March 1 2017

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Serving the Hub of the North since 1960

Flyin’ high

Volume 57 • Issue 9

School taxes going up 0.27 per cent

BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

TALKING TOURISM AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEWS - PAGE 2

JUNIOR GIRLS GOING TO HOOPS PROVINCIALS SPORTS - PAGE 7

MIDGET AA KING MINERS SWEEP PLAYOFF SERIES SPORTS - PAGE 7

Thompson Citizen photo by Ian Graham Live Ammo freestyle members thrilled crowds at Winterfest with their gravity-defying aerial acrobatics Feb. 25.

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The School District of Mystery Lake (SDML) is raising its portion of the property tax paid in Thompson from 18.53 mills in 2016-17 to 18.58 mills in 2017-18, which will increase the cost of the school portion of the property tax bill by about 0.27 per cent.

The 2017-18 budget was presented to about a half-dozen members of the public by SDML secretary treasurer Kelly Knott during a meeting at the school board office Feb. 23.

“We have a slight increase in our operating expenditure of 0.64 per cent,” Knott said, noting that the district had about 68 additional students as of Sept. 30 of this school year than the year prior.

“Provincial funding is based on our eligible enrolment figures from the prior year,” Knott said. “So for the 17-18 budget our enrolment as of Sept. 30, 2016 of 3,117 students is a 2.4 per cent increase.

We’re going to be receiving funding for 2,925 students.

The province only funds kindergarten students for 0.5 so that’s the difference between the 2,925 and the 3,117.”

Provincial funding for the 2017-18 school year is up about three per cent from the adjusted funding that SDML received for 201617 but less than one per cent more than what was initially announced in February 2016.

“When I look at the 17-18 funding announcement, the total provincial funding is $31,284,000,” said Knott. “ Based on last year’s funding announcement of $31,032,000 it’s

Seventy-nine per cent of the district’s budget, which is $44,095,000 for 2017-18, up from $43,770,000 this year, comes from the provincial government and the school portion of the property tax levy covers about 19 per cent. only a 0.8 per cent actual increase not the three per cent. Where they come up with the three per cent is the reduction that we saw in December for the current year. In December we were reduced to $30,367,000 so it looks like three per cent.

They cut us two-and-a-half or 2.1 per cent in September and increased us 0.8 to get to the [three per cent].”

Seventy-nine per cent of the district’s budget, which is $44,095,000 for 201718, up from $43,770,000 this year, comes from the provincial government and the school portion of the property tax levy covers about 19 per cent.

Salaries and benefits make up about 86 per cent of the district’s budget combined, with total salaries for 2017-18 coming to $33,224,999 and benefits to $4,919,404.

“Employee benefits have dropped slightly, an $80,000 drop,” said Knott.

“We’re seeing a bit of a change in our maternity benefits and that helped us find a bit of savings within that line.”

The $665,000 reduction

for the 2016-17 school year from what was announced last February was covered by the district’s surplus, which sat at about $1.5 million last June and is now at $853,000.

“Surplus is an emergency funding source,” Knott said.

“This past December we had a large water break at our Wapanohk Community School. It cost approximately $40,000 to repair it.

That type of expenditure is not included in our plan. It’s nowhere in our expenditures and that’s where we turn to surplus to look for that emergency funding. A surplus helps stabilize local taxation. A realistic surplus decreases borrowing and helps to absorb the cost of unexpected expenditures or decreases in revenue.”

The maximum surplus that SDML can have is $1.74 million.

“To put that in perspective $1.7 million is about 10 or 12 days of operating for us so there’s not a lot of wiggle room,” Knott said.

While the district expects that regular maintenance and some capital project such as roofing upgrades will continue in 2017-18 there haven’t been announcements of larger project by the province.

Continued on Page 2

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Page 2

www.thompsoncitizen.net

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

News

Culture change and better tourism products keys to improving Northern Manitoba economy

BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

Manitoba Chambers of Commerce president and CEO Chuck Davidson highlighted tourism and the need to reinvigorate the Northern Manitoba economy when he addressed Thompson Chamber of Commerce members during the evening portion of their annual general meeting on Feb. 21.

Davidson, along with

Opaskwayak Cree Nation Onekanew (Chief) Christian Sinclair, is co-chair of the province’s northern economic development task force and was in Thompson for the launch of the provincial government’s Look North website at www.looknorthmb.ca and announcement of the dates of economic summits being held in the first week of April in The Pas, Thompson and Churchill.

We would like to express our sincere and heartfelt thanks to all family, friends and neighbors who so freely gave their time by attending Winnie’s (mum’s) funeral. Many thanks to all those who sent cards, messages, flowers, Baskets. Also all the telephone calls and personal visits were greatly appreciated.

Special thank you to Sue Brown and Lily Curran for giving so much of your time to support all us. Thank you to the Northern Spirit Manor staff, Rev. Leslie King and the ladies who served the lunch.

Your kindness will always be remembered.

The Stuart Family

“We know that the next two to three years we’re likely going to see the loss of about 1,000 jobs throughout Northern Manitoba.”

Chuck Davidson He acknowledged the challenges facing Northern Manitoba over the next couple of years and what needs to be changed to improve the region’s economy in the future.

“We know that the next two to three years we’re likely going to see the loss of about 1,000 jobs throughout Northern Manitoba,” Davidson said. “We know that that represents a loss of close to $100 million in annual income. We know that that represents a $300 million loss to the economy when you use the multiplier of three attached to this for income recycling within the economy.”

“Everyone in this room

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has a good understanding of what got us here,” Davidson said. “The long-term reliance that we’ve had on those big anchor companies and communities and a long-term government dependency. These are things that we need to address over the long term if we’re going to change the culture of Northern Manitoba.”

The process of diversifying and improving the economy will not be a matter of months, he warned.

“Governments, obviously, they would love to see it,” he said. “We’d love to see this done before the budget, we can put budget allocations. That’s not where I think this needs to go and I’ll make sure that this is in my mind is done properly to make sure that we’re looking at the long term and not the short term on this. This is going to take a generation. This is going to take time and we’ve got to be prepared to do that.

Those overnight successes are not going to be a part of that. This is a generational change that we’re looking at.”

Davidson said there are encouraging signs for the province and the north in the tourism industry.

“When I took over this role about three years ago, one of the main areas that I saw as a real opportunity that was not being fully taken advantage of in Manitoba was the area of tourism,” he said. “When

Thompson Citizen photo by Ian Graham Manitoba Chambers of Commerce president and CEO Chuck Davidson. we started looking at just how important the tourism industry was to the Manitoba economy the realization was this was a $1.5 billion industry in Manitoba. This was an industry that gives back almost $250 million in tax revenue to the provincial government every single year. This was an industry that creates 25,000 jobs in the province of Manitoba and the reality in Manitoba when it came to tourism was that the provincial government hadn’t increased the budget for Travel Manitoba, which is the arm to market Manitoba. It hadn’t increased their budget in close to a decade.”

The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce successfully lobbied the provincial government to change the funding model for Travel Manitoba to the 96/4 model, in which four per cent of

tax revenues derived from tourism are put back into marketing the province as a destination.

“What’s that done for Travel Manitoba?” Davidson said. “It’s increased their budget, which hadn’t increased in a decade, from $7 million to almost $12 million. Now they’re marketing in places they never were before. They’re marketing in the U.S., they’re marketing overseas, they’re marketing Manitoba in places that they’ve never been doing so before.”

Davidson admitted later in response to a question that it’s important to ensure that products match up to the hype.

“We need to make sure that if we’re going to be attracting more people to Manitoba that we’ve got the kind of product that they’re going to need,” said Davidson.

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Available in accessible formats upon request.

Continued from Page 1 Knott responded to a question from the audience about whether taxes ever go down by noting that contracts and other mandated increases have an inflationary effect.

“We have legal obligations, contractual obligations, collective agreements that we have increases identified in those,” said

2017 MUNN CUP COMMITTEE & TMHA would like to thank the following for their support: Arctic Beverages • Altas Copco • Baacos • Bruce Krentz (aka Keeper of the Cup) • Burntwood Curling Club • Can-do Plumbing • CHTM Radio • CM Engrave • Dominos Pizza • Doug’s Source for Sports • ET Blades • Gardewine • Giant Tiger • King’s Hockey Club • Les Mulholland Road Hockey • Madeline’s Grill • Mckay GM • McDonalds • McMunn & Yates • Mystery Lake Hotel • Norman Northstars • RA Distributing • RBC • Riverview VRCC Concession • RCMP Thompson Detachment • Safeway • Sapach Trucking • Shaw TV • The Brick • Thompson Citizen • USW Local 6166 • University College of the North • Vale • Wall of Fame Committee • Western Financial • Wilson’s Business Solutions

Knott. “Stittco rates, hydro rates, inflation, upcoming carbon taxes. There’s multiple inflationary pressures that we have to accommodate. The provincial funding source is not reflective of all of the inflation that we’re seeing.”

