Thompson Local News Archives for 2017-10

Greyhound Makes Changes Following Complaints

Greyhound Canada is making changes following complaints of overbooking in September.  

 

A company spokesperson says that the ticket agent in Thompson wasn’t previously able to see tickets generated and sold in communities like Waboden, occasionally leaving passengers behind due to overbooking.  

 

The spokesperson said that they have addressed the issue to make sure customers travelling with tickets that hold the correct date and time have a seat on the bus.

 

Photo courtesy of Thompson Citizen

Drugs Tossed From Car On Highway 6, Thompson Man Arrested

A Thompsonite is facing multiple charges following an incident on Highway 6 earlier this month. 

 

RCMP were alerted to a vehicle driving erratically, which they later discovered was using stolen plates. 

 

During the brief pursuit, 26-year-old Abraham Saunders tossed multiple items out of the vehicle, including money and marijuana. 

 

The pursuit ended on foot, with an RCMP dog playing a key role.

 

Saunders faces mulitple charges including fleeing from police, possessing property obtained by crime and driving while disqualified.  

 

He remains in custody.

Thompson Woman Killed In Crash

One person is dead and another is in hospital following a single-vehicle collision in Norway House.

 

The driver, a 29-year-old woman from Thompson, was thrown from the vehicle following the collision and was pronounced dead at the scene.

 

The 33-year-old passenger was found at the scene with his seatbelt still on.

 

The RCMP say that not wearing a seatbelt and alcohol played a factor in the incident

 

The investigation is ongoing.

School Board Meeting Tonight

Tonight marks the last meeting of the board of trustees for the School District of Mystery Lake for the month of October.

 

The meeting, which will start at seven in the school board offices, is open to the public.

 

The board will review a field trip request for a proposed history of cars tour of Germany in 2019.

 

They will also vote on procedural by-law 05/17 for the second and third times.

 

The board will be reviewing a masters thesis proposal, the exepditures for the school board as of October 6th, as well as correspondence from the RD Parker music department.

 

Auditors for 2017-2018 will also be appointed.

RCMP Locate Missing Hiker

Over the weekend, Wabowden RCMP were advised of a missing 19-year-old female hiker from Thompson in the area of Pisew Falls.

 

The hiker had been heading towards Kwasitchewan Falls when she communicated that she was lost. It became dark, and the weather deteriorated with rain and snow.

 

RCMP officers, including a police dog service officer, and a sustainable development conservation officer searched throughout the night for the lost hiker. At daybreak, more RCMP officers joined the search, and search and rescue teams began to converge on the area. Several resources were deployed, including search teams from Winnipeg and Cross Lake, Canadian Rangers from Snow Lake and Gillam, as well as representatives of the Office of the Fire Commissioner. A helicopter was deployed to the area, but had to be called off due to bad weather.

 

By mid-afternoon, RCMP ground search teams had located the lost hiker. She was cold, wet and hungry, but able to move on her own power. A boat was deployed to transport the hiker out of the area.

 

"With the deteriorating weather, we were becoming quite concerned for the hiker,” said Sergeant Ben Sewell of the RCMP in Manitoba North District. “We were able to use a number of resources and thankfully, this was a successful outcome as we were able to get her off the trail safe and sound.”

 

The RCMP thanks the public who volunteered to assist in the effort.

Manitoba Liberals Have A New Leader

The Manitoba Liberal Party has a new leader.

 

Dougald Lamont was elected over the weekend at a convention in the second ballot, defeating Winnipeg MLA Cindy Lamoureaux 296 to 288.

 

Lamoureaux was leading by a wide margin after the first ballot, and received an endorsement from Jon Gerrard after he bowed out of the race, but couldn’t come away with the victory as less than 300 people stuck around for the second ballot.

 

Lamont, a 48-year-old communications specialist and lecturer at the University of Winnipeg has a long family history with the Liberals, but has never held elected office.

 

Lamont said the he plans on having a seat before 2020, and that he expects to be in the legislature regularly to scrum after question period.

 

The Liberals currently hold three seats in the legislature.  

