September 21 2018

Page 1

Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 58 Number • Issue 3811

Friday, March 16, Friday, September 21,2018 2018

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Book a way Pride to preserve on flag raised and at Citypass Hall ahead of Thompson Sept. 22 memories of growing upmarch in Churchill BY IAN GRAHAM

EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

Pride North of 55 committee chairperson Susannah Mueller and Mayor Dennis Fenske raised the Pride flag Sept. 17 in front of Thompson City Hall where it will fly for a week, including Sept. 22, the date of the committee’s Pride march and barbecue. “I appreciate that we have the rights to do this in Canada where there’s still Nickel Belt News photo by Kyle Darbyson people out there in the world that are Geri Dixon (left) and her daughter Alicia Bedford (right) fighting for those rights to be able to asked during the general inquiries section of the Sept. 17 express themselves and be who they council meeting asking why Thompson has to use the 204- are and I’m grateful for the acceptance 677-6911 police emergency number instead of calling 911. and the acknowledgement that we have here in Thompson for the Pride North of 55 committee and the support that we’ve had from the community and the outlying areas so far,” said Mueller, who was joined for the flag raising by other members of the Pride Committee, deputy mayor Colleen Smook and members of the Thompson RCMP and Thompson Fire & Emergency Services. “I feel that it’s important for us to be out there, to shine a light for other people who are not able to be out or don’t feel safe or accepted where they are, knowing that there are people out there that will accept them and allow them to feel included as opposed to marginalized and not a part of the comBY KYLE DARBYSON munity or Canadian society.” KYLE@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET Mueller became the Pride North of Thompson resident Geri Dixon appeared before council 55 chairperson when Harlie Pruder Sept. 17 to complain about long wait times when calling stepped down from the position at RCMP via the 204-677-6911 emergency line. the group’s annual general meeting Dixon said that recently she was forced to wait on the in April. phone for an extended period of time as someone was “Initially, when the past chairperson trying to break in to her daughter’s home. stepped down, I was not keen to take on Thompson Citizen photo by Ian Graham “When you’re in that situation, when someone is coming that role but I did feel it was important into your house and you’re put on hold and you have two that we have this group continue in Pride North of 55 committee chairperson Susannah Mueller, to left of flagpole, small children, it’s not acceptable,” said Dixon. “We’re the community and have it out there and Mayor Dennis Fenske, second from right,Nickel raised theNews Pridephoto flag by at Ian Thompson Belt Graham the Hub of the North here. Why can’t we have our own for ourselves to move forward and City Hall sept. 17 accompanied by other committee members, deputy mayor Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. dispatch centre or even get back to a 911, where if you call pay it forward to others so that they Colleen Smook and members of the Thompson RCMP and Thompson Fire & that number you’re going to have the things response?” can feel inclusive BY IAN GRAHAM For all the harsh weather to write that you have ‘Oh, I’m part just of as an bad, right?’ Canadian was not aEmergency very safe Services. thing swallow when people say Dixon said that this isn’t antoisolated incident andclear that Isociety,” Mueller. EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET have allsaid these stories“Our and inclusion figure out. It’s pretty to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar these longshe’s waitnow times have been theI get norm in Thompson Ienhances stepping up and taking on just the chairof luck in bears, the parade.” – as athem country, a city, that Though written when through.” need to us capture for asthought was exciting should find somewhere deMeulles said if it for the last several years. personship very to important Pride march participants willwould meet as a province – not detracts I think a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren reallyanduntil the plane landed of andthis easier live. had been viable she my household alone in the last two-and-half years committee,” a at the Thompson Regional that’s an important statement put out ces“In growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because they will be lost if to they started throwing said the Fenske. “To “We say, are ‘Those people have moved back Communto Churchwe have tried to contact of the police numerous welcoming community. Wetowant Centreillatin10:30 a.m. on Saturday that being together is notfuel going Addictions Foundation the Wind: Storiestimes from and the Ithere, off and I realized, ‘Holy choose live to there.ityThey a heartbeat. don’t.” four out of five times we were not able to get through,” a sitting safer community thanleave,’ we isand march to“IMacLean by CityI takealso away from anybody else’s Manitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for to She has a reputation cats,beI wasbecome probably should just quite miss thePark shoreline, she said. “And we watched getting stabbed on our as at 11 miss a.m., the where theyI miss will hold already are. It takes simplistic. a lot of hands to Hall liefs. We can make room for everyone