Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 60 • Issue 19
Manitoba had 281 COVID-19 cases, 37 considered active, as of May 4 Book a way to preserve and pass on
BY IAN GRAHAM
As of 9:30 a.m. Monday, there had been 281 cases of the novel coronavirus in Manitoba since the first positive test was reported March 12. Of those, 238 are listed as recovered, 37 are considered active and
there have been six deaths. Five people with COVID-19 were in hospital May 4, but none of them were in intensive care. The number of positive tests for the coronavirus in the Northern Regional
Health Authority remained at three. Manitoba has now tested 27,446 people for the virus, including 642 tests that were completed May 3. Manitoba chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin said that any Manitoban with respiratory illness symptoms is eligible to get tested and that the gradual loosening of public health orders and restrictions on non-essential business operations did not mean previous advice about physical distancing should be disregarded. “Staying home with your immediate family is the best way to protect yourself and
others,” he said, noting that if you do gather with other people, it is safer to do so outdoors, provided that people continue trying to remain at least six feet apart from each other. “Our battle against this virus is not over,” he said. “This virus is still in our province.” Roussin also said the travel ban into Northern Manitoba and the requirement for people coming to Manitoba from other provinces to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival remain in place. “The travel restrictions are going to be with us for awhile,” he said. The ban on travel into
the north is not currently being enforced via highway checkpoints or other means, but the ability to do so is there. “The order is certainly enforceable,” said Roussin. “If we’re getting reports of issues we can certainly follow up with that.” He also said that there have not been any positive tests for COVID-19 in any First Nations community in Manitoba to date, though he did not divulge how many people who tested positive have self-identified as Indigenous. “I would only release such numbers in collaboration with our Indigenous partners.”
memories of growing up in Churchill
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Manitoba’s COVID-19 pandemic curve continued to remain essentially flat May 4, with no new cases reported since the previous day.
Death of 28-year-old man believed to be related to house party incident being investigated as a homicide Thompson RCMP are investigating the sudden death of a 28-year-old male April 28. “The death is believed to be related to an incident that took place April 25 at a house party and is being investigated as
a homicide,” Manitoba RCMP said in a social media post around 1 p.m. Tuesday. An autopsy is scheduled for later today. Thompson RCMP, Major Crime Services and the Forensic Identification Unit continue investigating.
LIVING BY FAITH NOT FEAR
Loosening public health restrictions do not mean the COVID-19 threat has passed in Northern Manitoba, Thompson mayor says
per cent that are still travThe fact that Thompson elling and coming and go- serves as a shopping and Thompson Mayor Col- ing and, out of these five service centre for outlying leen Smook said in a month- per cent, they’re the ones communities with crowdly message posted on You- that believe either they’re ed housing and little in the Tube May 1 that people in indestructible or that way of health care services Northern Manitoba should COVID is a scam. COViD makes it extra important not use the fact that the is not a scam. COVID is that people remain vigilant, number of new and active very real and, if you’re not said the mayor, pointing to cases of COVID-19 in the worried about yourself, the increase in the number province have lessened over worry about your parents, of novel coronavirus cases the past few weeks as li- your grandparents, other in Saskatchewan’s north as cence to abandon pandemic people, the vulnerable, an example of what could precautions. people up here and please happen if people aren’t “The north has developed stay home as often as you careful. Nickel Belt“INews byhad Ian Graham really a false sense of sec- can.” feelphoto we’ve so few Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about hershe experiences growing mostly in Churchill. urity,” said, noting that up,The fact that the province cases in Manitoba that if the travel ban to Northern loosened restrictions on we really open up too many BY IAN GRAHAM For all to write things that you have ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a isvery thing when people Manitoba not safe being en- swallow some businesses openingsay as things thatthe weharsh reallyweather are goEDITOR@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 polar forced by the provincial of May 4 does not mean the ing to see it start toofspread Though she’s now written when I get through.” I need to capture them for thought that was exciting find somewhere deMeulles if it government. "There’s no should risk of just infection is gone or bears, and I am worriedsaid about it a book about her experienDeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would monitoring stations for that people