Nickel Belt News Volume 9 Volume 58 58 Number • Issue 3011
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Council takes Canada Goose CEO in Thompson Book acrime way to preserve and pass on High severity and first step towards donates $1 million towards province-wide driven largely by addictions memories of growing up in Churchill reducing their polar bear conservation facility
300. On International the non-violent “Over the least decade of ing them build a muchBears board CSI, Thompson’s of working with PBI, I have needed facility which will member and a score former 270.65 was of second to seen firsthand the passion serve as a launch site for chairman that only board that’s our size, we have the North which and energy that the team PBI’s research and educa- BY IAN GRAHAM from Battleford, 2008 to 2017, EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET most,” she said. had a score of 358.85. pledged the money, which puts into their important tional activities on polar Council approved fi rst Matechuk said that Thompson and Portage represents about half of research and efforts to bear habitat conservation reading of a bylaw to re- since the need to cut costs la Prairie appear the top ensure polar bears have around the world.” the money thein organ10 on the overall, violent ization hopes to raise for a future,” said Reiss in a The proposed Polar duce the number of coun- is partly due to the new, and non-violent CSI rankPolar Bears International press release. “It is a priv- Bears International House, cillors from eight to six at lower grant-in-lieu (GIL) ings, House.along with North ilege to be a part of help- construction of which is their Feb. 26 meeting by a that Vale Manitoba OperSeverity Index (CSI) re- Battleford and Prince expected to begin at the vote of 6-3, with council- ations pays the city instead Albert in Saskatchewan, leased this week. start of the 2018 polar bear lors Ron Matechuk, Dun- of property taxes, the counThompson moved up Wetaskiwin and Williams season, will be built on do- can Wong and Judy Kolada cillors who negotiated that agreement could make it to second in non-violent Lake. Apart from Bellenated land on Churchill’s opposed. Before the reduction possible for council to go crime severity in 2017 ville, Ont., which was 10th main street and designed becomes reality, however, through a trial period with from third the previous in the violent CSI rankings, to be energy efficient and all the other communities year. ecologically sound. It will the bylaw must be the fewer members. “If the three councillors The CSI is released an- in the top 10 for overall, serve as a site to educate subject of a public hearing, currently scheduled that negotiated the GIL, this nually. Unlike the crime violent and non-violent visitors to Churchill about rate, it doesn’t simply look crime severity are in Westpolar bears, climate change for March 12, and then miserable, this very poor at the number of crimes ern Canada. and the urgent need to take receive second and third GIL, were to do the honAmong larger cities, committed but assigns action, as well as provide reading, which are tenta- ourable thing and resign greater weight to crimes Winnipeg had the fourthbroadcast facilities for tively slated to occur March from council, we would that are usually punished highest CSI in the counmedia, support polar bear 12 and March 26 respect- have a couple of weeks to with longer prison senten- try, with a score of slightly research and outreach ef- ively. City manager Gary find out whether we want ces as a way to quantify over 100. forts, and assist visiting Ceppetelli says the bylaw to proceed all the way to Thompson RCMP dethe severity of crime that scientists, educators and must be passed 180 days third reading on this,” said tachment officer-in-charge is occurring. other guests whose work prior to the election date Matechuk, who repeated North Battleford, Sask. Insp. Kevin Lewis isn’t and support are critical to of Oct. 24. If it is, the next comments made Feb. 12 was ranked first in overall surprised by the numbers. polar bear conservation. election could be a bit of when council voted 5-2 “The calls for service crime severity, with a CSI The facility will include a a case of musical chairs, to amend the Thompson communities of over 10,000 people on StatsCan’s 2017 Crime Severity Index, including score of 371.58 compared in Thompson have in- The country’s 10 highest-ranked workspace, bunkhouse, with the eight incumbent Charter Act, which stipusecond-place Thompson, are all located in Western Canada. to 333.24 for Thompson. creased,” he told the Nickel kitchen and storage space councillors, assuming all of lates that council should them decide to run again, have eight councillors and Belt News. “Thompson The two were the only for equipment. theme for hub cit- people that for are not The factors affect tion, this drives up our common competing onlyfrom six a mayor, to thethat effect that communities on the over- Detachment opened over the single lar- Thompson, ies“This acrossisCanada. Our probut choose to Thompson’s crime severscore for crime severity. available spots, along with reducing the number of all CSI with scores greater 17,000 files in 2017, of gest donation PBI has stay here on a temporary ity are similar in much of drug enforcement In addition, we have seen active all the other candidates. council positions would than 300. The rest of the which 7,075 were criminal received and it is an Lewis says. “Many the province, an increase of RCMP mem- also provides an increase basis,” two council prevent “new Justice blood” Minfrom top 10 were Wetaskiwin, in nature. We are seeing amazing to of Eliminating the CSI,commitment as cocaine trafour transient populaister Heather Stefanson bers in Thompson and have in positions would save just coming into council. Alberta, Prince Albert, a rise in many categories helpingissecure theheavily polar tion are consuming alco- and Health Minister Kelweighted maintained consistent po- ficking under $20,000 in salarDeputy mayor Colleen Sask., Portage la Prairie, including assault, robbear’s future,” said PBI on the CSI. Disturbing the hol and other non-potable vin Goertzen said isn’t in a joint lice officers on the road, ies and perhaps about Smook said that neRed Deer, Alberta, Wil- bery, uttering threats, other executive director Krista substances, which results is similar to mischief statement to the Nickel Belt which also results in more peace Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham $5,500 to $16,400 in cessarily true as she and liams Lake, B.C., Leduc, Criminal Code activities, Wright. “We’re humbled where occurs criminal includproactivehasenforcement, Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern written a book about herintoxication experiences growing in up, mostly inactivity Churchill. travel expenses, based News. Valentino were among the disturbing thedirector peace,Gisele im- deMeulles Alberta, Langley City, B.C. byathis generous gift and ing public place, resulting