Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
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Friday, June 17, 2022
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Volume 62 • Issue 24
Property taxes will essentially stay the same in city’s 2022 budget Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
Thompson Citizen photo courtesy of City of Thompson A YouTube screenshot of a PowerPoint slide from the financial plan public presentation June 9 shows a percentage breakdown of where revenues are coming from for the City of Thompson’s nearly $56 million budget for 2022. for the owner of a home Frequent critic of the raising will help reduce four days after the pub- used to calculate property worth about $175,000, city and council, former the amount that must be lic hearing at council’s taxes. The City of Thompson’s which the provincial as- councillor Ron Matechuk, borrowed by the time the June 13 meeting, where a “The budget is not based 2022 budget is by far the sessment branch says is was one of those opposed. new facility is complete. couple of councillors said on financial decisions, it’s biggest it’s ever been the average home price in “There are a few things In a written submission, that, although they were based on political decithanks to federal-provin- the city, will go up $7 as in there that are question- Sandra Oberdorfer, a for- happy with the tax freeze, sions because of the eleccial infrastructure fund- a result. There is also an able,” he said, before ques- mer SDML trustee, said the timing was suspect. tion,” he said. ing for roads, the water added cost of about $20 tioning the city manager she was in favour of the “Because of my conFountain’s opposition and sewer system and a over last year for residen- on a number of budget-re- budget as presented. science, because of what was based on his concerns new pool, but residential tial property owners due to lated topics. “As a taxpayer with a I’ve heard the people say- about the future impact of property owners will see an increase in the special Also in opposition was young family, I’m very ing in Thompson, I will financial and maintenance Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham only a slight increase levy northern to coverdirector the cost of deMeulles Adam Morin, who asaid happy see the City of support theinbudget because liabilities. Addictions Foundation of in Manitoba Gisele has written book about hertoexperiences growing up, mostly Churchill. their property taxes over water breaks on residen- that the city’s current es- Thompson supporting a I have to,” said Coun. Les “I’m concerned about last year.GRAHAM tialwrite properties. That levy ‘Oh, timate theascost ofright?’ a new was new aquatic facility our swallow Ellsworth, who people has saidsay he theFor amount of liabilities BY IAN all the harsh weather to things that you have I’mfor just bad, not a very safe in thing when The entire budget is is calculated based onclear the pool million she wrote. to run for mayor the has,” he said. EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET I have—allabout these$24 stories and community,” to fi gure out. It’s pretty to do but I jumped at it. I intends that Churchill residents and city the dangers of polar nearly $56she’s million amount thethrough.” city actually I—need would likely be much “It is a well thought-out of Thompson the Oc- bears, “I’m deMeulles concernedsaid about Though nowdollars, written when I get to capture them for thought that was exciting should just find in somewhere if it 36book per about cent of — spent on such in my lowergrandchildren than the actualreally cost. until budget a sound tober municipal election. had those liabilities that a herwhich experienDeMeulles saidrepairs she wrote theand plane landedplan and easier to live. been viable sheinwould approximately $20 million her the book, previous year. “Mostthey buildings this for netstarted financing the future believe we’re getting weremoved continually addces growing up in Churchill, titled Whispers in because will be lost if they throwing the “I “To say, ‘Those people have back to Church— comes from federal budget it’s ing infrastructure. overall taxfrom bill the for size and in this type of product.” Addictions Foundationand of theThe Wind: Stories I don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy zero choose to livebecause there. They ill in new a heartbeat. provincialnorthern grants. director North commercial is area, go over cats, Malanie Cutler did not should an election andisI think were keepingI Manitoba - Life inproperties Churchill for Shethey also usually has a reputation I was probably sitting just year leave,’ quite Meanwhile “I miss the shoreline, The deMeulles city portionsaid of propdecreasing a little. budget by 30 per cent,” he on initially give an opinion simplistic. that’s wrong.” and trying to maintain old Gisele writ- a couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. a bomb.’” It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the erty taxes is the sameshe as A the budget thing but later that said spectful. Coun. IfDuncan infrastructure.” ing wasn’t something “I handful just sort of of residents thought, said. “I had such a varied his- onAnother we wereWong, in the polar bears even though it was last year,she while the you expressed support forhisor tory The city’s plantell is to fund spurred she was in favour. votedin against the they’re A little two-thirds always thought would know what, this and I would people her on was the who same boat another area veryover dangerous and overall property tax mill tory, opposition to that’s the budget its portion the would pool conThetimes budget, which uses Ibudget along withscream Coun Iofreally the city’s is acdo. this stuff in my stories facing Churchill think we would missbudget the Hudson andof they go, hard rate up 0.2 per cent due at a June public $255,000 fromRailre- Jeff made by salaries “Inis my youth I never head, it’s 9going to hearing, be gone struction ‘That’s notcosts, true, isabout it?’ I’d$9.2 go, about since the Hudson Bay aboutFountain, that so why don’tsimithey counted Bay,” shefor says. “When Iand go to a good slightatincrease in she the if before was it approved by ‘Yeah million current serves to balanceoperations revenues have lar remarks during wageshome, (46 per cent) and the felt writing,” I don’titwrite down,” she it’sbased true.’ on They’d go, way the option to dodebate that? back standing on the suspended School“But District of IMystery council a 6-2 on ‘You estimates, debenwith expenses in- Ionthink the levy which Hudson RCMP policing contract said. when moved said. didn’tthrough do all that, did north “Myinkids arevote not goof Gillam without last spring. rightbylaw, now they’re Bay looking out on Lake portion. The impact Juneto13. ture, with hopes that taxes, wasa passed establishes the millpawns rates the (23 bay, per cent). to Thompson to get into ing get it if I don’t do it you? You’ve got to be fundreally creasing “It used to be really feeling like they’re it just gives you an 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 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.”
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