She answered another question about whether more teachers would be needed to accommodate higher enrolment by saying it would depend if students are dispersed equally through the grades or concentrated in younger years, but that the district does expect to have an increase in the number of educational assistants it employs.

Former school board trustee Sya Gregovski asked if the 2017-18 budget needed to account for the industrial skills and training centre announced in November 2015 when the NDP was still the government.

Knott said the district has

not heard anything further regarding that project.

“In the previous government the project had been approved,” Knott said. “It’s currently on hold within the public school finance board.

We received nothing further aside from the original announcement that went out with that centre. We have all the structure in place if we do need to proceed with that capital project in terms of financing but we’ve had nothing further on it. I believe at public school finance all the projects are being reviewed and that was quite a large project.”

Knott said the goal of the budget was to keep tax increases as low as possible.

“We’re looking to marginal taxation increases because we already have the pressure within our community of issues beyond 2018 and we felt that we needed to be good fiscal stewards,” said Knott.

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

www.thompsoncitizen.net

Page 3

News

Fire department, police and roads biggest priorities identified by budget survey

BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

Fire and emergency services, policing, and road maintenance and paving are the top priorities of approximately 150 Thompson residents who filled out and submitted the city’s 2017 budget survey in December and January, the results report shows.

The survey asked people to rank 26 different spending areas in five categories: not at all important, somewhat important, important, very important and extremely important. Assigning scores of one to five for each of the categories, with not at all important counting as one and extremely important counting as five, there were five spending areas that amassed totals of 600 or higher.

Fire and emergency services had the highest overall score at 670 under this scoring method, followed by RCMP at 662, winter public works operations (snow removal and sanding) at 641, summer public works operations (road patching and cleaning, signs and street line painting) at 605 and road renewal and paving at 600.

The five spending areas with the lowest aggregate scores were grants and contributions to outside organizations like the library, museum, homeless shelter and others at 407, community safety officers at 408, bylaw enforcement at 413, tourism and promotion to attract visitors at

426 and information technology such as the city’s website, communications and online tools at 437.

Priorities with scores between 500 and 599 were fire and emergency equipment (593), water and sewer main replacement (578), the water utility (574), waste and recycling including spring cleanup, e-waste, used oil and composting services (528), waste and recycling including garbage and recycling trucks and other equipment like backhoes (521), economic and community development (515), recreation facilities like the Norplex Pool (508) and renewal of sidewalks and multi-use paths (506), and construction of new sidewalks and multi-use paths (505).

Those spending areas amassing total scores between 438 and 499 included public works equipment (495), outdoor recreation facilities (494), indoor recreation facilities (490), facility and services accessibility (479), the accommodation tax (459), the cemetery (454), recreation programs like concerts, Canada Day, summer day camps and Winterfest (445) and the transit system (442).

Almost 53 per cent of those who filled out the survey said they are most likely to get information on the City of Thompson via social media, with the other top five sources including the city website (20 per cent), the newspaper (approximately 13

per cent), word of mouth (about 7 per cent) and the radio (about 5.5 per cent). The vast majority of those who filled out the survey identifi ed themselves as residents of Thompson who owned their own homes. A little more than half (80 out of 154) indicated they had children under 18 living at home. About a third of those who completed the survey were aged 46 to 55, with

another 27 per cent between 26 and 35, 26 per cent between 36 and 45, about 11 per cent aged 56 or older and approximately three per cent aged 18 to 25.

The budget survey results report can be viewed on the city’s website at www.thompson.ca.

Figures in sections five and six of the report that was online as of Feb. 23 did not add up to the total number of responses. The

city told the Thompson Citizen that the correct figures for section five were: not at all important - 2, somewhat important - 6, important -16, very important - 45, and extremely important - 84. In section six, the correct numbers are: not at all important - 24, somewhat important - 39, important - 43, very important - 33, and extremely important - 15.

Frozen four Thompson Citizen photo by Ian Graham Cold temperatures didn’t deter participants in the four-on-four road hockey tournament played in the parking lot between the Gordon Beard Arena and R.D. Parker Collegiate during Winterfest Feb. 25-26.

TENDER OPPORTUNITIES

Pet Registration

Tenders will be received by the Purchasing Agent at City Hall, 226 Mystery Lake Road, Thompson, MB. R8N 1S6. Tender details and closing dates are as follow:

The City of Thompson requires that all dogs & cats owned in Thompson be licensed & wear a city tag.

Friday, March 3, 2017 at 4:00 p. m. (CST) RFT #10317 – PURCHASE OF ONE (1) UNIT NEW 2017 ½ TON REGULAR CAB 2WD TRUCK. RFT #10517 – CONSTRUCTION OF SHOWER ROOMS AT ENGINEERING BUILDING.

To register, please contact City of Thompson Animal Services at: 226 Mystery Lake Road 8:30am - 4:30pm Monday to Friday

Friday, March 17, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. (CST) RFT #10617 – 2017 ROAD RENEWAL PROJECTS. RFT #10817 – PURCHASE OF ONE (1) UNIT NEW FRONTLOAD GARBAGE TRUCK. RFT #11017 – PURCHASE OF ONE (1) UNIT NEW TANDEM GRAVEL TRUCK. RFT #11117 – PURCHASE OF TWO (2) UNITS NEW 3/4 TON DOUBLE CAB 2WD TRUCK.

Annual Registration Fees Spayed/Neutered $20.00 Non-spayed/Neutered $65.00

Friday, March 31, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. (CST) RFT #11317 – SUPPLY OF SOLAR ENGINE PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK. RFT #11417 – SUPPLY AND INSTALLATION OF FABRIC STORAGE BUILDING. RFT #11517 – REPAIR OF MULTI-USE BUILDING AT WASTE DISPOSAL GROUND. Bid documents may be obtained from the office of the Purchasing Agent, 120 Seal Road, Thompson, MB. Phone (204) 677-7974, email aadeyemi@thompson.ca between the hours of 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, or downloaded from the City website at www.thompson.ca.

The City shall have the right to disqualify Proponents from the bidding process if they have failed to complete their obligations under any prior contract with the City of Thompson or have been involved in litigation with the City.

For more details, please visit our website at thompson.ca or call 204-677-7903

The lowest or any submission need not be accepted by the City of Thompson. The City shall have the right to evaluate competing bids in accordance with its own criteria for evaluation applied to the work being proposed, whether or not such criteria has been expressly related to the Proponents. The City of Thompson reserves the right to award work to the Proponent which it deems to be in the best interest of the City.

VOLUNTEERS WANTED: MANITOBA POWER SMART WINTER GAMES The 2018 Manitoba Power Smart Winter Games Host Society is seeking volunteers to organize and execute the games in the spring of 2018. For more information, interested parties and individuals are encouraged to contact the host society by sending an email to mbwgthompson18@hotmail.com

WASTE DISPOSAL GROUNDS WINTER HOURS Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:45 pm Closed Saturdays Please keep your ewaste until May 6, 2017

226 Mystery Lake Road, Thompson, MB

www.thompson.ca

AUTOMATED COLLECTION MON

MARCH 2017 TUE

WED

1

THU

2

FRI

3

1 2 3 6 7 8 9 10 4 5 1 2 3 13 14 15 16 17 4 5 1 2 3 20 21 22 23 24 4 5 1 2 3 27 28 29 30 31 4 5 1 2 3

• 1 Westwood • 2 Burntwood • 3 Riverside/Deerwood • 4 Eastwood • 5 Juniper/Southwood/BTC The automated carts must be placed along your curb no later than 8 am on the day of scheduled pickup AT LEAST one metre apart from other cart/objects.

No Parking on residential streets between the hours of 8 am and 4:30 pm during Garbage/Recycle days for that area. Example: if it is Westwood’s Garbage/Recycle day there is to be no parking on the residential streets in the Westwood Area.

This is to aid in the safety for both the residents of Thompson as well as City crews. Vehicles found parked on the streets will be ticketed.

Opinion Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Thompson Citizen 141 Commercial Place, Box 887 Thompson, Manitoba R8N 1T1 Phone: 677-4534 • Fax 677-3681 e-mail: generalmanager@thompsoncitizen.net

www.thompsoncitizen.net

Page 4

Editorial

Future is in our own hands

A

nyone looking for encouraging news about Thompson and Northern Manitoba’s economic future from outgoing Thompson Chamber of Commerce president Oswald Sawh and guest speak Chuck Davidson, CEO of the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce, at the local chamber’s annual general meeting Feb. 21 may have been disheartened by what they heard, but the reality is, it’s the truth.

