Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 59 Number • Issue 4011
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‘We don’t want to be pushed aside like we don’t matter anymore,’ single mom displaced by Sept. 23 fire tells council Book a way to preserve and pass on
memories of growing up in Churchill
Thompson Citizen photo by Ian Graham Cara Gulick, who was left homeless by the Sept. 23 fire at the north tower of Forest View Suites on Princeton Drive, appeared before city council Sept. 30 seeking answers about Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham when displaced residents like her will be allowed to get the rest of their possessions from their apartments. Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. BY BY IAN IANGRAHAM GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET A singleshe’s mother with two Though now written children left homeless by the a book about her experienSept. 23 fire north ces growing upat in the Churchill, tower of Forest View Suites Addictions Foundation of appeared before council at Manitoba northern director their Sept. 30 meeting, Gisele deMeulles said seekwriting answerssomething but receiving ing wasn’t she few. always thought she would do.“We have no answers from Cara “In anybody,” my youthsaid I never Gulick, has children felt goodwho at writing,” she aged “But six and 12 Iand has said. when moved been sleeping attoaget friend’s to Thompson into house while children the school of her social work, stay with family since the at that point I had to write fire. “No one isand helping us. for university realized, We justI’m want answers ‘Holy, not bad atwhen this, can we Iget our things. Insurright?’ certainly developed ance help because a lot didn’t of skill in me university Iand could stayout with My came offriends. there with band bea verycouldn’t strong help skill me in my cause they’re from the south writing and confidence in and only thing that MKO my the writing. I write very [Manitoba Keewatinowi clear and that’s it. It’s there. Okimakanak] help Some people saywould it’s kind of me with was offering me blunt or direct. I don’t tend
therapy sessions.” to write things that you have said wasn’t to Gulick figure out. It’sshe pretty clear just on her own whenspeaking I get through.” behalf but for people who DeMeulles said she wrote werebook, scared to come and air her titled Whispers in their questions in public. the Wind: Stories from the “There’s of people North - Life ainlot Churchill for that wanted me to speak a couple of reasons. for“Ithem because they’re just sort of thought, too terrified … of getting you know what, this his-a no orthis too terrified of people tory, stuff that’s in my not listening to us.” head, it’s going to be gone askedit ifdown,” city reguif IGulick don’t write she lations were preventing the said. “My kids are not go180 totenants ing get it ifdisplaced I don’t doby it the retrieving andfire it’sfrom something I’vetheir albelongings. ways wanted my mom to upand to do.“Apparently My mom’s anit’s elder codes and systems in she’s an artist, she’s put got so place by the city that Armany wonderful stories bemour Management hasher to cause she always tells fix before we getCanada in but in it stories at Parks has been seven months and Churchill and I’ve always hundreds us‘Please, struggled in hounded of her, just Third World put it on tape, conditions,” I will write it Gulick said. “Our for you because yourapartstory ments were never cleaned. is going to be lost,’ and she’s There done was always on never it and I blood thought,
the walls. It as didn’t matter ‘Oh, I’m just bad, right?’ we went to the tenancy Iifhave all these stories and board. It capture didn’t matter if I need to them for we went to health. It didn’t my grandchildren really matter who asked, who because theywe will be lost if we begged for help, we got I don’t.” nowhere and this hapShe also hasnow a reputation pened. Everything I have in as a storyteller herself. that apartment I acquired “I had such a varied hisover many years tell andpeople I took tory and I would very good How go, do stories andcare theyof. would I acquire that again if II’d can’t ‘That’s not true, is it?’ go, even AndThey’d if it’s be‘Yeahget it’sin? true.’ go, cause of regulations is there ‘You didn’t do all that, did a timeYou’ve framegot because, like you? to be really Iold.’ said, welike, lived Third I was ‘No,inactually World with no I did allconditions that before I was hot and water, cleaning or 27,’ theynowent ‘What?’” anything like that some for sevLooking back, of eral so how much thosemonths experiences are things longer is it not going take for she might do to again. someone to listen tobizarre us?” “I did some pretty City Anthony stuff likemanager fuel hauls into the McInnis saidatthe city said had high Arctic -35,” ordered the“Itbuilding not deMeulles. didn’t dawn to until firea on be me reoccupied until after. That was and codething violations very safety dangerous to do. were corrected but that that Being on a plane full of fuel