assaults, sexual assault, “These statistics which again drives up the in on the amounts spent on top three crime vote-getters in and and Yellowknife, extremely grateful.” BY IAN GRAHAMNorth- paired Forlong-term all the harsh weather to write driving, things that youmany have ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say in many violations due to public disturbances, and are trends in Crime Severity Index. This travel by the two lowest- 2014 despite having not other categories.” west Territories, which had EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET have all these stories and to to figure out. It’s pretty clear Ioccurs but I jumped it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers polar in some cases homicide. thedo downtown core,atagain and inof Maniimpaired driving spending councillors and Winnipeg been on council before, He I get alsothrough.” notes that I need for scores ranging fromwritten about when Though she’s now to capture them for weighing thought that was exciting should just fi nd somewhere bears, deMeulles said ifare it heavily on our Many of our mischiefs are toba, which is why we and patrols of the downErica and Dani Reiss do- the two highest spending while Coun. Penny Byer crime 185 to 257. a book about her experien- Thompson’s DeMeulles said sheseverwrote town my grandchildren until the plane landed and related easier totolive. had been viable she would intoxicated pertaking action as a province core where wereally wit- score.” nated $1 million towards in the fiscal year 2016. said fresh faces don’t autoimpacted the types violent ity cesThompson’s growing up in Churchill, herisbook, titled by Whispers in because they will bewould lost if they startedthe throwing the sons “Toinsay, ‘Those people have moved back to ChurchDespite high vola private residence make our communities ness an assault that Shrinking council to six to matically equate to differPolar Bears International’s of calls Thompson RCMP crime score was 505.08, Addictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the normally fuel off ‘Holy or choose to live but there. They ill in a heartbeat. I don’t.” of and callsI realized, in Thompson, hotel room, can also safer,” the statement said. go unreport- ume would put Thompson in ent results. officers deal with. more than 100 points proposed facility in ChurchManitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for ed.She also has a reputation cats, I was sitting be should just leave,’ damage is quite “I miss actions the shoreline, I Lewis says probably the CSI doesn’t used to capture Those include In addition, Thompline with other similarly “I’m not sure that wheth“Manyofof the calls for as a storyteller herself. higher than North Battleill during the organization’s Gisele deMeulles said writ- a couple reasons. on a bomb.’” It’sThe quite disre- miss the rock,Justice I missSysthe necessarily indicate that simplistic. to property. mischief the Canadian son is the hub of Northern sized communities said er you have new blood ford, whichsomething had a scoreshe of service Polar BearisAffair gala inthat To- spectful. ing wasn’t “I justthat sortare of captured thought, Manitoba, “I had such a varied hisAnother thing If we were in the bears even though city dangerous for rate is Blake high and when the polar tem Modernization Stratwhich makes it the Coun. Ellis, a commakes that great a differfor Stats Canada are 404.56. Wetaskiwin, with always thought she would you know what, this his- tory and I would on was the same boat in another area they’re very dangerous and ronto Feb.her 27.citizen. the average weight is applied, it proegy to better align police a desirable placetell forpeople drug spurred ment reiterated by Coun. ence in what a council is very that’s heavy,insuch a score of 301.43, was the weighted do. tory, this stuff my stories times Churchill Ivides thinka we would scream I really miss the Hudson and they would go, hard “We havefacing seen an overhigh ratio for our trafficking, and other neNickel Belt News Kathy Valentino. able to do andonaccomplish assaults,” Lewis. only on Ithenever vio- as Continued Page 2I go “Inother my city youth true, is it?’ I’dis go,a since that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When head, it’s goingsaid to be gone ‘That’s the Hudson Bay Rail- about all increase in courtesy transient CSI score.” fariousnot activities. This “When you look at every depending on what the obphoto of “Based on our populalent CSI with a score above 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 other city or municipality Continued on Page 3 Bears last International said. “But when I moved said. “My kids are not go- ‘You didn’t do all that, did north Polar of Gillam spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET Polar Bears International Little changed from 2016 (PBI) received a $1 million to 2017 when it came to donation towards the concrime severity in Thompstruction of a new facility son, which was once again in Churchill during their first in violent crime severPolar Bear Affair gala in ity for communities with Toronto Feb. 27. 10,000 more people and Dani orReiss, president second in overall crime seand CEO of Canada Goose, verity StatsCan’s as wellinas a currentCrime Polar
ranks in October
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 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 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.” WE SELL 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 • HOUSEWARE • ELECTRONICS ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, she’s an artist, she’s got so under her belt, Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. ill really want to thrive. one book HELIUM • TOYSThough she’s not there • FRAMES right?’ I certainly developed many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things They’ve built their worlds deMeulles says she may try BALLOONS! 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. • CRAFT • LINEN 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 “I have another book in • the STATIONERY • CARDS a very strong skill in my Churchill and I’ve always stuff like fuel hauls into said, ‘I’m sorry, you WE have toARE me,” she says. “It’s a darker members still are. writing and confidence in hounded her, ‘Please, just high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin owns the leave your home community story, more about personTHE PARTY 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. LOOK FOR “GREAT CANADIAN DOLLAR STORE THOMPSON” ON FACEBOOK! SPECIALISTS 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 Some peopleMON say it’s kind of is going to be lost,’ and she’s very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, yourNORTH! it’s something I’ll focus on OFand THE - THU: 9 am - 9 pm • FRIDAY: 9 am - 10 pm • SATURDAY: 9 am - 9 pm • SUNDAY: 10 am - your 6 pmloved ones blunt or direct. I don’t tend never done it and I thought, Being on a plane full of fuel deMeulles finds it hard to history is gone?’” doing.”