Barring a miracle, things in Thompson and in the north as a whole are not going to get better economically in the short term and it looks quite likely that they will actually get worse.

What’s more, no white knight is going to ride in in the form of a company looking to employ lots of people in high-paying jobs that begin right away and last until the end of time.

That being said, Davidson was correct when he noted that the picture is not without hope or opportunities despite the likelihood of up to 1,000 jobs and $100 million of annual income going up in smoke in the province’s north in the next few years. But, as Sawh noted, it’s going to be up to the people who are here to transform that potential into a way to make a living.

Both speakers emphasized that the pattern of the past, in which northern communities were built around a large central employer, is falling by the wayside. And as it looks like the good times are beginning to recede into the past, some people who’ve been through ups and downs before are cashing out and heading for greener pastures. That’s their right and no one can fault them for it.

However, when one door closes, another often opens up. And every time one service or business shuts down, that represents a chance for someone else to step in and fill in that gap.

When Thompson was born, with a mine and tents and not so much as an arena or road link to the outside world going for it, the town’s pioneers flocked north.

Like many who have come to the city since, they weren’t necessarily expecting to stay for decades, or even more than three to five years, but they did, establishing furniture stores and travel agencies and newspapers and car dealerships and everything in between. They knew that the mine would be there to provide jobs and income for their customers, but they weren’t guaranteed success.

These days, people can be seen complaining online about certain services or stores that aren’t available or don’t exist in Thompson, sometimes suggesting, mockingly or not, that the city should do something to bring them here. But while the city can encourage economic development through its policies and tax regime, it can’t force anyone to take the chance on opening a business.

And if you expect that the provincial government can do much to prop up a town when private businesses pull out or shut down, look around at some of the other communities in Northern Manitoba and judge how much they’ve been able to accomplish for them.

“We are the ones who are going to shape our future,” Sawh told attendees at the chamber’s AGM. “We can’t just wait for someone else to do something. A healthy business community is the best way forward for Thompson.”

What the future is going to look like is anyone’s guess right now. But unless a spirit of entrepreneurship reminiscent of those who came north into uncertainty in the 1960s is rekindled, it could be one of long, slow decline.

Whether it will be is up to northerners to determine.

Yogifoodipreneur

What is nutrition?

and disorders. As the only registered holistic nutritionist in the north, my main priority is to show people the original ways of natural health. Natural nutrition is, in fact, similar to the healthcare of the early peoples. First Nations culture understands natural nutrition, the use of herbs, and taking care of not only your body, but your emotional, mental and spiritual health as well. They were the original teachers.

Natural health surrounds us in this culture. But we have trailed very far off the path. It troubles me when the public health sector competes with alternative health services.

As leaders in health, our goal is to educate, not to

persuade, misinform, or shame others professions.

I was delighted when the holistic nutrition profession was included to bring forth our opinions on the recent changes to the Canada Food Guide, something that has been less than ideal for supporting a healthy diet for years.

What are you doing this month to take care of your body? Spring begins on the 20th of this month. The body naturally begins to crave cleansing. We want to cleanse our environment with spring cleaning and purging. Our food needs change with the change of season. As spring and summer approach, we don’t need as much warming foods as we needed in

winter.

Incorporate nutrition and natural health in ways that just make sense to you. Talk to your grandparents and your elders, the ones that remember when holistic or natural nutrition wasn’t a term or a profession, it was the only way of life. Organic wasn’t a term, it was the only way produce was available. Ask them what they think has changed from when they were younger to how it is now. They are the real teachers and the pioneers of the knowledge of food as health!

As always, check with your doctor or health practitioner for any medicalrelated questions. This information is to be used as a guide and not to replace medical advice.

Kylie Matechuk is a certified, experienced yoga teacher, registered in gold status with the Canadian Yoga Alliance, and director of teacher training at Mo Tus Nua Wellness, the yoga studio she owns and manages in Northern Manitoba. She is also a registered holistic nutritionist with a passion for pediatric and digestive health.

Amy Caldwell Production

Ashley Rust-McIvor Advertising

Bhawna Varma Advertising

BY KYLIE MATECHUK March is nutrition month!

Today kicks off nutrition month! What does nutrition mean to you?

The definition of nutrition from Webster’s dictionary is this: the act or process of nourishing or being nourished; specifically: the sum of the processes by which an animal or plant takes in and utilizes food substances <foods that are necessary for human nutrition> Sadly though, we as human beings are undernourished. Not only do we have fast food restaurants on every corner, and overpriced fruits and vegetables, we are given so many different opinions on what is good for you, and what is not. It’s very frustrating for the consumer, and we often just give up and succumb to current habits.

As a holistic nutritionist, I simply believe in whole foods that work for your body. Every body is different and biochemically unique. The holistic nutrition profession truly believes that nutrition is the root of many diseases

Your Thompson Citizen News Team

Lynn Taylor Publisher

Ian Graham Editor

Published weekly by The Prairie Newspaper Group LP, a division of GVIC Communications Corp. of 141 Commercial Place, Thompson, Manitoba, R8N 1T1. The Thompson

Ryan Lynds Production Manager

Citizen is owned and operated by The Prairie Newspaper Group LP, a division of GVIC Communications Corp.

Advertising rates are available upon request and are subject to change without notice. Conditions of editorial and advertisement content: The Thompson Citizen attempts to be accurate in editorial and advertising content; however no guarantee is given or implied.

The Thompson Citizen reserves the right to revise or reject any or all editorial and advertising content as the

newspaper’s principals see fit. The Thompson Citizen will not be responsible for more than one incorrect insertion of an advertisement, and is not responsible for errors or omissions in advertisements except for the space occupied by such errors.

The Thompson Citizen will not be responsible for manuscripts, photographs, negatives and other related material that may be submitted for possible publication.

All of the Thompson Citizen’s content is protected by Canadian Copyright laws. Reviews and similar mention

of material in this newspaper is granted on the provision that the Thompson Citizen receives credit. Otherwise, any reproduction without the permission of the publisher is prohibited.

Advertisers purchase space and circulation only. Rights to any advertisements produced by the Thompson Citizen, including artwork, typography, photos, etc., remain the property of this newspaper. Advertisements or parts thereof may not be reproduced or assigned without the consent of the publisher.

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

www.thompsoncitizen.net

News

Seasonal sendoff

Thompson Citizen photo by Ian Graham Spectators watch the fireworks display that finished off Winterfest over the softball field behind the Vale Regional Community Centre Feb. 26.

New chamber president takes helm with rough water ahead

BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

Raj Thethy was elected as the new president of the Thompson Chamber of Commerce at the annual general meeting Feb. 21 and will be joined on the board by threetime past president Keith McDonald in the role of vicepresident, past president Oswald Sawh as treasurer on an interim basis and Colleen Smook as secretary.

Continuing in their roles as members at large are Volker Beckmann, Edward Palmer and Dave Moore. They are joined by new members at large Leann Brown and Duncan Regier.

Looking back over the activities of the previous year at the evening portion of the AGM, highlighted by guest speaker Chuck Davidson, president and CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, Sawh said he was proud of the work that the Thompson chamber did advocating on behalf of members for a fairer way of paying for the city’s new sewage treatment plant and that the chamber has secured a grant to develop a Thompson tourism strategy, a draft of which should be produced by spring or early summer. On the down side, he noted that the chamber has seen a decline in its membership numbers as businesses have shut down in Thompson and said people need to be encouraged to look at self-employment and entrepreneurship as a way of earning a living.

“As a chamber movement we want to encourage the culture of commerce,” said Sawh. “We are the ones who are going to need to shape our own future. We can’t just wait for someone else to do something. The chamber recognizes this will not be an easy fix. A healthy business community is the best way forward for Thompson.”

The new president said ensuring the future economic health of Thompson will require lobbying and cooperation.

“We will carry on lobbying for our members, whatever the cause may be but at the same time I want to take a more collaborative approach to leading the chamber this year especially with the city and stakeholders because we are going to be facing troubled and trying times with what’s going to happen with the part closure of the Vale operation,” Thethy said.

“New blood’s always good.

They come up with refreshing ideas so hopefully we will come up with some formula that will keep us in that lobbying role but will see us collaborate with all our stakeholders.”

Davidson, who spent his early years in Snow Lake and Flin Flon before becoming a radio reporter at CJOB in Winnipeg and then the press secretary for former Progressive Conservative Opposition leader Stuart Murray before moving on to a role as the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce’s vicepresident of policy and com-

munications, said the Manitoba chamber and their local counterparts play a vital role in the province.

“People often ask me, ‘So why should I be involved with the chamber of commerce?’

