Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Special Olympics Awareness Week recognized
Volume 61 • Issue 25
Displays of Pride
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
Thompson Citizen photo courtesy of Thompson RCMP Thompson RCMP Sgt. Mike Maxwell took some time out of his schedule for a photograph with Thompson Special Olympics athlete William Hart June 16, during Special Olympics Awareness Week, marked the second week of every June in Manitoba. Hart has competed in various Special Olympics events over the years, including figure skating and, most recently, alpine skiing, in which he won a silver medal at the 2020 National Special Olympics Winter Games in Thunder Bay, Ont. Hart has plans to compete at the 2022 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Russia.
Thompson Citizen photos courtesy of Susannah Mueller/Pride North of 55 and BGC Thompson A couple of locations in Thompson have gotten a splash of extra colour in recognition of Pride month. Members of Pride North of 55 painted Thompson’s first rainbow crosswalk in front of City Hall June 14 while BGC Thompson at 365 Thompson Drive used ribbons to weave a rainbow Pride flag into the property’s chain link fence as a reminder that every child is welcome at the club, which offers an inclusive, supportive and safe environment for all youth and staff.
City needs to ensure all bylaw violators receive equal treatment, mayor says
Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET BY IAN GRAHAM
to write things that you have to figureenforcement out. It’s pretty clear bylaw report, Though she’s now written when through.” EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET whichI get showed that there a book aboutfor herstandards, experien- were DeMeulles said she The need three tickets for wrote dereces growing up in to Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in both with respect proper- lict vehicles, one ticket for Addictions Foundation of a the Wind: being Storiesparked from the ties in Thompson and how vehicle on Manitoba northern director Life inand Churchill for the city treats those who fail aNorth front-lawn 11 tickets Gisele writa couple of reasons. to meetdeMeulles them, wassaid a topic of for overfilled garbage bins ing wasn’t atsomething justalong sort of thought, discussion the city’s she last in “I May, with 15 for always thought she would garbage you know this bins hisrecreation and community in what, recycling do. tory,26 thisproperty stuff that’s in my services committee meeting and standards “In my head, it’s going be gone before the youth summerI never break violations – 22 to residential felt I don’t it down,” she Junegood 15. at writing,” she if and four write commercial. said. when occurred I moved said. nothere goThe“But discussion 'We“My handkids out aare ticket to Thompson to getofinto ingthere,” to get said it if IMayor don’t do it after the presentation the or Colthe 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.”
‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ I have all these stories leen Smook. “There hasand to Ibeneed capture them for 200topeople parking on my grandchildren their lawns in this really town. because theyon willthe be weeklost if Supposedly I don’t.” end we gave a ticket to one She also a reputation [person] forhas garbage and reas a storyteller herself. cycling but across the street had asuch a varied we“Igave warning to a hiscity tory and I for would tell parked people employee having stories and they would on his lawn. We have togo, be ‘That’s notin true, it?’ I’d go, consistent ourismessages.” ‘Yeah true.’ They’d go, The it’s mayor also said that ‘Yousame didn’tlogic do allapplies that, did the to you? You’ve got to be really garbage bin enclosures. She 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
was not a very safe thing to do but there I jumped estimates couldatbeit.asI thought thatwithout was exciting many as 200 the reuntil the plane landed and quired enclosures. they started throwing said the Coun. Les Ellsworth fuel off andcan I realized, warnings be used‘Holy but cats, to I was probablyup sitting need be followed on. on“If a bomb.’” there’s violations, Another thing that there’s violations,” he said. spurred her Fire on was the Thompson & Emerhard times facing Churchill gency Services Deputy since the Hudson Bay RailChief Steve Molloy said way operations somesuspended property owners don’t north of to Gillam last spring. respond warnings, citing usedoftothe beGrey a really the“It owners Wolf 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
Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham
swallow when people say that townhouses. Churchill residents Bay should nd somewhere “I’ve just dealtfiwith the owners easier to live.of that property in Vancouver “To say, ‘Those people multiple times with respect choose to live to making surethere. that They their should just hydrants areleave,’ clearedisinquite the simplistic. It’s disrewintertime for quite access,” he spectful. If wewarnings were in the said. “I think are same boat in they another done. I think can area start I thinkfines we and would laying thenscream get that about thattosothe why don’t they message owners.” have option that? Thethe mayor saystothedoowners I think rightabout now property they’re have excuses feeling like they’re but pawns standards violations that 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?’”
For all the harsh weather
and the dangers of polar they don’t hold water. bears, said if it “I’vedeMeulles talked to managehad would mentbeen and viable stuff – she ‘Well, it’s have moved back Churchthe clientele,’” shetosaid. “I’m ill in a heartbeat. telling you, 10 Yale has the “I miss the You shoreline, same clientele. can walkI miss the10rock, miss the through Yale Iand there’s polar bears of even though not a piece garbage on they’re veryIfdangerous the road. there is, and it’s Igone really missa few the hours Hudson within so Bay,” “When I go it’s all she aboutsays. the management back home, standing on out the and the people getting Hudson outcity on to clean Bay it. I looking think the the bay, just gives really hasit to step up.”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.”
CALL NELSON: 204-307-0281 npruder@live.ca