Thompson Local News Archives for 2019-09

Niki Ashton Expresses Solidarity with Climate Strikers

MP Niki Ashton has expressed solidarity for the climate strikers that took to the streets of Canada last week.

 

Ashton says young climate activists like Autumn Peltier are calling on us to become a champion for the environment and we must answer the call of climate strikers.

 

The NDP has announced a "New Deal for Climate Action and Good Jobs."

 

Part of this deal is to make sure that indigenous peoples are full and equal partners in Canada’s efforts to confront the climate crisis.

 

The deal would also ensure that Northern Manitoba workers and communities reap the benefits of a clean economy in the future.

Deerwood School Presentation tonight

Deerwood School and its Parent Advisory Council will be hosting an information session for parents.

 

The presentation will cover talking points regarding your children’s online and social media use, and how you can talk to them to ensure they stay safe online.

 

The session is open to all parents in the community who have children attending school in the community.

 

The presentation by MyLifeOnline.com will take place at Deerwood School this evening at 6:30 PM.

Orange Shirt Day to take place this Monday

Orange Shirt Day takes place in Thompson and across the country this Monday.

 

The day has officially been recognized since 2013 but in reality began in 1973, when six year old Phyllis Webstad entered the St. Joseph Mission Residential School in BC.

 

She wore a brand new orange shirt for her first day of school but it was taken away and replaced with the school’s uniform.

 

Marie Highway, the Indigenous Student Advisor at R.D. Parker collegiate, and coordinator for the local event explains what this day means.

 

“It’s a day to honour residential school survivors, to learn about residential school survivors, to work toward reconciliation and learning from past mistakes. It’s an opportunity for First Nations and non-First Nations to come together in the spirt of reconciliation."

 

This year, R.D. Parker students will leave the school on a walk around 11:15 and when they return to the school, a mural by Jasyn Lucas will be unveiled in the forum and dedicated to residential school survivors.

 

That will be followed by a feast for students, staff and parents in the forum.

 

According to Rob Fisher, Principal at the high school, the mural is an honest representation of the residential school tragedy, but focuses on the positive message that we are all treaty people.

 

Fisher said the mural was a gift to the school from the Grad classes of 2015 through to 2019.

Residents can retrieve items after Forest View Suites fire

Residents of Forest View Suites can make appointments with Armour Management to begin retrieving their belongings.

 

n a press release, the City of Thompson says for the time being, this will be limited to smaller items that can be collected and removed within an hour, and that residents will be escorted with an Armour representative.

 

Residents must have their name on the rental agreement in order to set up an appointment to access your suite, and people are elderly or disabled are allowed to bring an escort.

 

o set up an appointment, call 204-677-9880.

Thompson Fire & Emergency Services Celebrates 60 Years

The Thompson Fire and EMS will be celebrating its 60th anniversary tomorrow with a day full of events.

 

In the morning, the fire department will be hosting an open house at the fire hall from 10 AM to 3 PM.

 

Captain Travis Mirus says it’s a free event for the entire family, which will include tours of the station and apparatus, bouncy houses, and treats.

 

There will also be a pancake breakfast for the community that begins at 10 as well. Later in the evening, there will be the formal Firefighters Ball, which Fire Chief Mike Bourgon says is an event that happens once every ten years.

Niki Ashton says Federal Government is failing First Nations

NDP candidate Niki Ashton says the current Liberal government has failed Indigenous people in northern Manitoba.

 

In a press release, Ashton says that northern residents are still facing a housing crisis that has yet to be addressed, and that many are struggling to reach health care facilities outside their communities.

 

She goes on to explain that federal government could have used the money used to purchase the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion to invest and address these issues in the north.

 

The NDP say they will work on reconciliation efforts, including supporting services and programs that they say would increase the quality of life for Indigenous communities.

Forest View Suites fire is a suspected arson

Thompson RCMP has released more information about the fire that broke out at Forest View Suites North Tower early Monday morning.

 

The entire building was evacuated, and while there were no injuries reported, one person was transported to Thompson General Hospital for smoke inhalation.

 

Police say the cause of the fire is suspected to be arson, and that the investigation is ongoing.

