Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
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
Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 61 • Issue 33
Support staff picket outside school district office on first day of strike Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Support staff at the School District of Mystery Lake (SDML) went on strike Aug. 30, picketing outside the district office as they try to speed up negotiations for a new collective agreement to replace the one that expired in 2017. “To be crystal clear, the union does not want to take strike action,” said a letter sent out prior to the strike by United Steelworkers District 3 staff representative Matt Winterton on behalf of United Steelworkers Local 8223, which represents about 185 SDML employees, including custodians, maintenance workers, educational assistants, librarian clerks, information technology staff and other support staff. “The union simply wants to meet in a respectable timeframe and negotiate a respectable collective agreement. The members understand the potential impact of withdrawing their services and did not make this decision lightly … but at some point they absolutely need to stand up for themselves and try to rectify the
Thompson Citizen photo by Ian Graham United Steelworkers Local 8223 members picketed outside the School District of Mystery Lake office on the first day of their strike Aug. 30. unhealthy relationship that the employer has created over the last several years.” SDML board chair Lindsay Anderson said in a letter posted on the school district’s Facebook page that some disruption of services was expected as a result of the strike, and asked that
parents registering their children for school do so through the school district office rather than at schools. “The district will aim to continue all the educational services that are possible,” the letter said. “The district will continue to try to reach agreement with the
unions in order to bring an end to this strike as soon as possible.” Churchill-Keewatinook Aski NDP candidate Niki Ashton wrote to Manitoba Education Minister Cliff Cullen on the day the strike began asking him to direct all school districts to have
fair and equitable contracts for their employees. “With students already facing challenges from COVID-19, the … strike would be devastating to their learning environments,” Ashton wrote. “I stand in support of USW Local 8223 members in bar-
gaining for a fair contract in good faith, and I support the hard work they do to make sure our children have a strong education here in the north.” Thompson MLA Danielle Adams expressed support for the union members on social media. “I stand in solidarity with educational support staff,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “They are hard-working dedicated people who have been working without a contract for 4 years. This is not okay. They deserve a fair deal. The PCs must end their attacks on hard working Manitobans and allow fair and meaningful bargaining.” Thompson Teachers’ Association president Cathy Pellizarro joined support staff members at a practice picket in front of the school district office in July and said they deserve a new agreement. “Thompson teachers support USW 8223 at the school district and hope they get a fair contract very soon,” she said. “Four years without a contract is way too long.”
Police watchdog agency clears Thompson RCMP officers of playing any role in February 2020 death of woman in their custody and appearing to strike her be physically checked every head on the floor, the IIU 15 minutes and those in the Manitoba’s police watch- said. The woman was med- drunk tanks are woken up dog has concluded that ically assessed by Thomp- every four hours to assess Thompson RCMP officers’ son Fire & Emergency Ser- their condition. Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham actions or inactions did not vices paramedics prior to Prior to 2020, the last time play a roleFoundation in the death Addictions of of Manitoba Gisele deMeulles written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. beingnorthern placed director in the drunk a prisoner has lodged in Thompa 44-year-old woman who tank. son RCMP detachment cells BY GRAHAM For all the harsh weather writewoman things that you have just as bad, diedIAN in one of the detach- to The had also been ‘Oh, died I’m was July 19, right?’ 2008, was not a very safe thing swallow when people say EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET I have all these stories and to fi gure out. It’s pretty clear to do but I jumped at it. I that Churchill residents and the dangers of polar ment’s drunk tanks on Feb. treated in Winnipeg two when 37-year-ld Jeffrey Ray get through.” need to capture 1, Though 2020. she’s now written when weeksI earlier for an inter- IMallett was foundthem dead for on thought that was exciting should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it a book about her experienDeMeulles grandchildren had been viable she would The Independent Inves- cranial brain said bleedshe andwrote told my the floor in the corner really of the until the plane landed and easier to live. ces growing up in Churchill, her book, titled Whispers in because they will be lost if they started throwing the “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to Churchtigation Unit of Manitoba officers that she had seizures. cell near the door when the Addictions Foundation of theThe Wind: Stories the Iprisoners don’t.” were being moved fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. (IIU), which investigates woman wasfrom lodged Manitoba northern director North Lifethe in drunk Churchill for outShe hasThe a reputation “I miss the shoreline, I serious incidents involving in one- of tanks foralso meals. cause of cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite Gisele deMeulles said writa couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disremiss the rock, I miss the on- and off-duty police of- around 8:15 p.m. and ob- his death was determined to ing wasn’t she served “I just of thought, had such afollowing varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though ficers in thesomething province, said to besort breathing during be“Ipneumonia an always thought she report would you this p.m. his- tory and conducted I would tell by people in its investigation a cellknow checkwhat, at 10:49 autopsy Dr. spurred her on was the same boat in another area they’re very dangerous and 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 released Aug. 26 that the Nineteen minutes later, a cell Thambirajah Balachandra, “In my youth I never 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 woman’s cause of death guard saw that the woman then the chief medical exafelt at writing,” she if I don’t write it down,” They’dwho go, way suspended operations have the option to do that? back home, standing on the was good a combination of acute had soiled herself and she did ‘Yeah miner it’s of true.’ Manitoba, said. “But when I moved do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on “My kids not go- ‘You alcohol intoxication and a said. not appear to beare breathing. said didn’t he believed Mallett to Thompson to get into ing to get it if I don’t do 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 subdural hematoma – a col- RCMP officers and then had probably been dead for Thompson Citizen file photo the school of social work, it’s something I’ve allike, ‘No, actually large community in a political game and that’s incredible sense. You feel so lection of blood outside the and six toI was 10 hours before his thriving paramedics attempted to old.’ The doorway to one of the three tank cells at the Thompson RCMP detachment used to at thatusually point I had to write wanted mycould momnot to Ideath did all before Iwhen was and it’s just dwindled down really sad for them because I small and you feel great.” brain, caused by a ways resuscitate her but wasthat discovered house people detained for being intoxicated. for university an elder and and theyofficer went ‘What?’” Now that she’s got head injury. and realized, do. and My she mom’s was declared dead at 27,’ an RCMP entered to such a small population think the people of Church‘Holy, I’mfootage not bad at this, artist, she’s got so theLooking deMeulles says. one book in under her cells belt, back,after some of now,” ill really want to thrive. Video from Mc- she’s 11:35 an p.m. cell shortly noon dead. to the Main Street Project is lodged RCMP right?’ I certainly developed stories beexperiences things Though she’s notinquest there They’ve built their worlds deMeulles try Donald’s, where the woman many Thewonderful IIU investigated the those to move Mallett toare a holding In her report on an in Winnipeg to provide under the says IPDAshe tomay ensure 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. was detained for public incident because it involved cell, because he was going into Mallett’s death held in rehabilitative services and they do not have any pre-exand came outbefore of therebeing with stories at of Parks Canada in to “I some pretty bizarre her sister someone to came to youwith and isting “I have another book ina intoxication the death someone while bedid charged for breaching 2012, 2013and andother 2014,family prov- if programs people medical conditions, a very in strong my Churchill and I’ve always stuff like fuel hauls the members ‘I’m sorry, have to me,” she says. darker stillJudge are. Doreen said, lodged RCMPskill cellsin under in police custody. an undertaking not into to conincial court substance abuseyou problems. procedure that“It’s hadaalready writing and confi dence in hounded her, ‘Please, just high Arctic at -35,” said “My cousin owns the leave your home community story, more about personthe Intoxicated Persons DePrisoners lodged in cell sume alcohol. The officer Redhead recommended that She also recommended been put in place before her my writing. I write very put it onThompson tape, I will RCMP write it deMeulles. didn’tMallett dawn hardware there,”a she going to displace al growth and struggles. tention Act (IPDA), showed at the attempted to“Itawake Thompsonstore establish de- and that we’re medical assessments inquest recommendations clear and that’s It’s there. you because your story until after.that Thathewas somewhere and all Maybe in the next five years her falling off ait.stool twice for detachment are supposed to on andme discovered wasa says. be done beforeelse a person toxification centre similar you were issued. 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.”