 

Photo courtesy of the Winnipeg Free Press

Rogers Brings LTE-Advanced To Manitoba

Rogers has announced that they are expanding their service here in Manitoba.

 

The Canadian telecommunications giant Rogers has announced that L-T-E- Advanced is now being offered in many communities, including Thompson, Flin Flon, Churchill and Winnipeg.

 

Colin Bartlett, the Prairies Regional leader for Rogers, says that the company has a long and proud history in the province of bringing continued improvements that help improve connectivity.

 

The company also announced they will be working to improve service in hard to reach places such as basements and elevators.

RCMP Thompson arrest male for attempted murder

On October 18, 2017, Thompson RCMP were called to a residence for a report of a male being shot.

 

When police arrived, a 23-year-old male from Thompson was located with a gunshot wound. He was transported to Winnipeg hospital, where he remains in stable condition.

 

David Baker, 19, from Winnipeg, was arrested at approximately 12:30 pm this afternoon. He is charged with attempted murder and discharge firearm with intent. He remains in custody.

 

The investigation continues with the assistance of RCMP Major Crime Unit, RCMP Police Dog Services, Northern Crime Reduction Enforcement Support Team and Forensic Identification Services.

Look North Report Officially Handed Over To Provincial Government

The report and action planned aimed at bringing tourists to northern Manitoba is officially in the hands of the Province.

 

The Look North tourism strategy report and action plan was officially handed over from strategy co-chairs Chuck Davidson and Christian Sinclair to Minister Blaine Pedersen (Provincial Minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade) at an event in Thompson last night.

 

Before the report was officially given to Minister Pedersen, Chief Sinclair said that the training of Indigenous peoples is part of the solution to keeping the north strong.

 

Eileen Clark, the provincial mister of northern and indigenous affairs, as well as Jeff Wharton, provincial minister of municipal relations, were also in attendance.

 

The full report can be found online at www.gov.mb.ca/looknorth

Supplies To Come To Churchill In Winter Via Truck

Supplies will be brought to Churchill this winter, but not by train.

 

A winter ice road is expected to be carved, allowing supplies to be brought to the remote northern community through the winter months.

 

Work is expected to start on the road around Christmas, with the hauling of supplies starting in January.

 

Polar Industries, Remote Area Services and Fox Lake Cree Nation are the three groups behind the plan, which has been in the works since June.

 

The work is currently based on private funding, though the group is hoping the province will step up to the plate and help cover the costs.

 

It’s expected the drive, from Gillam, will take 20 to 30 hours to complete.

 

Photo courtesy of CBC Manitoba

$100 Stolen And Window Smashed At Beastly Boutique

A donation box with roughly one hundred dollars was stolen last week from the Beastly Boutique.

 

According to owner Vickie McNevin, the break-in and robbery took place last Monday around seven P-M while she was still in the building.

 

McNevin says she was in the back filling water bowls when she heard the window break, and witnessed the crime before the culprit fled.

 

The suspect is described as five foot six, aged 25 to 30, wearing a black toque, grey hoodie, and dark pants.

 

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Thompson RCMP detachment at 1.204.677.6909.

 

Photo courtesy of Thompson Citizen

Churchill Caught In Middle Between Omnitrax and Ottawa

The war of words between Denver-based Omnitrax and the Federal Government continues as Churchill stands helplessly in the middle.

 

Merv Tweed, the president of Omnitrax Canada, recently wrote a letter in which he said that the Liberals are letting down the people in Manitoba’s north, and went on to say they’ve avoided helping as much as they could.

 

Federal transportation Minister Marc Garneau responded quickly, saying that Omnitrax wouldn’t get another dime until they do the work that they are obliged to do.

 

Garneau added that the Feds sent a letter to Omnitrax last week saying to fix the rail line or else.

 

Tweed responded saying that the company doesn’t have the resources to do any repairs.

Ford To Recall 1.34 Million Trucks

Ford has announced that they will be recalling over a million F-150 trucks, from model year 2015 through 2017, as well as 2017 Ford Super Duty trucks.

 

The recall is to address the possibility of a frozen door latch or a bent or kinked actuation cable that may result in the door not working.

