January 16 2019

Page 1

Nickel Belt News

Volume 58 Number 9

Friday, March 2, 2018

Thompson, Manitoba

Serving the Norman Region since 1961

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960

Volume 59 • Issue 3

Candidate’s application for court to declare entitlement toCEO a seat on Thompson city council Council takes Canada Goose won’t be heard until Feb. 11 at the earliest

donates $1 million towards polar bear conservation facility BY IAN GRAHAM

ONE MAN AND A VAN: HIGHWAY 6 EXPRESS Polar Bears International NEWS (PBI) received a $1PAGE million 2

donation towards the construction of a new facility in Churchill during their Polar Bear Affair gala in Toronto Feb. 27. Dani Reiss, president and CEO of Canada Goose, as well as a current Polar

PEACE AND PREVENTION GETS PROVINCIAL FUNDING NEWS PAGE 3

FIRE CAPTAIN APPOINTED TO POLICE COMMISSION NEWS PAGE 5

NORTHSTARS TOPPLE CAPITALS SPORTS PAGE 7

EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

A decision about if and when a byelection may be held to Bears International board fill the eighth seat on Thompmember and a –former son’s city council which chairman that board was declaredof vacant when from 2008 tied to with 2017, two candidates the pledged theof money, which same amount votes and then represents half of again declaredabout a tie following money the- will organathe judicial recount not ization raiseuntil for likely takehopes place to at least Polar Bears by International mid-February, which point aHouse. civil court motion by one of those candidates may have been resolved. A courtroom at the Thompson provincial building took on the air of City Hall’s council chambers or an all-candidates forum Jan. 14, with councillors Duncan Wong and Judy Kolada, former councillor Ron Matechuk and 2018 municipal election candidates Malanie Cutler and Andre Proulx in attendance, along with Thompson city manager Anthony McInnis and senior election official Dave Turpie. The matter they were interested in was an application by

Chong – who tied with Proulx for the eight spot on council with 1,008 votes – for a determination of entitlement to “Over decade a seat on the cityleast council and of a working with PBI, I have declaration of entitlement to seen firsthand the passion that seat. and thatisthe team Theenergy application being opputs into posed by thetheir city. important research efforts to Court of and Queen’s Bench ensureChris polar bearsgranted have Justice Martin future,” Reiss in a aa request bysaid Chong’s lawyer press release. a privGerhard Randel “It andisthe City ilege to be a part of to helpof Thompson’s lawyer adjourn the matter until Feb. 11, after affidavits and briefs have been filed. The application will not necessarily be heard or decided that day, and it may be Justice Herbert Rempel, who conducted the judicial recount of the Oct. 24 election results, who will decide the matter. “In the best of all worlds, it should be Justice Rempel,” Martin said. It is possible the matter may be decided then, however. “If everybody is ready and can be accommodated we can see about getting that done,” said Martin.

If it isn’t heard on that date, any potential byelection will likely be further delayed. “We’ve been working with ingprovince them build a muchthe to prepare for a needed facility which will byelection, but we’re holding serve as of a the launch site that for off in light challenge PBI’s research andsaid educahas come forward,” City tional activities on polar of Thompson communications bear habitat conservation officer Kacper Antoszewski on around Jan. 11. the world.” The judicial proposed The recountPolar was Bears International House, required after both Proulx and construction is Chong objected toofthewhich rejection expected at the of one ballottoinbegin the municipal start of the 2018 of polar election because an bear amseason,mark will be on dobiguous in built the mayoral nated land on Churchill’s section. The rejection of that main was street and designed ballot overturned prior to to be energy cientballot and the recount but effi another ecologically sound. Itinwill that had been accepted the serve as a site to educate original tally was rejected, the visitors to Churchill City of Thompson saidabout in a polar30 bears, Nov. pressclimate release. change and urgent need to take If the Chong’s application to action, asthat wellheasis provide determine entitled broadcast facilities for to the eighth seat on council media, supporta polar bear is unsuccessful, byelection research and outreach efto fill it will have to be held, forts, andtoassist visiting according the Municipal scientists, and Councils andeducators School Boards other guests whose Elections Act, which sayswork that

and support are critical to polar bear conservation. The facility will include a workspace, bunkhouse, kitchen and storage space for equipment. “This is the single largest donation PBI has received and it factors is an the north, and these amazing commitment to may combine to increase helping thehousepolar the rate ofsecure secondary bear’s future,” said PBI hold transmission, known executive director Krista to be a major pathway for Wright.of“We’re humbled spread influenza in the by this generous gift and community.” extremely As with grateful.” the rest of the

