Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 59 Number • Issue 2511
Friday, 16, 2018 Friday,March June 21, 2019
Thompson, Manitoba Thompson, Manitoba
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‘Party of the year’ gets going at Nickel Days president’s reception Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Nickel Days 2019 officially got started June 19 at the annual president’s reception, where Susie Miscavish and Merv Sterzuk were named the Honorary King Miner and the Honorary Driller, respectively. Miscavish started working at the Inco smelter in 1989 and also worked at Birchtree Mine before retiring in 2018 Sterzuk first started working for Inco at T-1 mine back in 1967 and stayed there for two years before taking up farming for nearly 20 years and then becoming a miner again in 1988, working at T-1 and T-3 until his retirement in 2017. “We’re proud to showcase the mining industry in the National King Miner contest,” said United Steelworkers Local 6166 president Warren Luky before revealing the Honorary King Miner and Honorary Driller. “A lot of people don’t understand how much is involved. There’s a lot of moving parts.” Reception attendees, including Nickel Days board members and sponsors of Thompson’s summer fair, enjoyed musical entertainment by the Thompson Community Band also heard from head of Vale’s Manitoba Operations Gary Eyres.
Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham From left to right, Honorary Driller Merv Sterzuk, United Steelworkers Local 6166 president and Honorary King Miner Susie Miscavish during the June 19 Nickel Days president’s reception at the Thompson Regional Community Centre. “The amount of volunteers is fantastic and an event like this is really special for Thompson,” he said. Mayor Colleen Smook
encouraged people from Thompson and the surrounding region to enjoy the four days of festivities, saying that Nickel Days has been going
on for the entire 48 years that she’s lived in Thompson. “This is the party of the year,” she said. “Please come out and enjoy this year. It’s
absolutely no different than any other year.” The reception closed with Nickel Days president Wendell Fitzpatrick, Luky
and Stacy Kennedy of Vale officially opening the fair by toasting with the secret booze concoction from the Nickel Days boot.
Steven Campbell was shot at least nine times by Thompson RCMP officer on trial for manslaughter, court hears Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham Most damaging gunshot passed through his lungs and heart from left to right
Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. BY IAN IANGRAHAM GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET Though she’s now written Thompson RCMP Const. a book about her experienAbram Letkeman shot Steces growing up at in least Churchill, ven Campbell nine Addictions of times after Foundation colliding with Manitoba director the Jeep henorthern was driving on Gisele deMeulles said writtwo separate occasions dursomething she ing awasn’t car chase on the night always thought would of Nov. 21, 2015,she a patholodo. gist and forensic collision “In my youth testified I never reconstructionist felt at writing,” she in a good Thompson courtroom said. “But when I moved June 19. to Dr. Thompson to getManiinto John Younes, the school social examwork, toba’s chiefof medical at that point I had write iner, performed the to autopsy for university realized, on Campbell and on Nov. 23, ‘Holy, I’m notwhole bad atbullet this, finding one right?’ I certainlyof developed and a fragment another a skill in university inlot hisofclothing when he and came out there with undressed the of man shot to a verybystrong skill in my death Letkeman. writing and confi dencehad in Campbell actually mybullet writing. I write very 11 entrance wounds, cleartwo andof that’s It’s there. but theseit.may have Some people say it’s kind of been re-entry wounds blunt or direct.that I don’t tend from bullets already
to write through things that you parts have passed other to fiCampbell’s gure out. It’sbody pretty clear of before when I get through.” penetrating his skin again. DeMeulles said she wrote One bullet went into his her book, titledwhile Whispers in open mouth, others the his Wind: fromarm the hit leftStories and right North - Life Churchill for and jaw, butinthese wounds a couplenot of reasons. would have been im“I just sort thought, mediately fatal,of though they you know hiswould havewhat, causedthis signifitory, this stuff cant blood loss.that’s in my head, going to be gone The it’s most serious injuries if I don’t writebyit adown,” she were caused bullet that said. “My kidsthe areleft notside gowent through ingCampbell’s to get it if chest, I don’tbreakdo it of andait’s I’ve aling rib something and going through ways wanted my and mom to his heart, his aorta both do. Mybefore mom’sbreaking an elder and lungs anshe’s an other ribartist, on itsshe’s way got out so of many wonderful stories bethe right side of his chest. cause sheisalways tells serher “This the most storiessingle at Parks Canada in ious injury,” said Churchill “As and I’ve always Younes. a result of hounded ‘Please, this injuryher, there was a just treput it on tape, I will write it mendous amount of internal for you because your story bleeding.” is going to be lost,’ and she’s The chief medical exanever done and Ithan thought, miner said itmore two