Good question. I believe that a chamber membership allows you the opportunity to network with other business leaders. It provides you with cost-savings opportunities for your businesses. It provides you with an outlet to share not only the challenges that you’re dealing with but also the successes. But most importantly a chamber membership provides you with access to decisionmakers and allows you to be part of the largest most influential business organization in your community, your province and in Canada. Typically when I go into communities and I’m working with local chambers I always say there’s two things I know about chambers. If I see a strong chamber, I see a strong community and if I see a strong community I see a strong chamber.”

Davidson says that Premier Brian Pallister, a former president of the Portage la Prairie Chamber of Commerce, has been using his line about strong chambers and strong communities and that that’s a good sign for business owners.

“It’s great to see that we’ve got a huge champion of the chamber network,”

Page 5

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www.thompsoncitizen.net

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

News

Laban taekwondo athletes compete in Regina Nine Laban Fitness taekwondo athletes competed at Kim’s Taekwondo Challenge in Regina, Sask. Feb. 25, collecting two gold medals, two silver and six bronze in patterns and sparring.

The competitors - eight of whom were from Thompson - and were all at blue belt level or below, brought home one gold, one silver and six bronze medals in patterns, with most of them competing above their current belt level.

In sparring, five-year-old yellow stripe competitor Maelle Stacy faced a seven-year-old opponent three levels higher than her and won the silver medal, fighting hard despite facing a taller opponent who was a heavy kicker.

Blue stripe competitor Lennox Nepitabo fought a much taller opponent but came home with a gold medal after listening to his coach, following instructions and emerging victorious in a David and Goliath-type matchup.

Thompson Citizen photo courtesy of Laban Fitness Nine Laban Fitness taekwondo athletes competed at Kim’s Taekwondo Challenge in Regina, Sask. Feb. 25.

CITY

DENTAL H A V E A S M I L E Y O U C A N B E P R O U D O F

SERVICES INCLUDE • General Dentistry • Dental Hygiene • Sedation Dentistry • Root Canals

• Wisdom Teeth Removal • Retainers • Molars • Teeth Whitening

BOOK K YO YOUR HYGIENE CLEANING APPOINTMENT NOW FOR FO A CHANCE TO WIN W AN ORAL B GENIUS GENIU ELECTRIC TOOTH TO BRUSH!

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FEB WINNER: LAURA WOOD LA Business hours: Mon - Sat: 8 am - 7 pm Sun: Closed 131 Commercial Place, Thompson, MB R8N 1T1

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204-778-7000

Man dead, woman charged with manslaughter A 26-year-old woman from Oxford House is charged with manslaughter after RCMP responded to an assault at an apartment building in Thompson Feb. 20 and found an unresponsive 24-year-old man who was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Brittany Amber Robinson is charged with manslaughter and was scheduled to appear in provincial court in Thompson Feb. 21.

RCMP say the man who was killed was also from Oxford House and they believe that he and the victim knew each other. Police did not release the man’s name.

Thompson RCMP and the major crime unit continue to investigate.

Injury sustained in police custody in Oxford House being investigated The Independent Investigation Unit (IIU) of Manitoba is investigating an incident in which a man was injured in police custody in Oxford House First Nation.

RCMP were notified Feb. 16 that a 30-year-old taken into custody earlier that day at the Oxford House RCMP detachment claimed that he had been assaulted by an officer. There were no serious injuries but the IIU’s civilian director decided that it is in the public interest to investigate.

The IIU investigates all serious incidents involving on- or off-duty police officers in the province.

• Large 1-bedroom available • Smart card onsite laundry • Large salt water pool • All utilities included • Fully equipped fitness room • Onsite security 7 days a week

RECEIVE A MOVE-IN BONUS GIFT CARD FROM THE BRICK (LIMITED TIME ONLY) Office Hours Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm

Contact Edith @ 204-677-9880

suites.forestview@shaw.ca

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

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45 Celebra

ting 45 years

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“Complete Janitorial & Carpet Cleaning Professionals” • Property Management Services • Air Purifiers, Dehumidifiers, Blowers & Ozonators • IICRC Restoration Certified

Thompson RCMP Drug Tip Line

204-677-6995

204-677-4327

Tire Sales & Service Passenger - Light Truck - ATV - Trailer - RV - Golf Carts - Forestry Retreads - Section Repairs - Tubes - Wheel Balancing - Repairs

90 Hayes Rd. Thompson, MB Phone 677-3925 or Toll Free 1-877-677-9955

Junior varsity girls ride big margins of victory to basketball provincials berth

BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

R.D. Parker Collegiate’s junior varsity girls’ basketball team booked a spot in the provincial tournament with an undefeated run through the Zone 11 junior varsity basketball championships in The Pas Feb. 24-25, with their smallest margin of victory clocking in at 40 points.

The Trojans sailed to an 89-34 win over the Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Resource Centre (HBOIERC) Huskies from Norway House in the final after beating them 72-32 earlier during the roundrobin phase. RDPC’s other round-robin games included an 85-36 win over the Hapnot Collegiate Institute Kopper Kweens from Flin Flon, an 86-17 defeat of the host Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute (MBCI)

Spartans and a 97-32 triumph over the Otter Nelson River School (ONR) Nikiks from Cross Lake.

The boys’ junior varsity team fell one win short of provincials, dropping a 67-37 decision to MBCI in the final after going 3-1 in the round robin. MBCI handed the Trojans their only round-robin loss by a score of 68-44. RDPC beat Hapnot 67-34, ONR 53-29 and edged HBOIERC 58-57.

RDPC’s varsity boys went 4-0 to finish first at the Swan Valley Kinsmen Tip-Off tournament, beating the Major Pratt Trojans 75-20, the Swan Valley Tigers 83-63, MBCI 61-57 and ONR 83-27 en route to a perfect record.

The varsity boys and girls will be in action this weekend when they host the Zone 11 basketball championships March 3-4.

Thompson Citizen photo courtesy of RDPC Athletics R.D. Parker Collegiate’s junior varsity girls’ team is heading to basketball provincials in Altona March 9-11 after cruising past their opponents at the Zone 11 championships in The Pas Feb. 24-25.

King Miners still undefeated after sweeping Cranberry Portage in first round of playoffs

BY IAN GRAHAM EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET

The Thompson King Miners continued their undefeated midget AA season through the first round of the playoffs by defeating the Cranberry Portage Winterhawks 9-3 and 6-1 to win their bestof-three series at the C.A. Nesbitt Arena Feb. 24-25.

Sheldon Howard and Trent North each had a pair of goals for the King Miners in their series-opening 9-3 win, with Jonathan Saunders, Keistin Saunders, Justin Spence and Tyler Sylvester adding singles. Trevor Head, Issac Jays and Eric Rutherford were the only Winterhawks to beat King Miners netminder Kenton Brass, who made 23 saves for the win. Kelan Weseen stopped 39 shots in a losing effort for Cranberry Portage.

Howard had two more goals, including what proved to be the winner, in a 6-1 series-clinching victory for the King Miners Feb. 25. He opened the scoring by putting a rebound off the back boards behind Weseen in the first period before Sean Yaworski tied things up with five minute to go

Thompson Citizen photo by Ian Graham Sheldon Howard had four goals in two games Feb. 24-25 as the Thompson King Miners beat the Cranberry Portage Winterhawks 9-3 and 6-1 to win their best-of-three first round midget AA league playoff series. before the first intermission on a counterattack rush after the King Miners were repelled in the opposite end.

Howard’s second came just over three minutes

into the second period, right after the King Miners killed off a penalty. The home team continued to build their lead through the second period, scoring three more times despite

spending more than half of the period shorthanded, at times down two players.

Spence had a shorthanded goal to make the game 3-1 and also scored the King Miners’ fifth goal, which

came after North made it 4-1 on a partial breakaway just after getting out of the penalty box with nine minutes to go in the second period.

Chase Gurniak had the

only goal of the third period and Kruz Mitchell made 28 saves for the win as his team outshot Cranberry Portage 4529, including 18-2 in the final 20 minutes.

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Sports

Peewee AA King Miners looking to make up for missed provincial championship two years ago “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” – Sir Winston Churchill The group of kids and coaching staff that are the peewee AA Thompson King Miners are doing their best to act on this ageless piece of wisdom. In minor hockey, the way the age categories work, the same group of kids often end up playing together every second year. Two years ago this group of kids were the atom AA King Miners. That group had a very successful season going undefeated up to and including winning the Munn Cup. They came up against some stiff competition at provincials and the streak came to an end without a gold medal.

Two years older, two years wiser and stronger they have again come out of the gate at Connor McDavid speed. The peewee black and orange are undefeated into the month of February. The team has travelled home with gold around their necks three times and once donned the medals on home ice.

The travel season started in The Pas and then moved

on to Swan River before returning home for the Prince-Berscheid tournament in Thompson. Most recently coach Mike Krentz and his staff had the team in Flin Flon where they claimed victory in the final game over the Swan Valley Stampeders in the historyfilled Whitney Forum.

