Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 61 • Issue 6
North reports lowest number of new COVID-19 cases in two weeks Feb. 8 Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
at a large number of cases in an area it will take several Northern Manitoba reweeks for us to see those ported its lowest number numbers come down." of new COVID-19 cases in Thompson MLA Dantwo weeks Feb. 8, with 12 ielle Adams said during a new positive tests for the Zoom press conference with virus from the region. three other Northern ManiThe deaths of two northtoba NDP MLAs Feb. 2 that erners were also announced providing more self-isolaon Monday – a woman in tion options for people in her 60s and a woman in her the province’s north could 70s. One of these people help reduce the spread of was a resident of The Pas/ COVID-19 and that the Opaskwayak/Kesley health pandemic shows why it district, while another was a is important to invest in resident of the Shamattawa/ affordable housing YorkFactory/Tatskweyak “This government has not Split Lake health district. spent a dollar on affordable Another death was also rehousing since they’ve been ported over the weekend – the government and that’s a woman in her 50s from just unacceptable,” Adams the Flin Flon/snow Lake/ said. “It’s time to show Cranberry/Sherridon health leadership and stop makdistrict. ing Northern Manitobans Eight of the new northern second-class citizens." cases announced Monday Adams also said the provcame from the Island Lake incial government should health district, while two not be reinventing the wheel were from Thompson and when it comes to vaccinThompson Citizen photo courtesy of Government of Manitoba ating northerners, pointing one each were from the Sayisi Dene/Tadoule/Barren A nurse fills a syringe with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the Thompson vaccination site Feb. 1 before administering out the NRHA has experiLands/Brochet/Northlands/ it to one of the first few people immunized at the site. ence providing flu shots in Lac Brochet and The Pas/ many communities throughOpaskwayak/Kelsey health Manor personal care home school self isolating and of the vaccination to the eli- not there yet. This will not out the north. districts. and Wapanohk Community many others participating gible individuals as priori- change any of the current “I have a number of comThere have now been School. in remote learning. De- tized by Manitoba Health, public health orders that are munities that don’t have 4,149 positive tests for The School District of claring an outbreak is a as well as our elders on the in place.” regular flights to ThompCOVID-19 in the North- Mystery Lake posted a way public health can for- unit and in the community There were also 55 new son,” she said, explaining ern Regional Health Au- statement on social media mally support Wapanohk over 70 years old,” Klain- cases from the north Feb. 3, why centralized vaccination thority (NRHA) since the Jan. 29 when the Wapanohk Community School’s ear- char wrote. “These are the 35 of them from the Thom- is problematic. “I have a pandemic began. 718 of outbreak was declared, say- ly efforts to address rising groups that are identified to son/Mystery Lake health community that I represent those cases are currently ing that it was done because community cases by shift- be at the greatest risk. We district. that doesn’t even have an considered active. Public of the number of cases in the ing to remote learning since have a robust vaccination “I think in general, talk- airport and the government health was able to recat- Eastwood neighbourhood. mid-January.” plan for our community that ing to public health on the hasn’t indicated how they’re egorize a number of cases “There continues to be Wapanohk, which pre- will allow us to distribute ground, there seems to be planning on getting the vacpreviously listed as active high activity in households viously extended the the vaccination to Churchill some thought that the num- cine to those people. There’s as closed over the weekend, that have school aged chil- post-Christmas break re- residents who are eligible. bers are stabilizing especial- a lot of communities that leading to the number of ac- dren that attend school, mote learning period that Eligibility criteria will ex- ly where the outbreaks are rely on rail travel so how tive cases in the province which led to public health was due to have ended Jan. pand as more people receive occurring so it is encourare News they getting Nickel Belt photo bythe Ianvaccine? Graham and in the north dropping deciding to declare an out- 15 to Jan. 29 and then to the vaccination and as our aging but there are still a We need to be bringing the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. by half. Close to half of all break,” said the district’s Feb. 5 prolonged it by an- community receives more number of cases there on a vaccine to the people and active cases in the province statement. “An capitawhen basispeople that is say out notFor week 4 to at least doses of athe vaccine. Our per theallother way around. BY IAN GRAHAM the harsh weatherI to write things thatoutbreak you have other ‘Oh, I’m justFeb. as bad, right?’ was not very safe thing swallow are still in the NRHA. was not declared due to the end of this week. plan is flexible and takes of the norm compared to would say the government 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 The situation in thewritten north school transmission. Further north, Churchill into account aspects of should Manitoba wesomewhere are keep- bears, needs todeMeulles have vaccine Though she’s now when I get through.” Pub- I need to capture them for thought that all was exciting justso find said sites if it was much better on Mon- licDeMeulles health hassaid seen high my Health Centre chief operatour population we follow ing an eye on it,” said acting had in every to ena book about her experiensheawrote grandchildren really until the planeaslanded and easier to live. beencommunity viable she would day than it had only six rate of activity in this parofficer Jason schedulethe set deputy chief ‘Those provincial pub- sure everybody can get ces growing upbeen in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in ing because they willKlainchar be lost if the theydistribution started throwing “To say, people havethat moved back to Churchdays earlier on Feb. 2, when ticular neighbourhood in said on the health centre’s out by Manitoba Health. lic health officer Dr. Jazz the vaccine and nobody is 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. 53 of 83 cases in the prov- North 2 that cats, Atwal Feb. “We are see- not“Iable Thompson with several While the probably receipt of the should to get vaccine justI Manitoba northern director - Life in Churchill for Facebook She alsopage has aFeb. reputation I was sitting just 3. leave,’ is quite miss theashoreline, ince were from the NRHA. in of students over the it received its first ship- vaccine is very welcome ing a lot of household trans- miss because can’t travelthe to Gisele deMeulles said writ- cases a couple reasons. ashas a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disrethethey rock, I miss Thompson continues to past month related to housement of COVID-19 vaccine within our community and mission and close contacts where a pop-up site is. Iming 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 have active outbreaks de- you hold know transmission. Thishishas tory “Our this tell week will spurred is the first her step towards converting casesarea as they’re munizing region is a always thought she would what, this andgoal I would people on wasloosthe same boat ininto another veryour dangerous and clared at Northern Spirit left to provide thewould first dose students of be restrictions, we are well. When Continued Page 3 do. tory,many this stuff that’s out in my hard times facing Churchill I think we you’re would looking scream I really miss theonHudson stories and they go, ening 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.”