 

Ford is planning on fixing the problem by adding water shields to side door latches.

 

The Detroit-based automaker has now recalled more than five million vehicles since 2016 for varying door-latch related issues, though Ford says this issue is different than the others.

 

Ford spokeswoman Elizabeth Weigandt said that those impacted by the recall would be notified next month, but the company does not have a timeline in place for when parts will be available.

 

The recall and repair is estimated to cost the motor company upwards of $267M across North America.

Thompson RCMP Ask For Help In Search For Suspect

Thompson RCMP are asking for the public’s help in the search for Chuck Spence.

 

The 25-year-old is wanted for three outstanding warrants, including possession for purpose of trafficking cocaine.

 

If you have any information on his whereabouts, you are asked to call the Thompson RCMP detachment at 677-6909. You can also call Manitoba Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS

Janes Chicken Products Recalled

A popular brand of frozen breaded chicken products is facing a recall due to possible salmonella.

 

Jane’s uncooked pub style chicken burgers and pub style snakcs popcorn chicken are the two products facing the recall according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

 

The burgers affected carry a code of 2018 MA 12 and the popcorn chicken carry a code of 2018 MA 15.

 

If you have a box of affected chicken, you’re asked to throw it out or return it to the store you bought it from.

 

The C.F.I.A. warns that food contaminated with salmonella may not look or smell spoiled, but can still make you sick.

Chamber Of Commerce Meeting Today

The Chamber of Commerce will be holding their bi-weekly lunch meeting today.

 

The guests for the meeting will be Kelly Faubert and Jonny Loewen, from BDC, and will be talking about improving the productivity of businesses to help them become more profitable, efficient and competitive.

 

The meeting will get underway at 12:00pm in the conference room at the Meridian Hotel.

Rail Line Could Be Fixed Within A Month, At Least Temporarily

A report says that the rail line to Churchill could be fixed, at least temporarily, within a month.

 

The AECOM report, which was prepared for Omnitrax, says that the temporary repairs would take no more than 30 days and would cost between $5M and $10M.

 

The repairs would allow supplies to arrive in the remote northern community by train for the upcoming winter.

 

Churchill Mayor Mike Spence said he doesn’t think Denver-based Omnitrax is serious about the plan, and that the company is just playing games with the community.

 

The estimated cost to fully repair the line is in the ball park of $40M.

Law Enforcement Review Agency Releases Annual Report

The Province of Manitoba recently released their annual law enforcement review report.

 

The report, which comes from the Law Enforcement Review Agency in Winnipeg, says that formal complaints were down in 2016 from 2015; 139 to 122.

 

Max Churley, the Commissioner of the L.E.R.A., said that the average timeframe for completion of an investigation increased from seven months to nine months from 2015 to 2016.

 

The 122 formal complaints included discrimination, making a false statement and using unnecessary violence or excessive force. Below is a full list of the categories that all complaints fell into:

 

  • Breaches of The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
  • Making an arrest without reasonable or probably grounds
  • Using unnecessary violence or excessive force
  • Using oppressive or abusive conduct or language
  • Being discourteous or uncivil
  • Discrimination
  • Making false statement
  • Improperly disclosing information
  • Damaging property or failing to report damage
  • Failing to provide assistance

 

The report added that of the 214 files opened in 2016, 92 were resolved at intake or following preliminary enquiries, no complaints were resolved through mediation, two were referred to a hearing, while others were abandoned as there was not enough evidence.

 

The full unabridged report can be found at www.gov.mb.ca/justice/lera

Thompson Chamber Of Commerce To Mark Northern Business Week 2017

Sunday is the official start of Northern Business Week 2017, which will run until Saturday October 21st.

 

It will be marked here in Thompson with three main events, hosted by the Thompson Chamber of Commerce.

 

The first event is taking place at City Council Monday evening, with a presentation to Mayor and Council.

 

There will also be the regular lunch meeting of the chamber on Wednesday at the Meridian Hotel in the conference room. The guests will be Kelly Faubert and Jonny Loewen, who will be talking about productivity.

