Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
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Volume 64 • Issue 7
“Mix Tapes From My Mom” concert takes audience on a nostalgic journey filled with laughter and tears
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
Thompson Citizen photo by Matthias J. Johnson more than a simple con- theatrical performance flare of the show, saying that the lead singer and writer journey down memory cert of old tunes; it was was evident in the concert. they were thrilled to con- of the concert, Cory Wojcik lane, filled with nostalgia. a comedic and heartfelt The company has hosted a tinue “Mix Tapes From My had the audience laughing The theatrical stage perR.D. Parker Letkemann show that kept the audi- different play and a differ- Mom” for a second year throughout the night with formance added a touch Theatre played host to an ence laughing, crying, and ent set of actors every two after receiving glowing re- his comedic antics on stage. of elegance to the evening, outstanding concert put wanting so much more. The years since it’s beginnings. views from last year. “It’s a He would make us smile making a delightful and Nickel Belt News it photo by Ian Graham on by the Royal Manitoba band northern of three kept up specThis is now the second wonderful testament growing to the and relate as would turn unique experience. With Addictions Foundation of Manitoba director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences up, mostly in he Churchill. Touring Company (Royal tacularly to the originality year for “Mix Tapes From power of story. Based on the tape back with a pencil such a successful tour so MTC) Feb. 16 titled to My Mom” Since per- was real-life that thing seem swallow it'sallevident thatweather Royal before playing or cause of write the classic hits,you making BY IANon GRAHAM the harsh things that have ‘Oh, I’m justand as bad, right?’ not aevents very safe when it, people say far,For “Mix Tapes From My to us to Churchill roll with laughter as and thefigure audience move the Iforming Thompson stranger fiction,atCory MTC's Tapes EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET have allinthese storiesonly and to out. It’s prettytoclear do butthan I jumped it. I that residents the"Mix dangers of From polar Mom”. The concert took when beat. The of a theat- Idays ago, havethem already shares histhat tale,was told exciting through should he would actfind outsomewhere the way he bears, My Mom" is a show Though she’s now written I get flare through.” need to they capture for thought just deMeulles said that if it the audience on aexperienjourney rical stage performance also my toured in Snow Lake,really Flin until his greatest giftlanded his mother imagined a particular doc- had shouldn't missed. a book about her DeMeulles said she wrote grandchildren the plane and easier to live. been be viable she would of reminiscence with her Flon, Dauphin, and left him: music.” tastefully played a crucial likesay, a loony drugpeople dealer have ~Matthias J. Johnson is a ces growing up inthick Churchill, book, titled Whispers in because they will beSouris lost if they started throwing the tor“To ‘Those moved back to Churchnostalgia asFoundation the lead singrole,Wind: giving a delightful, By the middle of fuel The concert is based with a syringe theThey size ill Local Addictions of the Stories from the IMB. don’t.” off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live half there. in aJournalism heartbeat. Initiative er and writer of thedirector event, North unique- evening. theyhas will have held on events and It should of him. just leave,’ is quite reporter out ofI Manitoba northern Life in Churchill for March, She also a reputation cats,real-life I was probably sitting “I misswho theworks shoreline, Cory Wojcik, hadsaid everyone Given of that Royal MTC as 21 ashows touredherself. throughout on is impressive "Mix Tapes FromdisreMy miss the Thompson Gisele deMeulles writ- a couple reasons. storyteller a bomb.’” how stories simplistic. It’s quite the rock,Citizen. I miss The the laughing with his comedic anwere enjoyable toured theater Manitoba and aOntario. have a profound im- Mom" Local Journalism ing wasn’t something she has “I just sortlive of thought, “I had such varied his- can Another thing that spectful.was If we in the polar bears evenInitiative though antics on stage. she would you that they’re shows sincewhat, 1960, this it should Artistic Director, Kelly spurred pact, as evidenced by this is funded the Governalways thought know his- tory and I would tell people her on was the and samedistinct boat in evening another area verybydangerous and comethis as no surprise that Thornton, highly remarkable example. As took of Canada. theweaudience on a Iment do.The evening was much tory, stuff that’s in mya stories times facing Churchill I think would scream really miss the Hudson and speaks they would go, hard BY MATTHIAS J. JOHNSON LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER, THOMPSON CITIZEN
“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 PREM SAWNA 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 if I don’t write it down,” she said. “My kids are not going to get it if I don’t do it and it’s something I’ve always wanted my mom to do. My mom’s an elder and she’s an artist, she’s got so many wonderful stories because she always tells her stories at Parks Canada in Churchill and I’ve always hounded her, ‘Please, just put it on tape, I will write it for you because your story is going to be lost,’ and she’s never done it and I thought,
‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Rail‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way suspended operations ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. you? You’ve got to be really “It used to be a really old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community I INSURANCE did all that beforeSPECIALIST I was and it’s just dwindled down 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” * LIFE/MORTGAGE INSURANCEto such a small population now,” deMeulles says. Looking back, some of INSURANCE * SUPER VISA/VISITOR VISA those experiences are things Though she’s not there * DISABILITY INSURANCE she might not do again. any longer, her parents and * CRITICAL/HEALTH INSURANCE * RRSP/RESP/TFSA “I did some prettyINVESTMENTS bizarre her sister and other family www.akalinsurance.com stuff like fuel hauls into the members still are. Email:Arctic psawna68@gmail.com high at -35,” said “My cousin owns the deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware store there,” she Good Together... For You on me until People after. ThatWorking was a says. very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, Being on a plane full of fuel deMeulles finds it hard to
about that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When I go have the option to do that? back home, standing on the 204.914.4902 I think right now CELL: they’re Hudson Bay looking out on 36-1313 the Border feeling like they’re pawns bay, itSt., justWinnipeg gives you an in a political game and that’s incredible sense. You feel so really sad for them becauseBROKER I small and you feel great.” MORTGAGE think the people of ChurchNow that she’s got * PURCHASING A DREAM HOME ill really want to RENEWAL thrive. one book under her belt, * MORTGAGE They’ve built their REFINANCE worlds deMeulles says she may try * MORTGAGE there. *How would we feel to produce another. REPAIR YOUR CREDIT if someone came to you and “I have another book in www.redstarmortgage.ca Office: 204.202.7793 said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to me,” she says. “It’s a darker Email: psawna@redstarmortgage.ca leave your home community story, more about personand we’re going to displace al growth and struggles. you somewhere else and all Maybe in the next five years your loved ones and your it’s something I’ll focus on history is gone?’” doing.”
PREM SAWNA, P.ENG., AMP