Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
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Wednesday, August 19, 2020
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Volume 60 • Issue 34
School District of Mystery Lake releases school reopening plan Book a way to preserve and pass on
BY IAN GRAHAM
of transmitting COVID-19 and ensure documentation for contact tracing) can be implemented. Special needs students in all grades will receive five days of in-class instruction per week, while remote learning will be in place for students who are not advised to return to inclass learning for medical reasons. Classrooms will be reconfigured to enable physical distancing to the greatest extent possible, while students in Grade 5 and above will be strongly encouraged to wear non-medical masks, as recommended by the provincial government. Students in kindergarten to Grade 4 can also choose to wear masks and extra masks will be available at all schools through the year for students who do not have their own. Lunch and recess breaks will be staggered to avoid large numbers of students in school hallways at the same time. Parents will be expected to screen their children for
for staff, after performing cleaning tasks. Outdoor activities will be encouraged and conducted as often as possible while contact sports and games and the use of shared sports equipment will be strongly discouraged. Any student who develops COVID-19 symptoms during the course of a school day will be isolated from other students and staff and required to wear a mask in most instances while waiting for their parents to come pick them up. Young students who require close contact and care while isolated and waiting for their parents to pick them up will be monitored by masked staff members who will be mindful of hand hygiene and avoid contact with respiratory droplets from the students. Staff members who develop symptoms during the school day will immediately isolate themselves from others, notify their administrator and go home to self-monitor.
memories of growing up in Churchill
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
The School District of Mystery Lake (SDML) released its reopening plan for the 2020-21 school year Aug. 14. The 11-page document, which includes about five pages of written information as well as three provincial and federal public health infographics and a school-year calendar, isn’t heavy on particular details, some of which will be laid out in individual school plans, which are expected to be made publicly available at least a week before in-class instruction resumes Sept. 8. Kindergarten to Grade 8 students will receive five full days of in-class instruction per week, while those in Grade 9 to Grade 12 will have up to five days of inclass instruction provided effective physical distancing and the use of cohorts (groups of students who do not mix with other groups of students to reduce the risk
COVID-19 symptoms before sending them to school. There will also be screening protocols for all people entering schools and limits on the number of visitors. Any student or staff member who is experiencing possible COVID-19 symptoms such as a fever, a cough or a runny nose will be expected
to stay home. Enhanced cleaning protocols will be instituted in schools and hand sanitizer will be made available at all access points as well as throughout the schools and in classrooms whenever possible. All people using the school will be expected to wash their hands for at
least 20 seconds with soap and water at the start and end of each school day, after going to the bathroom, before preparing food, before and after eating, any time they get their hands dirty, after wiping their noses or handling dirty tissues, after coughing, sneezing or blowing their nose and,
Byelection to fill council spot left vacant by death of Judy Kolada will take place Oct. 13 Voters will likely be electing a new school board member as well due to Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. anticipated resignation BY IANGRAHAM GRAHAM BY IAN
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET Though she’s now written Thompson residents and a book about her experienproperty owners will elect ces growing upmember in Churchill, a new council Oct. Addictions Foundation of 13 to fill the seat left vacant Manitoba northern director by the death of Jody KoGisele deMeulles said writlada back in April. ingCouncil wasn’tpassed something she a resolualways thought tion at their Aug.she 10 would meetdo. ing to set the election date youth I never for“In themy second Tuesday of felt good at writing,” October in hopes that she the said. I moved winner“But willwhen be sworn in in to Thompson to get into time for the organizational the school of beginning social work, meeting at the of at that pointwhen I hadcommitto write November, for andand realized, tee university chairpersons mem‘Holy, I’m not bad bers are appointed at bythis, the right?’ certainly developed mayor Iand elected by their a lot ofcouncillors. skill in university fellow and came out of thereorder with A provincial a very strong skill in my related to the ongoing writing and confi dence in COVID-19 pandemic had my writing. I write very prevented the holding of clear and that’s it. It’s there. Some people say it’s kind of blunt or direct. I don’t tend
