Tomorrow is Orange Shirt Day.

It’s a commemorative day intended to raise awareness of the inter-generational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters”.

Keewatin Tribal Council is recognizing Orange Shirt Day with events at the Ma-Mow We Tak Friendship Centre today.    They begin (began)  at 7 with a pipe ceremony and will include survivors’ stories, lunch, and birthday cake for those children who never had a birthday.

On Saturday, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakinak will host events at the TRCC Gym to mark the day, which begins with a Survivors Honour Walk at 11 am at MacLean Park.

They will host a free lunch, family-friendly activities, and a survivors tea and bannock lounge.

For the full schedule of both events go to thompsononline.ca and click on the Events Calendar on the Home page.

While tomorrow is Orange Shirt Day, Keewatin Tribal Council will commemorate the day today at Ma-Mow-We-Tak Friendship Centre with an opening ceremony at 7am.

KTC will also hold a special fireworks event Saturday at 10 pm at the TRCC to close out Orange Shirt Day and mark a significant event in the lives of many northern residential school students.

KTC Grand Chief Walter Wastesicoot shares some of his story here about his journey on the Train of Tears.

“You’re leaving your family, you’re leaving your parents, you don’t know if or when you will ever see them again.  You are six years old and you are on a train, you don’t really see your surroundings for what they are because of the trauma you are experiencing. There is a profound sense of loss as you move further and further away.”

Wastesicoot was 6 years old when he and his brother were abducted while playing in the front yard of their home in Churchill.

For the complete interview about the Train of Tears, listen to Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10 this afternoon.

It will also play again tomorrow after the 6 pm news.

A new guarantor form created by Elections Manitoba and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs will make voting easier for first nations voters.

In lieu of the required forms of ID, the form  will allow the chief or council or band membership clerk to vouch for a band member and let them cast their ballot.

AMC Grand Chief Cathy Merrick, who represents around 165-thousand people in  62 of the 63 First Nations in Manitoba, said it’s very important for First Nations to establish a relationship with the provincial government.

Besides the guarantor form, Merrick said having polling stations in their communities will enable first nations people to have their voices heard.

The Declaration of First Nation Guarantor for Proof of Identity voters form can be found online at Elections Manitoba and on the AMC website.

On September 26, 2023, at approximately 3:35 am, Wabowden RCMP responded to a report of a possible hit and run, on Highway 6 near Hwy 373, approximately 10 km south of Wabowden.

A driver of a semi-truck had come across some debris on the roadway along with a possible body.

Officers attended immediately and located a deceased person in the ditch. It is believed the person was walking along the highway when he was struck and killed by a vehicle.

The deceased has been identified as a 34-year-old male originally from Manto Sipi Cree Nation.

Further investigation has determined that the 34-year-old male was travelling north on Highway 6, in a vehicle with four occupants, when he was dropped off on the side of the road, south of Wabowden, between 2:00 am- 3:00 am. It is believed the collision occurred shortly thereafter.

RCMP are asking anyone with information on this incident to please call Wabowden RCMP at 204-689-2685, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

There will be no tax increases from the City this year for Thompson home owners and businesses.

That was finalized at Monday’s city council meeting with the passage of the 2023 financial plan.

The mill rate remains the same as 2021 and 2022 at 26.15 mills and the business tax remains at 3.99 per cent.

Deputy Mayor Kathy Valentino broke down the city’s financial plan in her presentation at Monday’s City council meeting, indicating the two largest expenditures in this year’s budget were capital projects at $16.8 million and protective services, which came in at $12.1 million.

Overall, the budget for the City of Thompson for 2023 comes in at just over $51-million.

For the full budget breakdown, go to thompson.ca.

Tonight, the candidates in the upcoming provincial election for the Thompson riding will meet in a face-to-face debate.

Hosted by the Thompson Chamber of Commerce, the debate begins at 7 pm in the Letkemann Theatre at R.D. Parker Collegiate.

