Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 59 Number • Issue 1111
Friday, March15, 16,2019 2018 Friday, March
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Hudson Bay Railway ordered to correct Book a way to preserve and pass on contraventions of labourup code May 1 memories of growing in by Churchill
Directive from Transport Canada rail safety inspector says area where fatal train derailment occurred last September was identified as a hazard days before the incident
Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. BY IAN GRAHAM
Nickel Belt News photo 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 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 Belt dangers of polar Nickel News file photo Though she’s now written when I get through.” I need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just fi nd somewhere bears, deMeulles said it A Transport Canada rail safety officer said in a January directive to Hudson Bay Railway that the site of fatal derailment last September was identified as a hazard days beforeifthe a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would incident and gave the company until May 1 to correct four contraventions of the Canada Labour Code. ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to ChurchAddictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories the 99.5 fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose dead to live and there. They toillRCMP in a heartbeat. I don’t.” tionfrom at mile and the speed restriction that Anderson, who was pronounced reported approximately 1.5 BY IAN GRAHAM Manitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for However, She alsoHarris has a reputation cats, was probably sitting should quitethe accident “I missby thea shoreline, EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET was removed. says, “no at theI scene, died from a broken bonejust that leave,’ hoursis after commercialI Gisele writ- Bay a couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. was bled on a for bomb.’” simplistic. quite disrerock, I miss the The deMeulles spot wheresaid a Hudson Railway subsequent warning of the situation nine-and-a-half hours because para-It’s helicopter pilotmiss in thethe area,” wrote Harris. ing wasn’t she “I just sort of thought, had such aoperating varied hisAnother spectful. If we “It were the more polar bears even though (HBR) trainsomething derailed last Sept. 15, killing communicated to“Iemployees in medics weren’tthing allowedthat to enter the scene. wasinmany hours before specialists always thoughtand sheseriously would injuring you know torypreventative and I would measures, tell people spurred her on was the same area they’re and the conductor thewhat, thethis area,hisand no The provincial government saidboat in ain another arrived on the scene to very assistdangerous the casualties do. this stuff that’s in providing my stories times facing Churchill think we would I really miss the Hudson and they would go, engineer, had been identified tory, as a trouble such as ongoing monitoring of hard November statement that firstI responders with scream first aid, pain relief and a suitable means “Inprior my toyouth I never ‘That’s not true, isto it?’protect I’d go, had about that so why they Bay,” says. “When I go head, it’s goingthe to culvert, be gone were sincetothe Hudson Bayof Railspot the crash and Churchill-Keeimplemented work in a pool fuel from ruptured of don’t transportation to a she hospital.” felt goodAski at writing,” she if don’t write down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, diesel have the option toThe do directive that? back on1the way suspended watinook MP Niki Ashton isIasking the itthese employees.” tanks withoperations power still running to the giveshome, HBRstanding until May to said. whenminister I moved ‘You didn’t do all that, “My kids are not gonorth of Gillam last spring. right now they’re Hudson Bay of looking out on federal“But transport for asaid. full inquiry A train transporting propane went off did the locomotive as they attempted Itothink extricate correct the contraventions the Canada to to get into ing to get it if Irails don’t do 15 it about you? got tosouthwest be really the“It used pawns intoThompson the incident. Sept. 17You’ve kilometres two men.to be a really feeling like they’re Labour Code. the bay, it just gives you an theAschool social work, and it’sCansomething I’ve alold.’ I was like, ‘No, actually community in a political and that’s incredible sense. You Foods, feel so Jan. 9 of directive from Transport of where the railway crosses Highway 6 thriving Harris’slarge directive to HBR said that thegame Murad Al-Katib, president of AGT at that I had to write ways wanted to I did all Highway that before and it’s just dwindled downa hazard reallyprevensad for them because I ofsmall and you in feel ada railpoint safety inspector Judith Harris to my nearmom the junction with 39.I was The company failed to establish which is one the partners thegreat.” Arctic for university andjust realized, My from mom’s an elder andspotted 27,’ around and they5:30 wentp.m. ‘What?’” to such a small think theocpeopleGateway of ChurchNow she’s got HBR, which had changeddo. hands crash was by a tion program as population required by Canadian Group, told CBCthat that the company ‘Holy, I’m not OmniTrax bad at this, she’s an artist, helicopter she’s got so now,” deMeulles says. oneTransport book under herdirecbelt, some of cupational ill reallythat wantwas to appealing thrive. the former owner to current owner passingLooking overhead back, and Wabowden safety and health regulations, Canada right?’ IGateway certainlyGroup developed many wonderful storiesofficers be- were thosenotified. experiences arearrived things it did Though she’s not there procedures They’ve built worlds says shethere may are try Arctic a couple of weeks RCMP Police not develop emergency to their tive and that thedeMeulles company believes a lot ofthe skill in university she always tells herscene she again. heraccidents, parents and there. How we feel to produce another. before derailment, said thatcause inspections at the crash bymight 7 p.m.not anddoother emer- any deal longer, with train including those in would “factual inaccuracies” in the order. and came out of Sept. there with stories at an Parksgency Canada in “I did some pretty includbizarre remote her sister and other someone came to you and sister “I said have book in conducted from 10-13 identified responders were dispatched, locations with family limited orifintermittent Anderson’s hisanother family was glad a very strong in myat mile Churchill and ing I’veThompson always Fire stuff& like fuel haulsServices into the radio said, ‘I’mthat sorry,that you Ashton have to was me,” she says.an “It’s a darker members still and are. that it failed to issue with waterskill drainage 99.5 and Emergency services, ensure requesting inquiry to writing and subdivision. confidence in her, ‘Please, just -35,” said there “My theemployees leave your homeuncover community story, more about personthe Wekusko Waterhounded had reportpersonnel, who high set outArctic on the at 150-kilometre is acousin way to owns transport with answers and ensure that what hapmy writing. I write tape, Ijourney will write deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn injuries hardware there,” she andlocations we’re goingpened to displace al growth edly been observed on very the rail put andita on speed to it the crash scene around 6 p.m. orstore illnesses from remote to her brother doesn’tand everstruggles. happen to clear and that’s It’s there. you your story onunion, me until That was a or says. somewhere else and all SheMaybe the nextoccur, five years restriction of 10it.miles per hourfor was putbecause on The Teamsters toafter. which 38-yeara way for them to quickly you summon an anyone else. said if in accidents help people saytrain. it’s kind of is going to be lost,’ she’s very dangerous thing to the do. ambulance Becauseor other of means that, your loved ones and be your something I’llmanner focus on aSome Via passenger Corrective measures oldand conductor Kevin Anderson and of transportation. should on theit’s way in a timely so blunt then or direct. don’t tend thenever done it and I thought,engineer Being belonged, on a planesaid full of fuel finds was it hard to history is gone?’” doing.” were takenI to improve rail condi59-year-old Oct. 1 deMeulles “This accident discovered by chance that injured people have a chance to live. 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