Wednesday, March Wednesday, June21, 6, 2018 2018
Serving theHub Hubof of the the North 1960 Serving the Northsince since 1960
Volume58 58••Issue Issue 23 12 Volume
Senior girls' basketball Airport aiming to startteam work Manitoba's best once on new terminal nextagain year
BY IAN GRAHAM BY KYLE DARBYSON EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
KYLE@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET It took a couple of close
NEW CITIZENS SWORN IN STUDENTS MARCHINGNEWS PAGE 2 AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE NEWS - PAGE 2
CARGO AIRLINE SETTING UP SHOP SEXUAL ASSAULT'S NEWS EFFECTS REMAIN AFTER PAGE403 YEARS NEWS - PAGE 3
TROJANS TERRIFIC ON TRACK SCHOOL BOARD REJECTS SPORTS TRIMMING TRUSTEE PAGE 10 NUMBERS NEWS - PAGE 7
ENVIROTHON TEAM COMPETES IN MIDGET AA KING MINERS CHURCHILL WIN PROVINCIALS NEWS SPORTSPAGE - PAGE159
After and years of talk games even a bitand of consultation, the Thompson overtime magic, but R.D. Regional Airport Authority Parker Collegiate's senior (TRAA) hopes to put shovgirls' team els in basketball the ground for its beat new all challengers atwithin the AAA terminal building the high year. school provincials in next Winnipeg March 15-17 to TRAA president and CEO Curtis Ross provided claim the title as the this top information during for a May team in Manitoba the 30 meeting at the Thompson third time in the past four Regional years. Community Centre,The where the public was inTrojans beat the vited to provide feedback on University of Winnipeg the latest design proposals Collegiate Wesmen 58-50 as the TRAA heads into the in overtime onstages. St. Patrick's final planning Day to told claimattendees the provinRoss that this is moving ahead cial project championship. The out of were necessity, the teams closesince through current airport’s foundation most of the game, tied at is theseverely end of compromised the first and due to the prevalence of second quarters and RDPC permafrost on the southern behind by building. two to start the side of the fourth, they were “Our though airport’s falling downthe byground,” as many he as said. nine into points in the one third quarter. “Essentially, half of the building is sinking and it’s The Trojans tied the score going continue to sink.” 44-44towith about four Ross also that minutes leftmentioned and then built the building’s aging infraup a five-point lead, but structure isn’t up to code the Wesmen battled back anymore and its interiors to gametoand send aretie toothe cramped meet the it to overtime. The needs team current and long-term didn't let the late comeof the community. back bybuilding their opponents “The that you walk doneand as affectinto, themwe’ve though, much as wethe canWesmen with it,” outscored he “When Transport 9-1said. in overtime to claim Canada actually handed it to the championship title. us"It back in March of 2000, was tied for most the economic life of it was of the game,"tosaid coach only supposed be another Christine Sim. "Wefar were seven years. We’ve exdown that.” for most of the ceeded game thenonwetocame Rossbut went say that TRAA hasalways nearbackthe usually and ly their to tiedfinalized it by the endplans of the build a new $70-million, quarter. Then we went 42,240-square-foot facility into overtime for five minonly a short distance away utes and buckled down." RDPC had never won a senior provincial basketball title until 2105 when they finally claimed the crown after having lost in Nearly a year after the the finals theRailway two previHudson Bay said ous years. They repeated last June that it could no as champions in service 2016. longer provide rail The senior girls lost both between Gillam and Churchill duegames to damage to tracks their at provincials caused by after flooding, theofcomlast year most the pany that bought the line members of the rail chamfrom CN back in 1997 has an pionship squads graduagreement in principle to sell ated, but the junior girls it, the Port of Churchill and team won RDPC's secondthe Churchill Marine Tank ever junior varsity AAA Farm, according to a federal girls' championship. government press release. Sim, federal who was the coach The government said Maychampion 30 that OmniTrax, of the junior
Thompson Citizen image courtesy of the Thompson Regional Airport Authority A computer mock-up of what the exterior of the new Thompson Airport’s exterior is projected to look like. from the current building. no illusions about the fact Attendees even got a vir- that they have a tough road tual tour of the new airport ahead, especially since the through a video simulation, TRAA has to contend with which gave them a better building ancillary pieces of idea of what this building infrastructure outside of the is supposed to look like, terminal itself. inside and out. “Most airports don’t have On top of putting a great- to build a sewage lagoon. er emphasis on passenger We have to build our own amenities and concession sewage lagoon and now areas, this virtual tour high- we have to expand it to lighted the TRAA’s goal of accommodate all this debringing their airport into velopment,” he said, also the 21st century, with a referencing the fact that they proper baggage claim area, a are starting construction on new elders’/medevac lounge a new water treatment plant and ample queuing space in the fall. for check-ins and security “Most airports don’t have screenings. to build a water treatment “What we’re hoping is plant. They’re usually conpeople will not only come nected to a