Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
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Volume 62 • Issue 09
School district will need to use more of its surplus next year to make up difference between and expenses Book a way revenue to preserve and pass on
memories of growing up in Churchill
Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. Thompson Citizen image courtesy of School District of Mystery Lake BY IAN GRAHAM For all the harsh weather to write things that you have ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say A slide from the School District of Mystery Lake budget presentation shows the breakdown of revenue sources for the 2022-23 school year. EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
she’s now written BYThough IAN GRAHAM
a book about her experienEDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET cesThe growing up inproposed Churchill, overall Addictions of budget forFoundation the School Manitoba director District ofnorthern Mystery Lake Gisele deMeulles writ(SDML) is risingsaid slightly ingthe wasn’t something she for 2022-23 school year, always would but the thought amount she funded by do. Thompson property taxes “Inremain my youth I never will the same. feltThe good at writing,” she tentative budget was said. “But when I moved presented to the public by to Thompson to get into SDML secretary-treasurer the school social work, Kelly Knottofvia Zoom and at point IFeb. had 24. to write on that Facebook forBecause university realized, theand provincial ‘Holy, I’m nothas baddirected at this, government right?’ I certainly developed all school divisions not to a lot of skill university increase theirinproperty tax and came SDML out of there with requests, will have a strong skill in my to very use more of its expected writing and confi dence in surplus at the end of this my writing. I write very school year to cover the clear and that’s it. It’s there. difference between next Some people say it’s kind of blunt or direct. I don’t tend
to figure out. It’s pretty clear
when I get through.” fundyear’s announced DeMeulles said expected she wrote ing and their her book, titled Whispers in expenditures. theThe Wind: Stories the amount of from funding North - Life for in Churchill for announced the district a couple of reasons. earlier this month will likesort once of thought, ly “I bejust reduced in-year you know what, thisbased hisadjustments are made tory, this stuff that’s in on actually enrolment my on head, it’s 2022. going to be gone Sept. 30, if IThe don’toverall write it down,” she projected said. “My kids are not gobudget for next school ing to get it if I don’t do it year is $45,141,275, while and it’s something I’ve are alexpected revenues ways wanted my mom to $44,778,937. do.About My mom’s an elder and $36.7 million she’s an artist,comes she’s got so of revenue from manyprovincial wonderful stories bethe governcause she always tellstaxes her ment, while property stories at Parks Canada in will bring in $7,560,937. Churchill $362,338and willI’ve bealways taken hounded ‘Please, from theher, surplus at just the put it on tape, I will write it end of June to make up the for you because your story difference. is going to be lost,’ and she’s never done it and I thought,
I have all these stories and I need captureyet them for Knotttohasn’t calcumy grandchildren really lated the mill rate that will because they lostreif be needed to will raisebethe I don’t.”amount of money quired She alsoproperty has a reputation because values as a storyteller herself. were assessed in 2021 and had such a increase varied histhe“Ipercentage or tory and in I would tell people decrease the value of taxstories and theywill would go, able properties affect ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, the rate needed. ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, SDML has benefitted ‘You didn’t do all that, did from the province mainyou? You’ve got to be really taining some grants it was old.’ I wasto like, ‘No, out actually planning phase and Ifunding did all that before Ifor was the district a 27,’ andnumber they went greater of ‘What?’” students Looking back, some of than its actual enrolment, those are things but it experiences still faces cost presshe might do again. sures fromnot rising heating “I fuel did some and bills, pretty cost ofbizarre living stuff like fuelcontracted hauls into salthe adjustments, high Arctic at -35,” said ary increases and general deMeulles. “It didn’t inflation. The districtdawn has on me until That wasof a scaled backafter. the amount very dangerous thing to do. Being on a plane full of fuel
to do but I jumped at it. I thought that exciting asphalting of was parking and until the plane landed entrance areas plannedand for they started throwing the Thompson schools this year fuel off and realized, ‘Holy because the Icost of asphaltcats, I was probably sitting ing has “skyrocketed.” onThe a bomb.’” expected surplus at theAnother end of Junething 2023 is that only spurred was about twoher peron cent of the the hard times facing Churchill overall budget or $892,000. since the Hudson Bay The surplus is used to Railcovway suspended operations er differences between north of Gillam last spring. spending and revenue in “It used to be the following yearaasreally well thriving large community as for unexpected expensand it’s just dwindled down es, like recent emergency to such a small population roof repairs needed at one now,” of thedeMeulles district’ssays. elemenThough she’s not there tary schools, which cost any longer, her parents and $165,000. her“$892,000 sister andisother not afamily lot of members still are. money when we’re dealowns the ing“My withcousin teacher payroll hardware store there,” she that is over $2 million every says. month,” Knott said. “It’s a Because of that, deMeulles finds it hard to
that Churchill residents should just fito nd be. somewhere scary place But we easier to live. are in a lot better shape than “Toother say, school ‘Thosedivisions people many choose to live that we are still there. able toThey proshould just leave,’ is quite vide a balanced budget.” simplistic. It’s quite disreSDML has the second spectful. Ifpercentage we were in the highest of same boat in anotherinarea provincial funding the Iprovince think we would at 81.8 perscream cent so about that so why don’tpropthey directives not to raise have the option do that? erty taxes don’t to affect it as Imuch thinkasright they’re othernow schools disfeeling like they’re pawns tricts that receive a greater in a politicalof game that’s proportion theirand revenue really sad for them because I from local taxes. think themay people of be ChurchThere also chalill reallyinwant to thrive. lenges the future, as They’ve built their worlds the province is planning there. How would feel to introduce a newwe school if someone came to you and funding model next year said, ‘I’mmove sorry,toyou have to and the provinceleave your home community wide teacher bargaining and we’re going to displace could make it difficult for you somewhere else all SDML, which has theand highyour loved ones and your history is gone?’”
and the dangers of polar bears, deMeulles said if it est minimum and maximum had been viable she would salaries for class 5 teachhave moved back to Churchers of any of Manitoba’s 38 ill in a heartbeat. school divisions, to entice “I missnorth. the shoreline, teachers It is alreadyI miss the rock, I miss the a struggle to attract teachpolar evenpositions though ers for bears specialized they’re dangerous and such asvery French and Cree Ilanguage really miss the Hudson instruction. Bay,” I go “Asshe we says. move“When into provback standing on the incialhome, collective bargaining, Hudson Baygoing looking outable on how are we to be the bay, it just gives you an to recruit?” Knott said near incredible You feel so the end ofsense. the budget pressmall and“What you feelisgreat.” entation. our inNow or that she’s got centive leg up to bring one book under her belt, people north?” deMeulles sayspresentation she may try The budget to produce another. is on the SDML website “I can have another book on in and also be viewed me,” she says. “It’s a darker YouTube. story, more aboutwill personSDML trustees vote al growth and struggles. on the budget at their March in the next five years 8Maybe meeting. it’s something I’ll focus on doing.”