should flock to getting into our northern ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing the newly “To reopened say, ‘Those people have moved back to said, Churchthis. It’s an honour system. businesses, communities,” she esAddictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the I don’t.” fuel and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. Nowoff that we think nobody Smook cautioned. pecially with some First NaManitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for She also has a reputation cats, I washere probably sitting leave,’ ais place quite tions “I miss the shoreline, can travel we find that should “Justjust because loosening lockdownsI Gisele deMeulles said writ- a couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disremiss the rock, I miss the there’s more leniency. That is open, if you don’t feel and allowing their members & 7PM Sundays 11 AM ing wasn’t something she “I just sort of thought, “I had such a varied his- is definitely Another the thing If we were in the polar bears even though wrong that way spectful. comfortable about going to come into Thompson by always thought she would you know what, this his- tory and I would tell people spurred hershould on was the same boat in another very dangerous and Wednesdays 7 PM to think. We be still in, don’t. Those of area you they’re bus to go grocery shopping. do. 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 just as concerned as we that can’t wait to get out, “It’s going to hit more than www.bit.ly/GATEWAYBBC “In my youth I never head, it’s going to be gone ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, since the Hudson BaynorthRail- about thatitso whymake don’t they she says. “When were when you could just take easy, sure Bay,” one community whenI go it felt goodOur at writing,” she if I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way the option to do that? standing on the operations Audio Livestream (Toll-FREE) southsuspended travel. You can still have you take precautions. If back does home, hit Thompson.” said. “But when I moved said. “My kids are not go- ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of spring. think right now they’re Bay out on upGillam here tolast work, you Isomebody requires you to Hudson Despite thelooking need for con5 5into4 8ing 9 to7get 64 6I don’t do it you? You’ve got to be really travel to Thompson1 to8get it if “It used to be a really feeling like they’re pawns the bay, it just gives you an can still have people from use hand sanitizer in their tinued vigilance, Smook the school of social work, and it’s something I’ve al- old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community a political game and that’s sense. You feel so other provinces come in to in place of business, please do incredible said the coronavirus panat that point I had to write ways wanted my mom to I did all that before I was and just dwindled down really sad forwatch them because great.”in workit’s here.” so. Please the line-I small demicand hasyou alsofeel resulted for university and realized, do. My mom’s anBIBLE elder and 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” to The suchmayor a small population theyour people ChurchNow developments that she’s too. got GATEWAY BAPTIST CHURCH also said that think ups, stay sixoffeet away positive ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, she’s159 an artist, got so says.abide ill one book under her belt, Looking really want to thrive. CREEshe’s ROAD,THOMPSON, MB back, some of now,” while deMeulles most people when you’re shopping or “This COVID is a very right?’ I certainly developed many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things byThough she’sorders not there builtout their worlds deMeulles mayintrya public health and They’ve when you’re in public. scary thingsays but she I think R8N 0C2 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. recommendations, the min- We should still stay home way it’s brought a lot of our and came out of there with stories at Parks Canada in “I did some pretty bizarre her and other family if to you “I have another in oritysister who don’t can’t negate assomeone much as came we can. Onlyand go Thompson people book togeth204 677 3000 a very strong skill in my Churchill and I’ve always stuff like fuel hauls into the members said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to me,” shesaid. says. “It’s a darker still are. those efforts. [shopping] as often as you er,” she “Everybody is GATEWAYBIBLEBAPTIST@GMAIL.COM writing and confidence in hounded her, ‘Please, just high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin per owns your community more person“Ninety-five cent the [of leave need to, gohome in, get what you story, looking out about for each other my writing. I write very put it on tape, I will write it deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware she and going displace struggles. people] arestore very there,” proactive,” needwe’re and get out to please. No al andgrowth I wouldand continue to do clear and that’s it. It’s there. for you because your story on me until after. That was a says. somewhere else and all Maybe Smook said. “It’s the five you visiting in the stores.” that.” in the next five years 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.”