 

Anyone with information about this fire, is asked to call Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6911, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

Voter Information Cards are now being mailed

Elections Canada is reminding eligible voters to check if they’ve registered to vote.

 

The agency says you can check to see if you’re registered online at elections dot CA, call the Public Inquiries Unit at 1-800-463-6868, or visit the Elections Canada office located on 133 Knife Crecent.

 

People can also vote by special ballot at any elections Canada office until October 15th, but you must know the name of the candidate you want to vote for, because you will have to write it on the ballot.

 

Voter Information Cards were mailed out starting Wednesday.

2-year-old boy dead following dog attack in Gods Lake

This past Monday, Gods Lake RCMP received a report that a 2-year-old boy had been attacked by dogs in the community.

 

Officer responded and located the child a short distance from his residence with serious life-threatening injuries.

 

It’s believed the child wandered away from his home when he was attacked by several dogs. The child died at the scene.

 

As officers conducted their investigation on scene, members of the community entered the forest and were forced to shoot several dogs that were seen returning to the area.

 

Gods Lake RCMP continue to investigate.

Youth arrested for possessing BB gun

This Monday night around 10 PM, the Thompson RCMP received a complaint of BB guns being shot between trailers in the Burntwood Trailer Court.

 

Patrols were made and police located a 16 year-old boy with a BB handgun concealed under his shirt in the waistband of his pants.

 

He was arrested for multiple weapons offences and released to appear in court at a later date.

Forest View Suites deemed too Hazardous to re-open due to Multiple Fire Code Violations

The Office of the Fire Commissioner and the RCMP have completed their investigation of the Forest View Suites. Damage is extensive on the fifth floor, as well as smoke damage throughout the building.

 

Thompson Fire and Emergency Services have deemed the building unsafe until critical repairs are done and several fire code violations are addressed: the building will not be re-opened to residents until then.

 

Fire code violations have been an ongoing issue in the Forest View Suites North Tower for several months, and the owner of the facility has incurred $8, 004 in fines as of August 20. TFES has found a number of deficiencies in the building both before and after the fire that contributed to both the severity of the fire itself, and the potential for injury or loss-of-life:

 

  •  MFC 2.2.2.4: Closures in fire separations were not maintained in good working order, including repairs to common hallways and ceilings.
  • MFC 2.7.1.6: Paths of exit were not in good repair, nor free from obstructions.
  •  MFC 2.2.1.2: Fire separations in the building were not properly maintained.
  •  MFC 6.3.1.1: The fire alarm system is currently inoperable. No alarm reached the fire hall that evening: TFES was only alerted by phone calls from residents.
  • MFC 2.5.1.1: Fire extinguishers were absent from their assigned locations.
  • MFC 2.7.3.1: Emergency lighting was broken or absent.
  • MFC 2.7.3.1: Many exit signs were not illuminated.
  • MFC 2.7.1.1: The elevators are out of order.
  • MFC 2.4.1.1: Combustible materials were stored in the electrical room, when no combustible materials are to be stored within 4 feet of the room.

The building has been turned back over to Armour Management, who will be responsible for securing the building and allowing occupants to retrieve belongings.

 

Armour Management will also be responsible for ensuring the building is brought up to fire codes before the building can re-open.

 

The City of Thompson, Manitoba Emergency Social Services, and other partners are providing 72-hour emergency relief for evacuated occupants in, including food, lodging, and other emergency essentials.

 

“With the state of the North Tower being what it is, I can’t stress enough how extremely lucky we are not to have lost a life in this fire,” said Director of Fire and Public Safety Mike Bourgon.

 

“To allow residents to return to the building before these issues are fixed would be to put hundreds of lives back in immediate risk."

Federal candidates share their plans for First Nations in northern Manitoba during forum

Four of the five candidates running in the Churchill Keewatinook-Aski riding for the federal election participated in the “I’m First Nations and I Vote” forum last Thursday.

 

When asked about healthcare for Indigenous communities, Liberal Candidate Judy Klassen says she had advocated for more healthcare services to be made available to the north while she was an MLA for Keewatinook, but the provincial government cut those ideas.

