Wednesday, March 2018 Wednesday, April21, 4, 2018
Serving theHub Hubof ofthe the North Serving the Northsince since1960 1960
Volume58 58••Issue Issue 14 12 Volume
girls' basketball team ASenior simple act of kindness Manitoba's best once again By Kyle Darbyson
kyle@thompsoncitizen.net
BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Promoting wildfire preparedness STUDENTS MARCHINGNews Page 2 AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE NEWS - PAGE 2
Inquiry hears emotional testimony SEXUAL ASSAULT'S News EFFECTS REMAIN AFTER Page403 YEARS NEWS - PAGE 3
hoops program raises $4,200 for SCHOOL REJECTS suicideBOARD prevention TRIMMING TRUSTEESports NUMBERS Page 7 NEWS - PAGE 7
chamber of MIDGET AA KING MINERS commerce holds agm WIN PROVINCIALS News SPORTS -Page PAGE 99
In the lead-up to Easter weekend, Hilda Rose Fitzner and Janice Baker spent part of Wednesday afternoon giving out food and supplies to members of Thompson’s homeless population. The pair set up shop in the Canadian Tire parking lot around 3 p.m. and distributed 50 “street survival kits” comprising chili, bannock, Easter treats, socks, tuques, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant and feminine hygiene products. “When I give my thanks to Creator I always ask him to bless those who are less fortunate,” said Fitzner. “But we’re not supposed to leave everything up the Creator, so this is my turn to do something.” This isn’t the first time that both Fitzner and Baker have gone out of their way to lend a helping hand to those in need by giving out supplies on the street, and it won’t be their last. “When life gets bleak and dismal, it’s easy to fall into addictions and it becomes a cycle,” said Fitzner. “But at the end of the day we always must remember that there’s still a human being in there. They may be lost and struggling, and if we’re not kind to them then they don’t know how to be kind to others.”
It took a couple of close games and even a bit of overtime magic, but R.D. Parker Collegiate's senior girls' basketball team beat all challengers at the AAA high school provincials in Winnipeg March 15-17 to claim the title as the top team in Manitoba for the third time in the past four years. The Trojans beat the University of Winnipeg Collegiate Wesmen 58-50 in overtime on St. Patrick's Thompson Citizen photo by Kyle Darbyson Day toBaker, claimleft, theand provinJanice Hilda Rose Fitzner, centre, hand out bowls of chili and packages of cial championship. The essential supplies to homeless people in Thompson on March 28. teams were close through most of the game, tied at the end of the first and second quarters and RDPC behind by two to start the fourth, though they were down by as many as nine points in the third quarter. The Trojans tied the score Of course, this worldBy Kyle Darbyson 44-44 with about four wide movement against gun kyle@thompsoncitizen.net While the size didn’t minutes leftcrowd and then built violence in the U.S. largely compare to the hundreds of kicked off in the wake of the up a five-point lead, but thousands who converged on the Wesmen battled back Marjory Stoneman Douglas Washington, D.C., Thompto tie the game and send High School shooting in Parkland, Florida on Feb. 14, son’s March For Our Lives it to overtime. The team event still managed to attract which left 17 dead. didn't late comeMuch like the how the a small let but the dedicated group back by their opponents Stoneman Douglas students of participants. affect them Just like thethough, other 845and sib- spearheaded the central rally outscored Wesmen ling marchersthe that took place in the American capital, a lothroughout the globe 9-1 in overtime to March claim cal high school group from RDPC was responsible for 24, this local walk, which the championship title. began at R.D. Parker Collegi"It was tied for most organizing the only March ate, wasgame," designedsaid to stand in For Our Lives event to take of the coach place in Manitoba. solidarity with victims of gun Christine Sim. "We were Thompson Citizen photo courtesy of RDPC Athletics Even though this group, violence in the United States. down for most of the R.D. Parker Collegiate's senior girls' basketball team poses with their provincial championship banner and trophy after Students Offering Support article continues below game but then we came beatingnormally the University Winnipeg Collegiate Wesmen 58-50 in overtime to claim the school's third senior girls’ basketball focusoftheir Northern Manitoba First (SOS), back andcompany always mental championship in four years health awareness cam- March 17. Nationusually tells mining tied it work by the of the paigns on their own school, to stop andend get out team last year, said it other," said Sim, adding best games, that for sure," out." Fire safety experts quarter. Then wepreview went on Saturday they shone a light Thompson Citizen photoWilliams by Kyle Darbyson the team went into Sim said about the opener, Ashley was helped to have the struggles of players students that wildfire protection plan for on into overtime for five minHigh school students Hayley Jenkins (left) and Lala Rukh (right) lead participants of named the tournament the tournament with the ascribing the closeness to