This is the time of year they are hoping to learn from the past, using that lesson to propel them to victory. In 2015 they had not played many southern teams and were caught a little off guard by the speed and style of play. Up to now this season they have largely played teams from the top half of the province.

Looking to get a preview for what their provincial tournament in Morden will hold they have one last tune-up event planned.

The Miners were on the bus and off to Dauphin Feb. 24-25 for a look at some southern teams and one last push to prepare for the year-end finale. That weekend they expected some new faces and bigger challenges as it would be their first look at teams from the lower half of our

Thompson Citizen photo courtesy of Mike Krentz The peewee AA Thompson King Miners were in Dauphin this past weekend putting their undefeated season on the line as they prepare for provincials in Morden March 9-11. province.

A few of the players went even a step further participating in the “Rising Stars” program a few weeks ago in Shoal Lake

– a peewee showcase that gave them some ice time with some kids from all over Manitoba.

Further South than Dauphin and Shoal Lake, the

peewees wrap up their season all the way down in Morden the weekend of March 9-11. This time they don’t plan to board the bus home empty-handed. It will

be history that takes a lesson from the peewee King Miners.

“We learn from failure, not from success!” - Bram Stoker, Dracula

Firefighters overcome early deficit to defeat police

Thompson Citizen photo by Ian Graham Thompson Fire & Emergency Services (TFES), in white, fell behind 4-0 in the first seven minutes but came back with four second period goals and three in the third to beat the Thompson RCMP detachment 7-5 in the guns versus hoses charity game during Winterfest Feb. 26. The RCMP scored with 1:20 left to make it a one-goal game and then missed a penalty shot attempt 34 seconds before the final buzzer. TFES sealed the deal with an empty-netter. Spectators donated more than 150 non-perishable food items and over $200 for a charity of TFES’s choice.

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603 • TENDERS NOTICE OF TENDER

CLASSIFIED@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET 201 • SERVICES STRUGGLING WITH DEBT? LET OUR FAMILY HELP YOUR FAMILY Understand the options available to assist with your financial situation (Arrangements with Creditors or Bankruptcy) FREE CONSULTATION

KEITH G. COLLINS LTD. Licensed Insolvency Trustee Phone 944-0187 1-800-263-0070 46a-e-tfnb J.B. HOME IMPROVEMENTS Residential and commercial renovations. Phone 204-679-1970 email: jburton800r@ icloud.com. 2-tfn-nb

502 • APT/TOWNHOUSE FOR RENT 1 & 2 bedroom apartments available immediately

9 - 35 Ashberry Place For applications

phone 204-677-5758 or fax 204-677-5803

TENDERS MAY BE OBTAINED AT: Manitoba Infrastructure 11 Nelson Road Thompson MB R8N 0B3 (204) 677-6540 BID SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 12:00 Noon FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2017 Public bid opening will be held at the Bid Submission Location immediately after the Bid Submission Deadline.

The lowest or any bid may not necessarily be accepted.

606 • GENERAL NOTICES WINNERS WANTED Hope Lottery Group is looking for 42 people to put in $100 each against a one time chance at the $60 million dollar Lotto Max draw. Contact (204)307-1945. 6-GCD-d

Need to fill a

JOB?

ADVERTISE

NEED TO ADVERTISE?

CLEARWATER LAKE, MB 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, double detached garage with a 1 bedroom suite above. Beautifully landscaped, wood shed, storage shed, front and back decks. Please visit our website for pictures and more information: clearwaterlakemb.ca- please email:clearwaterlake123@yahoo.com or call 204-624-5715. Serious inquiries only. 9-odd-d FOR SALE BY OWNER 4 Minago Bay. Reduced to $100,000. If interested, call 204-348-7493. 35nb-tfn-nb

The work involves dragging on Sherridon Road during the Department’s 2017 summer season.

204-677-4534

505 • HOUSES FOR SALE

WAREHOUSE--STORAGE SPACE for rent, 73 Hayes Rd., 600 sq. ft. of storage or work space. Available Sept. 1/2016.

Off of main hallway with access to washroom, next door Iron Fitness. Hydro included. Tenant cost shares water. For more info, contact: Carolyn Turpie, 31 Oak St., Ph: 204-677-3516. Friuli Suite Rentals/Bianchini Warehousing. Email: manager@friulirentals.com. 28-tfn-nb 7 SELKIRK main floor office area 1990 sq ft, will sub-divide. Lower level from 100-1000 sq ft. variety of office areas.

J.B Johnston Ventures Limited, call 204778-5511. 39-TFN-nb OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE 500-5000 sq ft available. Cameron/Hoe building 83 Churchill Drive. Contact Joe Aniceto.

204-679-0490 or Neil Cameron 306477-5668. 20-tfn-nb COMBO WAREHOUSE/GARAGE/OFFICE Spaces for rent 16- Beren’s Rd., Bay 2, 1380 sq ft. Available Oct. 1/2016 Behind Eric’s Plumbing – garage space with washroom. Commercial sized overhead door in back with man door. For more info, contact: Carolyn Turpie, 31 Oak St., Ph: 204-677-3516 Friuli Suite Rentals/Bianchini Warehousing email: manager@friulirentals.com 48-tfn-nb

CLASSIFIED@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET OR PHONE

68 FOX BAY HAS A one bedroom suite available as of March 1, 2017 for $990 a month. The rent is all inclusive and includes unit hydro, water, and internet.

68 Fox Bay is a non-smoking, quiet building. Suites have been recently repainted and renovated with new flooring and rug. If you are interested in picking up an application form please phone (204) 677-3031. 9-1-nb

510 • RETAIL/ OFFICE SPACE

Non-Bonded Tender (Construction Order) No.X05959 Dragging Sherridon Road

Statins Can Cause Loss of Memory DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been taking Lipitor for high cholesterol. Lately, my pharmacist said that all statins can cause memory loss. I hesitate to stop taking Lipitor, but I don’t want this side effect. Please advise. — P.C. ANSWER: Your pharmacist is quite right that some users of statins can have the unwanted side effect of memory loss. This is quite variable: Some people never get this effect, and it can be quite severe in a few. It appears to be reversible in the majority of people who get it. I wouldn’t recommend stopping unless you are having the side effect. *** DEAR DR. ROACH: I have chronic constipation, and have had it most of my life. I have used most of the bulking (husk) things that are out there. Nothing works. Years ago, I went to my doctor, and he said that I could take MiraLAX and use it for the rest of my life. It has worked!

Now my new doctor wants me off of it, and wants me to incorporate fiber into my diet. I already do this.

Plus I drink a lot of water. I start my day with a 24 ounces of water every morning before anything else. Is there anything wrong with taking MiraLAX every day? I do not take the full dose. — V.B. ANSWER: While I recommend nondrug treatments, such as increased water intake, high-fiber diet and exercise as treatment for constipation, that doesn’t work for everybody. In that case, using a medication as recom-

mended by your doctor makes sense.

Polyethylene glycol (MiraLAX) is a generally safe treatment that works by increasing fluid in the bowel. It’s a good idea to use it as little as is needed to keep the stool from getting uncomfortably hard.

READERS: The booklet on constipation explains this common disorder and its treatments. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Roach — No. 504W, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. *** DEAR DR. ROACH: Have you ever heard of someone with sleep apnea outgrowing the need of a breathing aid, such as CPAP? — G.S. ANSWER: Most cases of sleep apnea are due to obstruction of the airway, caused by the relaxation of muscles in the back of the throat. Excess weight and obesity are the major risk factors for sleep apnea, but it can happen in normal-weight people. It is more common in older people, and men are at higher risk than women.

Almost any condition can go away by itself, but in nearly every case of obstructive sleep apnea getting better without a specific treatment that I have seen, it has been associated with significant weight loss. It doesn’t have to be extreme weight loss. Since alcohol can make sleep apnea worse, stopping alcohol occasionally is enough to get it under control.

I also recently mentioned singing exercises as a therapy for OSA, in addition to oral devices, CPAP or BiPAP devices, and surgery. *** Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med. cornell.edu. To view and order health pamphlets, visit www.rbmamall.com, or write to Good Health, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. © 2017 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved

with us

Call 204-677-4534

Church Services

ST. JAMES ANGLICAN Rev. Jean Arthurson-Ouskan 10 Caribou 677-4652 11 am Sundays ST. JOSEPH UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC 340 Juniper Drive 778-7547 ST. LAWRENCE ROMAN CATHOLIC Fr Shantha Gandamalla and Fr Guna Sekhar 114 Cree R. 677-0160 Sat. 6:30 pm & Sun. 10 am THOMPSON PENTECOSTAL Pastor Dan Murphy Youth Pastor Colton Murphy Children’s Pastor Karen O’Gilvie 126 Goldeye 677-3435 Sunday school 9:45 am, Coffee time at 10:40 am Church Service at 11:00 am thompsonchurch.ca ST. ANDREWS PRESBYTERIAN 249 Thompson Drive 204-677-2799 Pastor Murat Kuntel Regular Hours: 11 am Church Service CHRISTIAN CENTRE FELLOWSHIP 328 Thompson Dr. N. 677-4457 Pastor: Arnold (Arnie) Pedersen Sun. School 9:45 am • Service 11 am FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 456 Westwood Dr. S. Ph. 778-8037 Service @ 11 am LUTHERAN - UNITED CHURCH OF THOMPSON Congregations worship at 52 Caribou Rd. at 10:30 am Sundays.

