Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 57 • Issue 23
RDPC adds some colour to Mystery Lake in Motion BY KYLE DARBYSON KYLE@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS HIGHLIGHTS CONCERT ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 2
TIM HORTONS CAMP DAY NEWS - PAGE 3
SOLAR BEARS WIN STREET HOCKEY TOURNAMENT SPORTS - PAGE 8
To celebrate the fifth annual Mystery Lake in Motion walk/run, the event organizers decided to do something different this year and turn it into a colour run, the first time such an event has taken place in Thompson. At around 2 p.m. on Friday, June 2 high school students, teachers and junior high students gathered on the front lawn of R.D. Parker Collegiate to complete a three-and-a-half kilometre loop that took them up the Millennium Trail, down Riverside Drive, and back to the high school. Of course, a little wrinkle was added in the form of 500 pounds of coloured cornstarch, which was hurled at the participants periodically as they attempted to complete this circuit. Throughout this route the runners had to navigate four different colour stations, where they were doused in blues, purples, and greens. There was a fifth station at the finish line, where they were showered with red. While the flow of runners at the finish was manageable at first, the scene became increasingly messy once people started to show up in larger groups. However, most of the participants remained in good spirits and responded to the chaos with laughter. After the run was over each participant was able to enjoy freezies and water by the entrance to RDPC, al-
Thompson Citizen photo by Kyle Darbyson Participants get doused in red cornstarch at the finish line of the fifth annual Mystery Lake in Motion event. though they were definitely not allowed back inside the school. This potential janitorial nightmare was made even more tangible once the students were encouraged to use up the remaining powder by throwing it into the air, which resulted in a giant multi-coloured cloud that covered much of the front lawn. RDPC teaching vice-principal Kelly Scallion, who
started this event five years ago with now retired viceprincipal Sandra Crawford, said the change in format was a big hit with the students, estimating that the number of participants exceeded previous years. She also said the increased attention towards Mystery Lake in Motion really helps underline the event’s mission statement. “It’s very rare we get an opportunity to do some-
thing as an entire school, let alone an entire school with the [Grade] 7s and 8s in the district,” she said. “They’re eventually going to be our students, so it’s really important to bring us all together.” With that being said, Scallion is unsure if the colour run element will make a return next year, since ordering 500 pounds of coloured cornstarch is expensive.
However, for the time being, Scallion is just glad that the 2017 Mystery Lake in Motion event was a success, something that she said is due, in a large part, to the participation of volunteers like her fellow teachers and members of the RCMP, and sponsors like Safeway and Arctic Beverages. “It was pretty awesome. It’s going to be hard to top this. It’s going to be hard to say ‘no’ to doing this again.”
Thompson educator elected to MTS provincial executive BY KYLE DARBYSON KYLE@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Following a May 27 election at the annual general meeting for the Manitoba Teachers’ Society (MTS), local instructor Cathy Pellizzaro became a member of their 2017–18 provincial executive. “It was a very challenging race because all the candidates that ran were excellent,” said Pellizzaro, who is the only member of the new executive from Northern Manitoba. “Most of them run from Winnipeg because most of our teacher population is in Winnipeg.” “In the north we have less teachers, but we still need representation.”
MTS is the largest teacher’s union in Manitoba and as a member of the new executive Pellizzaro will represent the interests of over 15,000 educators from across the province. One of bigger issues that Manitoba teachers have to contend over the next couple years is Bill 28, a public sustainability bill that, according to Pellizzaro, affects their collective bargaining rights. “In the next four years, after our agreement expires in 2018, it tells us how our increases will be. So it’s actually dictating to us how to bargain,” she said. “We need to address that because that’s not part of our union rights.” But even though the scope
of her new position is province-wide, Pellizzaro said that she will also serve as a MTS liaison to regions like Thompson, especially when it comes to issues that are unique to the north. “I just want to make sure that we’re included in all decision-making across the province, because that needs to be ensured because costs might come up,” she said. “We have to make sure we have a budget to include teachers from the north as well.” In terms of her experience as an educator, Pellizzaro has been involved with the School District of Mystery Lake for the past 24 years, both as a teacher and union
leader. In addition to teaching kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 at institutions like Eastwood and Deerwood School, she became the president of the Thompson Teachers’ Association in 2016. Pellizzaro is also no stranger to dealings with MTS, having served on bodies such as their Equity and Social Justice Standing Committee between 2010 and 2015. Despite the fact that she is now entitled to up to 20 per cent release time from her current responsibilities at Mystery Lake, Pellizzaro believes that her new position with MTS will not interfere with her role as a teacher and union leader in Thompson.
“I’m a flexible and organized person, so I’m able to shift things around in order to make it work within a time frame,” she said. “Plus, I’m used to being busy." In the end, even though she is dealing with added responsibilities, Pellizzaro is happy to speak for Thompson at the provincial level, especially since northern representation has been lacking in MTS for the last couple years. ”It’s been a while. It’s been maybe four to five years because our last rep was from Flin Flon. So yeah, it’s exciting and I look forward to working with all the teachers in the province.” The first official meeting of
Thompson Citizen photo by Kyle Darbyson Cathy Pellizzaro began her teaching career in Thompson in 1993. the 2017–18 MTS provincial executive is set to take place on June 7 in Winnipeg.