Gisele deMeulles said writ- a akid couple of reasons. a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” It’s quite disrerock, the street and itsomething was the ambulance came because in “I make it happen. I want to very If proudly barbecue and have performances by Canada.” ing wasn’t she “Ithat just sortfirst, of thought, had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. we wereain the polar bears even though they could not get the know RCMPwhat, either. Sohisthe tory acknowledge wish youinbest Between Ditches The Zogs. “I and wantI to congratulate yourself for her always thought shethrough would toyou this would tell people spurred on was today the and same boat another area the they’re veryand dangerous and situation is getting worse.” tory, this stuff that’s in my stories and they would go, hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson do. Mayor said head, that the rid ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Rail- about that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When I go “In myDennis youthFenske I never it’sdecision going totobeget gone of Thompson’s local call centre the entire felt good at writing,” she if I and don’tcentralize write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way suspended operations have the option to do that? back home, standing on the process through made theare Manitoba said. “But when Brandon I moved was said. “Myby kids not go- ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on government, to Thompsonnottothe getcity. into ing to get it if I don’t do it you? You’ve got to be really “It used to be a really feeling like they’re pawns the bay, it just gives you an should never work, have lostand ourit’s call centre here, the“We school of social something I’ve but al- old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community in a political game and that’s incredible sense. You feel so that’s of our control,” “That was my a provincial at thatout point I had to writehe said. ways wanted mom to I did all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down really sad for them because I small and you feel great.” decision and they’ve adopteddo. it. My In regards toelder 911, and the 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” to such a small population think the people of Churchfor university and realized, mom’s an Now that she’s got infrastructure not in Manitoba, ‘Holy, I’m notisbad at place this, in Northern she’s an artist, she’snot gotjust so Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. ill really want to thrive. one book under her belt, Thompson but indeveloped Northern Manitoba, for that to work.” Theexperiences provincialare governfund theshe’s extranot costs of They’ve the cost built of the fuel, but deMeulles co-ordinatesays the she transportaright?’ I certainly many wonderful stories be- those things to Though there their worlds may try Even are currently lobbying the government mentmight announced Sept. 11 any moving nearly three milrather toHow subsidize incretion of bulk loads of proa lot of though skill inthey university cause she always tells her she not do again. longer, her parents and there. wouldthe we feel to produce another. to fixcame this out problem, that,at inParks the meantime, has reached anbizarre agree- her mental costscame of transporting totalling more book than 2.6 lionsister litresand of other propane by if and of thereFenske with said stories Canada in that “I itdid some pretty family someone to you and pane “I have another in anybody who calls should simply stayalways on the stuff ment like withfuel Superior Plus the LP members sea to ensure an adequate said, propane by sealift when million Churchill a very strong skill for in police my Churchill and I’ve hauls into ‘I’m sorry, you have to me,” shelitres says. to “It’s a darker still are. line as long it takes. to cover additional heating fuel the for leave rail service is notcommunity available story, in twomore shipments the writing andas confi dence in hounded her, ‘Please, just high Arctic at -35,” costs said supply “My of cousin owns your home aboutsince personyou don’t stay on the line call gets related to transporting pro- hardware the peoplestore of Churchill to ensure affordability of al Hudson Bayand Railway shut my“Ifwriting. I write very put your it on tape, I willdropped write it deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn there,” this she and we’re going to displace growth struggles. and to the the busfor as if you’ve never called,” pane Churchill by sea. propane to consumers in Maybe winter,” said Infrastructure you down north of Gillam in clearyou andgo that’s it. back It’s there. you because your story on metountil after. That was a says. somewhere else and all in the next five years he said. “I agree it’s not acceptable but that’s the reality “As we did last year, the Minister Ron Schuler. “The your Churchill.” Junesomething 2017 dueI’ll to focus damage Some people say it’s kind of is going to be lost,’ and she’s very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, loved ones and your it’s on of Manitoba.” government has agreement fidoes nothard cover The province has helped doing.” caused by flooding. blunt or direct. I don’t tend never done it and I thought, Being on a plane fullagreed of fuel deMeulles nds it to history is gone?’”

‘We watched a kid getting stabbed on our street’ while trying to call RCMP, council hears

Province covers shipping costs of propane sent to Churchill


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