The public is encouraged to attend, ask questions, and hear the answers provided by
Progressive Conservative candidate Linda Markus and NDP candidate Eric Redhead regarding issues facing the north and all of Manitoba.

Due to illness, Liberal candidate Roy Jemison is unable to attend tonight’s debate.   

Advance polls will be open 8 am to 8 pm today through Saturday.  Election day is October 3rd.

On September 24, 2023, at approximately 1:00 pm, Island Lake RCMP received a report of a plane crash, a short distance from Red Sucker Lake airport.

A plane passing over, noticed the downed plane and reported it.

RCMP secured a helicopter from Customs Helicopter Limited, to assist.

Two RCMP officers, along with a pilot from Customs Helicopter, flew to the area and located the float plane. Due to the bog, the helicopter could not land, but was able to hover just above the ground long enough to bring the pilot to safety.

The 64-year-old male pilot was the only occupant on the plane and was not physically injured.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has been notified.

Break out the Halloween decorations and costumes.  Fun Stuff Thompson’s Halloween Parade is coming up on October 14th.

They’re looking for people to enter floats or dress up in their costumes and walk along the parade route.

The Parade will start at 11 am at the Heritage North Museum and will proceed around Thompson Drive, returning to the Museum.

One of the Parade organizers, Dennis Foley, has a request for those decorating floats.

“The one big thing to note is we are encouraging everybody to only decorate for the right side and that’s purely for a safety standpoint so we can get as close to the curb as possible. We don’t want to see kids running on the street and we have gotten feedback from the people in the parade that it helps make it a little easier to decorate as well.”

To register for the parade, go to Fun Stuff Thompson’s facebook page or email fun stuff thompson AT gmail DOT com.

You can also listen to Thompson Today this afternoon at 12:40 and 5:10.

The City of Thompson’s Level 3 electric vehicle charger has been installed and connected to the electrical system at the Thompson Regional Community Centre.

Before it can start powering up EV batteries, however, it has to pass an inspection by Manitoba Hydro, which could happen as early as this week.

Then the unit can be powered up, though it won’t be available for use until it is commissioned and training on its use provided by Eco-West.

The charger was purchased through a partnership between the City of Thompson and the provincial government, which both contributed $20-thousand.
Eco-West Canada will also pay up to $50-thousand and there was a private donation of $6-thousand.

The City of Thompson has not yet determined if the charger, located in the visitor parking section near the south entrance to the TRCC, will be available at no cost or on a pay-per-use basis.

Thompson RCMP discovered a stabbing victim outside the detachment late Friday evening.

After the 30-year-old male victim from Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, had been taken to the hospital, officers followed the blood trail to the nearby library.

Officers checked the footage from the detachment video cameras, where the entire stabbing incident was captured.

Two male suspects, 16 and 15 years of age, were located nearby. The 16-year-old was arrested without incident. The 15-year-old attempted to flee, but was quickly apprehended. The weapon was located on the 15-year-old.

The two suspects have been charged with Aggravated Assault and remain in custody.

The victim was transported to Winnipeg hospital for emergency surgery, where he remains in stable condition with serious injuries.

During City Beat last Thursday, Arctic Radio news spoke with Ian Graham, Communication Director for the City of Thompson.

A report from Thompson RCMP at last week’s Committee of the Whole meeting indicated no community blitzes were held over the summer, in comparison with two held back-to-back in April and May.    The blitzes are intended to address social disorder issues that take place downtown.

Graham explains here a reason why the blitzes were put on hold.

“The Liquor Mart strike, which had intermittent closures and some weekend long closures in late July and into August, kind of reduced some of the problem behaviours that the blitzes were designed to address.”  

Graham also said that with the departure of one of the Community Safety Officers, the remaining CSO wasn’t able to perform various duties on their own.

To see the full report from the Thompson RCMP detachment, go to thompson.ca.

The advance polls for the next provincial election open tomorrow.

Here in Thompson, you can cast your advance vote at the local election office in the City Centre Mall or at University College of the North.

