Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
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Financial plan and levy bylaw approved despite vehement objections of four councillors and members of the public
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Four councillors and members of the public put up a valiant effort to try to stop the 2021 budget from passing at a marathon council meeting May 10 but it was approved in a 5-4 vote, as were second and third reading of the levy bylaw, which establishes the property tax mill rates. Discussion of the budget began early in the almost three-hour meeting, when the floor was opened for comments from the public. “I am 100 per cent against the budget,” said Robert Chuckrey. Wayne Skwarchuk, who has lived in Thompson for 53 years and is now retired, said constant tax increases have him questioning his plan to stay in the city for the rest of his life. “I already have to give up one of my 12 cheques to pay my taxes, not including the water bills and everything that went up. When are you people going to get a hold of your spending and stop raising my taxes so that I can afford to die here in the place that I love?” Deputy mayor Duncan Wong, who chaired the fi-
nance committee since last November, but resigned that position near the conclusion of the May 10 meeting, and councillors Les Ellsworth, Earl Colbourne and Jeff Fountain voted against the 2021 financial plan, which will see residential mill rates increase by about two per cent and commercial mill rates by 1.64 per cent and total planned expenditures of about $41 million, well above the $31.5 million
that the city actually spent in 2020, which was lower than the projected budget of $34 million. “I think we should listen to the taxpayers on the budget,” said Wong, noting that the total budget was $27.6 million when he was first elected to council in 2014, about two-thirds of this year’s projected spending. “The city’s spending more than we can afford. To me this budget is wasteful,
careless, reckless, out-ofreach, no accountability and wrong-time spending.” Saying he felt that city administration had told council what to do when it came to the budget, rather than the opposite, Ellsworth said he was voting against it even though it was difficult for him to do so. “I don’t think it’s good for the taxpayers,” he said. A major issue among the councillors opposed to the
budget was the city raising property taxes instead of using some of the $818,000 in COVID relief funds it received from the federal government to keep taxes at 2020 levels. “We’re stuck in this rut of spending, spending, spending where we should instead be trying to run this place efficiently,” said Colbourne. “If you vote for this, God help you in the next election.”
The city said in a press release after the financial plan was presented to the public April 29 that property taxes were bring increased in an effort to qualify for federal-provincial funding for road, water and sewer work. Though they are still pending approval, these grants could see the city complete $5.7 million of road work while spending less than $1 million of its own money, and $6.8 million of water and sewer work while contributing $1.8 million. Councillors who voted in favour of the financial plan and levy bylaw said the opportunity to leverage additional money made increasing property taxes a shrewd move. “You can’t pass up somebody giving you three to five dollars on your dollar,” said Coun. Kathy Valentino, who supported the financial plan and both readings of the levy bylaw along with Mayor Colleen Smook and councillors Andre Proulx, Brian Lundmark and Braden McMurdo. Valentino added that using one-time money, like the COVID relief funds, to pay for operating expenses is not advisable.
