Wednesday, October 3, 2018
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ANOTHER BUS COMPANY READY TO STEP IN FOR GREYHOUND NEWS PAGE 3
Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Vale issues update on momentous year in Thompson mining history BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Vale Manitoba Operations’ 2017-18 update entitled “A New Era” comes at a time when the mining company has ceased smelting and refining operations in Thompson after nearly 60 years of integrated nickel production. The first Bessemer nickel matte was produced in the smelter on Sept. 10, 1960 and the first official production of nickel cathodes from the refinery occurred on March 25, 1961. The last anodes were poured in the smelter on July 8 of this year and the last nickel cathode was pulled on July 16. By that time, the new concentrate load-out facility was already complete, with the first shipment of concentrate having been loaded onto a truck bound for Sudbury June 24. Over their lifetimes,
Image courtesy of Vale Manitoba Operations An image from Vale Manitoba Operations 2017-18 annual update shows development areas in green and current exploration areas near T-1 and T-3 mines in red. the smelter and refinery produced nearly than 2.5 million tonnes of electro-nickel. “The decision in 2010 to decommission the smelter
and refinery gave plenty of time for our people, the company and the City of Thompson to prepare,” said a message from North Atlantic and Asia refineries
BY KYLE DARBYSON
GIRLS SOCCER TEAM DEFEATS FLIN FLON AGAIN SPORTS PAGE 8
director Ricus Grimbeek in the report. “Still, this transition has been an emotional time for our employees and the broader community of Thompson. I want to
sincerely thank all of our people who, over the years, have made significant contributions to our smelting and refining operations in Continued on Page 10
Sya Gregovski becomes the ninth person to receive the Order of Thompson KYLE@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
BOYS WIN SOCCER ZONES FOR FIRST TIME IN YEARS SPORTS PAGE 8
Volume 58 • Issue 40
Sya Gregovski was the star of the show at Riverlodge Place Sept. 29 when she received the ninth Order of Thompson award at a gala hosted by the Thompson Community Foundation. Gregovski’s friends and family took turns highlighting the long-lasting impact she’s had on the community, which includes volunteering her time at virtually any organization, board or committee that needed a helping hand. “You truly embody everything that the Order of Thompson recipient should be,” said former Thompson Community Foundation president Sherrie Kreuger. “Sya, you have not only been a pioneer of many things in Thompson, but you are a woman who everyone is drawn to. You are strong when it comes to adversity, smart when it comes to life’s choices, you are compassionate and, most importantly, kind to everyone you meet.” Gregovski’s daughter Kathy Valentino went over her mother’s life in broad
Thompson Citizen photo by Kyle Darbyson 2018 Order of Thompson recipient Sya Gregovski regales friends and family with tales of her past Sept. 29 at Riverlodge Place. strokes, beginning with her birth in the Netherlands in November 1938. After surviving the horrors of the Second World War, Gregovski’s family immigrated to Ontario in 1948. Twelve years later, Gregovski joined the first big wave of residents settling into Thompson after marrying her husband Dan in 1960. “She was 21 years old when she got off the train to mud streets and a town where not all the streets even had names yet,” said
Valentino. “Thompson was a great place for a honeymoon.” Throughout the past 58 years, Gregovski distinguished herself by wearing many hats within the community, serving as a member of the Burntwood Regional Health Authority, a trustee for the School District of Mystery Lake and a pillar of the now defunct Advent Lutheran Church, just to name a few. “She taught Sunday school at a time when our attendance was 100 children
per week. That’s hard to imagine,” said fellow churchgoer Wendy Ritchat. “And I was told that she delivered the lessons in exciting and innovative ways.” Gregovski also played a key role in developing institutions including the Norplex Pool and Northern Spirit Manor. In between all of these various projects, Manitoba Housing executive director Harold Smith remembers how Gregovski still found time to make Thompson feel like a home for not just her family, but for basically anybody who lived near her house on Pickerel Crescent. “I don’t know if I’ve ever entered a home where a family was more welcoming than the Gregovski home,” said Smith. “Whether you’re a visitor from down the street or across the globe, Sya, Dan and the Gregovskis have always been known for their warm welcome. I don’t think I’m alone in saying that.” Smith also praised Gregovski for her tendency to “call it like she sees it,” which definitely came into play when she addressed the
audience directly. Throughout her 25-minute speech, the guest of honour regaled local residents with amusing stories about many members of the community, including the childhood adventures of high-profile figures like former mayor Tim Johnston. However, Gregovski saved the most surprising reveal for herself, recalling a recent conversation she had with friend Terry Nychuk about the country’s impending marijuana legalization. “And I said to him, ‘You know Terry, I’m thinking I’m going to try it.’ I’m going to be 80 years old in a few weeks and they tell me that it does terrible things to your brain. But my brain is old. It’s going to be downhill from now on.’” Despite these self-deprecating comments about her age, Gregovski is still very active. Right now, she is keeping busy by lodging Norman Northstars hockey players from Cross Lake, tutoring at the University College of the North and selling tickets for any fundraising group that asks.