Advance polls will run from 8 am to 8 pm this Saturday and then from noon to 6 pm on Sunday.    Then from this Monday through to September 30th, they will be open from 8 am to 8 pm.

To cast your vote bring your voter information card and have one piece of government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s licence. Or you can provide two other pieces of identification including your Manitoba health card, a passport, treaty card, utility bill, a social insurance card or credit card.

Election day in Manitoba is October 3rd.

Thompson Seniors and Elders have a resource that provides them with activities, support and, in some cases, food.

Penny Byer, the Resource coordinator with the Thompson Community Seniors Resource Council, provides details about their hamper program.

“We deliver a weekly food hamper as part of a food security program to eighteen people. It’s delivered by volunteers who are almost all seniors themselves. We follow the Canada Food Guide as closely as we can and we make sure there is fresh fruit and vegetables as well as fresh meat. We would love to expand it, the difficulty is being able to obtain ongoing grants and with the food cost rising, we are having to get a little bit more creative in our purchasing.”  

Next Friday, the Resource Council is holding a fund raiser featuring ventriloquist Damien James at 7 pm at the Letkemann Theatre.

Byer encourages Thompson residents to purchase tickets to the performance to help them raise funds needed to continue their programming.

Learn more about the Thompson Community Seniors Resource Council by listening to Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10.

According to Arthritis Society Canada, there are currently 6 million Canadians suffering with  arthritis and that number is expected to increase to 9 million by 2040.

An aging demographic and the lack of treatments to cure or slow the progression of the disease will contribute to that number.

Trish Barbato, the CEO of Arthritis Society Canada, shared some comments those with the condition have made.

“Every day is different so I can’t commit to anything because I don’t know if I will be able to do whatever they plan to do that day. They said don’t judge me because you can’t see that I’m in pain. Unless you have some of the really gnarly joints, often you cannot see it.”  

The two main types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, which can often by triggered by injuries to a joint.  The other is rheumatoid arthritis which is an auto-immune condition.  It is also the type most prevalent in children.

To learn more about arthritis, how it can be managed, and the support of the Arthritis Society Canada go to arthritis DOT ca.

You can also tune in to Thompson Today this afternoon at 12:40 and 5:10.

September is Arthritis Awareness Month.  

While there are over 100 types of arthritis, the two most common types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis causes cartilage to break down and rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the joints.

Corrie Billodeau, a volunteer with the Arthritis Society Canada and arthritis sufferer shares how the condition has affected her life.

“It absolutely changed everything in my whole life. From the minute I woke up, even my sleep was affected at that time. I had a lot of joint changes therefore there were also physical limitations to deal with. I had to change jobs as my job was too physical and I lost a lot of friends because they did not understand my fatigue and pain that I was dealing with. I was no longer able to play sports, even standing in a line for a concert or going for long walks at that time was very hard for me.”
       
Billodeau credits the Arthritis Society Canada for providing her with the resources needed to cope with her condition and for the research they fund to help improve treatments.

To hear her story, listen to Thompson Today this afternoon at 12:40 and 5:10.

If you’re an adult who misses the days of playing an instrument in your school band or  jamming with your friends, consider joining Thompson’s Community Band.

They play at a number of events around the city, including the Remembrance Day Service and throughout the Christmas season.

Here is Kevin Lewis, the director of the community band.

“We would invite you to join us, this is the start of our 17th season and it’s going to start on Tuesday, September 19th. Normally, we are in our band room but because of construction, we are actually going to be downstairs in the Letkemann Theatre and we will likely be there for the first few months. Those not familiar with the school, just come in the front doors and, once again, there will be signs pointing in the right direction. Rehearsals run every Tuesday between 6:30 and 8:00pm.”

New members should contact Lewis ahead of time to make sure the instruments and music needed will be on hand.

Go to RDPARKERMUSIC.COM for more about the community band and other music programs.

You can also listen to Lewis this afternoon on Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10.

