Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
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Volume 60 • Issue 40
Seven family members in York Factory First Nation have tested positive for COVID-19 One of the people who tested positive recently travelled to Winnipeg for medical care
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
A family of seven in York Factory First Nation (YFFN) at York Landing have tested positive for COVID-19, YFFN Chief Leroy Constant said in a Facebook post Sept. 27. One of the family members travelled to Winnipeg for medical treatment, which is where the exposure to the virus is believed to have occurred. The positive tests were confirmed by Manitoba public health Sept. 28, after the initial results, obtained via rapid testing, were confirmed by a typical test completed at Cadham Provincial Laboratory. “There’s been some questions about a delay in reporting on that,” said chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin at a Sept. 28 news conference on the Manitoba pandemic. “Our standard process is to not report those out until they’re confirmed through the typical tests at Cadham Provincial Lab which is why we’re reporting it officially out today but there was no delay at all in actual public health involvement.” Roussin also said that although the seven new cases were all close contacts, there is some concern that
the number of cases in the Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA) area has climbed from four to 15 in the space of less than a week. “Right from the beginning of the pandemic we knew we had to what we can to protect those remote isolated communities,” said Roussin. “We do know that there’s been an increase in cases. Of course we’re concerned when we see that although we know this recent seven are all related to close contact.”
The initial exposure was first reported by YFFN Sept. 23. The community then went into a preemptive lockdown while other family members of the original person were tested. “The household has been in school and around the community,” reads the statement from Constant. The band office remains closed as of Sept. 28 and while the community’s store has been reopened, a limit of one person at a time allowed inside and mandatory mask use are in effect.
The ferry that brings people both into and out of the community was stopped and people have been asked to not enter or leave the community by boat or plane. Band constables were tasked with monitoring all travel in and out of the community. “We will continue to do our best, day to day as we are faced with this pandemic,” said Constant in a Facebook post. “I would like to send well wishes to the family that just received the news. Keep them in your prayers.
Be kind to one another. Remember, we are all in this together. We all have a part to play. There is no ‘I’ in team. All of our staff are working hard to ensure that everyone is looked after. Just listen to the guidelines that we are put in place and we will be just fine.” Garrison Settee, grand chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), which represents 26 Northern Manitoba First Nations including YFFN as well as Tataskweyak Cree Nation, which also announced a resi-
dent with a confirmed case of COVID-19 last week, said he had faith in the abilities of the First Nations’ chiefs to deal with the situation and said that stigmatizing people who test positive for the virus achieves nothing. “I have the utmost confidence in our leaders that they will continue to work diligently with public health to handle these cases and work to contain the spread of the virus,” said Settee in a Sept. 28 press release. “First Nations and Northern residents have worked extremely hard to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Northern Manitoba. I recognize the efforts shown by leaders and other residents to help prevent the transmission of this virus to our communities. I encourage all northern residents to remain vigilant but also to remember to be kind. There has been a lot of stigma attached to people who test positive for COVID-19. Anyone can test positive and there is no need to shame or stigmatize a person who goes for testing or who has the virus. Let’s continue to spread kindness and show support to anyone who becomes ill. It can happen to any one of us.” - with files from the Flin Flon Reminder
Number of job cuts to result from Vale’s review of Manitoba Operations still unknown
Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill.
Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham
nimbler structure to ensure sus-just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing swallow when people say For all the harsh weather to write things that you have ‘Oh,a I’m tainable business.” EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET 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 Vale plans to now havewritten a new operUnited Steelworkers (USW) Though she’s when I get through.” I needLoto capture them for thought that was exciting should just find somewhere bears, deMeulles said if it ational place in ThompsonDeMeulles cal 6166, represents a bookmodel aboutin her experiensaidwhich she wrote my about grandchildren really until the plane landed and easier to live. had been viable she would by many fewer 550 titled hourlyWhispers workers at minesthey will be lost if they started throwing the cesNovember, growing upbut in how Churchill, her book, inVale’s because “To say, ‘Those people have moved back to Churchhourly and staff jobs thereofwillthe be Wind: and mill in Thompson, not yet Addictions Foundation Stories from the does I don’t.” fuel off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. as a result northern remains unknown. how many of Manitoba director North know - Life in Churchill forits members She also has a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite “I miss the shoreline, I Vale deMeulles Thompson said manager could lose their jobs as aas result of Gisele writ-Franco a couple of reasons. a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disre- miss the rock, I miss the Cazzola announced in she June that“I just the transition to a new operating ing wasn’t something sort of thought, “I had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though Manitoba Operations was undermodel. always thought she would you know what, this his- tory and I would tell people spurred her on was the same boat in another area they’re very dangerous and taking a comprehensive review including non-unionized do. tory, thisOverall, stuff that’s in my stories and they would go, hard times facing Churchill I think we would scream I really miss the Hudson that would cuts after there were employ“In my result youthinI job never head, staff, it’s going to beabout gone870‘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 losing roughly $300,000 per day eeswrite in Vale’s Manitoba felt good at writing,” she if I don’t it down,” she Operations ‘Yeah it’s true.’ They’d go, way suspended operations have the option to do that? back home, standing on the – approximately millionsaid. a “My at thekids end are of 2018, a year‘You that saw said. “But when $100 I moved didn’t do all that, did north of Gillam last spring. I think right now they’re Hudson Bay looking out on not goyearThompson – in 2019. to get into ing to250 due to to get layoffs it if I don’t dothe it permanent 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 is it’s closure of the smelter refinery the“Vale’s schoolManitoba of socialOperations work, and something I’ve al- andold.’ I was like, ‘No, actually thriving large community in a political game and that’s incredible sense. You feel so in stages organiza180 jobs as atoresult of early at the thatfinal point I hadoftoan write ways and wanted my cut mom I did all that before I was and it’s just dwindled down really sad for them because I small and you feel great.” tional review focused on developresignations andand thethey went ‘What?’” to such a small population think the people of Churchfor university and realized, do. Myretirements, mom’s an elder and 27,’ Now that she’s got ing solutions ensure the elimination of staff positions. ‘Holy, I’m notthat badwill at this, she’s an artist, she’s got so Looking back, some of now,” deMeulles says. ill really want to thrive. one book under her belt, long-term viability of our ManiVale says it hasbeengaged right?’ I certainly developed many wonderful stories thosewith experiences are things Though she’s not there They’ve built their worlds deMeulles says she may try toba said Cazzola in a USW and other community a lotOperations,” of skill in university cause she always tells her shestakemight not do again. any longer, her parents and there. How would we feel to produce another. statement to thewith Thompson through theincourse“Iof and cameemailed out of there storiesholders at Parks Canada diditssome pretty bizarre her sister and other family if someone came to you and “I have another book in Citizen 18.skill “Outcomes operations review and stuff is trying a very Sept. strong in my from Churchill and I’ve always like fueltion, hauls into the a voluntary said,operations,” ‘I’m sorry, you to me,” she says. membersretirestill are. of our ongoing including saidhavecosts, improve health“It’s anda darker safety this comprehensive review to minimize jobjust losses where writing and confidence in will hounded her, ‘Please, high Arcticment at -35,” said program “My to cousin the leave your home community story, about incentive help owns Cazzola. outcomes andmore “support thepersonteam in guide adjustments to our possible. my writing. I write veryoperatput it on tape, I will write it deMeulles. “It didn’tjob dawn hardware and we’re displace al our growth mitigate reductions and tostore en- there,” Theshe company’s goals going for theto new meeting short-and andstruggles. long-term ing to introduce a simpler, “We are your considering clearmodel and that’s it. It’s there. for you because story every on meopuntil after. Thatwill wasnot a impact says. the safety operational model you somewhere all Maybe in the next five years sure they are to lowerelse unitandbusiness goals.” Some people say it’s kind of is going to be lost,’ and she’s very dangerous thing to do. Because of that, your loved ones and your it’s something I’ll focus on blunt or direct. I don’t tend never done it and I thought, Being on a plane full of fuel deMeulles finds it hard to history is gone?’” doing.” IANGRAHAM GRAHAM BY IAN