Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
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Wednesday, June 30, 2021
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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 61 • Issue 26
Summer trek up winter road route aims to raise money for food security projects in Brochet
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
A principal from Thompson is planning to spend part of his summer vacation walking the winter road route from Lynn Lake to Brochet to raise money for food security initiatives in the remote northwestern Manitoba community, which does not have yearround road access. Daniel Couture, principal of the francophone La Voie du Nord school in Thompson, says he knows the 170-kilometre hike will be challenging but believes that it is possible to cover the distance on foot in under 10 days. “I spent a couple days on the winter road last year just to see what it was all about,” says Couture. “I walked up the winter road 20 kilometres just to see what it was like. There’s some tough parts. There’s a big bog for about a kilometre and it’s deep, that was a challenge.” Residents of Brochet have told him that the last 20 kilometres is a road that they drive down all the time to go to a bridge and go fishing, so Couture anticipates no problems once he makes it that far. “It’s the inside 130 [kilometres] that’s still unknown but it should be OK.” Rather than just take on the trek as a personal chal-
Thompson Citizen photo courtesy of Daniel Couture Daniel Couture of Thompson at the 20 kilometre marker along the winter road route from Lynn Lake to Brochet in 2020. Couture plans to walk the entire 170 kilometre route to Brochet this summer to raise money for food security initiatives in the community. lenge, Couture wanted to “The season shortening fruits and vegetables that versity and also worked make the adventure about of the winter roads is af- they can grow instead of for a full year as an edumore than himself, so he has fecting the people living in having everything flown in cational assistant at West created a GoFundMe page those communities [that are basically, because the win- Lynn Heights School in to raise money, all of which only connected to the rest of ter road season is so short Lynn Lake and often spends will go towards helping the province for a handful now.” three weeks with his family the Northern Association of weeks in the winter],” The son of a former at a remote cabin in the area of Community Councils said Couture. “I decided to Lynn Lake RCMP detach- during the summer. (NACC) to make Brochet fundraise to help Brochet ment commander, Couture “For me, nothing’s betmore self-sufficient when become more self-sufficient spent summers in Lynn ter than going up north to it comes to food. and help them get access to Lake while attending uni- Lynn Lake, either fishing or
going out and doing some camping in the woods or whatever and really be just disconnected, the best way to recharge,” Couture says. And thanks to a SPOT X satellite messaging device, he’ll be able to communicate with family and friends while he’s out in the bush. “It’s a good way to communicate and also update your location every 10 minutes so my wife and my family and those that are following this fundraiser, they can log into a website and find out exactly where I am,” Couture says. He anticipates conditions may be a little bit different even over the first 20 kilometres that he hiked last year when he sets out in July. “There’s going to be more water in July than there was last year in August so it’s going to be a little slower but last year I easily did 20 kilometres in the day,” says Couture. And although he didn’t see any bears last year, he did spot their tracks. “It’s not scary. I mean, maybe the bears are scary but Manitoba Conservation and Climate helped me with that a little bit and gave me some tips so I’ll be OK.” To donate to Couture’s fundraiser, which is about halfway to its goal of $3,000, go to https://gofund. me/e8638749.
New four-year contract with unionized city employees includes three annual wage increases and an additional paid holiday
Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. City of workers Localthat 8223-02 and eters set just out as forbad, them. youa look the thing num- not support the people budget.”say release. “We’ll BYUnionized IAN GRAHAM For all the harshcontinue weather to write things you have ‘Oh, I’m right?’ when was not veryatsafe swallow when Thompson employees will 8223-12, which is retro“I won’t support this bers but down the road Wage increases are lower to work together find EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET to figure out. It’s pretty clear I have all these stories and to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers oftopolar receive raises this year, next when activeI to 1, 2020, Ibased the lackthem of susit’s goingthat to add said should than injust thefiprevious four- bears, new ways to improve Though she’s now written getMarch through.” need on to capture for thought wasup,” exciting nd somewhere deMeulles said ifthe it year and in 2023 rati- includes 0.75said per cent wage tainability from my point of Wong, wages approved services offer our a book about her after experienDeMeulles she wrote my grandchildren really until thenoting plane that landed and year easier contract, to live. had been we viable she to would fying a four-year contract increases this year and in in view,” Fountain said. feel cost the city November 2016.people That residents. We’re proud ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers because they will be “I lost if and they benefits started throwing the in “To say, ‘Those have moved back also to Churchthat was approved by coun2022 and a 1 per cent inthat people should be paid more than it brings in agreement had wage into declare National IndigenAddictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the I don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. cil in a 7-2northern vote at its June crease 2023. The contract and compensated well. through property andsitting busi- creases of leave,’ 1.25 per cent ous“IPeoples Dayshoreline, a stat holi-I Manitoba director North -inLife in Churchill for well She also has a reputation cats, I was probably should just is quite miss the 21 meeting. expires Feb. 28, 2024. I just don’t feel like the city ness taxes. He also said that over the first three years and day for our union partners, Gisele deMeulles said writ- a couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the The agreement also esCouncillors Duncan is an a great position in the there is no plan in place to 1.5 per cent in the fourth and we hope, in doing so, ing wasn’t something she “I just sort of thought, “I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though tablishes National Indigenand what, Jeff Fountain help control growth. andangerous example and for always thought she would Wong you know this his- coming tory andyears. I would tell people spurred herwage on was the year. same boat in another area we’ll they’reset very ous the stuff two that’s who voted Fountain saidwould a wage “I don’t anyChurchill plan to I think “We want to thank USW municipalities and busido. Peoples Day on June were tory, this in my stories times see facing we would scream I really miss the Hudson and they go, hard 21“In as my a paid holiday for against the contract, though freeze might have helped amalgamate positions or for another year of negonesses across Canada.” youth I never head, it’s going to be gone ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Rail- about that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When I go unionized city employees. they praised the the city its They’d fiscal posreduce and all that,” said have tiations goodtofaith and back USW Local 8223onrepfelt good at writing,” she if I don’t write it administradown,” she ‘Yeah it’swith true.’ go, way thein option do that? home, standing the suspended operations The“But contract down the line. one big collaboration,” saidthey’re Mayor resents 100 City of said. when between I moved tion ‘You didn’t do all that, did Wong. said.team “My for kidsnegotiating are not go-a ition north of “That’s Gillam last spring. I think right now Hudsonnearly Bay looking out on the city and United Steelcontract within the param“It’s not a lot of money piece of the reason I can Colleen Smook in a press Thompson employees. 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 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