The Thompson YWCA is celebrating International Women’s Day with their “She Inspires Me” campaign.

For a second year, everyone is invited to share messages of support and gratitude to the women and girls in their lives. Director of Women’s Program at the YWCA,

Nina Cordell, tells us how to submit those messages.

“Give me a call, 778-1209. E-mail me, womensprogram@ywca.com. Message us on facebook. We’ll also have the information on our website.”

Cordell said there is no age limit for who can receive a message. Messages should be submitted by next Friday.

Everyone who receives a message also gets two tickets to the Laughter-noon Comedy show on March 8th. It features performances by Florence Spence and Issa Black Wolf Kixen, two comedians from Winnipeg.

Tickets for the comedy show are also available for purchase at Scotia Bank for $10 each.

Complete details can be heard this afternoon on Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10.

On January 27th, 2020, the Thompson RCMP received a shoplifting report from Giant Tiger as two men had ran out of the store with a cart full of stolen meat, valued at approximately $400.

Police are seeking the assistance of the general public in identifying one of the suspects in the attached photo.

Anyone with information on this theft is asked to call the Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

A new family medicine residency program for Thompson was announced on Tuesday.

It will give medical residents a chance to experience northern and remote health-care service delivery and encourage physician recruitment to under served areas of our health region.

Dr. Jose Francois, medical director of Shared Health’s family medicine program comments here.

“We’re going to start off with two residents per year and, over the next few years, look at expanding based on the experience.”

Francois also shared how the candidates are chosen for the residency program.

“We have a national selection process. We take applicants from across the country. We then interview and we make our rank-order list and then the candidates also put a rank-order list and there is a match process. We will see next week what our results are.”

Francois said similar residency programs began in Dauphin around 25 years ago and have been launched around the province ever since. He said the retention rate of doctors in the region where they’ve done their residency training has been around 75 per cent.

The residency program will begin here in Thompson this July.

On Monday evening, the School District of Mystery Lake presented some of the budget highlights for the upcoming school year.

One thing Thompson taxpayers will be relieved to hear is that the district has managed to keep tax increases to a minimum.

Kelly Knott, the Secretary Treasurer for the district, shares the details here.

“We’re looking at a special requirement increase of .61 per cent. So that’s the amount of local taxation we are looking for. The province had provided a directive that the maximum allowed would be a 2 per cent tax increase and we put together our budget with a .61 per cent increase.”

Knott also explained how much money the district will have to work with this year and what it’s earmarked for.

“Our total revenue for next year’s budget is anticipated at $42,812,000. Looking at our expenses, salaries and benefits are 85 per cent of our operating costs. Services make up 8 per cent, supplies and materials 4.95 per cent and fiscal, which is mainly our payroll tax, is 1.6 per cent.”

Two other factors that will impact the final budget is the province’s mandate for districts tor reduce management positions by 15 per cent and the release of the K-12 education review on March 31st.

To see the Budget Presentation go to mystery net dot mb dot ca.

The Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life here in Thompson is less than two months away.

An important part of the Relay for Life event are the luminaries.

Darlene Whelan-Tsitsos, who heads up the luminaries committee explains.

“The luminaries are placed in special bags that bear the names of cancer survivors and loved ones who are battling the disease or have left us in their battle. The tea lights are lit in a special ceremony and provide light and inspiration to participants all night long. This ceremony is often one of the most impactful and memorable times of Relay for Life.”

Luminaries are just five-dollars each. They are available from any registered participant of the relay and will also be sold at the event on April 18th.

A mission team from the Thompson Pentecostal Assembly will travel to Cuba in March.

One of the team’s jobs is to help with a feeding program just outside of Havana. Team Leader, Pastor Mel Versluis tells us why this program is necessary, especially for the elderly in Cuba.

“A senior there is given about $8 a month to live on. They’re expected to feed themselves and clothe themselves and find accommodation for that. The friend we have there works with a feeding program to give the seniors one full meal a day. For many of them, that’s the only meal they eat for the entire day.”

In preparation for the trip, the team has some work to do here at home first. Pastor Mel explains.

“We do some fund raising to help cover the costs of the projects that we do there. Last year we were there, we brought some netting to cover their green house. We raised funds for that, but each individual had to raise their own funds to pay their way and their accommodations and that sort of thing.”

This Saturday, February 29th, the team is holding an International dinner starting at 6 at the church at 126 Goldeye Crescent in order to raise funds.

On February 23rd at approximately 7:05 PM, the Thompson RCMP observed a snowmobiler in a wooded area near the Heritage North Museum on Princeton Drive.

Police proceeded to drive up to this snowmobile when the snowmobile drove off and ran into a door of the police vehicle.

The driver of the snowmobile, a 17 year-old male youth from Thompson, then fled on foot. The youth was arrested soon thereafter and found in possession of approximately 5 ounces of cocaine.

This youth faces multiple drug trafficking charges and was released to appear in court at a later date.

The Thompson Public Library is marking the leap year with an extra day of activities.

Trista Jenson from the library has those details.

