Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 60 Number • Issue 1111
Friday, March13, 16,2020 2018 Friday, March
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Thompson mayor staying home after man who attended same mining convention as her tests positive for the coronavirus
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook is going one step further than Sudbury public health recommends and isolating herself after a man who attended the same Toronto mining convention as her tested positive for the novel coronavirus. “We have been advised to self-monitor,” Smook told the Thompson Citizen. “They say no need to isolate but I am staying home until I get more information as I did talk to a lot of people from Sudbury.” A Sudbury man in his 50s who attended the conference, along with an estimated 23,000 other people, went to the emergency department at Health Sciences North in Sudbury March 7 after experiencing a cough and difficulty breathing. He was discharged and remains at home in self-isolation, the Financial Post reported. The man was at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) 2020 convention in Toronto March 2 and March 3, said Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, a medical officer of health
with public health in Sudbury and district. He is the first confirmed case of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19 in the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts. Politicians including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Natural Resources Minister Seamus O’Regan and Ontario Premier Doug Ford also attended the convention on the same day as the man, the Post reported. Convention participants were discouraged from shaking hands and advised by signs to use hand sanitizer and to avoid touching their faces with unwashed hands. Smook was not the only Thompsonite to attend the PDAC convention. Communities Economic Development Fund (CEDF) CEO Oswald Sawh was also at the convention Feb. 29 and March 1 and says he is monitoring himself for symptoms but feels fine. “Vale had a contingent at PDAC as we do every year given its importance to the mining industry, including representation from Thompson,” said Tara Ritchie of Vale Manitoba Operations
Nickel Belt News photo courtesy of Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada People who attended the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) 2020 convention in Toronto are being advised to monitor themselves for coronavirus symptoms after a Sudbury man who was there March 2 and March 3 tested positive for COVID-19 on March 7 after going to an emergency room. in an email. “Employees that attended PDAC are being advised to work from home until after the March break to satisfy the antici-
pated incubation period.” As of March 5, 97 COVID-19 tests had been completed in Manitoba but none had come back posi-
tive, Manitoba Health said. The provincial government said March 10 that it is working to co-ordinate the purchase of $35 million
worth of personal protective equipment to be prepared in case coronavirus shows up here but says the risk to Manitobans remains low.
Man found unresponsive near Juniper Park March 8 believed to have died of exposure Nickel Belt News arrived. The man was taken to Thompphoto by Ian Graham EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET son General Hospital for medical attenAn RCMP vehicle near A 21-year-old man found unrespon- tion and died there Sunday evening. the rear entrance to Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham sive in a wooded area near Juniper Park The cause of the man’s death was the Thompson GenerAddictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele hasRCMP, written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. on the morning of March 8 who later investigated by deMeulles Thompson al Hospital on Spruce died in hospital is believed to have the RCMP “D” Division Major Crime 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 Road March 8, close succumbed to the effects of exposure, Unit, the Manitoba North District ForEDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET 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 to where a man was RCMP say. ensic Identification Section and Police 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 Thompson RCMP responded to a Dog Services as well as the Office of found unresponsive a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would report of a man in distress near Spruce the Chief Medical Examiner. bymoved policeback thattomorces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have ChurchRoad alongside the park around 9:30 Although his death is not believed ning. The man 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. later a.m. Sunday and located the 21-year- to be a criminal matter, Thompson in the hospital and I Manitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for She also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite “Idied miss shoreline, old Gods River resident lying un- RCMP and the medical examiner’s histhe death is believed Gisele deMeulles said writ- a couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss rock, I miss the responsive in the snow. Officers began office continue to investigate pending 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 bearsbeen even though to have caused resuscitative efforts until paramedics the results of an autopsy. 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 by exposure. BY IAN GRAHAM
