Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
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
Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 61 • Issue 48
Thompson MLA Danielle Adams dies in highway crash Dec. 9
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Northerners and other Manitobans expressed shock and paid tribute to Thompson NDP MLA Danielle Adams following news that she was killed in a crash on Highway 6 Dec. 9. Adams, 39, was travelling south about 50 kilometres south of Ponton when her SUV collided with a semi headed north, police said Dec. 10. Wabowden RCMP were notified of the collision around 11:20 a.m. Thursday and attended the scene along with emergency medical services and personnel from multiple fire departments. Adams was pronounced dead at the scene while the truck driver, a 54-year-old man from the rural municipality of Alexander, was not physically injured. RCMP said road conditions at the time of the crash were poor and that neither speed nor alcohol appear to be factors in the fatal accident. Wabowden RCMP, the Criminal Collision Investigation Team and a forensic collision reconstructionist are investigating. News of Adams’s death came from the NDP in a news release around 6:45 p.m. Thursday evening. “Danielle’s passing is heartbreaking on so many levels – she was a young, caring mother who Thompson Citizen file photo wore her heart on her sleeve,” said Danielle Adams, seen here on Sept. 10, 2019 when she was elected as Thompson’s first female MLA, died in a car crash on Highway 6 Dec. 9. NDP leader Wab Kinew. “She was a fierce advocate for her constitu“Danielle was my friend,” Ash- were difficult but she was a strong, condolence. ment emailed to media. “As the ents in Thompson and always made ton said in a Dec. 9 Facebook post. principled partner with whom to “She was a tireless advocate and first female elected to represent the Northern Manitobans a priority. “We knew each other since high lead our community and I’ll miss supporter for the people of North- constituency of Thompson, she will Our movement and our team will school. She was my colleague. our relationship dearly. Passion like ern Manitoba and our issues and be remembered as a strong voice miss her deeply. I know I and my We worked together for almost 10 hers isn’t common, and northerners will be greatly missed,” said KTC for Northern Manitoba and staunch NDP colleagues will honour her years. So many memories. Dan- will feel her loss far and wide.” chairperson and Shamattawa First advocate for childcare, housing, life and legacy by continung to ielle was a feminist, an activist, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okima- Nation Chief Eric Redhead, who poverty reduction and supporting fight hard for the things Danielle s committed New Democrat, a kanak Grand Chief Garrison Settee, said KTC leaders were in shock Manitobans with disabilities. We all stood for.” proud northerner. As an MLA and whose organizatin represents 26 and disbelief at the news of Ad- Nickel mournBelt herNews loss.photo She will be Graham greatly by Ian Married with two young sons, a person, Danielle believed in our Northern Manitoba First Nations, ams's death. missed in the Manitoba legislature. Addictions Foundation of critic Manitoba director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. Adams served as the NDP for northern region. She believed in building a said on social media that Adams “She came to our community of May she rest in peace.” child care, housing, disability and better future for have all of us. Words an ally who sought to make a safe Tataskweyak Cree Nation andpeople Troy sayThompson’s longest-serving BY IAN GRAHAM For all the harsh weather to write things that you ‘Oh, I’m justwas as bad, right?’ was not a very thing swallow when poverty matters. She was elected can not express the loss we feel.” difference in the north. Lake for our gathering and pow MLA Steve Ashton, fatherofofpolar Niki, EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET to figure out. It’s pretty clear I have all these stories and to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers as Though Thompson’s in 2019, deAdams lived in Thompson since “Shethem was for truly thought an honest andwaswow and her last message to us who represented the riding forif35 she’s MLA now written when I get through.” I need to capture that exciting should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said it feating Progressive ConservativeDeMeulles 1994, when shewrote was 11 years old humble person,” said. was landed was she to to know to Bindle 2016, a book about her experiensaid she my grandchildren really he until the“Itplane andwanted easier live.how our years until had losing been viable sheinwould one-term incumbent Kelly Bindle honour to work with started her.” throwing said thehave waymoved Adamsback died to was someand titled the city’s mayorinsaidbecause the Hubtheyanwill community doing,” KTCpeople ces growing up in Churchill, her book, Whispers be lost if they the was “To say, said ‘Those Churchin her first campaign for elected ofof the North and all of Northern Adams’s work on behalf of thing that struck a chord with many vice-chair and TCN Chief Doreen Addictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the I don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. fice, becoming Thompson's fe- Manitoba has lost afor champion. residents of Keewatin Tribal Counnortherners. Spence. Manitoba northern directorfirstNorth - Life in Churchill She also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite “I miss the shoreline, I male in the Manitoba horribly saddened hear cil’sherself. a tripthe I know too well (KTC) 11 northern First NaThe NDPsimplistic. MLA alsoIt’s received Giselerepresentative deMeulles said writa couple“I ofam reasons. as to a storyteller on a bomb.’” quite disre-“It ismiss rock,only I miss the legislature with the victory. Prior to about the sudden passing of Dantions, which suffer from isolation, tribute from Manitoba Premier from my own days as MLA,” he ing wasn’t something she “I just sort of thought, “I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though that, shethought was Churchill-Keewatiielle Adams,” Smook in and CityI would high cost of living and a lack her of es-on Heather wrote.they’re “Travelling to fightand for always she would you know what, this his- said tory tell people spurred was theStefanson. same boat in another area verysouth dangerous nook of Thompson post sential services also times also noted “Danielle Iwas tragically taken the north, Danielle Adams was one do. NDP MP Niki Ashton’s contory, this stuff that’s social in my media facing Churchill think we would scream I really miss the Hudson stories and they would go,washard stituency assistant for many years. Dec. 9. “The problems we faced and appreciate in a statement of too soon,” Stefanson said in a stateof our own. She will be missed.” “In my youth I never head, it’s going to be gone ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Rail- about that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When I go felt good at writing,” she said. “But when I moved to Thompson to get into the school of social work, at that point I had to write for university and realized, ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, right?’ I certainly developed a lot of skill in university and came out of there with a very strong skill in my writing and confidence in my writing. I write very clear and that’s it. It’s there. Some people say it’s kind of blunt or direct. I don’t tend
if I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way suspended operations said. “My kids are not go- ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. ing to get it if I don’t do it you? You’ve got to be really “It used to be a really and it’s something I’ve al- old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community ways wanted my mom to I did all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down do. My mom’s an elder and 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” to such a small population Contact she’s an artist,Nelson she’s got so at 204-307-0281 Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things Though she’s not there pruderspropertyservices@gmail.com cause she always tells her she might not do again. any longer, her parents and stories at Parks Canada in “I did some pretty bizarre her sister and other family to discuss your property needs! Churchill and I’ve always stuff like fuel hauls into the members still are. hounded her, ‘Please, just high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin owns the put it on tape, I will write it deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware store there,” she for you because your story on me until after. That was a says. is going to be lost,’ and she’s very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, never done it and I thought, Being on a plane full of fuel deMeulles finds it hard to
Yer snow gotta go!
have the option to do that? I think right now they’re feeling like they’re pawns in a political game and that’s really sad for them because I think the people of Churchill really want to thrive. They’ve built their worlds there. How would we feel if someone came to you and said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to leave your home community and we’re going to displace you somewhere else and all your loved ones and your history is gone?’”
back home, standing on the Hudson Bay looking out on the bay, it just gives you an incredible sense. You feel so small and you feel great.” Now that she’s got one book under her belt, deMeulles says she may try to produce another. “I have another book in me,” she says. “It’s a darker story, more about personal growth and struggles. Maybe in the next five years it’s something I’ll focus on doing.”