 

Green Party candidate Ralph Mclean said it’s important to invest in interpreters for Elders who go down to Winnipeg for medical treatment, as they may not be able to speak English, while the Conservative’s Cyara Bird says it’s the Elders are vital in keeping indigenous culture alive, and adds that it’s important that they get the medical treatment they require while making sure they are as close to their communities as possible.

 

The NDP’s Niki Ashton talked about how the life expectancy of Indigenous people is getting lower, and says that she supports Island Lake activists in calling a public inquiry into medical services.

 

On the topic of Indigenous youth and the drug crisis, Bird says the youth need to be brought back to their culture, and says she would start up land-based sobriety camps in First Nations communities led by the Elders.

 

Ashton explained these challenges are linked to inter-generational trauma, and how the government should invest in rehab programs designed for young people, while Mclean talked about how most of the illicit drugs are being sent to Indigenous communities through the mail, and that he would work to get police dogs stationed at post offices to sniff them out.

 

Klassen says she had worked to get drug dogs stationed at airports to prevent illicit drugs from being sent to First Nations while she was an MLA, and that Indigenous youth don’t have the same opportunities to pursue good jobs, which leads them to turn to crime and substance abuse.

 

Canadians head to the polls on October 21st.

Fire at Forest View Suites North Tower displaces residents

At 1:28am, Thompson Fire and Emergency Services responded to a large fire at Forest View Suites North Tower.

 

The fire was contained to the 5th floor. No deaths were reported. Multiple levels of the building were filled with heavy smoke, and the building has been evacuated.

 

The local Canadian Red Cross is providing personal disaster assistance for those who have been displaced in the fire.

 

ALL EVACUEES ARE URGENTLY ASKED TO REPORT THE THOMPSON REGIONAL COMMUNITY CENTRE TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR. YOU MUST REGISTER BY 6:00PM TODAY TO RECEIVE EMERGENCY SUPPORT, INCLUDING FOOD OR ACCOMODATIONS.

 

Evacuated residents or the general public will not be able to enter 424 Princeton Drive until the scene has been investigated.

Thompson RCMP arrest youth for violent assault

On September 11, 2019, at approximately 7:30 pm, Thompson RCMP responded to a fight involving a weapon on Churchill Drive.

 

Officers arrived on scene where several bystanders were holding the suspect until police arrived.

 

The investigation has determined that a 13-year-old male struck a 58-year-old male with an axe.

 

The 13-year-old was arrested and charges of Assault with a Weapon and Possession of a Weapon for Dangerous Purpose are pending.

 

The 58-year-old victim was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

 

RCMP continue to investigate.

Manitoba NDP's Danielle Adams wins in Thompson

Thompson is swinging back to orange.

 

Danielle Adams of the New Democrats will be Thompson’s next MLA.

 

She received 54.41% of the votes, followed by incumbent PC MLA Kelly Bindle, who received 35.92%. Meagan Jemmet of the Green Party came in third at 6.03%, and Darla Contois brings up the rear at 3.63%.

 

In her victory speech last night, Adams thanked her campaign team and voters at her campaign office.

 

"This is not my win, this is our win. This was a team effort. We showed the PCs what northerns want. They want a representative in Winnipeg that's going to speak for them. Someone who's going to stand up for value-added jobs, going to stand up to this privatization and cuts agenda."

 

Bindle, who came by Adams’ campaign office last night to congratulate her on her win, says that while he didn’t get re-elected this time, he’s glad to see the PCs form a majority government for a second term, adding that having a majority will allow their policies to come through at the legislature.

 

He also offered some advice for the newly-minted MLA.

 

"There's going to be a lot demands from her party, from the legislature, and the constituents. The best advice I could give would be don't take it personally. Some people are going to say 'oh, you're the worst', and some are going to say 'oh, you're the greatest', and as soon as you believe either one, you're in trouble."

 

Bindle went on to thank all his supporters, volunteers, and their families for helping hm through the entire election.

 

While the provincial election has wrapped up, Manitobans won't get any rest from political campaigns or promises, as the federal election kicks off today.

Manitoba RCMP issues warning about fraudulent phone calls

The Manitoba RCMP is warning the public of fraudulent telephone calls which appear to be coming from the RCMP.

