Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 60 • Issue 25
Northern Manitobans at higher risk from COVID-19 can now learn their test results in about an hour People in Northern Manitoba now have the ability to find out if they have COVID-19 in as little as one hour, thanks to GeneXpert machines in four communities. The rapid-response coronavirus testing devices were provided through a federal-provincial partnership and are available at Indigenous Services-operated hospitals in Norway House Cree Nation and Peguis First Nation. A third is on loan to Manitoba’s Shared Health department for use at Thompson General Hospital and the fourth will be available at St. Anthony’s Hospital in The Pas in the coming weeks. “As part of our response to COVID-19, we continue to work closely with
ister Cameron Friesen. “This new equipment has the capability to provide a COVID-19 test result in about an hour and will be used to quickly confirm the presence of the virus in those patients who may require additional support to self-isolate.” Only three people in the Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA) area have tested positive for COVID-19 since the first positive case in Manitoba was announced March 12, and all have recovered. No First Nation member living on-reserve in Manitoba has tested positive for the coronavirus to date. “Residents throughout the north are to be commended for their vigilance in preventing the spread of this virus in our region,” said NRHA medical officer of health Dr. Michael Isaac. “Targeted rapid-response testing provides public health officials with another tool that will help us quickly suppress the spread of the virus if and when it reappears in our region.”
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
provinces and territories to prevent the spread of the virus,” said federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu. “The Public Health Agency of
Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory deployed the machines into these remote communities and will continue to pro-
Conditional zoning application allowing nightclub or bar in the Strand Theatre basement approved by council Owner will have to ensure space meets provincial accessibility requirements before applying for occupancy permit
vide COVID-19 testing support to them.” The GeneXpert machines supplement rather than replace testing available at facilities in Thompson, The Pas and Flin Flon. They are reserved for patients who are experiencing multiple COVID-19 symptoms or have other factors that put them at greater risk of contracting the virus, as well as those who may not be able to self-isolate if they test positive and could be
more likely to transmit the virus to others. Northern Manitobans who do not fit into these categories will still have their test samples transported to Cadham Provincial Lab or Dynacare for testing. “Measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within northern communities have been a high priority since efforts to fight this virus within our province began several months ago,” said Manitoba Health Min-
Limited visits to NRHA acute care hospital patients allowed on weekday afternoons since June 10
Patients at acute care be determined ahead of time people while in the healthEllsworth, who requested Others on council said it a recorded vote, were the was not their place to say facilities in the Northern and provide their names care facility. For patients who have Despite some misgivings only councillors opposed one business could serve al- Regional Health Authority and contact information about the effect it might have to approving the applica- cohol downtown but another (NRHA) can pick one person for the purposes of public been in hospital for 14 days who can come and visit them health contract tracing if a and who are not expected to on alcohol-related problems tion. Ellsworth said he be- couldn’t. COVID-19 case investiga- be discharged in the next 72 in downtown Thompson, lieved the basement location “Many of us in the room as of June 10. Visiting hours are current- tion is required. hours, a second designated council approved a condi- made using the space as a would likely agree that this Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham Visitors can only visit visitor will be identified and tional use application by the nightclub or bar for special is probably the last place ly between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, though a dayinforChurchill. a maximum allowed to visit them for the owner of The Strand Theatre events more dangerous in deMeulles you’d want Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele hasanother written abar,” book about her experiences growing once up, mostly to allow a nightclub/bar in the event of a fire and that said Coun. Jeff Fountain. they may be expanded to of two hours and will not be remainder of their stay in the BY GRAHAM For all the harsh weather things that have ‘Oh, I’m just as Ibad, right?’ notweekends a very safe say hospital. include and thing statu- swallow allowed towhen leave people the hospital the IAN building’s basement at to thewrite downtown areayou doesn’t “Nonetheless, don’t be- was EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET haveIallhave thesethe stories to figure out. It’sliquor-servpretty clear Ilieve but I jumped at it. I that Churchill themay dangers of polar torydoholidays in the future. and come back. residents and Food be brought to their June 8 meeting. need anymore rightand as to Though she’s now written I get through.” Ianneed to capture for thought exciting find somewhere deMeulles said if it Visitorsthat arewas strongly en- should Uponjustarrival, visitors bears, patients’ rooms in wipeable The owner will still have when ing establishments. elected officialthem to stop a DeMeulles saidon shepatrol wrote my grandchildren really the plane and easier to live. a coronavirus had been viable shebewould couraged to wearlanded non-medmust complete containers that must taken tobook showabout that her the experienoccupant “I’ve been businesses from trying to until 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 back to Churchscreening and anyone with home at the end of the visload doesn’t exceed the with the police,” Ellsworth compete and developing our ical masks. Addictions of the from the the Icity don’t.” off and Ivisits realized, to live there.exposThey ill a heartbeat. Outdoor are‘Holy not choose symptoms, known its.inNewspapers, books, toys, maximum Foundation number that said.Wind: “I’veStories seen what especially when it’s not fuel Manitoba northern director Life in Churchill She also has reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is “I miss games, the shoreline, currently allowed at NRHA ure to COVID-19 or quite who electronic plants andI can exit safely through the North effects- of that is and sofor in necessarily theabusinesses’ Gisele deMeulles said writa couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disremiss the rock, I the brought doors and ensure that the our downtown area now fault that these issues are acute care facilities be- has travelled outside Mani- flowers can also bemiss ing wasn’t something she we“Ihave just asort of thought, “I had such a varied Another thing that If the we past were14indays the polar bears though of the risk posed to spectful. toba within to patients foreven their use only building meets accessibility number of es- occurring in this area.”his- cause always thought she would you know what, tell people her the onfacility was the boat anotherinarea very and dangerous and patients and as same will not be in permitted the they’re and cleaning disinfecting criteria in the Accessibility tablishments, not this just hisone tory “I and don’tI would think we’re in a spurred do. tory, this stuff that’s in my hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson stories and they would go, of these items is required. for Manitobans Act before or two, a number of them position to dictate what can a result of the unknown na- hospital. “In myforyouth I never head, it’s going to be and goneI ‘That’s is it?’ I’dand go, since Rail- about so why they Bay,” she says. go ture ofthe theHudson visitors’Bay contacts All that visitors aredon’t required Visitors who “When violate Iany applying an occupancy that’s serving alcohol be opennotastrue, a business felt good at writing,” she if I don’tthere’s write it lots down,” it’s the option do that? home, the suspended operations and possible exposure to have to practise goodtohand hy- back of the rulesstanding may beonprepermit. believe for she our ‘Yeah or can’t betrue.’ so as They’d long as go, it’s way said. “ButEarl when I moved said. didn’t do all that, did north kids to aredo not go- ‘You of Gillam last spring. Igiene thinkand right they’re Hudson Bay looking on COVID-19. staynow a minimum vented from paying out future Coun. Colbourne young“My people other safe and stays respectful,” 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 Designated visitors must of six feet away from other visits. and deputy mayor Les than this.” said Coun. Andre Proulx. BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
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 and SWEEPING, confidence in LAWN hounded her, ‘Please, just POWER MOWING, my writing. I write very put it on tape, I will write it AERATION, DETHATCHING & SPRAYING clear and that’s it. It’s there. for you 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,
“Gravel 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