Volume 55 Number 18
Friday, May 8, 2015
Thompson, Manitoba Providing you with expert advice & friendly service. Book online at speedyglass.ca or try our free app on your iPhone
We look forward to serving you. Ϳͷ-A Kelsey Bay Thompson, MB R;N ͷS Ph: Ͷͺ-ͽͽ;-ͽͶͺ; Fax: Ͷͺ-ͽͽ;-ͽͷͺ
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Churchill’s Bill Ayotte receives Star of Courage for rescuing woman from polar bear BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Churchill resident William (Bill) Ayotte was in Rideau Hall in Ottawa May 1 to receive the Star of Courage from Gov. Gen. David Johnston for coming to the rescue of Erin Greene when she was attacked by a polar bear in the Hudson Bay port town on Nov. 1, 2013. Ayotte was the only recipient of the Star of Courage, Canada’s second-highest decoration for bravery, which recognizes acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril, at Friday’s ceremony Thirty-six other Canadians at the ceremony, including three Manitobans, received Medals of Bravery, which recognize acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances. Ayotte, 69 at the time, grabbed a shovel and began hitting the bear when it attacked Greene, distracting it long enough for her to escape. The bear then mauled him and neighbours shot at the bear to chase it away. “In you, I see proof of humanity and decency and courage in the world,” said the Governor General in his speech to the recipients of decorations for bravery. “It doesn’t fade, doesn’t tarnish. It remains as pristine today as it did during the first bravery award presentation more than 40 years ago. That is why I still get goose bumps each time I present these awards, every time I hear stories of bravery.” Ayotte received the Order of the Buffalo Hunt, one of Manitoba’s highest honours, last October for his bravery.
Nickel Belt News photo courtesy of Sgt. Ronald Duchesne, Rideau Hall Churchill resident William (Bill) Ayotte was in Rideau Hall in Ottawa May 1 to receive the Star of Courage from Gov. Gen. David Johnston for coming to the rescue of Erin Greene when she was attacked by a polar bear in the Hudson Bay port town on Nov. 1, 2013.
Lynn Lake residents upset over Amazon shipping fees BY MOLLY GIBSON KIRBY MOLLY@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Two residents from Lynn Lake are going public with their disappointment in Amazon in hopes that shipping fees will change. Khaled Manna recently bought a puppy, and was having a hard time finding the right food for his new pet. Eventually Manna found the right food on Amazon and planned on buying five bags and
shipping it to his home in Lynn Lake. When placing the order, he noticed Amazon had charged him $1,500 in shipping fees. “I was honestly shocked. I was so surprised and I quickly looked into it and decided to call Amazon. I talked to three people, I escalated it three times, and I finally talked to a manager in their head office.” The representative Manna spoke to explained that Amazon
classifies Lynn Lake as a remote community and the online shopping website has a new shipping policy, which adds $10 per pound of the item for freight charges. The dog food Manna bought was 30 pounds per bag, costing him an extra $300 a bag, on top of the actual price of the dog food. Manna is upset that Lynn Lake is considered remote. “It’s honestly a little bit of a joke that
they can consider us remote because Thompson does not consider us remote. Every day there is a Canada Post van that goes from Thompson to Lynn Lake, so I don’t see how that would be costing them $1,500.” Manna did end up buying the dog food, but shipped it to a friend in Thompson, as shipping to Thompson is free, and plans to pick up the food the next time he
is in town. But Manna says this is his last Amazon order until they fix the fees. “I can’t afford to pay the shipping cost, even for the smaller items I used to get, like daily electronics. There is no such thing as free shipping to Lynn Lake and that’s sad. The people in the north rely on services like this, so I’ve filed a formal complaint.” Continued on Page 4