Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
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Friday, April 26, 2024
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Volume 64 • Issue 16
Special Olympics athletes from Norman Region make history at National Games
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
Photos by Marlene Enberg, Norman Special Olympics Club gratulated the Northern contribution to the Special The Special Olympics champions during a Council Olympics. Club in Norman and ThompMeeting held on April 15th There are seven Special son teaches individuals Five athletes from the as Marlene Enberg; Region- Olympics regions in Mani- snowshoeing, cross-country Norman region of Manitoba al Leader for the Norman toba, with one located in skiing, and alpine skiing. made history in February Region, praised the Mayor Thompson. The mission Enberg said, “This would be 2024 when they participated for her efforts in recogniz- of the Special Olympics our second year of running in the National Games held ing the achievements of the is to enrich the lives of in- the cross-country skiing and in Calgary. This is the lar- athletes. dividuals with intellectual snowshoeing program.” gest number of athletes Enberg said, “Mayor Col- disabilities (ID) through The achievements of from Team Manitoba to leen Smook has invited our sport. The vision of the or- the athletes from the Norever participate in the Na- Special Olympic athletes ganization is to create more man region at the National Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham tional Games. The athletes and acknowledged others inclusive communities by Games have brought attenAddictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. who made it to the National at the council meetings. opening hearts and minds tion to the organization. Games are Mervin Linkla- Because our athletes did so towards people with these The achievements have also BY IAN GRAHAM For all the harsh weather write things that you have ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say ter, Aimee Chubb, Michael to well at the National games, disabilities. inspired others to join the EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET I have all these stories and to fi gure out. It’s pretty clear to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar Harrison, Fate Frank, and she wanted to recognize our The organization has two Special Olympics Club and 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 if it Cory Beardy. athletes because they have primary categories, Active participate in sports. The ora book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would Mervin Linklater repre- accomplished so much.” Starts, and Fundamentals. ganization has shown that 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 Churchsented the region in bowlThe Special Olym- Active Starts is for children with hard work and dediAddictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the I don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. ing, while Aimee Chubb and pics Club in Norman and aged 2-6 years, while Fun- cation, individuals with disManitoba northern director - Life in Churchill for She also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite “I miss the shoreline, I Michael Harrison partici- North Thompson has come a long damentals is for children abilities can achieve great Gisele deMeulles said writa couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disremiss the rock, I miss the pated in snowshoeing. Fate way since its inception aged 7-13. The programs success in sports. ing wasn’t something she “I just sort of thought, “I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though Frank and Cory Beardy, the three years ago. The club teach the basic skills of ~Matthias J. Johnson is a always thought she of would know what, this his- tory and I would tell people spurred her on was the same boat in another area they’re very dangerous and youngest members the you has grown from 20 to 25 sports such as throwing, Local Journalism Initiative do. 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 team, aged 16 and 14 re- tory, members to a total of 54 kicking, and catching the reporter who works out of “In my youth I never head, it’s going to be gone ‘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 spectively, also participated members. Mayor Smook ball, and even track and the Thompson Citizen. The felt good at writing,” she if I don’t 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 in the games. appreciated the hard work field. These programs run Local Journalism Initiative said. “ButColleen when I Smook moved said. “My kids are 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 Mayor put in by the club members every Saturday from Sep- is funded by the Governto Thompson to get 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 acknowledged and conand acknowledged their tember to the end of April. ment of Canada. BY MATTHIAS J. JOHNSON LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER, THOMPSON CITIZEN
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
and it’s something I’ve always wanted my mom to do. My mom’s an elder and she’s an artist, she’s got so many wonderful stories because she always tells her stories at Parks Canada in Churchill and I’ve always hounded her, ‘Please, just put it on tape, I will write it for you because your story is going to be lost,’ and she’s never done it and I thought,
old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually I did all that before I was 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” Looking back, some of those experiences are things she might not do again. “I did some pretty bizarre stuff like fuel hauls into the high Arctic at -35,” said deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn on me until after. That was a very dangerous thing to do. Being on a plane full of fuel
“Gravel on your lawn? Gotta be gone.”
thriving large community in a political game and that’s incredible sense. You feel so and it’s just dwindled down really sad for them because I small and you feel great.” to such •a POWER small population think• the peopleMOWING of Church- • AERATION Now that• she’s got SWEEPING LAWN now,” deMeulles says. ill really want to thrive. one book under her belt, • DETHATCHING • LANDSCAPE DRAINAGE • says she may try Though she’s not there They’ve built their worlds deMeulles any longer, her parents and there. How would we feel to produce another. • LICENSED FERTILIZER AND WEED CONTROL SERVICES • her sister and other family if someone came to you and “I have another book in • FAMILY OPERATED • NPRUDER@LIVE.CA said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to me,” she says.•“It’s a darker members still are. OWNED & “My cousin owns the leave your home community story, more about personhardware store there,” she and we’re going to displace al growth and struggles. says. you somewhere else and all Maybe in the next five years Because of that, your loved ones and your it’s something I’ll focus on deMeulles finds it hard to history is gone?’” doing.”
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