Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
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Wednesday, September 29, 2021
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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 61 • Issue 37
Multiple police vehicles and ambulance called out to MacLean Park near Thompson City Hall BY IAN GRAHAM
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Half a dozen RCMP vehicles and an ambulance were called out to MacLean Park near Thompson City Hall on the afternoon of Sept. 24. Bystanders appeared to be comforting each other and police were taping off a section of grass along Thompson Drive North while another officer directed traffic past the line of police vehicles and ambulance that blocked the westbound curb lane of Thompson Drive North. The Thompson Citizen has contacted the RCMP for more details about the situation and will report more when information is obtained.
An RCMP officer tapes off a section of MacLean Park near Thompson City Hall on the afternoon of Sept. 24.
Thompson Citizen photo by Ian Graham
Thompson Co-op celebrates Fuel Good Day, launch of electric vehicle charging station anybody else really does,” said board president Rob Thompson Co-op Gas Ellsworth. “This just goes Bar celebrated a couple of to show our commitment milestones at its Thompson to climate change and the Drive North location Sept: change we see in the pet21: the first Fuel Good Day roleum business moving to since before the pandemic the EV business. This is part and the fifth overall as well of our commitment to that as the unveiling of its level change and we hope that it’s 2 electric vehicle (EV) char- embraced by our memberging station. ship and our customers.” Five cents from every litre The unit cost about $4,000 of gas and $1 from every to buy and install and the slushie sold at both loca- Co-op is still working out tions that day is going to how much it will charge to the Canadian Mental Health use the station. Association Thompson, the “We will come up with Thompson Crisis Centre and a model that will be fair to Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham the Hope North suicide pre- the members and fair to us vention network. as well so thatdirector we can Gisele take deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern Co-op’s general manager advantage and not lose our BY IAN Filipe GRAHAM For all the harsh weather write that you have Alvaro and three to shirt onthings electricity,” said ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET 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 board members were on to Filipe. Though she’s written I get through.” hand to show offnow the new EV when Co-op board member Les I need to capture them for thought that was exciting should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it a book about her experienDeMeulles said sheplaces wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would charger on the back wall of Ellsworth says some 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 Churchthe convenience store. Elec- in Winnipeg have whole Thompson Citizen photos Addictions of the Wind: Stories from the I don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. tric vehiclesFoundation could be seen banks of charging stations by Ian Graham Manitoba - Life in Churchill for She also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite “I miss the shoreline, I as a threatnorthern to a gasdirector station North and that he expects ThompThompson Co-op Gas Bar on a bomb.’” Gisele deMeulles said writa couple of reasons. as a storyteller herself. simplistic. It’s quite disremiss the rock, I miss the but Filipe said the business son eventually will too. Les Ellsingthere wasn’t something she “I justissort of thought, “I hadmember such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though is to provide services “This a level 2. What board worth, board president Rob spurred her on was the same boat in another area they’re very dangerous and always thought hisand I would tell people customers need. she would you we’dknow like towhat, see inthis time is tory do.“Electric vehicles are the 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 Ellsworth, general manager level 3s because level 2s, “In ofmy it’s going be gone true, and is it?’ board I’d go, since the Hudson Bay Rail- about that so why don’t they Bay,” she says. “When I go Alvaro not Filipe wave the youth future,”Ihenever said. head, it’s going to taketoyou a lot ‘That’s felt good at may writing,” she if I don’ttowrite it down,” it’sMike true.’ They’dpose go, way suspended operations have the option to do that? back home, standing on the member Lawson “Thompson be a little longer charge. Levelshe 3s ‘Yeah said. “But when I moved ‘You didn’t do all that, did said. “My kids are not gobit slower to adapt to that will take you about 15 to by the gas station’s new north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on to to getCo-op 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 butThompson as the Thompson 20 minutes.” level 2 electric vehicle charthe of social something I’ve al- old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community in a political game and that’s incredible sense. You feel so Gas school Bar we want to bework, ready and Heit’s also hopes that charging station. at pointitIdoes had happen. to write ways wantedwill mybe mom to I did all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down really sad for them because I small and you feel great.” forthat it when ging stations estabfor and realized, Myalong mom’s an elder6 and ‘What?’” to such a small population think the people of ChurchNow that she’s got tage,and as itthey haswent a transformer We university can be resistant, we can do. lished Highway and 27,’ ‘Holy, I’mwe not badwant at this, an artist, got so and Looking of now,” deMeulles says. ill really want to thrive. one book under her belt, multipleback, powersome hookups say, ‘Hey, don’t any she’s Highway 10 so she’s that electric right?’ I certainly developed stories be- those experiences are things Though she’s not there They’ve built their worlds deMeulles says she may try already in place for future part of it’ but it’s going to be many vehiclewonderful owners from Wina 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. expansion. coming regardless.” nipeg or Prince Albert can and came out of there with Parks Canada in “I bizarre her sister and other family if someone came to you and “I have another book in “Ifdid wesome want pretty to put another The charging station is stories actuallyatdrive to Thompson a skill in my and I’ve always like in fuel into the said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to me,” she says. “It’s a darker building orhauls whatever we members still are. thevery firststrong at a gas station in Churchill without running out of juice. stuff writing and confidence in hounded said “My cousin owns the leave your home community story, more about personwant Arctic to do, at the-35,” power is Thompson. Should her, EVs‘Please, catch onjust in high my“We writing. I write very put it on tape, I will write it deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn hardware store there,” she and we’re going to displace al growth and struggles. ready to go,” Rob Ellsworth want to get our Thompson, Co-op is well clear and it. It’sbefore there. for you because your story on me until after. That was a says. you somewhere else and all Maybe in the next five years said. foot into that’s the door positioned to take advanBY 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.”