shouldn’t tenants from was not astop very safe thing getting their possessions. to do but I jumped at it. I “Therethat is no city reguthought was exciting lation in place preventing until the plane landed and that,”started he said.throwing “My staff the are they reaching out Itorealized, the representfuel off and ‘Holy ative theprobably court-appointed cats, for I was sitting receiver in Winnipeg to see on a bomb.’” why this is the thing case and that why Another people are being prevented spurred her on was the accesstimes to their possessions. hard facing Churchill The only other thing since the Hudson Baythat Rail-I can tomorrowoperations morning way do suspended is reach to the Residennorth of out Gillam last spring. tial“ItTenancies and, used to Branch be a really as well, ask them what are thriving large community the to take to try down to get andsteps it’s just dwindled back people’s possessions.” to such a small population Gulick said shesays. has only now,” deMeulles been into her apartment Though she’s not there oncelonger, since the and was any her fire parents and onlysister allowed go up and her andto other family grab whatstill she could and members are. and not cousin allowed owns to make “My thea second tripstore inside. hardware there,” she “The people that took us says. upBecause there were very to of rude that, us,” she said. “There were deMeulles finds it hard to
women out on the sidewalk swallow when people say cryingChurchill with whatever they that residents could in somewhere their arms shouldcarry just find because that’s all we were easier to live. allowed to take. Wepeople were “To say, ‘Those yelled maintenchoose at to by livethe there. They ance people there that were should just leave,’ is quite supposed to us disreup to simplistic. It’stake quite get their stuff. wereinmisspectful. If weWe were the treated. This is what same boat in anotherwe’re area continue to deal Igoing thinktowe would scream with ifthat we’re leftdon’t withthey Arabout so why mour Management.” have the option to do that? Mayorright Colleen I think now Smook they’re said it was important for feeling like they’re pawns displaced file in a politicalresidents game andto that’s complaints officialI really sad forthrough them because channels ensure that acthink the to people of Churchtion will bewant taken.to thrive. ill really “We have and worlds nothThey’ve built their ing’s Gulick there. happening,” How would we feel responded. “Wetohave for if someone came you and several before this said, ‘I’mmonths sorry, you have to even happened and we’ve leave your home community beenwe’re in and out of the tenand going to displace ancy branch allelse week you somewhere andand all we still have no answers. your loved ones and your We justiswant to be heard. history gone?’”
WeFor want answers. don’t all the harshWe weather want the to bedangers pushed aside like and of polar we don’t matter anymore. bears, deMeulles said if it We feel viable like were were had been she would pushed aside for several have moved back to Churchmonths. We don’t want to ill in a heartbeat. be“Ipushed aside anymore.I miss the shoreline, We just feel like miss thewant rock,toI miss the we canbears grow even with our fampolar though ilies again. alreadyand go they’re very We dangerous as itHudson is being Ithrough really enough miss the an Indigenous person. That’s Bay,” she says. “When I go all wehome, want isstanding our homes back on and the our things back.” Hudson Bay looking out on the gives mayor’s theDuring bay, it just you rean port at the conclusion of incredible sense. You feel so the meeting, Coun. Les Ellssmall and you feel great.” worth him to got see Nowit bothered that she’s whatbook Gulickunder and others like one her belt, her are going through. deMeulles says she may try see another. the innocent that to “You produce has“I suffered for thebook guilty have another in and what it is, me,”I‘ll she call says.it“It’s a darker so anything canpersondo as a story, more we about citygrowth to ease and that pain … we al struggles. should do,” “AnMaybe in the he nextsaid. five years thony please take back those it’s something I’ll focus on remarks to your people.” doing.”