Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 59 Number • Issue 2311
Friday, 2018 Friday,March June 7,16, 2019
Thompson, Manitoba Thompson, Manitoba
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Provincial building getting new Book a way to preserve andcourtroom pass on as part of millionup renovation memories of $11 growing in Churchill
Mayor says last week set a record for the number of calls Thompson RCMP responded to
Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill.Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham Manitoba RCMP criminal operations officer Chief Supt. Rob Hill – the second-highest-ranking RCMP member in Manitoba – said June 4 that reducing crime in Thompson will require BY IAN GRAHAM 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 more than just policing. EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
BYThough IAN GRAHAM she’s now written
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET a book about her experienThompson courtcesThe growing up in Churchill, house in the provincial Addictions Foundation of building get an addiManitobawill northern director tional courtroom, Gisele deMeulles saidmore writholding cells and an addiing wasn’t something she tional judge’s she chamber always thought would thanks to an $11 million do. renovation project an“In my youth I never nounced Minister felt goodbyatJustice writing,” she Cliff Cullen June 4. said. “But when I moved improvements to Other Thompson to get into include revamping the school of social existwork, ing courtrooms, creating at that point I had to writea smaller courtroom for jufor university and realized, dicial theatpeace ‘Holy, justices I’m not of bad this, and also a child-friendly right?’ I certainly developed courtroom as a a lot of skillas in well university safer and out separate waiting and came of there with area forstrong victims, including a very skill in my child witnesses. Closed-cirwriting and confi dence in cuit my camera writing.security, I writeX-ray very machines and handheld and clear and that’s it. It’s there. walk-through metal detecSome people say it’s kind of tors will be Iadded the blunt or also direct. don’ttotend
to figure out. It’s pretty clear facilities better screenwhen I getfor through.” ingDeMeulles of peoplesaid entering the she wrote court office. her book, titled Whispers in inthe“The Wind:project Stories will from the crease accessibility to the North - Life in Churchill for Thompson office and a couple of court reasons. make court “I just sortproceedings of thought, more timelywhat, and efficient,” you know this hissaid adding the tory,Cullen, this stuff that’sthat in my recent hiring of to four head, it’s going be addigone tional clerks if I don’t writecomplements it down,” she coming to said. “Myimprovements kids are not gothe administration ing to get it if I don’t area. do it “We’re in the process of and it’s something I’ve alhiring two more additional ways wanted my mom to Crown hoping do. My prosecutors, mom’s an elder and to have inshe’s placegot in the she’s anthose artist, so very future. stories We’re trymanynear wonderful being to she provide a better incause always tells her ternal terms of stories process at ParksinCanada in more timely access here so Churchill and I’ve always that we canher, expedite matters hounded ‘Please, just in timely fashion.” puta itmore on tape, I will write it minister also forThe youjustice because your story mentioned a recently anis going to be lost,’ and she’s nounced $300,000 in fundnever done it and I thought,
I have all these stories and ing for atopublic safety stratI need capture them for egy for Thompson. my grandchildren really “One they of the because willareas be lostwe if were looking at was targetI don’t.” ingShe some high-crime areas,” also has a reputation he “Recognizing as asaid. storyteller herself. that Thompson falls into histhat “I had such a varied category, we thought it tory and I would tell people would important to allostories be and they would go, cate some local ‘That’s notmoney true, is for it?’aI’d go, strategy in They’d Thompson ‘Yeah it’shere true.’ go, … to didn’t work away somedid of ‘You do allatthat, the high crime that we you? You’ve gotrates to be really have in theactually area.” old.’ Iseen was here like, ‘No, The renovations are exI did all that before I was pected begin within one 27,’ andtothey went ‘What?’” or Looking two years,back, Cullen said.of some Manitoba RCMP crimthose experiences are things inal operations officer she might not do again. Chief Supt. Hillbizarre – the “I did someRob pretty second-highest-ranking stuff like fuel hauls into the RCMP member in Manihigh Arctic at -35,” said toba – said “It Thompson has deMeulles. didn’t dawn ongoing issues on me until after.with That crime was a that can’tthing arresttotheir verypolice dangerous do. way Beingout onof. a plane full of fuel
to do but I jumped at it. I “It hasthat to was be done by thought exciting examining the underlying until the plane landed and causes of crime and victhey started throwing the timization such fuel off and Ithrough realized, ‘Holy avenues extrajudicial cats, I wasasprobably sitting measures, restorative juson a bomb.’” tice approaches and, most Another thing that importantly, multi-agency spurred her on was the partnerships,” said Churchill Hill, nothard times facing ing that since theThompson’s Hudson Baystatus Railas a hub can contribute to way suspended operations crime in some ways. north of Gillam last spring. “You havetoa lot “It used be ofa people really from smaller thriving largecommunities community in temporarily and andhere it’s just dwindled down sometimes maybe not with to such a small population all their family or support now,” deMeulles says. systems in place,” said Though she’s not there Hill. “That her could lead to any longer, parents anda few activities not her sister andthey othermay family normally do inare. their home members still community.” “My cousin owns the Mayor Colleen Smook, hardware store there,” she who says.just returned to ThompsonBecause after a weekofin Quebec that, at a conference, heardeMeulles finds said it hard to
that Churchill residents ing about the crime that ocshould just find somewhere curred while she was away easier to live. was “devastating.” “To say, ‘Those people “We to heard choose live about there. stabThey bings, we heard all should just leave,’about is quite kinds of things goingdisreon in simplistic. It’s quite Thompson,” shewere said.in“Itthe is spectful. If we bad. The RCMP last week same boat in another area had their crime I think we highest would scream statistics calls ever in about thatand so why don’t they Thompson. Last week have the option to do broke that? all records.” I think right now they’re Part of thethey’re public pawns safety feeling like strategy and issues disin a political game and that’s cussed during meetings with really sad for them because I Cullen and the of RCMP on think the people ChurchTuesday ill really included want toaddressthrive. ing problems before they They’ve built their worlds get serious. there. How would we feel “Childrencame in homes, if someone to you fosand ter homes and youth said, ‘I’m sorry, you centres, have to if youyour get home a handle on that, leave community start working withtothem then and we’re going displace that’s going to else improve it you somewhere and all down the line,” said Smook. your loved ones and your “The of the kids historymajority is gone?’”
and the dangers of polar in caredeMeulles in Thompson bears, said ifare it from outlying communities had been viable she would so they’re used have moved not backeven to Churchto Thompson, ill in a heartbeat.they don’t know people Thompson.I “I miss theinshoreline, They’re herethe to miss thebrought rock, I in miss the foster system the polar bears even and though juvenile system but they they’re very dangerous and really connection I reallyhave missnothe Hudson to Thompson. up toI go us Bay,” she says.It’s “When to start looking afteron them back home, standing the better than do. Weout have Hudson Baywe looking on to the whole thehold bay, it just gives system you an accountable for You the feel safety incredible sense. so of children, right up to the small and you feel great.” government social workers Now that she’s got with book the bigunder caseloads.” one her belt, Smook says saidshewithout deMeulles may try prevention programs, the to produce another. crime Thompson seen “I have anotherhas book in this could me,”spring she says. “It’sbecome a darkera regular occurrence. story, more about personwe don’t a hanal “If growth and get struggles. dle on in it,the it could become Maybe next five years the norm so it’sI’llgot to end it’s something focus on now.” doing.”