who had been to this council utes and buckled down." south of the border. Thompson’s March For Our Lives event to the finish line at R.D. Parker Collegiate on Satstage “Thebefore. students in the U.S. mentality that they could nerves on the part of her MVP, while Hannah Second-degree RDPC had nevermurder won a urday.itThe members the group Students Offering Support helped organize Murdyand was selected as all.pair "I are think that ofplayers. took four of thethey Grade are"I exhausted, and do win charge laid after woman dies senior provincial basketthe only March For Our Lives event to take place in Manitoba. not want onereason more child to it helped that they had The Trojans then cruised a tournament all-star. from injuries suffered during 10s for that too beball title until 2105 when be shot at school,” said SOS Thompson assault cause they've been there, played together before to a berth in the final with Murdy and teammate they finallymother claimed the member Hayley Jenkins just campaign has already man- be 18 as of November of this proud of the youth activism Thompson charged they understand what as well and a lot of them an 81-39 victory over the Casey Singh are the only crown having lost in before the start of Saturday’s aged to garner some results. year, are registering right now on display here in Thompson in deathafter of three-month-old they have to do," she said. had been in the situa- Westgate Mennonite Col- members of this year's Not only did the Florida to be able to vote for the mid- and around the world. the babyfinals the two previ- march. team to have been on before at provincials legiate Wings. "They're all good players, tion In fact, Tucker said that the “They do not one more State Senate recently raise term election and select their Given that thisrepeated was the ous years. They the roster the 2016 whether it was the cham"That one was much they all know each other, the legal age to buy a firearm members of Congress,” said last time shefor witnessed stuteacher to make the choice northernmost March For Our as champions in 2016. pionship fi nals before that better." championship. they've played together, from 18 to 21, but they’ve Rukh. ”These students are dent-led activism on this scale to jump in front of a firing Lives event to take place in The senior girls lost both After claimingPresident the title, was of thetheseniors had also The Trojan most of them, for a couple some also banned sale or posreminding during the boys Southopened African Canada, the three-kilometre their games at provincials assault rifle to save the lives a of couple players were "ecstatic," provincials with a 76-58 session bumpyears stocks,ago at- the Trump and his government Anti-Apartheid Movement. of students years so knew … they they are tak- won loop around Thompson Drive last year after most of the tachments a semithat they will be the ones se- loss “I to remember being much ing charge we well." are sup- that were that still allow on the team said Sim. the second-ranked and Cree Road was littered each otherand really members the cham- porting them because we automatic rifle to fire at a lecting the new [president] younger, because that was a with ice andof snow. "They're a pretty excit- Neelin High School SparThe players who moved and then all the jayvees pionship squads graduquicker rate. in 2020 in the election.” long time andon just must become Thankfully, the over 50 up had won last year." ed group ofnew girls, that's tans, whoago, went tofightcaptostop the letting seniorthis squad this that ated, but parents, the junior girls the normal.” Fellow SOS member Lala After finishing the march ing and fighting and fighting students, teachers The girls had a tough for sure," the coach said. ture the championship. year also meshed well team won RDPC's While some have been Rukh also mentioned that on Saturday, School District and eventually it changed,” and volunteers whosecondshowed with the players who were opening game at this "Definitely lots of emo- Their tournament ended up forjunior this event all dressed ever varsity AAA quick to dismiss a movement these students who are march- of Mystery Lake trustee she said. “So that’s what we tournament, beatespecially for the a 70-67 to the there.lead by teen- year's ing in the U.S. will be able to tions, Leslie Tucker echoed her with do here. It mightloss not change that is largely appropriately for the weath- already girls' championship. ing the Lorette Collegiate Grade 12s with it being St. John's-Ravenscourt "They just ended up er Sim, and completed thecoach route agers, SOS member Rishwan transform all this rhetoric into comments from a March 13 overnight for Americans with who was the 64-61. their it was a Eagles ingun thecontrol, first round of working together and Scorpions votes in a very short time. school last boardyear, meeting by sayrespect to but the without any traffic-related of the champion junior Dherdi reminded everybody "It wasn't onewho of our way to go the consolation “Those students, will good ing that shefor wasthem immensely pressure has to be playoffs. put on.” got with at thecomfortable March 24 rally thateach this incidents.
Thompson hosts northernmost March For Our Lives event in Canada