Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 60 • Issue 21
Connecting patients and loved ones BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
The Thompson Health Auxiliary donated two iPads to the Thompson General Hospital May 12 to help patients connect with loved ones while visitors are not allowed due to COVID-19 pandemic precautions. Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA) executive director of clinical services in Thompson and area Craig Hillier said the idea to ask the auxiliary for the iPads came from a staff member who told him about a patient nearing the end of their life who could talk on the phone with friends and family but didn’t have the chance to see them one more time. Some long-term care facilities provide iPads and similar electronic devices for patients’ use. “Why shouldn’t we do the same thing for people in the hospital?” said Hillier. “Hopefully it’ll come to some good and some family members will be able to connect,” said Wendy Lucas of the Thompson Health Auxiliary.
Thompson Citizen photo by Ian Graham From left to right, Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA) executive director of clinical services in Thompson and area Craig Hillier, Thompson Health Auxiliary members June Bourguignon and Jo-Ann Sehn, Thompson General Hospital patient care manager Tanya Ziprick and Thompson Health Auxiliary member Wendy Lucas during the auxiliary’s donation of two iPads to the hospital May 12.
Council approves agreement with new senior election official ing it was made clear to me, was advertised after the ward, knowing that council unless the vacancy occurs with Howitt were not promadam mayor, that there March 2019 byelection but will need an independent six months or less before vided but McInnis said it is Thompson city council wasn’t a transparent com- that only one person applied senior election official to the next scheduled general identical to the agreement voted 7-1 in favour of en- petition that ran just prior for the position and that move through the upcom- election, or if it occurs less the city had with previous tering into an agreement to this position being filled,” person turned out not to be ing byelection.” than 12 months before the senior election official with Norma Howitt to serve said Fountain. “I understand qualified to serve as senior “I think we’ve done our next general election and Dave Turpie apart from as the city’s senior election that you did answer that election official due diligence because we the remaining members de- the name. official at their May 11 there may have been one “The senior election offi- did advertise and we have to cide not to hold one, proIn 2019, Turpie received meeting. in the fall. I’d just like ad- cial who had gone through move,” said deputy mayor vided they are a majority about $7,000 from the city, Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham Howitt will be tasked ministration or yourself to the election and byelection, Les Ellsworth. “My concern of the members comprising according to cheque regisAddictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. with running the byelection provide clarity with respect they offered to stay in place is if we did not support this the council. The next gen- ters. Ten of the cheques to fill the spot left vacant by to whether or not there was but asked us to continue to resolution tonight and went eral municipal election is were monthly payments BY IAN GRAHAM all the harsh weather write things that you have ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say Coun. Judy Kolada’s death to $175 (cheque registers actually a competition held look for someone as a re- out again and started look- not scheduled until October of For EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET to figure out. It’s pretty clear I have all these stories and to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar in April. this spring or late winter. placement,” said Mcinnis. ing it could cost the city 2022. for April were not postThough she’s now written when I get through.” need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it Coun. Jeff Fountain was I’d like to add, this position I“In the light of Coun. Ko- money and we’re delaying Due to to the ongoing ed on the city’s website), a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. viable she would the only one to oppose the may not pay a lot of money lada’s unexpected passing, an election that should COVID-19 pandemic, had whilebeen in March, the month 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 Churchresolution, saying it wasn’t but because they oversee we had discussions with take place. The citizens of however, emergency orders of the byelection that saw Addictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the I don’t.” off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. because of any particular elections it’s an extremely the senior election official fuel Thompson deserve to have by the provincial govern- Coun. Andre Proulx electManitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for She also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite shoreline, I objection to approving important role and I feel that that we had and there was that position filled as soon ment have suspended that ed“Itomiss fill the a spot left vaGisele deMeulles said writ- a couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the Howitt as the person in transparency is extremely discussion about interest as we can do it.” section of the act until July cant when he and Chiew ing wasn’t something she “I just sort of thought, “I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though charge of running munici- important given the role is from Mrs. Norma Howitt. The Municipal Act stipu- 31, meaning that a byelec- Chong tied for the eighth always thought she would you know what, this his- tory and I would tell people spurred her on was the same boat in another area they’re very dangerous and pal elections and byelec- political. I would like to see The senior election official lates that in the case of a tion to fill the spot Kolada councillor position during do. 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 tions but due to the lack of tory, a transparent process rather Dave Turpie felt that was a vacancy on council opening held cannot be held until the October 2018 general “In my youth I never head, it’s going to be gone ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Rail- about that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When I go transparency in the process than an appointment for it.” good person to recommend up during the term, a byelec- August, unless that order election, Turpie received felt good at writing,” she if I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way suspended operations have the option to do that? back home, standing on the of her selection. City manager Anthony forward which is why ad- tion to fill that vacancy must is rescinded. payments of $3,116.43 and said. “But when I moved said. “My kids are not go- ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on “The last council meet- McInnis said the position ministration brought it for- be held as soon as possible Terms of the agreement $2,074.84. BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
to Thompson to get into ing to get it if I don’t do it the school of social work, and it’s something I’ve alat that point I had to write ways wanted my mom to for university and realized, do. My mom’s an elder and ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, she’s an artist, she’s got so right?’ I certainly developed many wonderful stories bea lot of skill in university cause she always tells her and came out of there with stories at Parks Canada in a very strong skill in my Churchill and I’ve always writing and SWEEPING, confidence in LAWN hounded her, ‘Please, just POWER MOWING, my writing. I write very put it on tape, I will write it AERATION, DETHATCHING & SPRAYING clear and that’s it. It’s there. for you because your story Some people say it’s kind of is going to be lost,’ and she’s blunt or direct. I don’t tend never done it and I thought,
“Gravel on your lawn? Gotta be gone.”
you? You’ve got to be really old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually I did all that before I was 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” Looking back, some of those experiences are things she might not do again. “I did some pretty bizarre stuff like fuel hauls into the high Arctic at -35,” said deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn on me until after. That was a very dangerous thing to do. Being on a plane full of fuel
“It used to be a really thriving large community and it’s just dwindled down to such a small population now,” deMeulles says. Though she’s not there any longer, her parents and her sister and other family members still are. “My cousin owns the hardware store there,” she says. Because of that, deMeulles finds it hard to
feeling like they’re pawns in a political game and that’s really sad for them because I think the people of Churchill really want to thrive. They’ve built their worlds there. How would we feel if someone came to you and said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to leave your home community and we’re going to displace you somewhere else and all your loved ones and your history is gone?’”
the bay, it just gives you an incredible sense. You feel so small and you feel great.” Now that she’s got one book under her belt, deMeulles says she may try to produce another. “I have another book in me,” she says. “It’s a darker story, more about personal growth and struggles. Maybe in the next five years it’s something I’ll focus on doing.”
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