Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Friday, May 27, 2022
Providing you with expert advice & friendly service. Book online at speedyglass.ca or try our free app on your iPhone
We look forward to serving you. Ϳͷ-A Kelsey Bay Thompson, MB R;N ͷS Ph: Ͷͺ-ͽͽ;-ͽͶͺ; Fax: Ͷͺ-ͽͽ;-ͽͷͺ
Delivering News to the Nickel Belt since 1960
Volume 62 • Issue 21
Working from within government more productive than being in opposition, PC candidate says BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
need to do more to make the north fertile ground for economic growth. “I decided to run because I still firmly believe that this region has a lot to offer,” she said. “We can bring that prosperity and development to the north and revive it the way it was, make it vibrant again. We used to be one of the major contributors to the GDP and in the last few decades that has decreased immensely. ” Though she envisions a future for Northern Manitoba that resembles the more prosperous past she remembers from growing up in the region, the candidate also recognizes that things need to be done differently than they used to be. Larocque points to Lynn Lake mining project proponents working cooperatively with all the stakeholders to try to ensure a positive outcome, rather than dictating terms, as the right approach. “They’ve partnered with the town, they’ve partnered with different departments of the government, they are with the First Nation community so that everything is done correctly. There’s no harm to the land and it’s actually
helping the people. It’s not just the big company that’s making money, the towns are going to prosper too. To me, that’s what needs to happen.” Due to the decline and neglect of the region, however, Larocque says there is a lot of work to be done in many areas to provide the north with a strong foundation so that it can flourish, “We need great health care,” she said. “We deserve to have great education and safe schools. We deserve to have good roads. We need that economic development, in terms of creating more businesses, more jobs, training for the people, so that we can have a higher standard of living.” Though she would only be one of three dozen PC MLAs if elected, the candidate thinks there is already evidence that she could convince the government to do more for the Thompson riding and the north as a while. “All the announcements and everything that has been made lately, those are a good start,” Larocque says. “We need to continue that momentum and expand on it. Quite a few of the MLAs
the people in the riding and anyone they have to deal with, saying that one of her priorities would be to talk to insurance companies to try to ensure that homes and businesses in the north can obtain the insurance they need. And she wouldn’t draw any distinctions between her constituents. “You have to know what all the people, not just specific people, are thinking,” she says. “You have to talk to everybody, whether you necessarily agree with them or not. That’s the role of this position, to get all the voices heard.” Larocque had plans to visit Gillam and Churchill this week and other communities in the electoral division after that. Her team is making phone calls to voters in the riding to ask about their concerns and whether she can count on their support. “[The byelection result] is not going to change the government,” Larocque points out, “but if we can align with the party in power and be a voice at the decision-making table, it’s going to make a lot of difference.”
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
The Progressive Conservative candidate in the June 7 byelection to choose Danielle Adams’s successor believes that more can be accomplished from within the corridors of power than by pushing from the outside. “My grandma just turned 100 a few weeks ago and she still always says, ‘It’s easier to get flies with honey than it is with vinegar,’” Charlotte Larocque told the Thompson Citizen May 19. “Are we going to have somebody sitting at that table that actually makes decisions, the people in power? Or are we going to be in opposition, fighting against them? To me, it just makes more sense to have somebody at that table so that our voice is heard loudly.” A former president of the Thompson Chamber of Commerce who ran against NDP MP Niki Ashton for Northern Manitoba’s Churchill-Keewatinook Aski seat in the September 2021 federal election, Larocque says the province and other levels of government
Thompson Citizen photo courtesy of Charlotte Larocque Charlotte Larocque is the Progressive Conservative candidate in the Thompson byelection happening June 7. have been coming up lately. Coming up here and seeing, they’re able to take that back to their other cohorts and we’re not just in a pile of paper anymore. They’re actually paying attention,
realizing that the region was lucrative for the rest of the province and the rest of the country and we do need the funding and services.” Larocque sees the MLA’s role as a conduit between