“This Saturday at 3 pm we will be having a Leap Year event for kids ages 4 to 8. We will be reading stories and doing crafts. There still are some spots left for this event. You can sign up for this event by phoning us at 677-3717 or by messaging our facebook page.”

Jenson said that March is Nutrition Month and the library will be welcoming back the dieticians from the NRHA. Every Tuesday in March, the dieticians will be on hand for story time, reading stories and doing crafts. No sign up is needed.

This is also Freedom to Read Week across Canada. Jenson explains its purpose.

“Freedom to Read Week is an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom which is guaranteed them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We also have a Freedom to Read book display by the front desk of previously banned books."

Just after 5 am this past Saturday, an attempted break and enter took place at the Liquor Mart.

Thompson RCMP said no entry was gained but the glass door at the front entrance was smashed.  Multiple suspets were seen running away from the scene.

Following that, at around 5:30 Saturday morning, RCMP were again dispatched to a break and enter.  This time The Hub restaurant was broken into and a quantity of liquor was stolen. 

Then, this morning around 8:42,  the Thompson RCMP were on patrol when they observed a smashed window at Doug's Source for Sports. 

he initial investigation confirmed there was a break and enter at approximately 1:29 AM into the store and approximately $500 merchandise was stolen. 

Anyone with information on these break and enters are asked to call the Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.     Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com

The School District of Mystery Lake board will be holding their annual budget consultation meeting tonight.

Here, school board chair Don McDonald explains that the meeting is a chance to see where the money comes from, where it’s delegated to, and what the implications are for tax payers in the city.

“This is a meeting we hold every year. It’s a period in the budget process where administration has prepared a budget, the board has reviewed it, but the budget has not been formally considered by the board or passed.  It’s an opportunity for the public to see where we stand financially,  what we’re proposing to do next year, what it’s going to cost, where the money goes.

And it’s also a chance for the public to have input into the process and comment on what’s being proposed.”

The meeting will be held tonight at 7 at the School Board Office, which is beside Giant Tiger.

Since recycling has been introduced to Thompson, millions of kilograms of material has been diverted from the Thompson landfill.

However, there were challenges of garbage and other contaminants finding their way into recycling bins, sometimes causing full truckloads to have to be sent to the landfill.

Recent bylaw enforcement has changed that as Billie-Jo Thompson, manager of the Recycling Center shares here.

“With the city now enforcing bylaws on the residential recycling bins we have seen a significant decrease in the amount of contaminants coming down the line, which has made it much more manageable for the employees. We have time to do other things. It’s been about three weeks. The positives have been just wonderful.”

If you’re caught placing waste in your recycling cart or at the recycling depot, it will cost you $168 for your first offense. A second offense will be doubled to $336.

Thompson also spoke about how recycling in the city has transformed since it was first introduced. From trailers being hauled by trucks and materials being sorted as they were picked up curbside, Thompson’s present-day operation is streamlined, efficient and safer.

And, in the past year, more welcome changes have taken place. Thompson tells us about those.

“The City of Thompson now operates a one-stop drop at the landfill, which is open Tuesdays and Thursdays and Saturdays during the summer months, so it’s accessible all year around. There’s a used oil depot out there that will collect used oil , filters, containers as well as anti-freeze. And there’s a hazardous waste depot for paint, aerosols, paint thinners, varnish, old fuel, fluorescent light bulbs, etc, as well as an e-waste depot for all your electronics.”

Thompson says these changes have helped divert even more items from the weekly household pickups.

Listen to the interview at thompsononline.ca. Go to the Home tab, click on Audio, then Home, then Thompson Today.

The Manitoba government has signed a preliminary deal with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs to transfer ownerhship of northern airports and ferry services.    The details of the deal are still to be work out.

And the Assembly's Grand Chief, Arlen Dumas, says the federal government will have to provide some type of resources as well.

"There are different components federally in regards to aviation, transportation and things of that sort that we need to have a conversation about.  

There are certain requirements provincially that the province is reponsible for."

Premier Brian Pallister says the deal is an example of reconciliation because it provides First Nations with economic opportunities and ownership of the transportation system used to supply food, medication and other goods.

The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation has released the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement report.

The report, titled "Lessons Learned, Survivors' Perspectives", was released at a special event at the University of Manitoba at 9 this morning.

According to a news release, the information shared in the report could help with the development of future settlement agreements and determine how the process of reconciliation should proceed in the future with Indigenous peoples.

The report is available onlin at nctr.ca.

Traffic officers were busy during the long weekend.

During one traffic stop in the Giant Tiger parking lot on Saturday, officers found out a driver had no driver’s license, and a passenger in the vehicle had an unendorsed warrant for his arrest. The passenger was arrested on the strength of the warrant and was later released.

Another traffic stop at the intersection of Wolf and Deerwood on Saturday determined a motorist was driving with an unregistered vehicle. The driver’s license was expired and suspended, and the driver was also on a Canada-wide driving prohibition.

The driver was arrested and later released, and the vehicle was impounded for 30 days.

