Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
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Wednesday, March 9, 2022
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Volume 62 • Issue 10
Former city councillor Oswald Sawh announces he is seeking NDP nomination in Thompson BY IAN GRAHAM
Society, which he helped found about 20 years ago, believes his combination of skills and experiences would serve him well as a potential MLA. “I think I have good knowledge of the challenges that our area faces,” Sawh told the Thompson Citizen March 7. “I believe I do have the skillset to play a big role in helping to solve them.” Born in Guyana, Sawh immigrated to Canada with his family at the age of seven and moved to Thompson at the age of 25 after earning a commerce degree from the University of Manitoba. He has since earned an MBA and designation as a certified general accountant. The potential candidate says one of his proudest achievements as a Thompson city councillor was helping to pass the city’s single-use plastic bag ban and feels he is now in a place in his life in which getting involved in politics is feasible again. Sawh didn’t run for re-election to council in
2010 because his son was born about a month before the municipal election date. “I did want to take a step back” to concentrate on being a dad, said Sawh, whose own father had an addiction and died in Winnipeg when Sawh was nine years old. With his son now 11 and Sawh having retired from his full-time job, though he still runs a couple business and is a part-time instructor at University College of the North, he feels circumstances are right for a possible return to politics. “I think it’s a good time for me to get back involved in this area.” Poverty, addictions and northern economic development are issues that Sawh says have a serious impact on Thompson and the rest of Northern Manitoba. “I know the issues. I’ve been dealing with them for close to three decades. I have the experience, not just in the area of economic development, but in a lot of my social activism on issues that I think are affecting the north.” Seeking the NDP can-
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Oswald Sawh, who served two terms on Thompson city council from 2002 to 2010 and retired as CEO of Communities Economic Development Fund in 2021, announced March 7 that he is seeking to become the NDP candidate for Thompson in an upcoming byelection. The date of the byelection to choose a successor to former Thompson MLA Danielle Adams, who was killed in a car accident on her way to Winnipeg in early December, has not yet been announced, but it must be held by early June. The provincial Elections Act requires that byelections to fill vacancies in the legislature be held within 180 days of the seat becoming open. Sawh, who has experience as the board chair for Men Are Part of the Solution, a charitable organization that provides counselling and transitional housing to address intimate partner violence and addictions, and of the Thompson Regional Humane
Thompson Citizen file photo Former city councillor and retired Communities Economic Development Fund CEO Oswald Sawh announced March 7 that he is seeking to become the NDP candidate for an upcoming byelection in Thompson. didacy in Thompson is Sawh’s first foray into the world of Manitoba provincial politics. “I have dabbled here and
there but nothing as serious as being an actual candidate,” he says. “I see there is a real chance for me to try and hopefully make a
difference.” To learn more about Sawh’s background and experience, visit his website at www.oswaldsawh.ca.
Spending on agency nurses to staff Northern Manitoba healthcare facilities more than doubled over two years care system in that way.” tem, and then just willing to About a third of LPN jobs A spokesperson for the turn around and offer those in Thompson were unfilled Spending on agency NRHA said the higher same nurses anything they as of last November, as were nurses to staff northern spending is largely panwant to work through a more than a quarter of RN healthcare facilities has demic-driven and that it nursing agency. Why not jobs. “skyrocketed” over the expects to spend less on just work with the same To Kinew, making chantwo years of the COVID-19 agency nurses in the 2022nurses but do so in a smarter ges that help fill vacant pandemic and points to the 23 fiscal year, which begins way? If the issue’s work-life positions in Thompson and Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham need for aFoundation smarter health Aprilnorthern 1. why don't we take other northern communAddictions of Manitoba director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing balance, up, mostly in Churchill. care system, Manitoba’s “However, some sites in steps in the public health ities looks like a win-win BY IAN GRAHAM For all the harsh weather to things that youtotalhave ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say scenario. NDP leader says. thewrite region have been care system to give nurses EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET gure out. dependent It’s pretty clear Churchill residents the dangers polar Wab Kinew, Opposition to ly fito partly on I have all these stories and to do but I jumped at it. I that and other health care profes- and “When I showof up in Though written when get through.” find somewhere deMeulles saidfrom if it leader inshe’s the now Manitoba agencyI nurses for their nurs- I need to capture them for thought that was exciting should sionals just more work-life bal- bears, Thompson, then I hear a book about herfigures experienshetime,” wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier live. viableboth she on would legislature, says ob- ingDeMeulles staff forsaid some ance? Iftothe issue is pay, can had localbeen leaders, the ces growing in Churchill, Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing the we“To say, ‘Those moved back Churchtained by theupNDP through her saidbook, the titled spokesperson. offer them a fairpeople wage have political side buttoalso just Thompson Citizen photo by Reza Estakhrian/Getty Addictions of the Wind: from the I don’t.” fuel off and I realized,Images ‘Holy choose there. They ill in acommunity heartbeat. side, who freedom toFoundation information “While we Stories continue to actthroughto thelive public