Vale announces new general manager of Manitoba Operations pit mines across our Canadian portfolio,” said Tara Ritchie of Vale announced a new general Vale Manitoba Operations cormanager for its Manitoba Oper- porate and Indigenous affairs in ations May 17. an email. “We look forward to Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham Gary Annett is taking over the Gary’s leadership and commitrole vacated when Franco Cazz- northern Addictions Foundation of Manitoba Gisele ment to director delivering safedeMeulles produc- has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. ola left the company after a little tion and welcome him back to BY IAN GRAHAM For all the harsh weather to write things that youteam.” have ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say more than a year in the position our Thompson EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET I have all these stories and to fi gure out. It’s pretty clear to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar April 27. The company also announced Though she’s now written when to I get through.” that Stacy I need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it Cazzola, who was previousemployees Kena her experienwrote as my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would lybook the about manager of the CopperDeMeulles nedy, said whoshe served interim ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to ChurchCliff Mine and the Copper Cliff general manager since Cazzola’s Addictions Foundation of was the Wind: Storieshas frombeen the named I don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. nickel refinery in Sudbury, departure, the Manitoba northern director North health, - Life insafety Churchill She also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite “I miss the shoreline, I announced in early February andfor risk manager Gisele deMeulles said writa couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disremiss the rock, I miss the 2020 as the replacement for for Thompson. ing something sort ofhas thought, had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though Garywasn’t Eyres, who hadshe been in“I just“Stacy a wealth of“Ioperalways thought she would you know what, his- tory and I would tell people spurred her on was the same boat in another area they’re very dangerous and charge of Manitoba Operations ational andthis leadership experido. tory, this stuff that’s in my stories and they would go, hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson since March 2019. Prior to Eyres, ence, having been part of the “In my youth I never head, it’s going to be gone ‘That’s not Alistair Ross and Mike McCann Thompson team for nearly 14 true, is it?’ I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Rail- about that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When I go felt at writing,” she if I don’t write said it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way suspended operations have the option to do that? back home, standing on the weregood the Manitoba Operations years,” Ritchie. said. “But when I moved ‘You didn’t said. “My kids are not heads following Scott leaving Kennedy was gopreviously the do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on to Thompson to get into ing to get it if I don’t do it you? You’ve “It used to be a really feeling like they’re pawns the bay, it just gives you an the company in July 2018. Annett interim manager of Thompson got to be really the of social work, and it’s something al- 2019 old.’until I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community in a political game and that’s incredible sense. You feel so also school did a three-month stint as the mines from I’ve early at that point I had to write ways Eyres wanted my mom to Iofdid all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down really sad for them because I small and you feel great.” manger of Thompson mines folbecame the head Manifor university and realized, do. My mom’s an elder and 27,’ and Now that she’s got lowing the retirement of Warren toba Operations in March of thatthey went ‘What?’” to such a small population think the people of Church‘Holy, I’m at this, she’s an artist, got so for Looking ill really want to thrive. one book under her belt, Brass in thenot fallbad of 2018, coming year. Sheshe’s has worked Mani- back, some of now,” deMeulles says. right?’ certainly developed many toba wonderful stories beare things Though she’s there They’ve built deMeulles says she may try from aI role as general manager Operations since those 2007experiences in had worked for the company for not of Thompson, which hastheir beenworlds“Vale is committed to the a lot of skill in university cause she always tells her she might not do again. any longer, her parents and there. How would we feel to produce another. of the company’s Garson Mine various roles including Birchtree more than 30 years, at the same in place since 2018. Over that communities in which we operand came out of there with storiesMine at Parks Canada “I did some pretty family if someone you and “I confident have another in in Sudbury. and T1 chiefingeologist. ate and is that book we will time thatbizarre Cazzolaher left.sister and other time, the amount Valecame paystohas a very strong skill my ChurchillKennedy and I’vefills always into the at members said, ‘I’m sorry, you to me,” “It’sand a darker still are. dropped from “Gary, who led ourinThompson a rolestuff left like va- fuel hauls $4.8 million to $3havecontinue toshe seesays. success new The change the top comes writing andinconfi dence just high Arcticinatthe -35,” cousin theto this leave your community story, more about operations 2018, has in over hounded 20 canther, by ‘Please, the departure of three lastsaid year of “My Vale’s cur- owns million year. Inhome the previmilestones, in terms ofpersonsafety, my writing. I write very put it on tape, I will write it deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware store there,” she and we’re going to displace al growth and struggles. years of experience with Vale, other members of the manage- rent grant-in-lieu of property ous agreement before that, Vale productivity and innovation in clear and that’s it. It’s there. for you because your story one on me until after. was a says. you else andThompson,” all Maybe in theRitchie. next five years managing underground and open ment team, including who taxesThat agreement with the City gave the city $6somewhere million a year. said BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSNCITIZEN.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.”