Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 59 Number • Issue 4611
Friday, March 16, Friday, November 15,2018 2019
Thompson, Manitoba Thompson, Manitoba
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Vale’s head of Manitoba Operations believes there is an ore body equivalent to a new mine near Thompson said Gary Eyres, estimat- ever again, Eyres says. ing that the proposed invest“We’re not a smelting or a A proposed $1 billion in- ment would be equivalent refining operation anymore vestment in Vale’s Thomp- to opening a new mine in and the reality is we’re not son mines in the next five Thompson and saying that going to go back to being a years could generate near- it is possible another mine smelting or a refining operly $8 billion in economic shaft could be excavated ation because that really activity over the next 45 down to as far as 6,300 doesn’t make sense for our years, the company’s head feet. Right now, mining area or the region or the of Manitoba Operations told areas extend down to 4,800 operation,” said Eyres, saythe Thompson Chamber of feet below the surface. “We ing the capital investment Commerce Nov. 13. haven’t found the end of the required to create smelting “What we’re looking at is ore body yet. Somewhere and refining facilities is “abexploring our ore bodies,” close by, I believe, is the solutely massive.” next Thompson mine.” That said, Eyres believes If the investment goes that there is a possibility in ahead, it would result in the long-term future for Vale could invest up to $1 $7.9 billion worth of eco- previously mined areas that billion into its Manitoba nomic activity between now aren’t currently utilized – Operations over the next and 2065, $7.4 billion more like Birchtree and Pipe Lake than putting the mines on – to be brought back into five years if exploration ac- care and maintenance until production as demand cretivities reveal large enough 2043 would create. It’s also ated by production of elecdeposits, head of Thompson $5.4 billion more economic tric vehicle batteries pushes operations Gary Eyres told activity than would be gen- nickel prices upwards. Curthe Thompson Chamber of erated by simply mining out rently, stainless steel prothe current areas of T1 and duction is the “bread and Commerce Nov. 13. butter” of most nickel operNickel Belt News photo T3 by 2043. Vale has just started an ations around the world, by Ian Graham aerial survey of the Thomp- but the expected growth of son Nickel Belt in hopes of the electric vehicle market validating some of the signs could spur demand for 50 that exploration activities times as much nickel as is have turned up. currently produced in the Right now, Vale Mani- world by as early as 2030. “The world doesn’t have toba Operations has about 30 fewer employees than enough nickel now [for fuit wants, Eyres says, and ture electric vehicle battery there are no plans to cut any production].” Eyres says, more jobs. The reason some predicting that most of the jobs haven’t been filled, he people at the meeting would said, is because the mining be driving either an electric industry around the world vehicle or a hybrid within is short of skilled workers 15 years. and that makes it difficult “That really is the future to get people to come to for us here. It’s the future Thompson. for nickel.” The key to convincing In order to take advanVale management to invest tage of that future, however, more in Thompson mines is Vale Manitoba Operations finding an area with 20,000 needs to upgrade its mining or more tonnes of nickel infrastructure. waiting to be mined. The “We‘ve got a really old company is also trying to in- mining and concentrating crease the nickel in the conoperation,” Eyres said. “We Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham centrate it produces from 14 can’t be mining in exactly Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. per cent to 18 per cent so the same way that we’ve that Vale smelting and refinmining for the last 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 been ing operations Ontario and 60 years. We’re fixing the EDITOR@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 inresidents the dangers of polar and Newfoundland can turn bears, operation in ordersaid to proThough she’s now written when I get through.” I need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just find somewhere deMeulles if it it intoto99.9 ducebeen nickel for the 30 a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier live.per cent pure had viable shenext would which used have years.” ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing the nickel “To like say, that ‘Those people moved back to Churchto be produced in Thomppresident Raj Addictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the I don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill Chamber in a heartbeat. son before smelter and Thethy said informa-I RCMPsitting photo should Manitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for She also has a reputation cats, I was probably justthe leave,’ is quite “I miss thethe shoreline, refinery were permanently tion that Eyres presented Gisele deMeulles said writa couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disremiss the rock, I miss the A gun, cash and cocaine were seized during a traffic stop in Norway House Nov. 8. closed in If2018. was good to hear. ingA wasn’t something she “I just sort of thought, “I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. we were in the polar bears even though traffic stop in Norway House Nov. Norway House RCMP pulled a Josh Mink of Norway House is There’s no prospectarea fro they’re “Whenever Vale presents always thought she would you know what, this history and I would tell people spurred her on was the same boat in another very dangerous and 8 led to a 26-year-old man being ar- vehicle over on Highway 373 at charged with possessing a prohibited Thompson to be anything there’s always hope and do. tory, this stuff that’s in my hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson stories and they would go, rested after police searched him and Paupanekis Point Road around 3:30 weapon, carrying a concealed weapon more that thansoawhy mining and Bay,” this isshe definitely very good “In amy I never ‘That’s one not true, is it?’and I’d possessing go, sincecocaine don’t they says. “When I go head, to be gone the Hudson Rail- about found .25 youth calibre pistol, cocaine andit’s going p.m. Friday and searched of the for theBay purpose concentrating operation news,” Thethy said. on the felt good at writing,” she if I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, have the option to do that? back home, standing way suspended operations cash. occupants. of trafficking. BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
Norway House RCMP seize .25 calibre pistol and cocaine during traffic stop
said. “But when I moved to Thompson to get into the school of social work, at that point I had to write for university and realized, ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, right?’ I certainly developed a lot of skill in university and came out of there with a very strong skill in my writing and confidence in my writing. I write very clear and that’s it. It’s there. Some people say it’s kind of blunt or direct. I don’t tend
said. “My kids are not go- ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. ing to get it if I don’t do it you? You’ve got to be really “It used to be a really and it’s something I’ve al- old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community ways wanted my mom to I did all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down do. My mom’s an elder and 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” to such a small population she’s an artist, she’s got so Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things Though she’s not there Contact Nelson 204-307-0281 cause she always tells her atshe might not do again. any longer, her parents and stories at Parks Canada in “I did some pretty bizarre her sister and other family pruderspropertyservices@gmail.com Churchill and I’ve always stuff like fuel hauls into the members still are. hounded her, ‘Please, justproperty high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin owns the to discuss your needs! put it on tape, I will write it deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware store there,” she for you because your story on me until after. That was a says. is going to be lost,’ and she’s very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, never done it and I thought, Being on a plane full of fuel deMeulles finds it hard to
Yer snow gotta go!
I think right now they’re feeling like they’re pawns in a political game and that’s really sad for them because I think the people of Churchill really want to thrive. They’ve built their worlds there. How would we feel if someone came to you and said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to leave your home community and we’re going to displace you somewhere else and all your loved ones and your history is gone?’”
Hudson Bay looking out on the bay, it just gives you an incredible sense. You feel so small and you feel great.” Now that she’s got one book under her belt, deMeulles says she may try to produce another. “I have another book in me,” she says. “It’s a darker story, more about personal growth and struggles. Maybe in the next five years it’s something I’ll focus on doing.”