Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 61 • Issue 3
COVID vaccinations scheduled to begin Jan. 23 in Thompson for personal care home residents, Feb. 1 for other eligible recipients
New vaccination site will deliver 1,100 doses Book aofway preserve anddelays passcould on Pfizer to vaccine, but shipment cause interruptionsup in its memories of growing inoperations Churchill
BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Plans for where and when vaccinations against COVID-19 will be delivered in – or near – Thompson remain in state of flux due to delays in Pfizer vaccine shipments to Manitoba. The Thompson Vaxport, of when we can expect located adjacent to the resumption of the higher airport, first announced amounts of shipments we’ll Dec. 23, will not open be able to decide about as scheduled Feb. 1, said sending up further doses Manitoba Health and Sen- than that first tray.” ior Care medical officer of The TRCC vaccination health Dr. Joss Reimer, a site was announced Jan. member of the province’s 15, the same day that chief COVID-19 vaccine imple- provincial public health mentation task force, at a officer Dr., Brent Roussin Jan. 18 press conference, and Premier Brian Pallister but one tray of COVID-19 fielded questions about the vaccine doses will begin to suitability of the airport be administered that day at location during a press a vaccination clinic at the conference. Thompson Regional ComWhen asked about conmunity Centre (TRCC), cerns that the Thompson which was announced as vaccination supersite will an additional location on be located several kiloJan. 15. metres out of town by the “This will be on a tem- airport with no public tranporary basis while supplies sit access, Pallister said the are in place to run that rationale for putting it there site,” said Reimer. “We are was “very logical and emialso going to be holding nently defensible.” off on opening the Vaxport “They’re getting an portion of the Thompson access centre, one of ministries since day one of mayor following that tour, livered in Thompson will cine given 28 days apart. It site again because we are three communities in the the pandemic to ensure that suggesting that the airport be to residents and staff at will then take a few weeks awaiting further supplies. province that will get a northern voices are heard was well-suited for people Northern Spirit Manor per- for our bodies to build up For the time being we are supersite, which is pretty and that relationship hasn’t coming in for vaccinations sonal care home, current- immunity so that we will be not taking appointments good,” said the premier. changed,” Smook said. from remote First Nations ly scheduled for Jan. 23, about 95 per cent protectfor the Thomson site but “There’s a lot of other “We suggested improve- that are locked down. according to a provincial ed from COVID-19. All of this is going to take time so I will let you know when communities that would be ments to the delivery of “They don’t have to come spokesperson. About 90 Norway House we need to remain strong that changes.” really happy to have one in Vaxport in Thompson and in [to the city centre] and mingle. They can keep to residents had received their and be patient. With the the province listened.” One tray of the Pfizer their area.” Smook told CBC that their community lockdown first dose of the Moderna vaccine received so far we vaccine, about 1,100 doses, He and Roussin also said vaccine as of Jan. 12, as have started to vaccinate is being shipped up fro the questions about the site’s the airport location was standards.” As of Jan. 18, 17,751 had 20 York Factory First the PCH residents and staff first vaccinations. location would be better not ideal. “It wasn’t [suitable] for doses of COVID-19 vac- Nation elders. Vaccinations and those who are 70 years “We have to send a full directed at the vaccination local people, or even our cine have been adminis- had also begun in Pimi- of age or older. As we retray together when we’re task force. ceive more vaccine, we will sending something frozen “Remember the planning outlying communities and tered in Manitoba, includ- cikamak Cree Nation Nisichawayasihk Cree then do ages 65 to 69 and so that number of doses is very difficult due to the partners that would want ing 15,607 first doses and Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham continue vaccinating down will be going up to Thomp- nature of these vaccines,” to travel into Thompson, 2,144 second doses. The Nation has received 150 Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. son and will ensure that the said Roussin. “They’re and then you’re still an- province has received doses of the Moderna in 5-year categories. “ Moody also wrote that site is open to facilitate pro- very hard to store and so other five miles out to the 46,290 dozes of the Pfiz- vaccine for residents and BY IANallGRAHAM all the is harsh write things that you have ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was notModerna a very safe thing swallow when people care say theFor er and vaccines staff of the personal vaccine safe.weather viding of those doses,” to it’s not a simple task to plan airport,” she said. EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET all these stories and to figure out. It’s pretty clear I have to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar Provincial officials were overall. 5,300 doses of the home as well as other eli“Any of the potential Reimer said. “It really de- these sites.” Though she’s now written when I get through.” Iinneed to capture them for thought that was exciting should just fi nd somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it the city to tour Vaxport Moderna vaccine were al- gible elders, Chief Marcel risks of the vaccine that pends at this point at how Mayor Colleen Smook a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would quickly appointments are said on the city’s website with Smook Jan. 14, a day located to First Nations, Moody said in a Jan. 15 have been studied are minces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because will site be lost if they “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to Churchsecond withor when compared to the who started are notthrowing includedthe in update. booked and what the up- that she was disappointed before thethey Addictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the Iindon’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. the city was announced. the provincial vaccina“We hope that over the risks of dying or suffering take is from folks in the with media portraying the Manitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for She a reputation was probably sitting justmonths leave,’ enough is quite from “I miss “Wealso stillhas have a large cats, next few the the longshoreline, term ef-I tion Inumbers, with the should Northern Regional Health city’s relationship with Gisele deMeulles said writ- a couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disremiss the rock, I miss (for the Authority and that will help the province as terse and population that is flying in rest designated to vaccin- vaccine will arrive to vac- fects of COVID-19 ing wasn’t something she “I just sort of thought, [to“Ithe hadcity] suchand a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though definite- ate personal care home cinate all of us,” Moody example, heart, lung and us determine how long the oppositional. always thought she would you know what, this his- tory and I would tell people spurred her on was the same dangerous and wrote.boat “We in willanother requirearea two they’re mental very health problems),” site will be open. After we “We’ve kept close con- ly the airport is very con- residents and staff do. tory, this stuff that’s in my stories hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson and they would go, The first vaccinations de- doses of the Moderna vac- he said. have better understanding tact with our provincial venient that way,” said the “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.”