January 17 2020

Page 1

Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 60 Number • Issue 3 11

Friday, March 17, 16, 2020 2018 Friday,January

Thompson, Manitoba Thompson, Manitoba

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Family outreach worker tells Mystery Lake school board about his efforts to increase attendance

Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill

Nickel Belt News photo by James Snell Jason Bayer, a family outreach co-ordinator for the School District of Mystery Lake, works with families, schools and social services to increase school attendance among marginalized children. ings that I’m a part of every tive. The goal is to improve to…sometimes 10 times tom line.” so there are parenting proTuesday at 10:30 a.m. at the attendance. I wish I could per month. I’ve worked Bayer also helps some grams there to help them,” Jason Bayer, family out- Ma-Mow-We-Tak Friend- help at all schools.” with 349 different families of the newer school staff to he said. “There’s drugs, Nickel Belt Newsselling photo drugs, by Ian Graham reach co-ordinator for the ship Centre. They are more Bayer said there are red in three schools since I understand the dynamics there’s so they Addictions Foundation of Manitoba director Gisele deMeulles written book about her experiences growing of up,marginalized mostly in Churchill. School District of Mystery than northern welcome, so I hope flags withhas some of thea kids started.” families in are at the TRCC [Thompson Lake, gave an impassioned they’ll consider this an in- who are not attending, and Effective outreach means Thompson. Regional Community CenBY IAN GRAHAM Forwith all the harsh weather write things that have I’m just as teachers bad, right?’ a very safe visits, thing swallow people presentation to the school to vite, because it’s you going to ‘Oh, administration, and was phonenot calls and home “This iswhen the key to mysay job tre] their little backEDITOR@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 board Jan. 14 regarding his make everyone’s job a hell social workers reach out to says Bayer. … to develop partnerships,” pack on selling drugs,polar and Though now written get through.” need capture them for thought just find somewhere deMeulles saidFor if ita work withshe’s struggling fam- when of a lotI easier – for our kids Ihim “But I that get awas lot exciting of texts should he explained. “By breaking bears, not going to school. fortohelp. a bookand about experienDeMeulles really the plane landed and to live. she would ilies, the her challenge of and families.”said she wrote my“I grandchildren wish it was just as until and emails and messages on easier down those barriers, we will had lot ofbeen kids,viable it’s too cold and ces growing school up in Churchill, book, titled in because they will‘Let’s be lost if they startedhethrowing the create “To better say, ‘Those people moved to females Churchimproving attend- herThe main goalWhispers of Bayer’s easy as saying, just Facebook,” said. “There childhood edu- have too far. Withback some Addictions Foundation of the Stories the Iget off andwhen I realized, ‘Holy to live there. a heartbeat. don’t.” ance for affected children job isWind: to “build and from maintain your kids to school,’” fuel are times I give the choose cation outcomes. ButThey I’m ill it’sinanxiety. There are so 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 why shoreline, in Thompson. relationships with families he explained. “But usu- families rides to either men- only one person with a lot many reasons they areI Gisele deMeulles said writcouple of reasons. storyteller herself. bomb.’” It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the “I respectfully want to aand children,” he explained. as allya it’s about 15 different on tal ahealth appointments, simplistic. of families.” not attending school.” ing something she “There “I just of as thought, “I had such a varied his- medical Another thing that If we were the polar bearsinformation even though call wasn’t on every child caring is sort a wall, every- things that family is strugappointments, help spectful. Bayer said there arein many For more on always thought she would you know what, this history and I would tell people spurred her on was the same boat in another area they’re very dangerous and agency in Thompson, under one knows, between fam- gling with. It’s a challenge. them grab groceries and reasons why children miss Hub Committee meetings, do. thisschools. stuff that’s my stories timesoff. facing Churchill Ischool. think we would scream Iplease reallycontact miss the Hudson and71 they would go, hard the Northern Authority, and tory, ilies and So, in I chip I average family visits drop them So basically, Jason Bayer “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 Railask them to please attend at it slowly to keep relation- a month. A lot of them I’m there guiding families. “I think some of the fam- at 204-778-4511. 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 the Hub Committee meet- ships and home visits posi- are the same families I go Student success is the bot- ilies need to be empowered, BY JAMES SNELL

JAMES@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

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.”


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