to write things thatityou have byelections until expired to fi gure out. It’s pretty clear July 31. when I get through.” “This is the date that DeMeulles wrote would get ussaid theshe quickest her book, titled Whispers in election possible,” said city the Wind: Stories from the manager Anthony McInnis, North - Lifethat in Churchill for who said the School a couple of reasons. District of Mystery Lake “I just sort of having thought,a also anticipates you knowon what, this hisvacancy their board tory, this stuff that’s in of trustees that could my be head, going to be gone filled it’s with a concurrent if I don’t writeon it down,” she byelection the same said. “My kids are not godate, though the resignaing to get it if I don’t do it tion, reportedly of trustee and it’s something I’ve alSamantha Chartrand, has ways my mom by to not yetwanted been approved do. My mom’s an elder and the board. she’s artist, she’swill got be so Theanbyelection many wonderful stories bethe second in Thompson cause always her in lessshethan twotells years. stories at Parks Canada in Coun. Andre Proulx beat Churchill and I’ve always Chiew Chong and former hounded ‘Please, councillorher, Blake Ellisjust in put it on tape, I will it March 2019 to fillwrite a vafor you because your story is going to be lost,’ and she’s never done it and I thought,
‘Oh, I’mthat justresulted as bad, right?’ cancy when IProulx have all these stories and and Chong received Ithe need to capture them for same number of votes my grandchildren really for the final available spot because theyOctober will be lost if during the 2018 Imunicipal don’t.” election. Prior to Sheitalso a reputation that, hadhas been almost 10 as a storyteller years since the herself. last council “I had such a varied hisbyelection in Thompson in tory and I would tell people December 2009, when Erin stories theyfour would go, Stewartand beat other ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, candidates to fill the seat ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, left vacant by the resigna‘You didn’t all that, did tion of CorydoYoung. you? You’ve got to be really The byelection will be old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually overseen by Norma HowIitt, didwho all that before I was was approved by 27,’ and they went council in May as‘What?’” the new Looking back, sometakof senior election official, those experiences are things ing over the job from Dave she might not do again. Turpie. “I did some bizarre While thepretty details of stuff like fuel hauls into the when candidates must high Arctic at the -35,” said register by and running deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn of the byelection will be on me 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.’” Another thing that spurred her on was the hard times facing Churchill since the Hudson Bay Railway suspended operations north of Gillam last spring. used hands, to be Mcinnis a really in “It Howitt’s thriving large community said it will likely look a bit and it’s just dwindled down different than the previous to such a small population byelection. now,” deMeulles says. “We’re going to have to Though she’s notvoting there modify some of the any longer, her parents and procedures to ensure social her sister and other family distancing,” he said. “We’ll members stillall are. have to take these extra “My cousin the precautions andowns encourhardware store there,” she age the use of the mail-in says. Because of that, deMeulles finds it hard to
swallow when people say that Churchill residents should just find somewhere easier to live. “To say, ‘Those people choose to live there. They should just leave,’ is quite simplistic. It’s quite disrespectful. If we were in the same boat in another area I think we would scream about that so why don’t they have the option to do that? I think right now they’re feeling ballots.”like they’re pawns in To a political game and that’s run for councillor, really sad formust them because candidates be Can-I think the people of Churchadian citizens, 18 years or ill really want to thrive. older as of election day and They’ve their worlds voters inbuilt the municipality there. How would we feel in which they are running. if someone came to you and Municipal employees may said, ‘I’m sorry, run for office ifyou theyhave taketoa leave home community leave your of absence from their and we’re goingoftothe displace jobs. Members Maniyou somewhere else and all your loved ones and your history is gone?’”
For all the harsh weather and the dangers of polar bears, deMeulles said if it had been viable she would have moved back to Churchill in a heartbeat. “I miss the shoreline, I miss the rock, I miss the polar bears even though they’re very dangerous and I really miss the Hudson Bay,” she says. “When I go back home, standing on the Hudson Bay looking out on the it just gives an tobabay, legislature, the you House incredible sense. YouSenate feel so of Commons or the small you feel great.” are notand eligible to run, nor Now that she’s are judges or justices of got the one book under her belt, peace. Those previously deMeulles sheelection may try convictedsays of an to produce another. offence or who failed to “I ahave book in pay fine another after being conme,” a darker victedshe ofsays. other“It’s Municipal story, more about personAct offences are also not al growth and struggles. eligible as candidates. Maybe in the next five years it’s something I’ll focus on doing.”