first step towards reducing their ranks in October

BY IAN GRAHAM

that’s our size, we have the most,” she said. Council approved first Matechuk said that reading of a bylaw to re- since the need to cut costs duce the number of coun- is partly due to the new, cillors from eight to six at lower grant-in-lieu (GIL) their Feb. 26 meeting by a that Vale Manitoba Opervote of 6-3, with council- ations pays the city instead lors Ron Matechuk, Dun- of property taxes, the councan Wong and Judy Kolada cillors who Citizen negotiated that Thompson file photo opposed. agreement could make Chiew Chong, seen here watching election results Oct. 24it Before thewith reduction possible for council go when he tied Andre Proulx with 1,008 votes fortothe becomes reality, however, through a trial period with eighth seat on council, has filled a civil court motion chalthe bylaw must be the fewer members. lenging of hearthe election, werecouncillors confirmed subject the of results a public “Ifwhich the three by a judicial recount in November. ing, currently scheduled that negotiated the GIL, this and then this very iffor twoMarch or more12, candidates for miserable, If that byelection provespoor nereceive second third GIL, were to do the honthe same office canand not be de- cessary, any qualified candidate reading, which areeach tentathing and at resign clared elected because has –ourable a Canadian citizen least tively slated to occur March from council, we would received the same number of 18 years old who has been a 12 and respecthave a couple of weeks to votes, theMarch senior 26 election of- Thompson resident or owned ively.must Citydeclare manager Gary property find outinwhether weatwant ficial the office the city for least Ceppetelli saysa the bylaw six to proceed way to vacant and hold byelection months asall of the the election must be passed 180 days third reading on this,” said to fill it, except when a judicial date – could run for that vacant prior tois the election Matechuk, recount applied for. date council seat. who repeated of Oct. 24. If it is, the next comments made Feb. 12 election could be a bit of when council voted 5-2 a case of musical chairs, to amend the Thompson with the eight incumbent Charter Act, which stipucouncillors, assuming all of lates that council should them decide to run again, have eight councillors and competing for only six a mayor, to the effect that available spots, along with reducing the number of all the other candidates. council positions would perience more two clusters of year’s vaccine better from than Eliminating council prevent “new is blood” illness.” year,”into Gesell said. “The positions would save just last coming council. Flu shots are still avail- dominant thisColleen year is under $20,000 in salarDeputystrain mayor able by contacting the local type A, H1N1. Each ies and perhaps about Smook said that isn’tyear nepublic health he said.in the influenza vaccine covers $5,500 to unit, $16,400 cessarily true as she and Nearlyexpenses, all of the confirmed strainswere of type A virus, travel based three Valentino among the cases of influenza in Maniand two strains of type in B on the amounts spent on top three vote-getters toba since Sept. 1 have been virus. This year’s vaccine travel by the two lowest- 2014 despite having not influenza which typically the type A virus, spendingA,councillors and does beencover on council before, is worse than flu cause by H1N1.” the two highest spending while Coun. Penny Byer influenza B strains, though said Flufresh is among the top 10 in the fiscal year 2016. faces don’t autotheShrinking disease from thosetocan causes of to death in council six leading matically equate differalso be severe. Canada, Gesell said, but would put Thompson in ent results. Although healthsimilarly care of- there respiratory line with other “I’mare notother sure that whethficials be certain until thenew flu vaccine sized can’t communities said illnesses er you that have blood after theBlake flu season, not that protect against, but Coun. Ellis,it appears a com- can makes great a differthat this year’s vaccine was covering coughs, washing ment reiterated by Coun. ence in what a council is fairly hands, and Kathyeffective. Valentino. able toeating do andhealthily accomplish “Early areevery that staying home “Whenindicators you look at depending onwhen whatsick the can obthe effectiveness of this help reduce their spread. other city or municipality Continued on Page 3 EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

Only Winnipeg region has had more flu cases than Northern Manitoba this season BY IAN GRAHAM

EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

Northern Manitoba was hit hard in the 2018-19 flu season, with 130 influenza cases from Sept. 1 to Jan. 4, second only to Winnipeg which had 210. Northern Regional Health Authority chief medical officer of health Dr. Randy Gesell said there are a couple of possible reasons for the northern region seeing more confirmed cases. “Reports of positive influenza cases are dependent on who gets tested for influenza (flu), so the high number of cases in Northern Manitoba

may be partially due to more testing being done in the region,” said Gesell. “We do know, however, that the main influenza virus circulating this year (H1N1) is the same virus that circulated in the 2009 pandemic, which also more severely impacted northern communities. Although the reasons for this are not completely understood, we do know that H1N1 has significant impact on children and adolescents, and northern communities typically have a high percentage of their population in these age groups. Housing density is also higher in

province, this year’s flu virus hit Dani youngReiss people Erica and do15 and$1 under harder, but nated million towards the season to have Polar Bearsseems International’s peaked. proposed facility in Church“Diagnosed cases are ill during the organization’s on the decline, a bit earliPolar Bear Affairthan galarecent in Toer in the season ronto Feb. 27. years,” said Gesell. “There is still influenza Nickel circulatBelt News ing, though,photo andcourtesy specific of communities may still exPolar Bears International

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January 16 2019 by Thompson Citizen - Issuu