Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
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Volume 62 • Issue 27
Turbulent time in high school good preparation for later life challenges, grads told
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
Thompson Citizen photos by Ian Graham A graduating R.D. Parker Collegiate student points to someone in the crowd during the June 29 graduation ceremony at the C.A. Nesbitt Arena.
Kassidy Morin, left, and Nicole Cruda, right, carry a candle and bouquet in memory of students who would have been part of the 2022 R.D. Parker Collegiate graduating class during the June 29 graduation ceremony.
Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. BY IAN GRAHAM
to write things that you have to figure out. It’s pretty clear Though she’s now written when I get through.” a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in Addictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the Manitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for Gisele deMeulles said writ- a couple of reasons. ing wasn’t something she “I just sort of thought, always thought she would you know what, this hisdo. tory, this stuff that’s in my “In my youth I never head, it’s going to be gone felt good at writing,” she if I don’t write it down,” she said. “But when I moved said. “My kids are not goto Thompson to get into ing to get it if I don’t do it 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 writing andR.D. confi dencestudents in hounded just Graduating Parker file intoher, the‘Please, C.A. Nesbitt my writing. I write very it on tape, I will it Arena to take their seats at theput start of the June 29 write graduclear and that’s it. It’s there. for you because your story ation ceremony. 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, EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham
For all the harsh weather ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say I have all these stories and to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar I need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would because they will be lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to ChurchI don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. Class valedictorian Karan Chawla delivers his speech at R.D. Parker Collegiate’s graduation ceremony June 29. She also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite “I miss the shoreline, I as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disremiss the rock, miss the “You did it,” said School “We are not shaped by come easily and Isometimes BY IAN GRAHAM “I had such a varied his- District Another thing Lake that the spectful. If we werebut in the bearstoeven EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET of Mystery unpredictable, by polar you’ll have jump though through tory tellapeople her Don on Macdonwas the same boat in we another area very dangerous and Atand theI would end of high spurred board trustee the way that choose to they’re those things many, many hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson stories and they would go, school experience dom- ald. “If you can survive this carry on afterward,” said times. But not to worry, ‘That’s not is it?’ I’d go, … since thecan Hudson Bay Railabout that so why don’t they you Bay,”will she have says. the “When I go inated by true, the COVID-19 you probably sur- RDPC principal Bonnie support ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way the option to do that? back home, standing the pandemic and the disrupvive suspended anything.” operations have Rempel. “The everlasting of your friends, you’llonhave ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on tions it caused to normal That message about life cycle of ups and downs is the support of your family.” you? You’ve routines, got to be really “It used to be avoiding a really what feelingbuilds like they’re pawns theAlthough bay, it just gives youwill an educational R.D. being less about our character graduates old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large in a political game and that’s incredible sense.paths, You feel so Parker Collegiate’s 2022 challenges and community pitfalls and and attributes meaning to follow different their Igraduates did all that before I was and just managing dwindled down sad for them because I small andstill yoube feel great.” were reminded moreit’s about them really our lives.” lives will connected, 27,’ and to such a small population the co-superintendent people of Church- said Now that Lafreniere, she’s got that life they afterwent high‘What?’” school was reiterated by other think SDML Charlene now,” deMeulles bookthat under her belt, Looking back, of speakers ill really want totouched thrive. one won’t always be some smooth during says. the June Lorie Henderson advising the most imthose experiences are things she’s built theme their worlds saysabout she may try sailing but that the resili- 29Though ceremony at not the there C.A. They’ve on that same in her deMeulles portant thing school she might not do again. any longer, her parents and there. How would we feel to produce another. ence they showed in cop- Nesbitt Arena, the first speech to the graduates. isn’t necessarily the knowdid some pretty her sister andgraduation other family to you and ledge “I have another book in ing“Iwith having thebizarre world high school in if someone “You’re came going to find obtained about acastuff likeseemingly fuel hauls into the members sorry, or youchallenhave to me,” “It’ssubjects, a darker still are. 2019 in said, turned upside Thompson since some‘I’m hazards demicshe andsays. elective high at -35,” said which “My family cousinand owns the leave your home community more about persondown Arctic will serve them well friends ges but you need to jump story, but about working and deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware storethe there,” she through and we’rethose goinghoops,” to displace al growth and in the ensuing stages of could applaud graduates she co-existing with struggles. others. on melives. until after. That was a from says. within the same room. said, you somewhere else andwill all MaybeContinued in the nexton five years their “Not everything Page 2 very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, your loved ones and your it’s something I’ll focus on Being on a plane full of fuel deMeulles finds it hard to history is gone?’” doing.”