The Thompson Chamber of Commerce meeting on Wednesday was joined by guest, Raj Sewda, CEO for the  Northern Regional Health Authority.

Sewda took over the position on April 1st and said he is travelling to the communities in the region to see and hear for himself what the needs and wants are regarding health care.

During the meeting, Sewda heard from attendees about the difficulties in having to travel down to Winnipeg for specialist appointments, the revolving door of doctors that make it tough to maintain consistent care, and facilities that need to be upgraded.

He spoke about the redevelopment plan for the Thompson General Hospital which is still in the works and the Clinical Preventive Services Plan.  

This plan will see 115-million dollars dedicated to the Northern Health Region, with the aim to deliver better health outcomes, shorter wait times and improved national rankings.

Sewda said the NRHA hopes to see some outcomes by 2024.

On September 13, 2023, at approximately 6:05 am, Island Lake RCMP received a report of an arson in the parking lot of the First Nation Safety Officer’s (FNSO) building, in St. Theresa Point First Nation.

It was reported that a FNSO truck was set on fire and it had spread to a second vehicle. Two snowmobiles and the building also sustained damage.

Officers attended and with the assistance of the FNSO’s, a suspect was identified.

Dan Taylor, 42, was arrested and charged with two counts of Arson and three counts of Mischief. He was remanded into custody.

There’s a move to revive the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association or CASARA here in the northern part of the province.

Colin Bennett, a volunteer with the association is working to bring that about.  He talks here about the reception his idea is receiving.

“I’ve spoken with a number of people in Thompson, I went to City Hall, to the fire department, to the airport administration, to NAV Canada, to the office of the Fire Commissioner in Brandon, to the RCMP Search and Rescue and said ‘Hey, here is what I want to do, what do you think?’ and to a person that I spoke with said, ‘Fantastic idea, what can I do?’”

A Provincial Search and Rescue exercise or SAREX will take place here in Thompson on September 22nd and 23rd.

Volunteers who signed up during the Health and Leisure Mart will be included in the exercise.

For more on the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association, go to their website at CASARA National.  You can also listen to the first of a two-part Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10.    Part two plays tomorrow at the same times.

With water renewal and road construction nearing completion in the Juniper and Deerwood areas, there’s still something missing.

At the regular meeting of council Monday night, Dennis Foley, a resident of the Deerwood area, addressed the lack of streetlights and the safety concerns that presents.

Foley noted that the lights had been removed over a year ago.

He asked whether those lights would be up soon, or at least by Halloween.

Lyle Safronetz, Director of Development & Technical Services for the City of Thompson said he and other city staff had met with Manitoba Hydro last week.

Safronetz relayed that Hydro would have the streetlights up and operational by early October and that a contingency plan of having light towers for Halloween is already prepared, in case of a delay.

To learn more about jobs with the Northern Regional Health Authority, drop by their Career Fair and Family Fun afternoon on September 21st.

It will be held at the TRCC from 12:30 to 3:30 and will provide information about current job availabilities and services offered within the NRHA.

Gabby Smith-Landry, a Consultant for Substance Use and Recovery, tells us about some of the positions they are looking to fill.

“We are looking for nurses and mobile crisis clinicians. Here at Substance Use and Recovery specifically, we are looking for councillors both on the in house and community based side. We need a cook, some residential care workers and an office assistant.”  

The Career Fair will be held in the multi-purpose room and the Family Fun afternoon takes place in the TRCC gym.

There will be games for kids, story-book reading, and a coloring station.

For the details about the NRHA Career Fair, listen to Thompson Today this afternoon at 12:40 and 5:10.

There’s a building boom in Thompson.

To date, 56 building permits have been issued in the city, compared to 52 permits in the same time frame last year.

However, the dollar amount of the 2023 projects comes in at almost 27-million dollars while last year’s projects were about half of that, sitting at 13.6 million dollars.

Deputy Mayor Kathy Valentino feels it’s a good sign for Thompson and local businesses.