 

The highlight of the week will be Thursday, when the Chamber will be hosting an event at the Ma-Mow-We-Tak Friendship Centre. The evening will feature the honorable Blaine Pedersen, Provincial Minister of Growth, Enterprise and Trade speaking about the Province's "Look North" initiative. Those in attendance will also be hearing from Chuck Davidson, the President and C.E.O of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. Laura Finlay will be speaking on the Thompson Tourism Strategy and Tim Gibson will be talking about the Thompson 2020 initiative. Eileen Clark, the Provincial Minister of Indigenous and Northern Relations, Jeff Wharton, the Provincial Minister of Municipal relations, and Thompson MLA Kelly Bindle will also be in attendance. The event will start at 6:30pm. Tickets are $20.00 for Chamber members and $30.00 for non-members. The Chamber advises everyone that there will be limited seating, and to call 1.204.677.4155 for tickets.

N.R.H.A. Hires Six New Doctors

The province has announced that the Northern Health Region has recruited six new doctors.

 

Two will be based in Flin Flon, while four will work in Thompson.

 

Provincial Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen said that recruiting doctors to come work in the north can be tough, and that the new doctors will ensure consistent, reliable care for patients in communities across the north.

Northern Health Region Marks Mental Illness Awareness Week 2017

This week is mental health awareness week.

 

The Northern Health region is marking the week with two events, the first of which is happening tomorrow.

 

From 1:30pm to 4:00pm, there will be a tea and bannock “come and go” event at the Plaza Mall. Everyone is welcome to stop by for a free snack and some information.

 

The second event will take place on Friday, a barbecue at the new Hope North facility on Princeton Drive. The BBQ will kick of at 12:00pm and run until 2:00pm/ Everyone is welcome to come by for food, fun and informaion.

 

More information can be found by calling Jennifer Whalen at 1.204.778.6513 or by emailing her at jwhalen@nrha.ca.

City Council Hears Presentation From 2018 Manitoba Winter Games Committee, Recreation Committee Report

Thompson City Council met earlier tonight for the first time in October.

 

Councillors Penny Byer and Dennis Foley sent regrets as they could not attend the meeting, though Foley joined via telephone. The majority of council, and administrative staff, were wearing their 2018 Manitoba Winter Games hoodies and shirts in support of the games. 

 

As is per usual, the meeting was preceded by general iquires from the public. Three Thompsonites came forward with questions, the topics of which ranged from the bike lane on Selkirk Avenue to the pool debenture and the CSO's. 

 

The meeting started off with a presentation from the 2018 Manitoba Winter games committee. Sandra Ross-Hitch and Murray Kissick, the co-chairs of the Host Society, gave the presentation. Ross-Hitch and Kissick said that even though things are progressing well, they still need volunteers. Ross-Hitch said the main issue is getting people to register online, which is a neccessity to volunteer. She added that they have far more volunteers than are currently officially registered, and it's now a question of getting them into the system. 

 

The meeting also included a report from the recreation and community services committee, chaired by Councillor Dennis Foley. The report was presented by Councillor Blake Ellis as Foley was not physically in attendance.

 

Council received for information a news release in regards to the Association of Manitoba Municipalities Cities Caucus Meeting, which took place in Portage late last month. Mayor Dennis Fenske was in attendance at the meeting. 

 

There were two widely-discussed issues on this weeks' agenda; a resolution to approve the transfer of outstanding utility accounts to taxes and the first reading of by-law 1956-2017 (debenture to go towards imporvements of the Norplex Pool). 

 

In a recorded vote, Councillor Duncan Wong was the lone member voting aginst the resolution to approve the transfer of outstanding utility accounts to taxes, as he said it's unfair to people who don't own land believes that utility bills and taxes should be separate. Deputy Mayor Kathy Valentino responded to Wong's comments, saying that the practice is not uncommon, and was discussed at a meeting of the City's finance committee. 