Phone 204-677-4495 LIVING WATER CHURCH Pastor Archie McKay Ph: 677-2469 Sunday services @ 7:00pm.

LIGHT OF THE NORTH CHURCH 32 Nelson Road GATEWAY BIBLE BAPTIST CHURCH Pastor Dave Cook 159 Cree Rd 204-677-3000 Sunday School 10:00 am AM Service at 11, PM Service at 7 Prayer Meeting - Wednesday 7 pm THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS everyone welcome sundays at 10 AM 83 Copper Rd For more information, church tours or home visits call the Missionaries at 204-939-4382 or visit Mormon.org THE SALVATION ARMY Thompson Corps (Church) 305 Thompson Dr. - 204-677-3658 Worship services every Sunday at 11 am APOSTOLIC FAITH CHURCH 111 Goldeye Crescent Sunday 11:00 am Worship Service 3:00 pm Sunday School 7:00 pm Evening service Wednesday: 7:00 pm Bible study followed by prayer time.

Contact us at 204-679-2693 or 204-677-5003 BURNTWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH 39 Beaver Crescent Thompson MB R8N 1C5 204-778-4494 Pastor Lee Pickett Sunday morning service 11:15 a.m Sunday evening service 7:00 p.m Wednesday prayer meeting 7:00 p.m

Faculty of Social Work

Northern Social Work Program The University of Manitoba, Faculty of Social Work at Thompson is now accepting applications for the Northern Social Work Program. The deadline for submitting applications is March 1, 2017. The program is scheduled to begin September 2017.

Students may complete the Northern Social Work Program as a fulltime or part-time student.

The program provides post-secondary education for Residents of Northern Manitoba, in particular those who have not had the opportunity due to economic and cultural reasons, lack of formal education, linguistic barriers or residence in remote areas.

Relocation to Thompson will be required.

Individuals can apply either under ACCESS or EXTERNAL categories. The ACCESS category is for mature students, 21 years or over, who have under 30 credit hours of university level courses. The EXTERNAL category is for regular students who have 30 credit hours or more of university level courses and are in good academic standing. For both categories, applicants must have resided in Northern Manitoba for 6 months or more prior to the application deadline or have been a long term resident of the North.

For information or applications contact the Faculty of Social Work at Thompson at 204-677-1450 or No Charge Dial 1-866237-5509 or visit http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/social_work/ programs/northern/591.html

REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER Thompson Citizen Location: Thompson, Manitoba

Description The Thompson Citizen has an immediate opening for a journalist in Thompson, Manitoba.

The Thompson Citizen is a part of the Prairie Newspaper Group, which is a division of Glacier Media. This position would be a great starting point for an enthusiastic graduate as well as it would be a great opportunity for an experienced reporter looking for an exciting change from the regular day to day workload.

The successful applicant will be expected to cover a wide range of topics spread between two publications. He or she will find himself or herself reporting on current events, writing Q & A’s, business features, personal interest and taking lots of photos.

Qualifications This editorial position requires an organized individual who works well on his or her own as well as with a team. They need to be dedicated and diligent with a strong work ethic. He or she must have a degree or diploma in journalism or have at least five years experience in newspaper journalism. Experience in photography is necessary.

He or she must have a valid driver’s licence and a reliable vehicle.

Kilometres are tracked and the journalist will be reimbursed.

Please send resume with cover letter to:

Lynn Taylor, Publisher Thompson Citizen, P.O. Box 887, Thompson, Manitoba R8N 1N8 or email generalmanager@thompsoncitizen.net

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Careers EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

AWASIS AGENCY OF NORTHERN MANITOBA MAINTENANCE CLERK LOCATION: THOMPSON CENTRAL OFFICE THOMPSON, MANITOBA Position:

STUDENT FINANCE CLERK PERMANENT, FULL-TIME Under the direction of the Director of Finance and Administration, the Student Finance Clerk is responsible for the calculation, preparation, processing and maintenance of student-related payments according to established procedures.

Duties: Calculate, prepare and issue documents related to student accounts such as statements using computerized and manual systems. Code, total, batch, enter, verify and reconcile student payment transactions such as cheques, and cheque requisitions in a ledger or computer system. Prepare period reports. Respond to customer inquiries, maintain good customer relations and solve problems. Perform related clerical duties, such as word processing, maintaining filing and record systems, faxing and photocopying.

Act as support for other finance positions when required. Perform other related duties as requested.

Qualifications: Completion of secondary school is required. Completion of post-secondary and/or other finance-related courses is an asset. Must be bondable. 2-3 years’ experience as a finance clerk is an asset. Experience with SAGE 300 (ACCPAC) modules: Accounts Payable/Accounts Receivable, Microsoft Office programs with emphasis in Excel spreadsheets. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Experience in a fully integrated office environment. Ability to work under sporadic stress and/or pressure. Ability to work independently and in a team environment. Excellent typing skills. Ability to speak an Aboriginal language (Cree or Dene) an asset.

A written application with detailed resume, including minimum two (2) references with written permission to contact the references and your most recent immediate supervisors should be submitted to: Lisa Beardy, Office Manager Keewatin Tribal Council 23 Nickel Road Thompson, Manitoba R8N OY4 Email: lbeardy@ktc.ca Fax: 204 677-0256 Closing Date: 4:00 p.m. Friday, March 3, 2017 Late applications will not be accepted We would like to thank those that apply for the position but only those being considered for an interview will be contacted.

Maintenance Clerk, Finance Department Full Time Permanent Position

Summary of Position: Reporting to the Director of Finance the Maintenance Clerk performs accounting support functions and is a team player in the Finance Department at Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba. Responsibilities include processing and issuing payments to caregivers, data entry and maintaining an accurate filing system etc., responsible for maintaining confidentiality in accordance with the Agency Policy & Procedure Manual.

The incumbent must demonstrate excellent attention to detail and be able to locate inadequacies and discrepancies in the system. Time management skills are essential that will ensure work deadlines are met; payments are administered and job responsibilities are performed in a timely manner.

Qualifications: • Business Administration Diploma and accounting experience or a related post secondary certificate and accounting experience will be considered • Knowledge of Child and Family Services legislation and standards is an asset • Excellent written and oral communication skills • Excellent assessment skills • Good organizational, time management and prioritizing skills • Proficiency in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, and Outlook) • Must be self-motivated with the ability to work independently and in a team setting • Sensitivity to and an understanding of First Nations culture and values • Ability to speak and/or understand the Cree or Dene language would be considered an asset Working Conditions: • Must have satisfactory Prior Contact, Child Abuse Registry Check and Criminal Record Check • Must be able to work in a fast paced environment • Minimal travel required

The purpose of the newly funded JP-CFI Project is to help provide support and respond to children with complex needs and their families in partnership with other professionals and agencies. These services should significantly contribute to quality of life ensuring that children, young people and their families are enabled to experience a life that is as full and as normal as possible.

Position Summary: The Child Development Worker position will provide a comprehensive community health service in conjunction with its health care team. The Child Development Worker under the supervision of the Case Manager will provide a model of service delivery for children with complex needs and their families. Such as developing tools to help the child learn life skills, assist families who have children with developmental and/or physical disabilities, provide respite services to families. Service is intended to strengthen families and support parents to care for their children at home in their own community where children grow and thrive.

Qualifications: • Health Care Aide or a ECE/Child Development background preferred; • Minimum 3 years working experience; • CPR and First Aide Certification; Valid Manitoba Driver’s License; • Knowledge of First Nations culture; • A highly-motivated individual who is innovative and has a proven ability to work with a very high degree of accuracy and attention to detail; • Excellent time management and facilitation skills; • Effective verbal and listening communications skills; • Strong leadership, critical thinking, decision making and problem solving skills.

Please forward your resume and a cover letter and indicate in the subject line the position you are applying for : SALARY RANGE:

40,000 Per Annum

CLOSING DATE:

4:30pm March 9th, 2017

Submit All Applications to: Amanda LeDrew Director of Human Resources amanda@ncnwellness.ca Family & Community Wellness Centre Nelson House, MB. Phone: 484-2341 Fax: 484-2351 The successful candidate must undergo and provide a Child Abuse Registry and Criminal Check upon hire.

TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE FROM THOMPSON TO NELSON HOUSE

Summary Information: Employer: Nelson House Education Authority, Inc. Position: Teaching Position Type: Elementary (intermediate) School / Org: Otetiskiwin School with the NNCEA Location: Nelson House, Manitoba, Canada FTE: FTE No. of Positions: 1 Salary: As Per Collective Agreement Salary Grid Posting Date: 21 February 2017 Closing Date: Open Until Filled Details: The Nisichawayasi Nehetho Culture & Education Authority (NNCEA) is accepting applications for a grade Six teacher. This is a full-time teaching position to the end of June 2017.

Affordable housing is available. Rent includes basic furnishings, electricity, heat with a recently upgraded security system.

Applicants MUST: • Be certified by the PCSRU in Manitoba • Submit an updated CARC and VSC at time of application If interested, please send the previously mentioned documents along with a letter of interest, and updated resume and names of three references to: Director of Education at 204-484-2095 or email gailm@nhea.info.

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AWASIS AGENCY OF NORTHERN MANITOBA LOCATION: SPLIT LAKE SUB-OFFICE SPLIT LAKE, MB

Closing Date: Thursday, March 2, 2017 A covering letter indicating the position applying for, updated resume and three references can be sent to: Human Resources Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba 100-701 Thompson Drive Thompson, MB R8N 2A2 Fax: (204) 778-8428 Email: hr@awasisagency.ca

We thank all applicants who apply, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

The Family and Community Wellness Centre is seeking applications for full-time Child Development Workers.

Please note: This employer does NOT allow international applicants

Salary: Salary will commensurate with education and experience

Awasis Agency provides continuous training and a great benefits package to employees.

JOB OPPORTUNITY - 5 Vacancies Family and Community Wellness Centre – NELSON HOUSE CHILD DEVELOPMENT WORKER – Full time/Permanent

GRADE 6 TEACHING POSITION

PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AWASIS AGENCY OF NORTHERN MANITOBA THOMPSON CENTRAL OFFICE, THOMPSON, MB Position: Statistics Clerk One (1) Full-Time Permanent Position Responsibilities: Reporting to the Director of Programs the Statistics Clerk is responsible for coordinating and recording the receipt of month end statistics reports on Agency case categories. The incumbent must possess excellent computer skills and be adaptable to software applications used by Awasis Agency.

There is a requirement for thorough knowledge of policies, procedures and regulations of the Agency. There is also a requirement to demonstrate initiative by offering solutions when problems or discrepancies are identified in the system.

Qualifications: • Grade 12 • Certificate in an administrative training program with CFS statistics experience is preferred or • A combination of education and experience in a similar work setting can be considered • Ability to adhere to confidentiality when working with sensitive information • Fast and accurate keyboarding skills • Analytical problem solving and conceptual skills • Must have good verbal and written communication skills • Proficient using Microsoft Word and Excel • Knowledge of Child and Family Services Information System (CFSIS) Salary: Salary will commensurate with education and experience Must have satisfactory Prior Contact Check, Child Abuse Registry Check and Criminal Record Check.

Closing Date: Friday, March 10, 2017 A cover letter indicating position applying for, an updated resume and three reference can be sent to: Human Resources Department Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba 100-701 Thompson Drive Thompson, MB R8N 2A2 Fax: (204) 778-8428 Email: hr@awasisagency.ca Awasis Agency provides continuous training and a great benefits package to employees.

We thank all applicants who apply, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Position:

Child & Family Services Worker One (1) Full Time Permanent Positions

Reporting to a Unit Supervisor the Child & Family Services Worker is responsible to implement the policies, procedures and specific directions/ directives of Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba when working with families and children in the field of child protection. The duties would include managing a case load, conducting interviews and assessments, compiling case particulars for Court, investigating/follow up on allegations of child protection issues, maintaining regular visits, ensuring accurate and timely documentation, developing long/short term case plans, and networking with collateral resources/services.

Qualifications: • Knowledge of CFS legislation, issues and standards • Excellent assessment, interviewing, and counselling skills • Excellent written and oral communication skills • Good organizational, time management and prioritizing skills • Demonstrated ability to prioritize workloads and meet deadlines • Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook • Must be self-motivated with the ability to work independently as well as a team setting • BSW Degree preferred with experience in child welfare or combination of education and experience in a related field • Enrolled or interest in the BSW program is ideal • Sensitivity to and an understanding of First Nations culture and values • Ability to speak the Cree language would be considered an asset Working Conditions: • Must be able to work in a fast paced environment • Must demonstrate a strong work ethic and be reliable • Must be willing to travel • Must have satisfactory Prior Contact, Child Abuse Registry Check, Criminal Record Check and Driver’s Abstract • Must possess a valid driver’s license and have access to a vehicle Salary: Salary will commensurate with education and experience Closing date: Friday, March 3, 2017 A cover letter indicating the position applying for and updated resume can be sent to: Human Resources Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba 100-701 Thompson Drive Thompson, MB R8N 2A2 Fax: (204) 778-8428 Email: hr@awasisagency.ca Awasis Agency provides continuous training and a great benefits package to employees.

We thank all applicants who apply, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

the Classifieds You never know what you’ll find

inside

Call 204-677-4534 or email classifieds@thompsoncitizen.net to place your ad

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

www.thompsoncitizen.net

Page 11

Royal Canadian Legion

SETTARC WELDING LDING

Burntwood River Branch #244, Thompson, Manitoba

is looking for a:

HEAVY DUTY MECHANIC NIC â&#x20AC;˘ Red Seal with CAT experience â&#x20AC;˘ Underground experience an asset â&#x20AC;˘ BeneďŹ t package â&#x20AC;˘ Wages $45 - $50 per hour depending upon experience Please send resume to settarc@outlook.com

BOOKKEEPER NEEDED Leoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home Decorating LTD. has one term position available starting April, 2017.

Retail Sales personnel and other applicable duties.

Gardewine is currently recruiting for Class 1 Flat Deck drivers for short haul deck work deliveries in the Thompson area and Northern Manitoba.

You would require a valid Class 1 license, clean abstract and experience with pat deck loads (tarping, chaining and strapping may be required).

Gardewine offers a competitive wage; health, vision and dental beneots; yearly proot share; pension plan; milestone service awards; and more!

To apply, please call Mel at 1-800-282-8000 or email driving@gardewine.com

Full time, 40 hrs per week, plus beneďŹ ts package.

Please E-mail resume to leos@mts. net, or drop off resume at 137 Hayes Rd. Thompson, MB between the hours of Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.

The Royal Canadian Legion Burntwood Branch # 244 (the Legion) wishes to obtain bookkeeping services for the following: â&#x20AC;˘ Issuing of payroll and non-payroll cheques and recording of expenses (including automatic withdrawals); â&#x20AC;˘ Inputting of revenues that includes the bar, vlt, bingo, hall rental, and games put on by the Legion; â&#x20AC;˘ Filling out and remittance of payroll, gst, pst and other required forms; â&#x20AC;˘ Completion of monthly bank reconciliations; â&#x20AC;˘ Maintenance of appropriate records and backup to be kept on site of employer; â&#x20AC;˘ Printing out of monthly ďŹ nancial statements (including income statement, balance sheet, and general ledger); â&#x20AC;˘ Provision of a backup ďŹ le to Board on a monthly bases.

The bookkeeper must be proďŹ cient in Simply Accounting, the software being used by the Legion. If you are interested please provide a quote that will provide a low and high end of expected monthly billings as well as an hourly rate and resume. Correspondence can be dropped off to the Royal Canadian Legion to the attention of Oswald Sawh. Information can also be emailed to br244@mymts.net. Applications need to be submitted

by Friday March 3, 2017 at 4 pm.

You can also stop in at 136 Hayes Road, Thompson and speak with Randy.

Your search is over.

Your search is over.

The Manitoba government offers you opportunity, diversity and a rewarding career.

Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Officer Term/Part-Time Manitoba Justice, Sheriff Services, Thompson, MB Advertisement Number: 32597 Closing Date: March 10, 2017 Salary Range: $20.75 - $26.87 per hour plus remoteness allowance and Northern premium where applicable

The Manitoba government offers you opportunity, diversity and a rewarding career.

Mines Inspector Regula/Full-Time Manitoba Growth Enterprise and Trade, Labour and Regulatory Services, Workplace, Safety and Health, Thompson, MB Advertisement Number: 32541 Closing Date: March 13, 2017 Salary Range: $61,033.00-$78,111.00 per year (plus remoteness allowance) An eligibility list may be created for similar positions and will remain in effect for 6 months.

Preference will be given to Aboriginal people.

