Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
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Friday, October 27, 2023
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Delivering News to the Nickel Belt since 1960
Volume 63 • Issue 40
Family running Ford for families A focus for the community, and Ford for all
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
BY MATTHIAS JOHNSON LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER, THOMPSON CITIZEN
October 19, 2:00 p.m. marked the official grand opening of the new expanded building of the Thompson Ford Service & Maintenance Auto Repair. It was 1993, October 1st that Ford was first brought to our community where this momentous occasion marks that 30 year celebration. This event particularly showed their desire to serve the community to the best of their ability, where as aside from relying on their services, they had thousands of dollars worth of personal items represented giving into the community, such as flat screen TV’s and a truckload of food. General Manager; Kevin Kelleher expressed his passion for the company and how they as a family have strived to maintain a ‘family oriented company’. Kelleher said family was the “heartbeat” of the company, family run, for other families, because who’s there for you more then your personal loved ones? This statement proves true when it comes to a family as tight as this one, where as most of the main staff and many of the Thompson Citizen photo by Matthias J. Johnson The local A&B commerworkers are closely related, putting each other and the cial construction company marked this as their bigcustomers first. Mary Lefreniere, sister to gest undertaking to date, in Kelleher as well as partner which it was said that they and Office Manager said all expressed how “Proud that though they are family to be apart” they were; said oriented they have needed Kelleher. Most the workers many extra workers and emphasized the way they that one of their plans with “Took pride in the workNickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham manship of the building” the expansion was to attract Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. more technicians. They are in which it greatly shows. installed on ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say embracing the future to let- to Originally BY IAN GRAHAM For all the harsh weather write things that you have the right side of Thompson ting their family grow with 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 EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET on 15I Station Rd, which I need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it new employees Though she’s and nowprovide written when get through.” houses said the she renovatbetter, to the now a book faster about service her experienDeMeulles wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would facility of McMunn & because they will be lost if they started throwing the customers. “It’s all about ing ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to ChurchtheyStories have expanded the next generation” KelAddictions Foundation of Yates, the Wind: from the I don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. from 1,700 square feetfor to leher declared, “Bringing Manitoba northern director North - Life in Churchill She also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite “I miss the shoreline, I the upgrade as a storyteller herself. forth the future!”said writ- nearly Gisele deMeulles a coupledouble of reasons. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the The idea something of the building ingThe wasn’t she of “I3,300 just square sort of feet. thought, “I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though land know mass tripling in scale project came to parliament always thought she would you what, this his- tory and I would tell people spurred her on was the same boat in another area they’re very dangerous and 1.1 stuff acresthat’s of land to stories and they would go, hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson 5 years ago, when the from do. tory, this in my 3 acres. World wasyouth on theI never brink 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 “In my Ford can of the 19 panfelt goodCOVID at writing,” she if IThompson 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 now run a facility of gonot ‘You didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on demic,“But which sewed a lot said. said. when I moved “Myinkids are not space acrossdothe of doubt the project to Thompson to getwould into only ing tomore get it if I don’t it you? You’ve got to be really “It used to be a really feeling like they’re pawns the bay, it just gives you an more shops, a old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community in a political game and that’s incredible sense. You feel so pull through the school of once socialeverywork, board, and it’sbut something I’ve alnew service drive thing shuttodown. Prince Furniture ationit’s behind them, we are really wholesad North, being a hubI small suringand theyou roads at thatbegan point to I had write ways wanted my through, mom to IKal didTire, all that before I was and just dwindled down for them because feelmaintain great.” the wash an bayelder size and and 27,’ Thisuniversity had greatand effect on the triple and aand citythey owned lot. to no such stranger to relying on think for thethe 60,000 reliable for for realized, do. My mom’s wentempty ‘What?’” a small population peoplerepresented of Church- safe Now that vehicles she’s got goinggot from cost as $50,000 how Thompson Fordsays. Service ill in the region. each book and every one. ‘Holy,and I’mtime not bad at this, more she’s machinery an artist, she’s so Lefreniere deMeulles under her belt, Looking explained back, some of now,” really want to thrive. one 7 hoists to 14, each with extra expense wasdeveloped put down many they worked closely with & Though Maintenance Re- They’ve This isbuilt a huge for deMeulles ~Matthias J. Johnson a right?’ I certainly wonderful stories be-a those experiences are things she’s Auto not there theirstep worlds says she mayistry capacity of 56,000 onlottheof parking lot alone. lift these two not companies pair longer, for assistances. the community, not only for to Local Journalism Initiative a skill in university cause she always tells lbs. her she might do again.and any her parentsAnd and there. How would we feel produce another. The atbuilding had to Everything permits better her withsister this longstanding lo- if Ford users,came but totothe worksbook out in of and came outfrom of there with stories Parks Canada in helped “I didthem somemove prettytobizarre and other family someone youlocal and reporter “I havewho another 3 different lots stuff to very land strong negotiation locations after finding cal business, Mayor Col- said, jobs, ‘I’m opportunities the Thompson Citizen. The a skill proved in my purchase Churchill and I’ve always like fuel hauls into the members sorry, you and havethe to me,” she says. “It’s a darker still are. the location, costing more difficult and more original buildings contained need your they home have community opened to story, Local Journalism writing and confi dence in for hounded her, ‘Please, just high Arctic at -35,” said leen “MySmook cousinquoted owns that the leave more aboutInitiative persontotal $3 Million. The expensive anyone traces of asbestos. this is not store just athere,” benefitshe of and us all. Providing is funded thestruggles. Governmy writing.then I write very aput it onoftape, I will write it deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware we’re going toessential displace al growth by and previously stationed could’ve anticipated. 30 after. yearsThat of operthe community, but to the you service for drivers ment ofinCanada. clear and that’s it. It’s there. lots for you because your story onWith me until was a says. somewhere elseand andenall Maybe the next five years 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.”