Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Man stabbed on Mystery Lake Road in seemingly unprovoked attack
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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 61 • Issue 45
More snow on the ground at this point in 2021 than in two of the last four years
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
A 48-year-old man from Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after being stabbed on Mystery Lake Road in the early hours of Nov. 19. Thompson RCMP were notified of the stabbing around 2:45 a.m. Friday morning, learning that the victim had been bought to Thompson General Hospital and was currently undergoing surgery for his wounds. Preliminary investigation showed that the man was a passenger in a vehicle headed for Nelson House when he got the driver, a 49-year-old woman, to pull over and let him out as he said he wanted to walk. As the driver tried to convince the man to get back in, another vehicle pulled up behind the victim. A man got out of the second vehicle and attacked the victim without provocation before quickly fleeing the scene. The suspect is described as Indigenous in appearance with brown hair, a light grey t-shirt and light grey sweat pants. The driver of the vehicle the suspect was in is described as a heavier set Indigenous woman with long, dark, curly hair. The vehicle was described a a black SUV,. Anyone with information about this incident can call Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Tips can also be submitted online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.
Massim Ravera/Getty Images Thompson went from basically snow on the ground Nov. 13 to 27 centimetres Nov. 21 thanks in part to four straight days with snow, three of which were the snowiest on that date in the past five years. 2020 is the only year in the past five when there was more snow on the ground Nov. 21 than there is this year. BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Just over 10 days ago, on Nov. 13, Thompson had only a trace amount of snow on the ground, the lowest amount in the past five years on that date and 39 centi-
metres less than on the same date last year. Eight days later, on Nov 21, after several days with snow, Thompson had the second-highest amount of snow on the ground and only 21 cm less than on
Nov. 21, 2020, when there were 48 cm accumulated. After less than half a centimetre of snow on Sunday, Nov. 15-17 were the snowiest they have been in the past five years, with 4.5 cm Nov. 15, 8.1 cm the
following day and 12.2 cm last Wednesday. Still, there have been worse snow days by far in November, with the biggest one-day snowfall measuring in at 26.2 cm on Nov. 22, 1990.
Health Canada approves first COVID-19 vaccine for children and up. The second dose group,” the federal health school-aged children, can be given as soon as agency said in a statement many of whom have been three weeks after the announcing the approval. required to wear masks Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham first, Health Canada said, It said clinical trials inside classrooms for the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. Children in Canada will although the National showed that a week after time schools have soon be GRAHAM able to receive a Advisory Committee on receiving a as second dose, entire BY IAN For all the harsh weather to write things that you have ‘Oh, I’m just bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say been open since the panvaccine to protect them Immunization at the Comirnaty vaccine EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET I have all these stories and to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar to figure out. It’ssuggests pretty clear in early 2020. against after when least eight weeks between Iwas more than 90 them per cent ThoughCOVID-19 she’s now written I get through.” need to capture for demic thoughthitthat was exciting should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it Health Canada approved effective for those five to until Pfizer and BioNTech a book about her experien- doses. DeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would Pfizer-BioNTech’s child- her“Health Canada has yearsthey old,will compared Canadian ces growing up in Churchill, book, titled Whispers in 11 because be lost if sought they started throwing apthe “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to Churchsized doseFoundation for five- to terms 95 per cent for those proval Addictions of placed the Wind: Storiesand fromconthe to I don’t.” fuel off and realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. for Itheir vaccine 11-year-olds on Nov. 19 ditions requiring Pfizyears and cats, Manitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill for 16She also and has aolder, reputation I was probably sitting “I miss the shoreline, I for children on Oct. 18, should just leave,’ is quite ThedeMeulles vaccine,said which er-BioNTech to continue as 100a storyteller per cent herself. for 12- to on a bomb.’” Gisele writ- a couple of reasons. simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the while rival pharmaceutical Thompson Citizen photo by goes by thesomething brand name information to 15-year-olds. ing wasn’t she providing “I just sort of thought, “I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though company Moderna filed Gustavo Fring/Pexels/Local Journalism Initiative of Comirnaty, one-third Health Canada on this the safeThe of atellvaccine always thoughtisshe would you know what, his- tory andnews I would people spurred her on was the same boat in another area they’re very dangerous and Health Canada approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 for a sixto 11-year-old the strength of the dose tory, ty andthis efficacy of theinvacfor children willwould be a go, re- hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson do. stuff that’s my stories and they forsochildren aged five to 11 years old Nov. 19. I go given to those 12 head, cine in younger age ‘That’s lief fornot many parents of since approval earlier last “In my youth aged I never it’sthis going to be gone true, is it?’ I’d go, the Hudson Bayweek. Rail- vaccine about that why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When BY MORGAN SHARP
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER, CANADA'S NATIONAL OBSERVER
felt good at writing,” she said. “But when I moved to Thompson to get into the school of social work, at that point I had to write for university and realized, ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, right?’ I certainly developed a lot of skill in university and came out of there with a very strong skill in my writing and confidence in my writing. I write very clear and that’s it. It’s there. Some people say it’s kind of blunt or direct. I don’t tend
if I don’t write it down,” she ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way suspended operations said. “My kids are not go- ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. ing to get it if I don’t do it you? You’ve got to be really “It used to be a really and it’s something I’ve al- old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community ways wanted my mom to I did all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down do. My mom’s an elder and 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” to such a small population Contact she’s an artist,Nelson she’s got so at 204-307-0281 Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. many wonderful stories be- those experiences are things Though she’s not there pruderspropertyservices@gmail.com cause she always tells her she might not do again. any longer, her parents and stories at Parks Canada in “I did some pretty bizarre her sister and other family to discuss your property needs! Churchill and I’ve always stuff like fuel hauls into the members still are. hounded her, ‘Please, just high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin owns the put it on tape, I will write it deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware store there,” she for you because your story on me until after. That was a says. is going to be lost,’ and she’s very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, never done it and I thought, Being on a plane full of fuel deMeulles finds it hard to
Yer snow gotta go!
have the option to do that? I think right now they’re 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?’”
back home, standing on the Hudson Bay looking out on 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.”