaid that’s incrediblefrom sense. You feel so guilty in December to failing to it’s ensure iod, I’ve which in alike, permanent eye and then large transferred to Winnipeg for fur-game ity,” a statement Ryan Land, at that pointeyewash I had toequipment write ways mom to United I did all that before Local I was ther and it’s just dwindled down really sad for them because I small and you feel emergency was wanted avail- my injury to the Steelworkers treatment. Vale’s manager of Indigenous andgreat.” corporfor university and realized, do.pumping My mom’s an elder and 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” to Vale such Canada a small population think guilty the peopleate ofaffairs ChurchNowand that she’s “Our got able nearby while workers were 6166 member. Limited pleaded for Ontario Manitoba. ‘Holy, grout I’m not at this, an artist, she’s got so tried Looking now,” says. her someeye of to ill eyewash really wantmost to thrive. liquid in bad the T3 mine inshe’s Thompson Workers to flush back, the man’s notdeMeulles having the emergency importantone goalbook in ourunder pursuit of belt, zero right?’ stories be- bottle thoseand experiences are things Though nearby she’s not there They’vewere built their deMeulles shechanged, may try in AprilI certainly 2016. developed many wonderfulusing a water brought him down equipment while the workers harmworlds is to see zero lives says lost or a lot skill inwere university causescissor she always might dolevel again. longer,and herin parents and to there. How would to produce another. Theofworkers on an elevated fromtells the her scissorshe deck and not to the 4070 any operating proximity the CG-542 and we thisfeel unfortunate incident is a stern and came out ofcables there with at Parksretreat Canada in but“I there did some bizarre Rock her sister to you and have bookWe in deck grouting on the stories 4070 level station waspretty no eyewash Boltand and other Cablefamily Grouter, ifinsomeone violationcamereminder that we“I are notanother yet there. a very skillliquid in my Churchill and station I’ve always stuff fuel to hauls into the of ‘I’m sorry,conducted you have toa joint me,”investigation she says. “It’simmedia darker members still are. Health and said, of T3 bystrong pumping grout into holes there. He waslike driven level 4250, the Workplace Safety Act. writing and confidence in hounded her, ‘Please, justminutes high away, Arctic where at -35,” “My cousin owns the $124,000 leave your homeately community more about personthrough a polyethylene hose. The hose about five his said eye Penalties and fines totalling were followingstory, the incident and have since my writing. I writeliquid very grout put into it on the tape, Iwas will flushed write it using deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardwaredown storeby there,” she and we’re goingimplemented to displace the al growth and struggles. ruptured, spraying an eyewash station. He handed the Workplace Health recommendations from clear and that’s it. It’s there. you your story after. That was says.Safety Branch of Manitoba youGrowth, somewherethat elseconfidential and all Maybe in the ve those years faces of two workers and intoforone ofbecause the was then takenontome theuntil surface, where hisa and report, as next wellfias Some people say it’s going to be lost,’ she’s veryagain dangerous do. Enterprise Becauseand Trade. of that, your loved ones and your it’s something I’ll focus on worker’s eyes. Thekind lackof of is emergency eyeand was flushed by thething T3 to mine from Workplace Health and Safety, in order blunt or direct. I don’t tendled never I thought, Beingbefore on a plane of fuel finds it hard is gone?’” doing.” washing facilities nearby to thedone groutit and first aid attendant, beingfull taken to deMeulles “We cannot take backtowhathistory happened, to ensure that this never happens again.” EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Worker had grout in eye for extended period and ended up with permanent eye injury