July 21 2021 by Thompson Citizen

Nickel Belt News

Volume 58 Number 11

Friday, March 16, 2018

Thompson, Manitoba

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Wednesday, July 21, 2021

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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960

Volume 61 • Issue 29

Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill

Ski-lhouette Thompson Citizen photo courtesy of Trevor Anderson Erica Anderson captures the evening sunshine’s glow with her wake while waterskiing at Paint Lake July 13.

Impaired drivers arrested July 9-10

Rescuers trek over beaver dam and paddle across lake to locate stranded boaters south of Thompson

Thompson RCMP teamed 10:30 p.m. Saturday night. up with conservation offi- The men had lost the boat cers and Paint Lake park pa- they used to get to their trol personnel to locate two camp on the lake about three Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham stranded boaters July 10. kilometres east of Highway Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. Because swampy terrain 6 and 53 kilometres south of Thompson RCMP busted 4 p.m., officers on patrol near a pair of impaired drivers Thompson Drive South and prevented RCMP from Thompson. BY For all the harsh weather to write things that you have ‘Oh, I’m just bad, right?’ a very safe thing theasarea where was Thenot group recrossed the swallow when people say JulyIAN 9-10.GRAHAM Cree Road pulled over a reaching EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET have all these stories and to figure out. It’s pretty clear Ithe to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar men were stranded via lake and walked back to Police received a report of vehicle with an insecure load Though she’s now written when I get through.” Ia need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it snowmobile trail, they and Highway 6. an impaired driver on Cor- on its roof. Database inquiries a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really the can’t plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would rescuers had to until “You get much nell Place around 8:40 p.m. determined that the vehicle's the other photo ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have moved backRCMP to ChurchJuly 9 and located the vehicle registration was inactive and hike over a beaver dam and more Canadian than this Bushwhacking and canoeing were required to rescue two Addictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the through fuel off and ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. withI realized, beaver dams, at the intersection of Princet- the driver was arrested for I don’t.” the bush for about rescue, stranded boaters at an unnamed lake about 50 kilometres Manitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for three Shekilometres. also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite “I miss the shoreline, I After that, canoes, and Mounties,” said on Drive and Station Road. impaired driving after failGisele deMeulles said writ- a couple of reasons. south of Thompson July 10. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disremiss the rock, I miss the The driver was arrested for ing a roadside screening they used two canoes, an- Thompson RCMP detaching wasn’t something she “I just sort of thought, other “I had varied hisAnother thing that spectful. were in and the polar even though boatsuch andapaddles and ment commander Insp.Chris were ableIftoweget there vidingbears operational support impaired driving and later test. The driver subsequently always thought she would you know what, this history andan I would tell lake people spurred her onrelease. was the same boat in another area they’re veryknowledge dangerous and crossed unnamed to Hastie in a news “In assist the stranded boaters and local in provided breath samples over provided breath samples that do. my stories times facing Churchill think wouldgot scream really miss Hudson and they wouldaged go, hard the stranded boaters, all seriousness, though, this Iand that we everyone home Itraversing thisthe rough wilthe legal limit for blood al- tory, were this morestuff thanthat’s four in times “In my youth I never head, it’s going to be gone ‘That’s it?’ I’dboth go, since Hudsonthe Bay Rail- about so why don’t they sheHelp says. I go 55,true, whoiswere rescuethe highlights unique safely.that I would also like to Bay,” derness. is “When there when cohol content while driving the legal limit while driving 51 andnot felt good at writing,” she if I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’shealth. true.’ They’d go, way have the option to do that? back home, standing oncan the suspended operations in good demands placed on officers thank our policing partners we need it so that we before being released for a and was released to appear said. “But when I moved said. “My kids are not go- ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on Police were notified of who work in Manitoba’s – Manitoba Conservation help others.” future court date. in court at a later date. to Thompson to get into ing to get it if I don’t do it you? You’ve got to be really “It used to be a really feeling like they’re pawns the bay, it just gives you an the stranded boaters around north. I am very glad we and Park Patrol – for proThe following day around the school of social work, and it’s something I’ve alat that point I had to write ways wanted my mom to for university and realized, do. My mom’s an elder and ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, she’s an artist, she’s got so right?’ I certainly developed many wonderful stories bea lot of skill in university cause she always tells her and came out of there with stories at Parks Canada in a very strong skill in my Churchill and I’ve always POWER SWEEPING, LAWN MOWING, AERATION, writing and confidence in hounded her, ‘Please, just DETHATCHING & SPRAYING, my writing. I write very putLICENSED it on tape, I will write it FERTILIZER AND WEED clear and that’s it. It’s there.CONTROL for you SERVICES because your story Some people say it’s kind of is going to be lost,’ and she’s blunt or direct. I don’t tend never done it and I thought,

“Weeds on your lawn? Gotta be gone.”

old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually I did all that before I was 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” Looking back, some of those experiences are things she might not do again. “I did some pretty bizarre stuff like fuel hauls into the high Arctic at -35,” said deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn on me until after. That was a very dangerous thing to do. Being on a plane full of fuel

thriving large community and it’s just dwindled down to such a small population now,” deMeulles says. Though she’s not there any longer, her parents and her sister and other family members still are. “My cousin owns the hardware store there,” she says. Because of that, deMeulles ﬁnds it hard to

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?’”

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.”

CALL NELSON: 204-307-0281 npruder@live.ca