do. “In my youth I never felt good at writing,” she said. “But when I moved to Thompson to get into theThe school of social work, Manitoba government at providing that point$180,000 I had to write is from for Federal university and realized, the Proceeds of Crime ‘Holy, for I’m anot bad at this, Fund province-wide right?’ IStoppers certainly developed Crime campaign a lot ofat skill in university aimed identifying and arand came out of there with resting methamphetamine a very strong skill in my dealers. writing and confi dence in The money will be used by my writing. I write very Winnipeg Crime Stoppers, clear andCrime that’sStoppers it. It’s there. Brandon and Some people sayStoppers it’s kindfor of Manitoba Crime blunt or direct.campaign I don’t tend an advertising to
tory, this stuff that’s in my head, it’s going to be gone if I don’t write it down,” she said. “My kids are not going to get it if I don’t do it and it’s something I’ve alencourage people to report inways wanted mom to formation aboutmy meth-related do. My mom’s elder and crimes, as well an as to expand she’s an award artist, she’s got for so the cash program many stories bepeoplewonderful who provide anonymcause always her ous tipsshe resulting in tells meth-restories at Parks Canada in lated arrests. Churchill anddealing I’ve always “Criminals illicit hounded ‘Please,meth, just drugs, andher, particularly put tape, to I will it are ita on danger all write Manifor you because yourMinisstory tobans,” said Justice is be lost,’ she’s tergoing Cliff to Cullen in aand March 9 never done it and I thought, press release. “This partner-
stories and they would go, ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, ‘You didn’t do all that, did you? You’ve got to be really old.’ I wasCrime like, ‘No, actually ship with Stoppers will Ihelp didensure all that before I was Manitobans with 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” important information to share some of canLooking feel safeback, making an anthose experiences are things onymous report to better their she might not dobelieve again.this community. We “I did some campaign willpretty clearlybizarre highstuff like itfuel hauls into light why is important to the call high the tipArctic line andatbe-35,” a part ofsaid the deMeulles. solution.” “It didn’t dawn onThe me until after. a proceeds ofThat crimewas fund very dangerous thing to do. is supported by property obBeing oncrime a plane of fuel tained by thatfull is forfeited
hard times facing Churchill since the Hudson Bay Railway suspended operations north of Gillam last spring. “It used to be a really thriving large community from federally prosecuted and it’s just dwindled down Criminal Code offences. to Winnipeg such a small population Crime Stoppers now,” deMeulles chair Paul Johnsonsays. said police Though she’s there need citizens’ helpnot to reduce any longer, herofparents the availability meth. and her“Every sister piece and other family of informamembers still are. tion – no matter how trivial cousinJohnson owns said. the – is“My important,” hardware there,” she “The threestore Crime Stoppers says. programs are proud to be part ofto create that,a of Because that community deMeulles finds it solution’ hard to ‘made-in-Manitoba
I think we would scream about that so why don’t they have the option to do that? I think right now they’re feeling like they’re pawns in political game and that’s to aaddress this crisis.” really sad because Meth isfor notthem commonly en-I think the people of Churchcountered in Thompson, says ill really want thrive. Thompson RCMPtoStaff Sgt. They’ve built their worlds Chris Hastie. there. Howsay would we feel “I would the frequency if came to you ofsomeone these encounters hasand essaid, ‘I’mbeen sorry, have to sentially theyou same over leave your home community the past year or two. Besides and we’recocaine going toand displace cannabis, illegal you somewhere and the all prescriptions areelse usually your loved ones and your more predominantly encounhistory is gone?’” tered street drugs here in
I really miss the Hudson Bay,” she says. “When I go back home, standing on the Hudson Bay looking out on the bay, it just gives you an incredible sense. You feel so Thompson.” small and youFoundation feel great.”of Addictions Now that she’s Manitoba Thompson rapidgot acone under her belt, cess book to addictions medicine deMeulles says she may try (RAAM) clinic nurse Mary to produce another. Beaudry said in November “I she have another in that deals with abook couple me,” she says.relating “It’s a to darker of calls a week meth story, more about and that some of thepersonpeople al growth struggles. who used itand did so unknowMaybe in the next years ingly because theyfive used coit’s something focus on caine that had I’ll been tainted doing.” with methamphetamines.
Province earmarks money for anti-meth campaign