Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Friday, August 18, 2023
Providing you with expert advice & friendly service. Book online at speedyglass.ca or try our free app on your iPhone
We look forward to serving you. Ϳͷ-A Kelsey Bay Thompson, MB R;N ͷS Ph: Ͷͺ-ͽͽ;-ͽͶͺ; Fax: Ͷͺ-ͽͽ;-ͽͷͺ
Delivering News to the Nickel Belt since 1960
All for one run comes through Thompson
Volume 63 • Issue 30
Big Turnout at Northern Smash Bros. Tournament
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Though she’s now written On the morning of August a book about her experien14, the all for one run lead ces growingBeardy up in Churchill, by Tamara made its Addictions Foundation of way through Thompson. Manitoba director The run isnorthern being done to Gisele deMeulles said writraise diabetes awareness and ing something she has wasn’t a go fund me to raise always funds. thought she would do.All the funds raised will my youth I never be“In going back into the comfelt good writing,” she munity foratphysical activsaid. “But when I moved ities and programing. to Tamara Thompson to get into and her runners the school of social work, have been receiving help at thatthe point to comwrite along wayI had as the for university and realized, munities along their journey ‘Holy, I’m not their bad support. at this, join in to show right?’ I certainly developed Along with local businesses a lot of skill university showing theirin support. and came out of there with The run started August a very strong skill in will my 13 in Split Lake and writing and confi dence in be running 905KM over my writing. I write very the next couple weeks to clear and that’s it. It’s there. Winnipeg. 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. “I just sort of thought, you know what, this history, this stuff that’s in my head, it’s going to be gone if I don’t write it down,” she said. “My kids are not going to get it if I don’t do it 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,
‘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. “I had such a varied history and I would tell people stories and they would go, ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, ‘You didn’t do all that, did you? You’ve got to be really 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
was not a veryPEGUS safe thing BY MICHELLE to July do but I jumped at it. I 29, 2023 marked thought thatannual was exciting the second Super until the plane landed and Smash Bros Melee tournathey started throwing the ment hosted by the Northfuel Smash off and Bros I realized, ‘Holy ern communcats, I was probably sitting ity under the leadership on a bomb.’” of Colt Phillips. The idea thingplays that ofAnother “community” a spurred the prominenther roleoninwas the suchard times Churchill cess of thisfacing ever-growing since the Hudson Bay Railtournament. way In suspended an effort operations to boost north of Gillam awareness of last thespring. tour“It used to be really nament and the agaming thriving large community group themselves, Northand it’s justBros dwindled ern Smash hosteddown four to such aleading small population “locals” up to the now,”tournament. deMeulles says. main “Locals” she’s not is aThough term referring to a there gathany her parents and eringlonger, of players that have her sister and other family the intent of playing games members are. physictogether instill a shared “My cousin owns the al space, rather than online hardware store there,” she play. The shared space that says. Northern Smash Bros used Because of that, deMeulles finds it hard to
Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham
swallow when people was generously donatedsay by that business Churchillowner residents local Tony should just fiof nd somewhere DiVirgilio The Book easier to live. Nook, a local comic book “To Further say, ‘Those people store. support from choosethe to Thompson live there. comThey within should quite munity just tookleave,’ form inisadversimplistic. It’s quite disretisement. Both the Thompspectful. If we in the son Citizen andwere Thompson same another area Auto boat Washinpromoted the Ievent think wevigor. would scream with Local artabout that so why don’t they ist Anthony Clemons lent have the option to do that? his talents in producing IT-shirts think right they’re for thenow event. And feeling like they’re finally, long standingpawns memin a political game and bers of the group lentthat’s their really sad for them expertise to aid inbecause movingI think people of Churchall thethe colossal CRT TVs ill the really wantThese to thrive. to TRCC. TVs They’ve builtfor their worlds are required having an there. How would we authentic experience of feel this if someone to you and 2001 game.came As previously said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to mentioned, “community” leave home community is theyour driving force behind and we’re going this tournament.to displace you else and all Assomewhere for the tournament your loved ones and your history is gone?’”
For all theyear harsh itself, this weweather had 27 and the dangers of polar competitors. Preliminary bears, deMeulles said it matches were held to ifdehad been viable she would termine the top 16 players. have moved back to ChurchThe top 16 tournament was ill in a as heartbeat. set-up a double elimina“I tournament, miss the shoreline, tion meaningI miss the rock, I miss the you have to be defeated polar though twice bears to beeven considered they’re very dangerous and eliminated. First place Iwinner really was missDarin the Hudson BlackBay,” says. “When I go smith.she Second place Colt back home, standing the Phillips, and third on place Hudson Bay looking out on Darryl Blacksmith. Prizes the bay, it just gives you an included the registration incredible sense. You feel so collection, T-shirt, comsmall and you feel great.” memorative plaque as well that she’sby got as Now a figurine donated the one book under her belt, Thompson Auto Wash. deMeulles she may try For the says future, Northto produce another. ern Smash Bros hopes to “I have book in host more another locals and tourme,” she says. “It’s a darker naments throughout the story, moretoabout year, and makepersonmore al growth and struggles. connections within our Maybe in the next five years community. it’s something I’ll focus on doing.”