Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
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Volume 62 • Issue 17
Owners of mine near Wabowden fined for releasing radioactive substance into Bucko Lake
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
Thompson Citizen file photo CaNickel Mining Limited, which owns the idle Bucko Lake Mine near Wabowden, has been fined a second time after pleading guilty to offences under the Fisheries Act related to the release of higher than allowed levels of effluent into Bucko Lake. CaNickel Mining lim- enter water frequented by ment officers. offences took place in 2014. lake and that no one fishes inated environment. ited, which owns the Bucko fish. CaNickel also pleaded The illegal effluent reBecause the company has in it, though she said trapMoney from the fines Lake Mine near Wabowden, guilty to one count of fail- lease took place in July been convicted of the previ- pers were concerned that CaNickel paid will be used entered guilty pleas to two ing to follow requirements 2017. ous offences, it faced high- the effluent could affect to support projects with offences in provincial court to collect and test effluent In 2016, CaNickel was er fines this time around as animals who drink from positive environmental and was ordered to pay samples on scheduled dates fined $80,000 after plead- a repeat offender. the lake. impacts. $200,000 April 11. in 2017, as required under ing guilty to releasing raThe Bucko Lake Mine Radium-226 accumulates CaNickel, which is based The charges were for the Metal Mining Effluent dium-226 in excess of au- has been in long-term care in bones and is carcinogen- in Vancouver but is mostly depositing or allowing the Regulations of the Fisheries thorized limits into water and maintenance since ic, with a half-life of over owned by a Chinese comdeposit of an effluent that Act. The charges were laid frequented by fish and 2012. 1,600 years, retired Univer- pany, has once again been contained a deleterious in December 2018 and stem depositing effluent conWabowden Mayor Fran- sity of Winnipeg biologist added to Environment and substance, in excess of au- from an investigation by taining nickel in excess of ces McIvor told the Winni- Eva Pip told the Free Press. Climate change Canada’s thorized limits, in a place Environmental and Climate authorized limits into water peg Free Press that Bucko It also poses a risk to those Environmental Offenders where the effluent may Change Canada enforce- frequented by fish. Those Lake is considered a dead who eat fish from a contamRegistry, as it by was 2016. Nickel Belt News photo IaninGraham Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill.
Five teenagers arrested after two women assaulted and carjacked in Thompson
BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Though she’s now written a book about her experiences growing up in Churchill, Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles said writBY GRAHAM ing IAN wasn’t something she EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET always thought she would do.Five teenagers were arrested facing char“In and my are youth I never ges good after at anwriting,” assault and felt she carjacking in Thompson said. “But when I moved April 23. to Thompson to get into RCMP females the schoolsay of two social work, were vehicle at thatgetting point Iinto hada to write at businessand on realized, Station for auniversity Road a.m.atSatur‘Holy, around I’m not2 bad this, day morning when a group right?’ I certainly developed of people approached them a lot of skill in university and an altercation ensued. and came out of there with Both were asa very victims strong skill in my saulted. When onedence of them writing and confi in ran into Ithe business my back writing. write very to getand help, oneit.ofIt’s thethere. susclear that’s Some people say it’s kind of blunt or direct. I don’t tend
to write things that you have to figure out. It’s pretty clear when I get through.” DeMeulles said she wrote her book, titled Whispers in the Wind: Stories from the North - Life in Churchill for a couple of reasons. pects got sort into of thethought, driver’s “I just seat of thewhat, vehicle and you know this hisdrove away with the in other tory, this stuff that’s my female victim inside, head, it’s goingstill to be gone but she managed to exit she the if I don’t write it down,” moving vehicle andnot getgoto said. “My kids are safety. ing to get it if I don’t do it Both victims I’ve were and it’s something altaken to Thompson Genways wanted my mom to eral Hospital do. My mom’sfor an treatment elder and of she’snon-life-threatening an artist, she’s got so injuries. many wonderful stories beAbout cause shehalf-an-hour always tellslater her Thompson RCMP officers stories at Parks Canada in responding to I’ve a report of Churchill and always ahounded vehicle her, in the ditch near ‘Please, just Paint Lake spotted the put it on tape, I will write it stolen vehicle and used a for you because your story is going to be lost,’ and she’s never done it and I thought,
‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ I have all these stories and I need to capture them for my grandchildren really because they will be lost if I don’t.” She also has a reputation as a storyteller herself. police dog to locate the hisfive “I had such a varied suspects thepeople bush. tory and hiding I wouldintell One officer received stories and they wouldmingo, or injuries when he as‘That’s not true, is it?’was I’d go, saulted while ‘Yeah it’s true.’arresting They’d the go, suspects. ‘You didn’t do all that, did Angel 18, you? You’veKraeker, got to be really of Thompson and Tyra old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually Weenusk, 18, before of Winnipeg, I did all that I was are charged with robbery, 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” kidnapping, assault causLooking back, some of ing bodily harm, possessing those experiences are things property by crime, she mightobtained not do again. theft and assault and were “I did some pretty bizarre remanded intohauls custody. stuff like fuel into the A15-year-old female high Arctic at -35,” said from Thompson is charged deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn with kidnapping, on merobbery, until after. That was a very dangerous thing to do. Being on a plane full of fuel
was not a very safe thing to do but I jumped at it. I thought that was exciting until the plane landed and they started throwing the fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy cats, I was probably sitting on a bomb.’” assault causing Another thingbodily that harm, assaulting a police spurred her on was the officer, possessing property hard times facing Churchill obtained crime,Bay theftRailand since the by Hudson assault. way suspended operations A 16-year-old male from north of Gillam last spring. Thompson is charged with “It used to be a really robbery, kidnapping, asthriving large community sault causing bodily harm, and it’s just dwindled down possessing property obto such a small population tained by crime, theft, now,” deMeulles says. assault, resisting and Though she’sarrest not there three counts failingand to any longer, herofparents comply with conditions. He her sister and other family was remanded into custody. members still are. An female “My18-year-old cousin owns the from Thompson will hardware store there,”face she charges says. of robbery, kidnapBecause of that, deMeulles finds it hard to
For all the harsh weather swallow when people say that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it easier to live. had been viable she would “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to Churchchoose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. should just leave,’ is quite “I miss the shoreline, I simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the ping, assault causing from custody and isthough schedspectful. If we were bodily in the polar bears even harm, possessing property to very appear in court.and same boat in another area uled they’re dangerous obtained by crime, and I really Thompson conI think we wouldtheft scream miss RCMP the Hudson assault, She was released tinue to investigate. about that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When I go have the option to do that? back home, standing on the I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on feeling like they’re pawns the bay, it just gives you an in a political game and that’s incredible sense. You feel so really sad for them because I small and you feel great.” think the people of ChurchNow that she’s got ill really want to thrive. one book under her belt, EARLY They’ve built their BIRD worldsREGISTRATION deMeulles says she may try Earlywe Birdfeel Membership will beanother. there. How would to produce Aprilcame 30th from noon pmhave at the another Pro Shop.book in if someone to you andto 2:00 “I said, ‘I’m sorry,All you have to me,” she says. “It’s a darker non corporate memberships leave your homewill community story, more about personbe offered at 20% discount. and we’re going to displace al growth www.thompsongolfclub.comand struggles. you somewhere else and all Maybe in the next five years your loved ones and your it’s something I’ll focus on history is gone?’” doing.”