Nickel Belt News Volume Volume 58 60 Number • Issue 1 11
Friday, March 16, 2018 Friday,January 3, 2020
Thompson, Manitoba Thompson, Manitoba
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City transit contract awarded to Maple Bus Lines City transit service resumed Jan. 2 at 7:30 a.m.
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
City of Thompson maps
Transit service in Thompson resumed Jan. 2 after a six-month suspension.
to provide the service for the years. price it bid “then the service It has been nearly six Thompson city council would be terminated by the months since there was approved a resolution to city.” last city transit service in enter into a transit contract “They have to live by Thompson. with Maple Bus Lines Dec. it and hopefully they can “I’m glad it’s finally com19 operate for that amount of ing to an end so that the The four-and-a-half year money,” said Coun. Brian citizens of Thompson will contract, running from Jan. Lundmark. have a transit service back 2 to June 30, 2024, will cost Coun. Jeff Fountain asked in place for the new year,” $625,144.53 including GST if having the same company said Coun. Kathy Valentino. for the 54-month period. Inthat provides standby buses The current city transit cluded in the bid are provido the maintenance was suspension follows foursions to provide a standby wise. and-a-half months of public bus at $180 per day per bus, “There could be ques- transit service provided by an hourly rate of $130 for tions with regards to the Maple Bus Lines from the mechanical repairs with a legitimacy of maintenance middle of February to the three per cent increase every concerns given that there’s end of June 2019, which was the ability for the company preceded by a three-and-ato be making money for half month suspension of standby buses.” service that started Nov. 1, McInnis said he believed 2018. the contract included a proMaple Bus Lines received vision for city mechanics to $181,896.22 in payments be able to verify if mainten- from the city for that serance work is required. vice from February to June. The request for proposIn 2017, the city paid Nickel Belt News photo$424,192.12 by Ian Graham als issued in mid-November Greyhound Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing sought up, mostly Churchill. an in operator to run for its services and collected strikes with his hands and one of the responding to a report they received two buses on weekdays from $95,842.20 in bus fares from BY IAN GRAHAM BY IAN GRAHAM For all the harsh weather to write things you have ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, around right?’ 10:20 was not thing swallow when people say EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET stab that wounds was to his lower back. p.m.a very aboutsafe multiple September to June. One roughly 53,000 riders, mostEDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET I have all these stories and to fi gure out. It’s pretty clear to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar A Thompson resident suffered two The attack occurred when the vic- people with weapons chasing some- would run on a longer route ly during the school year. Though she’s now written defensive when I gettim through.” I need capture thought that was exciting just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it stab wounds and multiple was walking home aftertovisiting a them one for near Highland Tower when they should from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Greyhound stopped operata book about herwas experiensaid He shewas wrote myin grandchildren really until that the someone plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would wounds when he attacked withDeMeulles two friend. treated hospital and were informed had been and a second on a shorter ing Thompson transit when ces growing up in Churchill, her book, Whispers in two because they will lost if onthey started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to Churchknives near Princeton Drive around 11 titled discharged about hours after the bestabbed Princeton Drive near Station express route 7:30 a.m. to it shut down its Western Addictions Stories from the I don’t.” off and realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. p.m. Dec. 30.Foundation of the Wind:attack. Road. Theyfuel located himI and transported 9:30 a.m. and again from Canada operations Oct. 31, Manitoba director Churchill Shetwo also of hasthe a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite “I miss the shoreline, I A personnorthern who knows the victimNorth said it- Life in The victim for identified him to Thompson General Hospital. 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. In the 2018. During a five-year Gisele deMeulles writ- stabbed a couple reasons. a storyteller herself.Anyoneon a bomb.’” It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the is the third time hesaid has been in ofpeople who attackedas him. The person with information on these simplistic. summer, one city-owned bus agreement between the city ing wasn’t something she “I just sort of thought, “I had his- canAnother thingRCMP that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though the past year-and-a-half. He was previwho knows the victim said thatsuch oneaofvaried incidents call Thompson will offer weekday service. and Greyhound from 2011 always thought sheribs. would you knowthe what, this ishistory and I to would spurred her on was the boat in another area they’re very dangerous and ously stabbed in the Another time, attackers a minor believed havetellatpeople 204-677-6911 or Crime Stoppers an- same The city also said in a press through 2015, the average do. tory, this stuff in my times facing Churchill think we would scream I really miss the Hudson stories and they would go, hard he was with a friend who was stabbed been that’s involved in a previous incident onymously at 1-800-222-8477. Tips Irelease that fare increases annual cost of operating myand youth I never I’d go, head, to be gone ‘That’s not true, is it?’can the Hudson Rail- about that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When I go in “In the face hit with a machete in theit’s going involving machetes. also besince submitted onlineBay at www. would be phased in over five transit was about $273,000. felt writing,” shesome if Iknife don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah go, way suspended operations have the option to do that? back home, standing on the back.good The at victim blocked Thompson RCMP say it’s theytrue.’ wereThey’d manitobacrimestoppers.com. BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
year, and a markup of 30 per cent on materials used for repairs. The other companies that submitted bids were Mahihkan Bus Ltd. Partnership and NCN Thompson Bus. Mahihkan’s total quoted cost was $1,921,827.73 including GST, with a cost of $900 per bus per day for standby buses, $160 per hour for mechanical repairs with a three per cent increase for 2021 and again for 2023 and 2024. Their proposed markup on repair materials was 10 per cent. NCN Thomp-
son Bus’s quote was for $1,377,915 including GST. Standby buses would have costs $450 per day and the hourly rates for mechanical work were $115 per hour in 2020, $118 for 2021, $120 for 2022 and $122 for 2023 and 2024. Markup on repair materials was pegged at 10 per cent, up to a maximum of $500. The disparity in the price of the bids sparked some discussion amongst the five councillors who approved the contract (Mayor Colleen Smook excused herself from
the vote due to a conflict of interest) but all of them voted in favour. “How come such a big difference in the price?” asked Coun. Earl Colbourne. “Can they do it on that amount? And what happens if they can’t do it?” City manager Anthony McInnis said the city wasn’t privy to internal details about the companies that submitted bids. “Whatever the price that’s submitted is the price that’s received,” said McInnis. If the company proves unable
Man stabbed in Eastwood while RCMP responding to report of someone being chased by multiple people with weapons
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
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 she’s an artist, she’s got so Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things Though she’s not there Contact Nelson 204-307-0281 cause she always tells her atshe might not do again. any longer, her parents and stories at Parks Canada in “I did some pretty bizarre her sister and other family pruderspropertyservices@gmail.com Churchill and I’ve always stuff like fuel hauls into the members still are. hounded her, ‘Please, justproperty high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin owns the to discuss your needs! 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!
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?’”
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.”