Salvation Army shutting down Thompson operations of Thompson,” said Major the decision to shut down operations, those funds need work with other partners in vices remains a possibility. Les Marshall, divisional operations in any commun- to come from other places. the community to make sure “We have personnel still The Salvation Army is commander for the church’s ity and that Thompson is not It’s not just about that piece there’e aren’t gaps.” stationed in Flin Flon and pulling out of Thompson. Prairie Division. “We are the first place where it has … but it certainly does enter A decisions will have to we also have an emergency The announcement of very grateful for all of happened. into the conversation on a be made later about what services vehicle stationed the closure of the church’s those who have supported “Over the last decade, regular basis.” to do with the property on in Flin Flon that would be Thompson operations, the various Salvation Army there have been several Hoeft said deciding to Thompson Drive where the able to respond in time of which include the church ministries in Thompson over communities that we’ve shut down came only af- church and the food bank crisis,” said Hoeft. “So we as well as a food bank and a the years, and we know that had to cease operations,” ter a lot of conversation are located. aren’t abandoning the comthrift store, was announced many individuals and fam- said Hoeft. “And this is just, amongst those in charge of “What that looks like is Belt munity Thompson by any Nickel Newsofphoto by Ian Graham via press release May 25. ilies in the community have at this point, the next one. the church’s Prairie Div- not completely determined stretch of the imagination, Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. The last service for the been impacted through the It’s unfortunate but it’s sort ision and that work is being yet,” Hoeft said. but changing the way that congregation was held May support they have receive the theright?’ work done to see there are thing other swallow The potential to offer providing BY IAN GRAHAM For all the harshservices weather to write things that you have of ‘Oh, I’mreality just asof bad, was not a if very safe when people say we’re 1EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET and the thrift store is ex- from the Salvation Army that we’re in, that there do organizations who can run things like emergency serthere for the time being.” 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 pected to shut down May when over the However, Icome when them we need things like a food or a should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it Though she’s nowon written I getyears. through.” needtimes to capture for thought that wasbank exciting 28, while the food bank will weDeMeulles thrift the store.” are working local my to make the difficultreally deci- until a book about her experiensaidwith she wrote grandchildren plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would COMPASS wrap up operations on June organizations ensure that to leave community.” “We’ve working ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titledtoWhispers in sion because theya will be lost if they startedbeen throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to Church15, 12 days before the entire services and supports that Congregation size and and continue to work with Addictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the I don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. organization closes its doors North people-have come to count are among cats, otherI local organizations Manitoba northern director Life in Churchill for economic She alsofactors has a reputation was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite “I miss the I Daily Direction Fromshoreline, Godʼs Word for good on June said 27. writ- on the Salvation Army for the takenherself. into con- to sure that the gaps simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the Gisele deMeulles a couple of reasons. as aitems storyteller on make a bomb.’” Salvation Army she has will be thought, available sideration, Hoeft, said,hisas won’t exist, that servicethat will spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though ingThe wasn’t something “I continue just sorttoof “I had such a varied Another thing Listen daily to this one TUNE IN SUNDAYS been in Thompson forwould more you after know our departure.” is theand overall strength of the spurred continue to be provided always thought she what, this his- tory I would tell people her on was and the same boat in another area they’re dangerous minutevery meditation on and PM – 102.9 CHTM 9:00 than Major Hoeft, spokesas a they whole. them Churchill in transi- I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson do. 50 years. tory, thisAl stuff that’s in my church hardsupport times facing stories and would go, will 102.9 CHTM or anytime online “It a very diffi- person the to Salvation “Ournot funding model isgo, on tion,” Hoeft said. Bay “Wheth“Inhas mybeen youth I never head, it’sfor going be gone ‘That’s true, is it?’ I’d since the Hudson Rail- about that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When I go www.compasspoint.live www.anchorpointradio.com cult good decision for the SalvaArmy Prairie a national level,” he said. er that’s our food bank or have the option to do that? back felt at writing,” she if I don’t writeDivision, it down,”told she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way home, standing on the suspended operations tion Army conclude our said. the Thompson that “Those communities thrift store, those of I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on said. “But to when I moved didn’t do all that,that did north “My kidsCitizen are not go-a ‘You of Gillam lastkinds spring. presence in the to community of factors playdo into to internally fund operations, will feelingHelike whothey’re has the pawns Son has life. (1 bay, John 5:12 -THEgives BIBLE)you an to Thompson get into variety ing to get it if I don’t it struggle you? You’ve got to be really “It used those to bethings a really the it just BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
POINT
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.”
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
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
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?’”
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.”
CALL NELSON: 204-307-0281 npruder@live.ca