Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 58 Number • Issue 2811
Friday, 2018 Friday,March July 13,16, 2018
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Book way to preserve andtopass Kaspera Transportation aims pick on up some of Greyhound’s routes memories of growingManitoba up in Churchill
Nickel Belt News photo Transportation by Ian Graham Nickel Belt News photo courtesy of Kasper Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director deMeullessome has written a book experiences growing up, mostlyabandons in Churchill. Thunder Bay-based Kasper Transportation says it willGisele begin operating bus new routesabout in theher Prairies when Greyhound Canada its Western Canada operations Oct. 31. BY IAN GRAHAM BY KYLE DARBYSON EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
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 what people are used to,” he said. viously routes in Brandon, Flin The Thunder Bay-based com- where Greyhound failed, since 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 “I’m going to try to talk to people Flon, The Pas, Dauphin have kept pany expanded its operations the people behind this company KYLE@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET 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 locally and see what they want Greyhound alive for a long time. into Manitoba as of Sept. 5, 2017 are young, ambitious and keen on Immediately following Greya book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would and see if the existing system And maybe they were not enough and has been keeping an eye on improving customer satisfaction. hound Canada’s bombshell ances 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 Churchwas good. If not, we’ll change for them, but I feel like they’re Greyhound’s tenuous status in “I think that when a company nouncement that they will be 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. it a little bit.” the province ever since. gets too big and the original enough for us.” closing virtually all Western CanManitoba 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, I Wabinski also said he is open Right now, Wabinski is es“The word was on the street founders disappear, I guess the ada bus operations as of Oct. 31, Gisele deMeulles said writ- a couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the timating that a one-way ticket to the possibility of rehiring a long time ago was they’ve spirit of the company dies,” he an Ontario company says it will 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 for this route will probably cost northern Greyhound employees been threatening to pull out for said. “With that comes a lot begin running more buses to and 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 around $125, which is about the who will be losing their jobs in years now,” said Wabinski. “So if of poor decision-making, and from to this do. Winnipeg, including onetory, stuff that’s in my stories and they would go, hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson same price that Greyhound char- the fall. they ever decide to pull out [we decision-making that could potThompson. “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 ges right now. “We currently employ exthought] ‘Let’s do it. Let’s get in entially be personally driven by On July 9, Kasper Transportafelt 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 However, the CEO said he will Greyhound drivers that have there.’ That’s a no brainer, right?” promotion bonuses and other tion announced on Facebook that 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 probably be utilizing slightly retired and we’re always lookKasper Transportation’s July aspects.” they will be establishing a new 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 smaller 25−35 seat buses for the ing for quality staff that knows 9 Facebook post also claims In the meantime, Wabinski is route that runs from Winnipeg to 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 purposes of this trip, rather than what’s going on,” he said. “We’re that the company will be takcalling on the people of ThompThompson on the exact same day 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.” the full-sized motor coaches that going to need people to manage ing over other Greyhound routes son to provide his company with that Greyhound is shutting down 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 Greyhound currently deploys. this new route. I’ll try to open throughout Ontario, Manitoba feedback on how to make this their services across the Prairies. ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, she’s an artist, she’s got so Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. ill really want to thrive. one book under her belt, Even though a lot of this inthe doors for as many people as and Saskatchewan, including a transition as smooth as possible. While concrete details surright?’ I certainly developed many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things Though she’s not there They’ve built their worlds deMeulles says she may try formation could be subject to I can.” direct route between Winnipeg “If there are local people that rounding this new route are 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. change, Wabinski isn’t countKasper Transportation was and Thunder Bay and a direct want to “Iwork with us, help us, scarce, Kasper Transportation 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 have another book in ing out the possibility of setting founded in 2015 and has been route from Winnipeg to Regina work together, join us, we’re alCEO Kasper Wabinski told the a very strong skill in my Churchill and I’ve always stuff like fuel hauls into the members still are. said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to me,” she says. “It’s a darker up shop in other Manitoba comproviding regular bus services, and then on to Saskatoon to ways open to do that,” he said. Nickel Belt News July 10 that writing and confidence in hounded her, ‘Please, just high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin owns the leave your home community story, more about personmunities that will be without bus parcel delivery and medical Prince Albert. “We want to talk to local comhe is going to tailor this new 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. services as of Oct. 31. transportation throughout northMoving forward, Wabinski bemunities and the municipalities, service to the specific needs of 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 “We have to be somewhat western Ontario in the interven- of lieves that Kasper Transportation we want to build the network. We local Some residents. people say it’s kind of is going to be lost,’ and she’s very dangerous thing to do. Because that, your loved ones and your it’s something I’ll focus on strategic of how to do it, but ob- ing three years. has a better chance of succeeding want to build our connections.” “I’m try tend to mimic blunt or going direct. Itodon’t never done it and I thought, Being on a plane full of fuel deMeulles finds it hard to history is gone?’” doing.”