Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 58 Number • Issue 2911
Friday, 2018 Friday,March July 20,16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba Thompson, Manitoba
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Mike Bourgon newpass fire chief Book a wayistoThompson’s preserve and on
memories of growing up in Churchill
BY KYLE DARBYSON
KYLE@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Even though he’s been taking on this role since June, Thompson city council formally recognized Mike Bourgon as the head of Thompson Fire & Emergency Services during their July 16 regular meeting. Not only did council unanimously pass a resolution to appoint Bourgon the director of fire and public safety as of Aug. 13, but they also took the time to praise his overall ability, leadership skills and commitment to the community as a whole. Councillor Penny Byer also mentioned that Bourgon has been working closely with retiring fire chief John Maskerine for the last six years as his deputy fire chief, which will make for a smooth transition heading into the second half of 2018 and beyond. In a follow up conversation with Nickel Belt News on July 17, Bourgon describes how he’s been fighting fires in the Hub of the North since the fall of 2007 and has become familiar with every inch of the department in the intervening 11 years. “Starting at the bottom and working my way to the top … you really gain
an appreciation for every member of this department and every role that they do, from the dispatchers to the front line firefighters to the officers.” Throughout this period, Bourgon has also made time to prepare for the managerial side of the job, having receiving a certificate in fire service administration and fire service leadership from Dalhousie University. However, moving into this new role as fire chief, Bourgon will be taking on a whole new spectrum of responsibilities, especially when it comes to the area of public safety. “The biggest change is the addition of the public safety department, so that includes the community safety officers, animal control, license inspector and bylaw inspector,” he said. “It’s just more encompassing. It’s larger. It’s a bigger role.” Thankfully, Thompson’s newest fire chief says he won’t be shouldering all this responsibility by himself, since he’ll be backed up by, in his opinion, the “best trained, most wellrounded, highest skilled, most respected fire department in the country” that is already used to handling “big city calls”.
Nickel Belt News photo by Kyle Darbyson Before becoming the head of Thompson Fire & Emergency Services, Mike Bourgon was appointed to the role of deputy fire chief in the summer of 2012. “Our firefighters and the capabilities of them to answer every single call, every single day, 24/7 … you can’t explain how proud you are to be able to lead a department like that,” he said, referencing the fact that the department has already answered around 7,000 calls so far this year. “Every day we’re improving, and you’ll look at this
department and you’ll say ‘you can’t be more proud of these men and women.’ And what do they do? They turn around and they prove that they can accomplish even more.” Bourgon also talked about how garnering the support of city council is his department’s other big key to success, and that he is looking forward to work-
ing with the newly formed local government following October’s municipal election. “When we have the support of council to give us the training that we need, to give us the resources that we need, to give us the equipment that we need and to give us the facilities that we need … when they give us those pieces of the puz-
zle, we have the best trained firefighters in the country.” Thompson’s new fire chief also took the time on Tuesday to praise his predecessor John Maskerine, who has been fighting fires in Northern Manitoba for the last half century and recently received the Mary Beth Dolin Meritorious Fire Service Award for his years of hard work. “To put it bluntly I don’t think that anybody will be able to fill out John Maskerine’s shoes. That’s going to be impossible,” he said. “He’s left a legacy in this department that no one is every going to be able to match.” However, Bourgon is still looking to push his fire department in new and interesting directions, with a renewed emphasis on community initiatives like promoting wildfire safety and public education programs. “I don’t want to be a status quo chief. I don’t want to just live in the norm,” he said. “I want to take Thompson to the next level. I want to ensure that we’re progressing. And not only do I want to see this department as the best department in Canada, I want it to be recognized nationally as the best department in Canada.”