‘Oh, as bad,was right?’ litresI’mofjustblood in I have all these stories and Campbell’s chest cavity, I need to capture them an amount of blood loss for he my grandchildren categorized as fatal. really because will be lost if Many they of the shots travI don’t.” elled through Campbell’s Shefrom also has body left atoreputation right and as a storyteller back to front inherself. a slightly “I hadmotion, such a but varied hisupward Younes tory and people said thisI would didn’t tell mean he stories and theyfor would go, could account exactly ‘That’s the not true, it?’ I’d go, where shotsiswere fired ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, from. ‘You didn’t said do allCampbell that, did Younes you?alcohol You’ve and got to be really had cocaine in old.’system I was like, ‘No,he actually his when died. I didalso all said that before I was He that while it 27,’ and they went was possible that ‘What?’” the fatal Looking back, some of wound entered the car those experiences are things through the windshield she might not dowas again. while Campbell turned “I did some pretty bizarre towards the passenger seat, stuff like fuel hauls into the it wasn’t likely. high Arctic at -35,” said RCMP forensic collision deMeulles. “It didn’t reconstructionist Cpl. dawn Ryan on me until after. Cadotte told the That courtwas thata very dangerous thingcruiser to do. Letkeman’s police Being a plane fullCheroof fuel and theonJeep Grand
was not a very safebefore thing kee collided once to do butcollision I jumped attook it. I the final that thought place on athat dirtwas ATVexciting trail off untilsouth the plane and the end oflanded Princeton they started throwing the Drive. This first collision fuel off and Iby realized, ‘Holy was caused Letkeman’s cats, I was sitting patrol car probably contacting the on a bomb.’” rear bumper of the Jeep, Another that causing it to thing spin before spurred hercar on impacted was the the police hard timespassenger facing Churchill the front door. sincetwo the Hudson Bayfacing RailThe cars were way suspended operations in opposite directions and, north of Gillam spring. when one or thelast other ac“It usedthe to decal be a on really celerated, the thriving side of thelarge CMPcommunity cruiser was and it’s just down damaged bydwindled the rear fender to such small population flare of athe Grand Cheronow,”Cadotte deMeulles kee. saidsays. it is unThough she’s there known where thisnot collision any longer,though her parents and occurred, the cars her sister andeach otherother family did run into at members still are. the Jeep an angle, meaning “My owns right the may havecousin been turning hardware store she at the time or there,” Letkeman says. may have collided with it Because of that, from an angle behind and deMeulles finds it hard to to the Jeep’s right.
swallow when people say The second collision, that Churchill residents close to where Campbell should just fiwas nd somewhere was killed, a T-bone easier to live. that saw the style collision “To car say,ram ‘Those people police the Jeep near choose They the backtooflive thethere. rear door, should justinleave,’ is quite resulting the tire size simplistic. It’s quite disrenumbers from the Grand spectful. we were in the CherokeeIfbeing imprinted same boat incar’s another area in the police bumpers. I think wemoment would scream “At that the poabout that so why they lice car strikes it, don’t that tire’s have the option to Cadotte, do that? not moving,” said Iasthink rightby now evidenced the they’re fact the feeling like they’rewere pawns imprinted numbers not in a political game and that’s scuffed. really sad for them Campbell then because reversedI think the people of Churchthe Jeep and started drivill to thrive. ingreally forwardwant and turning left They’ve built their before sliding on aworlds patch there. would we feel of ice How and coming to rest if someone came to the youATV and horizontally across said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to trail. leave homealso community Theyour court heard and we’re going to displace testimony from Dr. Manoyou somewherewho else treated and all har Krishnan, your lovedonones your Letkeman Nov.and 21, 2015. history is he gone?’” “When came in he had
For all the harsh some injury to his weather ankle,” and the dangers of polar said Krishnan, testifying by bears, if it Skype. deMeulles There was said swelling had been viableshowed she would but an X-ray no have moved to Churchfractures. “I back was able to see ill in some a heartbeat. only redness over the “I miss shoreline, ankle and the some swelling.I miss I miss the I did the not rock, see any obvious polar bears even though bruising.” they’re very said dangerous and Krishnan Letkeman Iwas really missinthe Hudson brought by other ofBay,” “When Iand go ficers she in asays. wheelchair back home, left the samestanding way. on the Hudson Bay looking out on “I offered medications the it just want gives to you an but bay, he didn’t take incredible sense. Youfor feelthe so any medications small feel great.” pain,”and saidyou Krishnan. Now that she’sto got The next witness apone belt, pear book in theunder trial isher a use of deMeulles may try force expertsays whoshe will be the to produce another. Crown’s last witness and is “I have June another book in testifying 25. The trial me,” she says. to “It’sconclude a darker is scheduled story, more personJune 28 but about a verdict will al growth andpronounced struggles. likely not be Maybe in the five years until later in next the summer. it’sSee something I’ll coverage focus on more trial doing.” on Page 2