 

The first reading of by-law 1956-2017 which dealt with a debenture going towards imporvements of the Norplex Pool. The total cost of the debenture is $340,000, and will go towards multiple areas as outlined by multiple reports from engineers. jenny Krentz, the C.F.O. for the City, outlined in a memo (and again verbally to council) that the debenture was approved as a part of the 2017 budget. Councillor Duncan Wong asked questions of administration with regards to the upgrades, the main one at the start being whether or not the upgrades are a result of the fire which closed the pool for most of the summer. Wong also asked why the City would get a debenture for the work when there was money in reserves. Deputy Mayor Kathy Valentino once again stood in opposition of Wong, stating that she was worried that councillors don't understand how reserves can be used in their fourth year in office. Councillor Blake Ellis noted that the pool was as old as he is, and that it's time for repairs. The vote on the reading was recorded, as per request from Councillor Wong. Mayor Fenske, Deputy Mayor Valentino, Councillors Ellis, Kolada, Smook and Foley voted in favour while Councillors Matechuk and Wong voted against. The by-law will have a second and third readings at a later date.

 

The next regular meeting of City Council will take place on October 16th.

 

Two Manitobans Among Those Shot In Las Vegas

Two Manitobans are among those injured after a gunman opened fire at a concert in Las Vegas.

 

Jody Ansell of Stonewall and Jan Lambourne of Teulon were attending the Jason Aldean concert as part of the Route 91 Harvest Country Festival when Ansell was shot in the arm and Lambourne in the abdomen.

 

Jody Ansell and Jan Lambourne. Photo courtesy of CJOB

Jody Ansell and Jan Lambourne. Photo courtesy of CJOB

 

Ansell described the situation as crazy after the shots starting raining down on the country fans, who started stampeding to get away.

 

The shooter, who has been identified as 64-year-old Stephen paddock, opened fire on the crowd from the 32nd floor of a nearby hotel just after 10:00pm local time on Sunday night.

 

Photo courtesy of CBC 

Chamber Of Commerce Meeting Location Changed For This Week

The bi-weekly meeting of the Thompson Chamber of Commerce will take place Wednesday afternoon.

 

The meeting will take place at the Juniper Centre, instead of the conference room of the Meridian Hotel where it usually takes place.

 

Rachel Templeton, from the Juniper Centre, will be speaking to members about the centre. The talk will be followed by a brief tour.

 

There will be a special lunch, and the meeting will start at 12:00pm.

Niki Ashton Defeated Again In Federal NDP Leadership Race

Jagmeet Singh is the new leader of the Federal NDP. 

 

The MPP From Brampton, Ontario defeated Niki Ashton, Charlie Angus and Guy Caron in a surprise first-ballot victory. His message, which won him the landslide victoy, was simple; love and courage. 

 

The the UWO and York University educated lawyer from Scarborough, Ontario was originally considered to have an outside shot at the leadership, but gained considerable momentum as the leadership race went on. His popularity sky-rocketd (both in Canada and around the world) after a video went viral from one of his campaign events. The video shows Singh being interupted by a protestor, to whom he responds by saying that she is both loved and welcomed. 


Singh captured just over 53% of the over 60,000 votes to come away with the victory. Northern Ontario MP Charlie Angus came in second with just under 20%. Niki Ashton finished third with just over 17% while Quebec MP Guy Caron came last with under 10%. 

 

Niki Ashton had a better showing in the 2017 race than the 2012 race, but it was not enough. She was eliminated in the 2012 leadership race in the first ballot, only receiving 3,737 votes (5.7%). Ashton lead a strong campaign this time around, garnering more than double the votes cast in her name five years ago. The loss comes less than a month after her father, Steve Ashton, lost the Manitoba NDP leadership race to Fort Rouge MLA Wab Kinew.

 

Ashton had the following message on Facebook for her supporters following the results of the election.

Ashton released a new, longer statement Monday morning which can be found here.

 

 

Full Results:

Jagmeet Singh, MPP - Bramalea—Gore—Malton

35,266 (53.8%)

 

Charlie Angus, MP - Timmins—James Bay

12,705 (19.4%)

 

Niki Ashton, MP - Churchill—Keewatinook Aski

11,374 (17.4%)

 

Guy Caron, MP - Rimouski—Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques

6,164 (9.4%)

 

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