City council postpones vote on executive salary increase until Aug. 13 regular meeting
Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Though she’s now written BY KYLE DARBYSON a book about her experienKYLE@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET ces growing up in Churchill, While Thompson Addictions Foundationcity of council’s July 16 meeting Manitoba northern director was packed full of houseGisele deMeulles said writkeeping items, its members ing wasn’t something she didn’t a chanceshe to go over alwaysgetthought would arguably the most controverdo. sial“In resolution on theIagenda. my youth never council was feltOriginally, good at writing,” she supposed vote onI moved whethsaid. “Butto when er or not to approve to Thompson to geta 1.25 into per salary increase for the cent school of social work, its executive at that point I staff, had towhich write amounts to around $25,000 for university and realized, from of at July 1, ‘Holy,the I’mperiod not bad this, 2018 30, 2019. right?’toI June certainly developed However, resolution a lot of skillthis in university was taken out off of there Monday’s and came with agenda tabled for further a very and strong skill in my internal writingdiscussion and confileading dence up in to next regular meeting mytheir writing. I write very on Aug. clear and13. that’s it. It’s there. “It will besay discussed Some people it’s kindon of Monday with the finance blunt or direct. I don’t tend
to write things that you have to figure out. It’s pretty clear when I get through.” committee and ourshe auditor,” DeMeulles said wrote said Mayor Dennis Fenske. her book, titled Whispers in “And then we’ll have an the inthe Wind: Stories from camera our meetNorth - on Life inAugust Churchill for ing and [it’ll be up] for resoa couple of reasons. lution in the August meeting “I just sort of thought, as well.” you know what, this hisAccording a memo tory, this stuff to that’s in my written citytomanager head, it’sby going be gone Gary Ceppetelli, this execuif I don’t write it down,” she tive is mirroring said.salary “My boost kids are not goincreases ing to getthat it ifUnited I don’tSteeldo it workers 8223-02 andI’ve 8223and it’s something al12 members due to to ways wantedreceive my mom their current Collective do. My mom’s an elder Barand gaining she’s anAgreements. artist, she’s got so However, regardless of many wonderful stories bethis reasoning, thistells resolucause she always her tion has at already subject stories Parksbeen Canada in to controversy, withalways some Churchill and I’ve saying that such salaryjust inhounded her, ‘Please, creases notI will acceptable put it onare tape, write it during current for youThompson’s because your story economic plight only is going to be lost,’ and and she’s months before theI thought, upcomnever done it and
Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham
‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say I have all these stories and to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents I need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just find somewhere my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. because they will be lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They I don’t.” She also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disre“I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the tory and I would tell people spurred her on was the same boat in another area stories and they would go, hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Rail- about that so why don’t they ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way suspended operations have the option to do that? ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re you? You’ve got to be really “It used to be a really feeling like they’re pawns old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community in a political game and that’s I did all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down really sad for them because I 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” to such a small population think the people of ChurchLooking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. ill really want to thrive. Nickel Belt News photo by Kyle Darbyson those experiences are things Though she’s not there They’ve built their worlds Following city council meeting, Dennis Fenske (farHow left) told Nickel she might Monday’s not do again. any longer, Mayor her parents and there. would we Belt feel News that they will bizarre vote on whether or and not other to increase salary at to their “I did some pretty her sister familyexecutive if someone came younext and regular stuff likemeeting. fuel hauls into the members still are. said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin owns the leave your home community ing municipal argued thatthere,” this money city’sto2018−19 deMeulles. “Itelection. didn’t dawn mann hardware store she cut andfrom we’rethe going displace letter submitted onIn meauntil after. That wasto a would says. be better spent funding budget. you somewhere else and all the Belt News, local like the “It’sloved timeones for our veryNickel dangerous thing to do. initiatives Because of summer that, your and comyour business Volker Beckcamp programs were Being onowner a plane full of fuel day deMeulles finds itthat hard to munity history isleaders gone?’”and city
For all the harsh weather and the dangers of polar bears, deMeulles said if it management to show some had been viable she would fiduciary responsibility and have moved back to Churchbe accountable to the taxpayill in a heartbeat. er,”“I he wrote. canI miss the“Council shoreline, defer any in spendmiss the increase rock, I miss the ing until aftereven the election, polar bears though let the public have their and say, they’re very dangerous and let a miss new council make I really the Hudson that decision. That wouldI go be Bay,” she says. “When the approach to backresponsible home, standing on the take.” Hudson Bay looking out on alsogives decided to theCouncil bay, it just you an postpone on afeel resoincredible voting sense. You so lution to you approve certain small and feel great.” changes executive Now to that she’s staff got termsbook and conditions, one under her such belt, as reclassifying deMeulles saysthe shepositions may try of manager and to Norplex producePool another. director of another public works. “I have book in In any event,“It’s these issues me,” she says. a darker should be resolved Thompstory, more aboutatpersonson city council’s regular al growth and next struggles. meeting, is scheduled Maybe inwhich the next five years to place Monday, Aug. it’stake something I’ll focus on 13 at City Hall. doing.”