system? in the Manitoba director Spending on agency nurses to staff Northern Manitoba Life in Churchill for She also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ quite are“Isaying, miss the requests northern show that the North ively recruit nurses, we will That's probably stillis going ‘Youshoreline, need to fixI Gisele deMeulles said writ- a couple to of use reasons. a storyteller herself. a bomb.’” It’s quite the rock,system. I missAnd the Northern Regional Health continue agency nurs- as to be cheaper than disrewhat miss the healthcare healthcare facilities was moreon than twice as high in 2021 simplistic. ing wasn’tspent something she es “I sort of thought, as“I a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If weaswere in the polar bears evenjobs though Authority more than in just the interim.” we're paying an agency you need to create here it had was such in 2019. always thought would know this hisdangerous double on agencyshe nurses in you The NDPwhat, previously ob- tory and I would tell people spurred her on was the same rate.” boat in another area they’re and an very economic futureand in do. in, since nurses causetimes they get more control I think tory, stuff that’s in my stories facing Churchill we would reallyWhy missdon't the we Hudson andagency they would go, hard 2021 than it did in 2019. tainedthis information showing The increase in scream agency Itown.’ have “In my youth I never aren’t recirculating asI’d much over hours and shifts. And about to licensed be gone ‘That’s not true, is it?’ go, since the Hudson Bay Railwhy don’t they Bay,” I go NRHA spending on head, that 30it’s pergoing cent of nurse that usesoin Thompson a planshe thatsays. puts“When those two felt good nurses at writing,” she if of theirit’s earnings though go, the way they’re getting aoperations premium have I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah true.’ They’d option to do that? standing the suspended agency totalled practical nurse positions isn’t the as pronounced as in back thingshome, together? Whyon don't said. “But when I moved local didn’t economy. Depending to workofon the agency side.” Ithe do all that, did north “My areofnot go- ‘You Gillam last spring. think right they’re Bayhealth looking outsyson $11,104,331 in 2021 com- said. and 25 perkids cent regisregion as anow whole, but Hudson we fix our care to Thompson to get into on agency also At the same out- feeling to nurse get it ifpositions I don’t dotin it you? You’venurses got to can be really “It used totime be athat really like it just gives you an pared to $7,588,3295 in ing tered spending onthey’re agencypawns nurs- the tem,bay, while creating good the social work, increase how‘No, much the thriving side nurses cancommunity be getting in it’s something I’ve alI was like, actually large political game feel so 2020school and of $5,143,835 in and the NRHA were vacant as old.’ es adid go up 65 and perthat’s cent incredible jobs here sense. in the You communat thatThe point I hadspending to write ways region is paying for and paidit’s more, the provincial wanted my mom to Ihealth did all that before I was just dwindled down really sad forlevels them by because and feelto great.” 2019. annual of Nov. 1, 2021. from 2019 2021.I small ity? It's notyou going be the for university realized, do.Relying equivalent care. government doesn’t seem to think My mom’s elder and and they went ‘What?’” to such a small population thenurse people of ChurchNow that she’s got increase from and the previous soanmuch on 27,’ Agency spending for only source of employment, ‘Holy, at this, “They’re back, paying a prebe willing to offersays. the same ill she’s an artist, she’s got so deMeulles book underThompson her belt, Looking some of now,” really want to thrive. year inI’m eachnot of bad the last two agency nurses impacts Thompson, mostly for the one but can building right?’ I certainly developed to nurses,” and conditions to They’ve many wonderful those experiences areKinew things benefits Though she’s not there built their medicworlds deMeulles says she may try years was more than 45 per patients, Kinewstories said, be- mium emergency room, up as a healthcare hub for a lot of skill in university cause they unionized in Maniin some she always her says, she might not docases again. for any longer,nurses her parents and there. How would we unit feel to another. cent. may nottells receive al-surgical-pediatric theproduce north mean that we're and came paying out of there with stories used to bebizarre health her toba,sister Kinew at Parks Canada “I didwho some pretty andsays. other family if someone came extent, to you and “I havegood-paying, another book in “Were so much continuity of care fromina nurses and, to a lesser the creating fulla very strong in my Churchill region employees. “The government andprofessional I’ve always stuff like fuel hauls “We’ve into the members ‘I’m sorry, you have to me,” she says. “It’s darker still are. seems said, more,” Kinew skill said during healthcare obstetrics department, went time healthcare jobsa here in writing confidence in hounded actually heard of nurses be fighting with nursesthe at leave her, ‘Please, just high Arctic at -35,” said to “My cousin owns home community more about persona visit toand Thompson Feb. based permanently in their up 48your per cent from 2019 in story, the community that will also my writing. write more very put leaving the“It public the negotiating when it on tape,ItI also will write it deMeulles. didn’tsystem dawn hardware store table there,” she and going to displace growth struggles. 23-24. “It’s soI much community. affects 2020we’re and then increased 13 al help to haveand spinoff effects clear and that’s it.our It’s health there. for to go the agency be-a says. they work in the public sys- you because your story on mework untilin after. That was somewhere elsetoand all Maybe in theeconomy?” next five years expensive to staff the you communities they work per cent from 2020 2021. in the local BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Some people say it’s kind of blunt or direct. I don’t tend
is going to be lost,’ and she’s never done it and I thought,
very dangerous thing to do. Being on a plane full of fuel
Because of that, deMeulles finds it hard to
your loved ones and your history is gone?’”
it’s something I’ll focus on doing.”