city or a potable out here to fly,” said Ross. source.” Thompson Regional Airport Authority CEO Curtis Ross walks “But if you want to come Ross said the airport is a members of the public through an updated design for the out on a Sunday afternoon key piece of transportation new Thompson Airport at the Thompson Regional Community and have a sandwich or a infrastructure not just for Centre’s multi-purpose room May 30. Thompson Citizen photo courtesy of RDPC Athletics coffee or sit out there and Thompson, but for Northern R.D. Parker Collegiate's senior Manitoba girls' basketball team poses with their provincial banner andistrophy after isolation since rail championship service The TRAA hoping to watch airplanes, you can in general. discontinued inschool's May third finalize their development come and enjoy happened the inwas beatingout thehere University of Winnipeg“What’s Collegiate Wesmento58-50 overtime to claim the senior girls’ basketball yourself from that perspecrailway championship in four years March 17. going to Churchill 2017 due to damage to the plans by December of this year, which would pave tive too.“ is going to happen to this line from flooding. that for sure," out." team lastRoss year, remains said it other," “I games, don’t want Thompthe way for them breaking While airport ifsaid we Sim, don’t adding build a best the teamhe went said about opener, Ashley Williams was helped tothat have son Airport to bethe that and I ground on this new terminal confident thisplayers project that new terminal,” said,into ref- Sim the tournament tournament the ascribing to named whomove had forward, been tohethis by sometime in 2019. won’t let itthe be closeness that.” will has the erencing the town’swith ongoing
stage before. "I took four of the Grade 10s for that reason too because they've been there, they understand what directly or indirectly, though they have to do," she said. it has saidallingood response to a "They're players, complaint filed with Canthey all know eachtheother, adian Transportation Agency they've played together, that it is not a federally regumost of them, for a couple lated railway company, has of years so they in knew reached an agreement prineach other really well." ciple with Fairfax Financial The players who moved Holdings and Missinippi Rail up to thetosenior this Partners restoresquad Churchill’s only transportation link yearland also meshed well and ownership the withtransfer the players who of were port, though the timeline on already there. when that might take place "They just ended up is not clear. working together and The agreement includes got comfortable with each the active participation of
mentality that they could win it all. "I think that it helped that they had played together before as well and a lot of them 30 First Nations and 11 nonhad been in the situaFirst Nationsatcommunities tion before provincials in Northern Manitoba, sevwhether it was the chamen Kivalliq communities pionship finals before that in western Nunavut, as some of the seniors had well as Fairfax, AGT Food won a couple years ago and Ingredients along with that were still on the team Missinippi Rail Limited and then all jayvees Partnership andthe OneNorth, that had as won last year." operating Missinippi Rail Partners. The girls had a tough “I am happy that Missinipopening game at this pi Rail tournament, Partners and Fairfax year's beatFinancial Holdings have ing the Lorette Collegiate signed an agreement in Scorpions 64-61. principle with OmniTrax,” "ItMinister wasn'tofone of our said Innovation,
nerves on the part of her players. The Trojans then cruised to a berth in the final with an 81-39 victory over the Science and Economic ColDeWestgate Mennonite velopment Navdeep Bains, legiate Wings. whose "Thatportfolio one wasincludes much Western Economic Diversbetter." ification Canada. “Many of After claiming the title, us believed that this was posthe sibleplayers and thewere time"ecstatic," has come said Sim. to make it happen.” "They're a pretty excitMinister of Natural Reed group girls, that's sources Jim of Carr, Liberal MP for Winnipeg sure," theSouth coachCentre, said. said First Na"Defiparticipation nitely lotsofof emotions andespecially other Manitobans in tions, for the the deal was important. Grade 12s with it being “The people of Norththeir last year, it was a ern Manitoba have long good way for to the go understood the them value of
MVP, while Hannah Murdy was selected as a tournament all-star. Murdy and teammate Casey Singh are the only rail line,” Carr said.year's “This members of this agreement principle allows team to in have been on those most affected to have the roster for the 2016a direct stake in the future and championship. long-term interests of their The Trojan boys opened communities.” provincials withrecognized a 76-58 “We have long loss to the second-ranked the vital role the Hudson Bay Neelin High SparRailway playsSchool in connecting tans, whonorth, wentand on to Canada’s wecapare very to see an agreeture pleased the championship. ment place that willended ensure Theirintournament the of withlong-term a 70-67operations loss to the the rail line,” said OmniSt. John's-Ravenscourt Trax Canada president Merv Eagles in the first round of Tweed in a written statement. the consolation playoffs.
OmniTrax has agreement with OneNorth and Fairfax Financial Holdings to restore Churchill rail service, federal government announces
which owns the line, either
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