Officers also issued 11 tickets for speeding, with the highest speeds being over 34 kilometres an hour over the speed limit, which was received by a driver on Highway 6 and another driver on Highway 280.

The Northern Health Region has given an update on the situation regarding the Thompson General Hospital's operating rooms.

The NRHA's Communications Coordinator, Twyla Storey, says construction will be completed by next week and clean up will take place during the first week of March.

Storey goes on to say that the ORs are on track to be open on March 9th, and the hospital has started the process of booking patients for procedures.

Three of the ORs sustained major water damage last June, after a faulty air conditioning unit located about the ORs caused flooding.

This caused the hospital to limit procedures to life-and-limb saving surgeries until the ORs were renovated.

This week, officers from Major Crime Services, Thompson Detachment, Thompson General Investigation Section, and North District Crime Reduction Enforcement Team, will be in Thompson to canvass residents and to take additional statements from people who may have seen Bobbie Lynn Moose of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation in the days prior to her death.

Bobbie, 29, was last seen by family in Thompson at the Walmart on Mystery Lake Road, on October 1, 2019. She was found deceased by a member of the public on October 17, 2019, near Nelson Road in Thompson, Manitoba.

In an effort to gain more information about Bobbie’s time in Thompson, over 90 RCMP officers and employees have:

•  Spoken with over 1500 people through canvassing neighbourhoods and areas frequented by Bobbie.

• Taken statements from 190 people.

• Obtained video from 64 locations in Thompson and collected 52,560 hours of video surveillance.

• Distributed pamphlets requesting information to every residence in Thompson (over 4,000).

• Distributed an additional 1000 pamphlets, in Cree, requesting information throughout Thompson and surrounding communities. 

• Placed posters in English and Cree requesting information in locations throughout Thompson and in every northern detachment. 

• Aired a plea, in both English and Cree, over radio stations in Thompson and surrounding First Nation communities.

“Our efforts to find the person or persons responsible for taking Bobbie’s life will not diminish” said Corporal Morgan Page, the lead Major Crime Services investigator. “We will continue to do everything we can to solve this homicide but we need the help of the public. If you know anything about what happened to Bobbie, please contact the RCMP.”

The RCMP believes that someone has details about Bobbie’s time in Thompson between October 1st and October 17th, 2019. Anyone with information regarding Bobbie's activities in Thompson during this time is asked to contact Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909. Anonymous tips can be made to CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

Five RD Parker Collegiate students involved as youth members at city council presented to the school board Tuesday night about hosting a summer camp and the student elections coming up.

The SPEACC committee consists of Drew Heskin, Kendra Martinussen, Taylar Hanson-Oliveira, Ashley Singh, and Karisma Vyas, who told the board that they believe the summer camp would help reduce the amount of crimes committed in Thompson.

The committee explained that they will be inviting community members like RCMP officers, firefighters, paramedics, city councillors, and local Elders to help lead the workshops during the camp, which they’d like to take place at Wapanohk School in early July.

Heskin, who is the Youth Member for city council and the the Legislative and Intergovernmental Afair Committee, told the board that the camp would be for children ages 7-13, and they would be inviting community members to run the workshops, including firefighters, RCMP officers, local Elders, and city councillors.

SPEACC also talked about the upcoming student elections are RD Parker, who will shadow the current youth reps before succeeding them in the fall, and add that they plan to have the election be a fair, democratic vote.

Local MP Niki Ashton spoke about the level of child poverty in the north in the House of Commons recently.

Ashton says 63 per cent of children in the region live in poverty according to a recent Campaign 2000 report, and it’s due to the poverty their mothers face.

She stated the federal government must change course and take on the factors that lead to this poverty, such as making healthy food accessible, tackling the housing crisis, ending gender-based violence, and ensuring First Nations consent to development in their territories.

Ashton went on to declare that she stands with the many women in the north and across the country who are demanding better for themselves, their children, and our collective futures.

Thompson Fire and EMS along with the RCMP are investigating a house fire on Pickerel Crescent that occurred last week.

Police say multiple people were able to safely evacuate the residence, and no injuries were reported, though the house did sustain minor damage.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, though the RCMP say it’s not considered to be suspicious in nature.

Police are investigating the break and enter into Thompson’s Wastewater Treatment Plant on Nelson Road.

The city’s RCMP was notified of the break and enter on Sunday morning at around 7:33 a.m.

Entry was gained through the main entrance of the building, and significant damage was sustained to the operator room inside the plant.

Anyone with information about this incident can call Thompson RCMP at 24-677-6909 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Tips can also be submitted online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

Local police are looking for two youth suspects following a robbery at the ET Blades in the Westwood Mall

Thompson RCMP received a complaint of a break and enter on Wednesday just before 7 a.m.

When they arrived at the scene, officers learned the suspects smashed a window with a sledge hammer to break into the store.

The two youth were seen breaking in the store and stealing hockey sticks and jerseys.

Anyone with information about this incident can call Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Tips can also be submitted online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.