Nickel Belt News
Volume 58 Number 11
Friday, March 16, 2018
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
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Serving the Hub of the North since 1960
Volume 61 • Issue 31
City receiving $34 million from feds and province for water and sewer line renewal
Book a way to preserve and pass on memories of growing up in Churchill
Thompson is getting more than $34 million from the federal and provincial governments to renew nearly 14 kilometres of water lines and 3.3 kilometres of wastewater lines over a five-year period. The funding from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) green infrastructure stream was announced by Winnipeg South Centre Liberal MP Jim Carr and Manitoba Central Services Minister Reg Helwer on Aug, 13, two days before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked the governor-general to dissolve Parliament, triggering a federal election in September. “This funding is another key example of what we can accomplish for our communities when all levels of government work together,” said Carr on behalf of the federal government, which is contributing $18.8 million towards the
A Google Earth Images shows water and wastewater lines in Thompson scheduled to be renewed over the next five years with help from $34.4 million in combined funding from the federal and provincial governments. work. side Drive from Granite Princeton Drive, Station Lines being replaced Crescent to Mystery Lake Road from Princeton to include those along River- Road, Burntwood Drive, the industrial area, Centen-
nial Drive East and West, Westwood Drive, Hayes Road, Wekusko Street and Wuskwatim Bay, said the City of Thompson. It will be co-ordinated by section so it is completed before overlapping road work to make sure both are completed as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. “Today's funding announcement for these vital infrastructure projects represents a lot of hard work and collaboration between Manitoba and our federal and municipal partners,” said Helwer. The province is providing $15.6 million for the work. “This grant didn’t fall into our laps overnight,” said Mayor Colleen Smook. “Much like our roadwork announcements [last] month, this grant took three years of extensive planning and difficult budget choices to prepare for it. Basic infrastructure
like roads, water and sewer are the bedrock for our businesses and residents who who work hard to provide them. This second massive investment, from federal and provincial governments, recognizes our critical role in the north.” The city’s cost for the project is $12.5 million. Thompson is also receiving $33.3 million combined from the federal and provincial governments to renew all or part of 24 city roads that represent about 20 per cent of the city’s total road network. The city is contributing about $6.7 million to that work. “These two announcements are first steps towards a new and sustainable future for Thompson,” Smook said. “We’re still working with our federal and provincial partners to do more for our residents and visitors who rely on us every day, in recreation, public safety and more.”
Computers for Schools to offer technical training and new life for old electronics in Thompson time we do it." Kurtis McLeod, the Menard said. “We will reThe aims of Computer Thompson born and raised furbish it if we can. If we An organization that for Schools Manitoba are manager of the new north- can’t, we make sure it’s provides technical train- threefold – training, free ern training and refurbish- properly recycled.” ing to young people and and low-cost equipment ment site, says the goal is Computers for Schools low-cost electronic devices distribution, and environto prepare people to enter Manitoba will be more to schools and other recipi- mental responsibility careers as computer tech- convenient than the current ents is setting up shop in e-waste site at the Thomp“We recycle everything nicians and beyond. Thompson. that is end of life or can’t “The most important son landfill. Nickel Belt News photo by Ian Graham Computers for Schools be reused properly within part is they’ve got hands“We’re half the run to Addictions Foundation of Manitoba northern director Gisele deMeulles has written a book about her experiences growing up, mostly in Churchill. Manitoba is opening up a in Canada,” Menard said. on experience and can go the dump,” said McLeod. northern branch in the city to And despite the name, movewhen into the sectorsay at “They can drop it off BY IAN GRAHAM For all thejust harsh weather write things that you have ‘Oh, I’m just as bad, right?’ was not a very safe thing and swallow people soon with help from CEDF the organization actually their own pace,” he said. with us and we do what we 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 and the Northern Manitoba provides Oncejustthe is up bears, have todeMeulles do from there.” Though she’s now written when I getelectronic through.”equip- I need to capture them for thought that was exciting should findsite somewhere said if it Sector Council to a variety of recipiCEDF NMSC were a book about her (NMSC). experien- ment DeMeulles said she wrote my grandchildren really until the plane landed and and easierrunning, to live. they will had been and viable she would It will be on Hayes Road, ents, including non-profits, accept donations of old instrumental in making this 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 Churchthough an exact opening libraries, churches, First electronics. idea a reality, according to Addictions Foundation of the Wind: Stories from the I don’t.” off and I realized, ‘Holy choose to live there. They ill in a heartbeat. Thompsonfuel Citizen photo by Ian Graham date isn’t northern known yet. groups, post-sec“We don’t take anything Menard. Manitoba director Nations North - Life in Churchill for Kurtis She McLeod, also has left, a reputation cats, I was probably sitting should just leave,’ is quite “I miss the shoreline, I and Justin Menard, right, are overseeing that has any hazardous ma“We’ve operated forwritjust ondary students, “Without their support Gisele deMeulles said a couple of reasons. home- as a storyteller herself. on a bomb.’” simplistic. It’s quite disremiss the rock, I miss the of a Computers for Schools Manitoba terials in it so please don’t we would not be openover 25 years in Winnipeg low-in- the“Iestablishment ing wasn’t something she school “I justfamilies, sort of thought, had such a varied hisAnother thing that spectful. If we were in the polar bears even though location in Thompson. ,” said executive direccome people and seniors. us any air ing ourvery doors in Northern always thought she would you know what, this his- tory and I would tell people spurred her on was the bring same boat in fridges anotherorarea they’re dangerous and tor Justin Menard while Training aims to help inconditioners but pretty Manitoba. They’ve been 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 15 and 30 are brought thethe ITHudson sector to bridge in “In Thompson 12. terested gain of anysoother kindthey of incredible partners to work my youthAug. I never head, it’syoung goingpeople to be gone ‘That’s not true, is it?’ I’d go, in since Bay Rail- much about that why don’t Bay,” she says. “When I go for apbetweenoperations education have “We’ve talked basicallyshe the if a foothold in the computer electronic device wethat? will back with home, and I’m very excited felt good at writing,” I don’t write it down,” she and ‘Yeah employed it’s true.’ They’d go, the the option to do standing on the waygap suspended months employment,” entire“But time when about Ibeing in electronics field. accept, continue to workout with said. moved ‘You didn’t do 12 all that, did and said. “My kids are not go- proximately north of Gillam lastMenard spring. happily I think right nowwhether they’re to Hudson Bay looking on to gain some experience says. Northern Manitoba and it’s “Youth between the ages it be good, bad or ugly,” them.” 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 BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
the school of social work, and it’s something I’ve alat that point I had to write ways wanted my mom to for university and realized, do. My mom’s an elder and ‘Holy, I’m not bad at this, she’s an artist, she’s got so right?’ I certainly developed many wonderful stories bea lot of skill in university cause she always tells her and came out of there with stories at Parks Canada in a very strong skill in my Churchill and I’ve always POWER SWEEPING, LAWN MOWING, AERATION, writing and confidence in hounded her, ‘Please, just DETHATCHING & SPRAYING, my writing. I write very putLICENSED it on tape, I will write it FERTILIZER AND WEED clear and that’s it. It’s there.CONTROL for you SERVICES because your story Some people say it’s kind of is going to be lost,’ and she’s blunt or direct. I don’t tend never done it and I thought,
“Weeds on your lawn? Gotta be gone.”
old.’ I was like, ‘No, actually I did all that before I was 27,’ and they went ‘What?’” Looking back, some of those experiences are things she might not do again. “I did some pretty bizarre stuff like fuel hauls into the high Arctic at -35,” said deMeulles. “It didn’t dawn on me until after. That was a very dangerous thing to do. Being on a plane full of fuel
thriving large community and it’s just dwindled down to such a small population now,” deMeulles says. Though she’s not there any longer, her parents and her sister and other family members still are. “My cousin owns the hardware store there,” she says. Because of that, deMeulles finds it hard to
in a political game and that’s really sad for them because I think the people of Churchill really want to thrive. They’ve built their worlds there. How would we feel if someone came to you and said, ‘I’m sorry, you have to leave your home community and we’re going to displace you somewhere else and all your loved ones and your history is gone?’”
incredible sense. You feel so small and you feel great.” Now that she’s got one book under her belt, deMeulles says she may try to produce another. “I have another book in me,” she says. “It’s a darker story, more about personal growth and struggles. Maybe in the next five years it’s something I’ll focus on doing.”
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