Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 61 • Issue 46
Tree trimmings honour memory of residential school survivors and victims
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
For Christopher and Sandra Hart of Thompson, this year’s Christmas tree decorations aren’t only a way to celebrate the festive season. They’re also reminders of the children who didn’t get a chance to celebrate the holidays with their families over the 100-plus year history of Canada’s residential schools, many of which were run by churches. “I decorated my tree this year with the theme of Every Child Matters,” says Sandra, who isn’t Indigenous but is married to and has a son with Christopher, who is. He is also the child of a residential school survivor. ”It’s mostly orange with the remembrance ribbons in orange and gold feathers.” In a year that saw more light shone on the horrific history of residential schools for Indigenous children than there was even in 2015 – when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission issued its final report – as a result of unmarked graves being located at several former school sites, and the first-ever National Day for Truth
and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, Hart said it didn’t seem right to celebrate Christmas without at least reflecting on the past. “There is a dark history in Canada and we have to own that and we have to acknowledge the mistakes of the past,” she said. “Many, many children for many years never made it home for Christmas or were never allowed to go home for Christmas from residential schools and I feel like every child matters and should be remembered. Canadians should be doing this on a more regular basis and it should be the focus of more conversations.” Hart’s husband, who grew up in Churchill, is one of nine children of a mother who was sent to residential school as a child.. “They all have the effects of intergenerational trauma,” says Sandra, who has spent a lot of time studying residential schools and their repercussions as a University of Manitoba Northern Social Work Program student. “They lost their language because their mom never spoke it after she came back from residential school and they didn’t grow up in the traditional ways that
she was raised before she went to residential school so they lost a lot of that. His sister is making a great effort to try and reclaim that history and help teach the rest of the family the things that her mom couldn’t because they were painful for her, because they were reminders of what she wasn’t allowed to do at residential school. It wasn’t my generation but it still affects people in my generation.” Beside the tree is an “Every Child Matters” banner that had been up in the Harts’ window for several months before it was moved. “It’s always a good time to spread awareness… and that’s why we chose to do our tree that way this year,” Sandra says. “When your friends come over, it sparks off that conversation. You remember the lost children and … the importance of reconciliation because I feel like that’s a good part of what we have to do as Canadians to start that process of being sorry for what happened. You remember the sadness of Every Child Matters and that’s important that we all stay centred on that. We cannot forget what happened.”
Thompson Citizen photo courtesy of Sandra Hart Sandra and Christopher Hart of Thompson decorated their Christmas tree mostly in orange this year in remembrance of residential school victims and survivors.
Northern nursing shortages causing suffering for patients and health care workers “Nurses are the backbone management is making urOne-third of 24 LPN pos- ers have stepped forward working as a region to supof our health care system,” gent requests for nurses to itions in Thompson were to support numerous new port our ability to provide Nurses and the patients said NDP leader Wab Kinew, cover day and night shits in empty Nov. 1, as were 49 roles created as part of pan- reliable, ongoing services,” who rely on their services who raised the issue of va- northern communities such of 167 RN jobs and at least demic response (including he said. are both suffering due to a cant rural nursing positions as Snow Lake, Gillam and 20 per cent of health care to support screening, conWhen needs are parshortage of them in many in the legislature Nov. 26. Lynn Lake, the last of which aide and home care health tact tracing and vaccina- ticularly acute at a certain northern communities, say “Without them, we can't sus- had three of four LPN and care aide positions. Only tion efforts) in addition to facility, management can the NDP and the Manitoba tain a health care system or four of five RN positions one of three RN positions supporting both traditional either try to find workers to Nurses Union (MNU). deliver the quality patient empty at the beginning of in Leaf Rapids was filled, and COVID-related care cover empty shifts volunOn Nov. 1, 24 of 84 li- care Manitobans deserve. the month. while seven of 13 RN pos- needs for our population. tarily or temporarily change Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham censed practical nurse (LPN) Years of Brian Pallister's “This is how short north- itions in Gillam were vacant. In Northern Manitoba this their work locations. Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. positions in the Northern cuts to rural health care ern communities are,” said An NRHA spokesperson is especially true, given our “At times, in order to Regional Health Authority created this shortage, and the “Without major reason the geographic location needs of a BY IAN GRAHAM For allthe thecare harsh weather to write things that you have ‘Oh,MNU I’m justpost. as bad, right?’ said was anot a very safefor thing swallow when people and say support were vacant (close to 30 per no one believes the new services, our people are left high vacancy rates is the onthe distance between our particular facility or service, 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 of polar cent), whileshe’s 91 of 362written regis- when PC leader, helped him Iinneed a vulnerable situation going COVID-19 communities the lar- bears, we rely deMeulles upon callouts to staff Though now I get who through.” to capture themwith for thought that waspandemic, exciting should just findand somewhere said if it tered positions carry out his said cuts she as health NO access to healthcare ser- until whichthe hasplane stretched for over ger populations to pick shifts, look a booknurse about(RN) her experienDeMeulles wrote my grandchildren really landed and easier to live. of southern had beenupviable sheorwould were unfilledup(25 cent). minister, the damif nurses months in throwing Manitoba. the Manitoba.” opportunities either ces growing in per Churchill, her book, will titledfix Whispers in vices because they are willnot be able lost to if 20 they started “To say, ‘Those people at have moved back totoChurch51 of 159 health care aide age. We have to start with cover these shifts. If nurses “Staffing across the Recruitment efforts are reassign or redeploy staff 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. positions were also vacant in North hiring -nurses building stepalso uphas to cover these cats, healthI was system, both within ongoing, the temporarily,” spokes-I Manitoba northern director Life inand Churchill for doShe a reputation probably sitting always should just leave,’said is quite “I miss the the shoreline, the north, as weresaid 13 of 62 aa couple long-term strategy to fix shifts, it in turn leaves in times of miss personthe said. “Each of these Gisele deMeulles writof reasons. as a storyteller herself.other and on a outside bomb.’”Manitoba, has spokesperson, simplistic. It’s quite disrerock, I miss the home care health care aide the nursing shortage.” areas throughout the region been challenged by the proshortage or not. options involves a full clining 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 positions and one four you A Facebook post byhisthe tory short.and It's Iawould no-wintell situation. longed COVID-19 “Challenges do remain at they’re ical impact operational always thought sheofwould know what, this people spurred her on response. was the same boat in another area veryand dangerous and pharmacist positions. MNU on stuff Nov. that’s 26 said arethey drowning.” work- aI number of sites andscream we are assessment.” do. tory, this in that my SOS...we hard timeshealth-care facing Churchill think we would I really miss the Hudson stories and would go, Manitoba BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
“In my youth I never 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
head, it’s going to be gone ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Railif 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!
about that so why don’t they 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?’”
Bay,” she says. “When I go 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.”