Workplace Safety and Health enforces The Workplace Safety and Health Act and its associated regulations in order to eliminate workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses.

QualiďŹ cations

QualiďŹ cations

Essential:

Essential:

s s s s s s s

s %XTENSIVE UNDERGROUND MINING EXPERIENCE s +NOWLEDGE OF SPECIALIZED TERMINOLOGY PROCESSES EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES RELATED TO the mining industry s +NOWLEDGE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY LEGISLATION s 3TRONG WRITTEN AND VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS WITH THE ABILITY TO WRITE REPORTS AND related documents in a clear and concise manner s 3OUND ANALYTICAL AND PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS WITH THE ABILITY TO IDENTIFY AND RECORD RELEVANT INFORMATION EVIDENCE ANALYZE FACTS INTERPRET ACTS REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS

and determine options to resolve situations s 3TRONG INTERPERSONAL SKILLS WITH THE ABILITY TO INTERACT WITH POTENTIALLY DIFlCULT INDIVIDUALS in a respectful and objective manner s 3TRONG ORGANIZATIONAL AND TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS INCLUDING THE ABILITY TO PRIORITIZE WORK and work under pressure to meet time sensitive deadlines s !BILITY TO EXERCISE SOUND JUDGMENT AND DISCRETION s !BILITY TO LEAD AND MANAGE DIFlCULT SITUATIONS s !BILITY TO WORK INDEPENDENTLY s #OMPUTER PROlCIENCY WITH WORD PROCESSING SOFTWARE EMAIL PROGRAMS SPREADSHEET applications and databases

%FFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS 3TRONG COMMITMENT TO TEAMWORK %XCELLENT VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS 7RITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS INCLUDING REPORT WRITING ABILITIES %XCELLENT ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS 3TRONG PROBLEM SOLVING DECISION MAKING AND SOUND JUDGEMENT SKILLS %XPERIENCE WORKING UNDER MINIMAL SUPERVISION INCLUDING HANDLING STRESS AND THE UNEXPECTED EFFECTIVELY AND RESPONSIBLY s !BILITY TO INTERACT WITH PEOPLE FROM DIVERSE CULTURES AND BACKGROUNDS Desired: s 2ELATED EDUCATION TRAINING OR EXPERIENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT OR A SIMILAR lELD s 'ENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE #OURT SYSTEM RELATED PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES Please visit our website for a complete list of qualiďŹ cations, duties and conditions of employment at www.manitoba.ca/govjobs

Apply to: Advertisement No. 32597 Manitoba Civil Service Commission Human Resource Services 1130 - 405 Broadway 7INNIPEG -" 2 # , Phone: 204-945-3204 &AX %MAIL HRSJUS GOV MB CA

Duties: 4HE -INES )NSPECTOR CONDUCTS INSPECTIONS AND INVESTIGATIONS IN MINES AND QUARRIES IN order to ensure compliance with The Workplace Safety and Health Act and its associated regulations. The Inspectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work involves conducting inspections and interviews; issuing and determining compliance with orders issued; and providing information to improve awareness of and compliance with safety and health legislation.

Your cover letter, resumĂŠ and/or application must clearly indicate how you meet the qualifications.

For complete description of qualiďŹ cations, duties and conditions of employment, please visit the Manitoba website at www.manitoba.ca/govjobs/

7E THANK ALL WHO APPLY AND ADVISE THAT ONLY THOSE SELECTED FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION WILL be contacted.

Apply to:

%MPLOYMENT %QUITY IS A FACTOR IN SELECTION !PPLICANTS ARE REQUESTED TO INDICATE IN THEIR covering letter, resumĂŠ and/or application if they are from any of the following groups: women, Aboriginal people, visible minorities and persons with a disability.

Find out about other current job opportunities â&#x20AC;&#x201D; click on the Jobs button at manitoba.ca.

Advertisement No. 32541 Manitoba Civil Service Commission Human Resource Services 300-305 Broadway Winnipeg, MB, R3C 3J7 Phone: 204-945-4394 &AX Email : govjobs@gov.mb.ca WHEN APPLYING TO THIS POSITION, PLEASE INDICATE THE ADVERTISEMENT NUMBER AND POSITION TITLE IN THE SUBJECT LINE AND/OR BODY OF YOUR EMAIL. Your cover letter, resumĂŠ and/or application must clearly indicate how you meet the QUALIFICATIONS We thank all who apply and advise that only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

WORK WITH US & GROW A CAREER

%MPLOYMENT %QUITY IS A FACTOR IN SELECTION !PPLICANTS ARE REQUESTED TO INDICATE IN THEIR covering letter, resumĂŠ and/or application if they are from any of the following groups: women, Aboriginal people, visible minorities and persons with a disability.

Find out about other current job opportunities â&#x20AC;&#x201D; click on the Jobs button at manitoba.ca.

Glacier Media Group is growing.

Check our job board regularly for the latest openings: www.glaciermedia.ca/careers

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

www.thompsoncitizen.net

Page 12

RESOURCE GUIDE MDP

W. RICHARD WHIDDEN, Q.C. Barrister and Solicitor

Law OfďŹ ces of

MAYER DEARMAN & PELLIZZARO

COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE IN THE PRACTICE OF LAW

Providing legal services in the North for more than 50 years.

D.R. Knight Law OfÂżce Direct: (204) 948-0406 202-900 Harrow St. E. Bus: (204) 948-0400 Winnipeg, Manitoba Fax: (204) 948-0401 R3M 3Y7 Richard.Whidden@knightlaw.ca

2nd ďŹ&#x201A;oor, 436 Thompson Drive N., Thompson, MB R8N 0C6 5 t '

33 Selkirk Ave. Ph: 677-4574 â&#x20AC;˘ Fax: 778-6622

â&#x2013;

2 Locations to assist you with all of your Insurance needs.

â&#x2013;

Repairs & Installations

â&#x2013; â&#x2013;

Year-round service Audit assistance

www.hrblock.ca

THIS SPOT CAN BE YOURS!

Call Ashley or Bhawna at the Thompson Citizen

(204) 677-4534 (ext. 1) or email

ashley@thompsoncitizen.net bvarma@thompsoncitizen.net B&W - $21/wk*

Colour - $30/wk*

Saima Aziz Bookkeeping Services Cell: 204-939-1972 Ph: 204-480-5402

*Minimum 6 months, taxes not included.

Big City Fashion

PRINCE FURNITURE & APPLIANCES 93 Churchill Dr.

Accurate & affordable Experienced tax preparers

125 Commercial Place Thompson MB Phone 677 0277 Fax 677 0276

Insurance Store Ph: 677-9991 â&#x20AC;˘ Fax: 778-5145

â&#x20AC;˘ All Plumbing GIve us a Call! repairs and Installations 677-3162 â&#x20AC;˘ Sewer Cleaning â&#x20AC;˘ Repair and On Call 24/7 Maintenance Residential & Commercial Thompson www.paulsplumbing.ca â&#x20AC;˘ Straightforward pricing 100% Customer Satisfaction

MDPLAW.CA

Call or visit us:

City Centre Mall - The

Dont Panic!

101-83 Churchill Drive

We prepare all types of tax returns

Brian & Sherrie Kreuger

Pl um bi ng Pr ob le m s? ?

(204) 677-2393

Tax preparation services

Burntwood Plaza

Insurance Service Ltd.

WILLS â&#x20AC;˘ FAMILY LAW â&#x20AC;˘ REAL ESTATE â&#x20AC;˘ CRIMINAL DEFENCE

Thompson, MB

204-677-5204

NORTH CENTRE MALL NORTH CENTRE MALL

3 Station Road Thompson, MB R8N 0N3 Phone 677-3642 Fax: 778-6557 Office Rentals

Derek Maude P: 204-677-4272 C: 204-307-0032

3-33 Severn Cres.

Thompson, MB R8N 1M7

N.C. Crossroad Lanes

10 Pin & 5 Pin Bowling â&#x20AC;˘ Glow Bowling Sports Bar â&#x20AC;˘ Strikers Lounge Homemade Pizza â&#x20AC;˘ VLTs â&#x20AC;˘ Video Games Computerized Scoring â&#x20AC;˘ Birthday Parties Twoonie Tuesdays â&#x20AC;˘ Closed Sundays + Holidays 2nd Floor North Centre Mall - 677-4415 Nick Di Virgilio, Proprietor

Including wolf, polar bear and wildlife related souvenirs.

FIND US... N55 43â&#x20AC;&#x2122;38.61 W97 52â&#x20AC;&#x2122;18.45. Or ďŹ rst left as you enter, or last right as you leave ompson - 216 Hayes Rd. Pete & Ray are just two old farts with big hearts who will gladly look after you.

OPEN DAILY 8 am - 9 pm. Ph/Fx 204 778 6819