Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
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Wednesday, August 25, 2021
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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 61 • Issue 32
Face masks no longer required in city-owned buildings BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Face masks are no longer required in City of Thompson-owned buildings and buses after council rescinded a resolution from last October at their Aug. 16 meeting. “Because of the changes to the provincial health orders [that took effect Aug. 7] we’ve been instructed by the province that we should update our own resolutions,” said city manager Anthony McInnis. “That doesn’t preclude people from wearing masks. That’s a personal choice at this point now. It’s strongly recommended.” The resolution was put in place last October near the beginning of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba. The vote to rescind it
passed 4-1, with Coun. Les Ellsworth opposed. “I am concerned the kind of message that it sends,” he said, noting the rise in cases linked to COVID-19 variants in other parts of the world and rising case numbers in other Canadian provinces. “Make sure that we are very very clear that any employee or certainly anyone from the public that comes into our facilities, that we’re OK with them wearing their masks and they’re not looked down upon for it.” Coun. Duncan Wong said he was glad the requirement is no longer needed while Coun. Andre Proulx said he was excited about not wearing a mask. “It’s not the signal that we’re done with the pandemic but it does indicate that we’ve made great progress,” said
Coun. Braden McMurdo. “Hopefully this is a sign of where we’re heading permanently.” Mayor Collen Smook said she still feels comfortable wearing a mask while out shopping and hopes that other people do too. “If you’re comfortable wearing your mask, please wear your mask,” she said. “The north is doing a great job of being vaccinated and double vaccinated but there is expected a fourth wave into September, possibly here.”
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill Cocaine seized, charges laid after man with a knife chases another man inside Thompson apartment complex
Man shot by suspect who fired a gun through a mobile home window in Thompson A Cross Lake man was struck by gunfire in Thompson Aug. 16 after a shot was fired through a window of the Pipe Road mobile home he was in. The 25-year-old victim was taken to hospital for treatment of a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Police say a male suspect approached the residence and fired a gun through the window. Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477. Tips can also be submitted online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.
Thompson RCMP 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. investigating BY IAN GRAHAM death of man found RCMP photo unresponsive outside Thompson RCMP seized 103 grams of cocaine Aug. 14 after responding to a report of a man with a knife. to write things that you have to figure out. It’s pretty clear Though she’s now written when I get through.” a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in Addictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the Police are investigating death- of man who was Manitoba northern director theNorth Lifea in Churchill for found a Nickel in Thompson Aug. 21. Gisele outside deMeulles said Road writ- building a couple of reasons. RCMP responded to“Ia just reportsort of an ingThompson wasn’t something she ofunresponthought, sive man outsideshe a building, the YWCA on always thought would identified you knowaswhat, this hissocial media, around 6:40 p.m.tory, Saturday evening. do. this stuff that’s in my The was taken Thompson General “In 52-year-old my youth Iman never head,toit’s going to be gone Hospital, he wasshe later pronounced dead. felt good where at writing,” if I don’t write it down,” she Thompson RCMP, Major Crime said. “But when I moved said. Services “My kidsand areForensic not goIdentification continue to ThompsonServices to get into ingtotoinvestigate. get it if I don’t do it the school of social work, and it’s something I’ve alat that point I had to write ways wanted my mom to for university and realized, do. My mom’s an elder and ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, she’s an artist, she’s got so right?’ I certainly developed many wonderful stories bea lot of skill in university cause she always tells her and came out of there with stories at Parks Canada in a very strong skill in my Churchill and I’ve always POWER SWEEPING, LAWN MOWING, AERATION, writing and confidence in hounded her, ‘Please, just DETHATCHING & SPRAYING, my writing. I write very putLICENSED it on tape, I will write it FERTILIZER AND WEED clear and that’s it. It’s there.CONTROL for you SERVICES because your story Some people say it’s kind of is going to be lost,’ and she’s blunt or direct. I don’t tend never done it and I thought, EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
“Weeds on your lawn? Gotta be gone.”
For all the harsh weather ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say I have all these stories and to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar I need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would because they will be lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to ChurchI don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. videojust showed Jonathan “I Boychuk, had anI Police seized grams of cocaine She also has a103 reputation cats, I wasresidence. probably Surveillance sitting should leave,’ is quite miss thewho shoreline, after a man withherself. a knife forced his the armed suspect chasing anotherIt’s man arrest charged as a storyteller on way a bomb.’” simplistic. quiteoutstanding disre- miss thewarrant, rock, Iismiss the into Thompson apartment afterthing he got inside. possessing the though purpose “I ahad such a varied his-and chased Another that spectful. If we werewith in the polarcocaine bears for even another had fled the scene by another the of area trafficking, breaking and entering, tory andman. I would tell people spurred herThe onsuspects was the same boat in they’re very dangerous and Thompson RCMP received report officers arrived Ibut they we patrolled and possessing a weapon a dantimestime facing Churchill think would scream I really miss theforHudson stories and they would go, ahard around 8 p.m. 14I’dabout men the area Bay and Raillocated two men, 22 don’t gerous remanded ‘That’s not true,Aug. is it?’ go, two since the Hudson about thataged so why theypurpose. Bay,” He shewas says. “When into I go walking Ashberry one of and 33,operations both from Thompson, wereto do custody. ‘Yeah it’snear true.’ They’d Place, go, way have thewho option that? back home, standing on the suspended whom had a do knife. second saidof Gillam arrested A search of they’re The 22-year-old waslooking later released ‘You didn’t all A that, didreport north lastwithout spring.incident. I think right now Hudson Bay out on the man was attempting to enter the the older man turned up the cocaine. without any charges. 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 old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community in a political game and that’s incredible sense. You feel so I did all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down really sad for them because I small and you feel great.” 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” to such a small population think the people of ChurchNow that she’s got Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. ill really want to thrive. one book under her belt, those experiences are things Though she’s not there They’ve built their worlds deMeulles says she may try she might not do again. any longer, her parents and there. How would we feel to produce another. “I did some pretty bizarre her sister and other family if someone came to you and “I have another book in stuff like fuel hauls into the members still are. said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to me,” she says. “It’s a darker high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin owns the leave your home community story, more about persondeMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware store there,” she and we’re going to displace al growth and struggles. on me until after. That was a says. you somewhere else and all Maybe in the next five years very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, your loved ones and your it’s something I’ll focus on Being on a plane full of fuel deMeulles finds it hard to history is gone?’” doing.”
CALL NELSON: 204-307-0281 npruder@live.ca