 

Those who answer these calls are told there is a warrant for their arrest, and that they can take care of the warrant by making a payment via bitcoin or money transfer.

 

The fraudsters are using Caller ID spoofing, which the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre describes as disguising telephone numbers appearing on a caller ID display. This popular tool allows scammers to disguise their calls, as the call will appear to be coming from local or familiar numbers to trick people into answering the phone and trusting the caller. In this instance, the number displayed is a valid RCMP phone number.

 

"We've been made aware of this incident occurring a number of times this past week in Manitoba. The scam is designed to create anxiety so that victims respond by sending money quickly in order to fix the problem," said Cpl. Julie Courchaine of the Manitoba RCMP. "We want to remind the public that the RCMP would never contact individuals through email or telephone to request payment or monetary transfers."

 

If you have received similar telephones calls or know of someone who has, please contact your local police and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or through their online reporting tool.

Thompson resident shares family experience of Hurricane Dorian

As the eastern regions of North and Central America deal with the aftermath left in the wake of Hurricane Dorian, a Thompson resident with a personal connection to one of the affected areas shares his experience.

 

Barry Bostwick, a student at our local UCN campus, had his family who were on the Abaco Islands in The Bahamas, live through the Category Five hurricane that passed through the archipelago nation earlier this month.

 

Here, Bostwick explains what it was like to receive a call from his mother, after the hurricane passed though the island.

 

"The storm made land last Sunday (September 1st) at around lunch time, and I didn't hear from my parents until the following Monday. My mom was able to go to one of the makeshift shelters, and they had a WiFi hotspot. She called using my aunt's phone, and she said 'Hey, we're alive, we made it through the storm, but everything's gone'."

 

Bostwick and his wife Rebecca have set up a GoFundMe page to help their family, with $1,800 donated to the page having been used on tickets to get the Bostwicks off the island.

 

If you would like to donate to the cause, you can visit the Bostwicks' GoFundMe page.

Two youths arrested for break and enter cases

On September 8, 2019 at 4 AM, Thompson RCMP officers responded to a report of a Break and Enter at a residence in the Burntwood area.

 

Officers were told that there were two males in black hoodies with crowbars trying to get into the garage at that residence, but had left the area.

 

Police contacted a Police Dog Services member and his Police Service Dog Deny, who did locate a track. Along the way a machete was located. PSD Deny tracked the males through several residential yards and located a male.

 

When the PDS officer yelled at the male that he was under arrest and to stop, the male continued to run. PSD Deny was released from his leash and apprehended the male youth.

 

Officers located a second male youth hiding in a nearby yard. One youth sustained minor injuries from the dog bite.

 

The youths were found to have committed a Break and Enter at another garage in the area, and they stole cash from a vehicle. They were held in custody and then released by a Judicial Justice of the Peace. They will appear in court this October.

 

Police would like to remind residents to ensure your vehicles and garages, as well as your homes are locked and secured.

 

Cst. Sandy Deibert is asking that anyone who suspects that they have had unwelcome visitors on your property overnight to please report this to police.

Provincial Candidates Forum to take place tonight

The Provincial Candidates Forum will take place later today.

 

The forum will be held at the Ma-Mow-We-Tak Friendship Centre tonight from 7 p.m. to 9p.m.

 

Candidates who are confirmed to be attending the forum are Kelly Bindle from the Progressive Conservatives, Danielle Adams from the New Democrats, and Meagan Jemmett from the Green Party.

 

It is not confirmed if Liberal Candidate Darla Contois will be in attendance.

 

The Provincial Candidates Forum is organized by the Thompson Chamber of Commerce.

Thompson RCMP looking for attempted theft suspects

Thompson RCMP is seeking public assistance in locating two suspects.

 

On September 1st, 2019, at approximately 12:35 AM, the Thompson RCMP received a complaint a man had been jumped by two men near the Juniper Drive and Elm Street intersection.

 

One of these men was armed with a machete and had attempted to take the victim's belongings but was unsuccessful.

 

These men were described as being approximately 18-25 years-old, approximately 6 feet tall and having a slim build. One man had been wearing a blue hoody and the other had been wearing a black hoody.

 

The victim did not sustain any injuries.

 

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to please contact the Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6911, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

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