“A lot of our business owners are investing in renovations and improvements to their commercial properties and that, to me, clearly shows that our economy is recovering well. Especially from the downturn for businesses that resulted from the COVID pandemic.”  

Valentino sees these investments as a vote of confidence by businesses in the future of Thompson and the north.

With an election looming, small business owners in Manitoba aren’t convinced the politicians are in their corner.

SeoRihn Yoo, (Suhrin You) a Policy Analyst with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, provides some results from their latest survey here.

"Our survey found that 74% of small businesses in Manitoba don’t feel confident that their concerns and priorities will receive attention during the campaign. Only 25% felt confident and of those 25, only 2% indicated that they felt very confident.”

The CFIB believes this low level of optimism is reflective of the many challenges small businesses have faced, including the pandemic and their struggles to rebound from it.

There are almost 43-thousand small businesses in Manitoba, employing over 220-thousand people.

For more on the latest CFIB survey, listen to Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10.

Just like its name sake, the Terry Fox Run in Thompson has been resilient.

Even though  COVID restrictions forced the event to go virtual for a couple years, Thompson was able to successfully resume an in-person event last year.

Here is Samantha Leahy, (Lee-Hee)  one of the organizers for this year’s Terry Fox run.

“We seem to have pretty good numbers come out to last year’s event. The virtual event also went very well for us, people seemed enthusiastic to be able to get out of the house and participate in something even if it was social distanced.”   

This year’s event takes place on Sunday, September 17th at the TRCC, starting at noon.

You can go online to register or to make a donation.

For more information you can go to terry fox DOT org, check out the Terry Fox Run Thompson facebook page, or listen to Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10.

On Wednesday evening, Thompson RCMP responded to a report of an assault at a convenience store located on Thompson Drive.

Officers arrived and found a 33-year-old-woman  from Thompson, with visible non-life-threatening physical injuries.

She advised officers that she had been held against her will and repeatedly assaulted at a camp site located in a forested area near UCN Drive and Riverside Drive.

The site was discovered and the suspect, a 28-year-old man from Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation was arrested.

He was taken into police custody and will be remanded on charges including Aggravated Assault, Forcible Confinement and Fail to Comply with Release Order .

The investigation continues.

If you’re considering a career with the RCMP or wish to know what is required to apply, attend their recruiting event.

It takes place at the TRCC gym on Friday, September 15th from 5 to 7 pm.

Constable Sandy Deibert encourages the public to take advantage of this information session and the opportunity to speak with officers.

“One of the RCMP’s main priorities right now is recruiting. At the local level here in Thompson, we decided that offering this opportunity for the public to come and see officers and speak with us about the force and the RCMP. Then, we’ll have an opportunity for anyone to apply online who is interested in that process.”  

Some requirements to become an officer include fluency in English or French, a clean driving record, having a Canadian high school diploma or equivalent, and being willing to relocate anywhere in Canada.

Get more details about the recruiting event and what a career in the RCMP can offer, listen to Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10 this afternoon.

THOMPSON, MB – Three months have passed since Maple Leaf Construction arrived in Thompson to begin work on six kilometres of local roads, several of which are all but complete.

Caribou Road, Elk Bay, Fox Bay, Lynx Crescent and Juniper Drive between Oak Street and Spruce Road are the most substantially completed of the roads worked on this year. Apart from a few driveway touchups and tie-ins, all that remains is back-of-curb restoration work, which includes the filling in of topsoil and grass seeding. This work will probably be scheduled for next spring to ensure that the grass has a chance to get established.

A second group of roads are at least halfway done. These include Beaver Crescent and Spruce Road, which still need another layer of asphalt as well as some driveway, curb and sidewalk tie-ins. Coral Crescent is also mostly completed, with some curb base work, one layer of asphalt and curb restorations remaining. Nelson Road has milling and base work as well as driveway tie-ins and asphalt paving yet to be done. Deerwood Drive still requires milling, base work, asphalt and driveway tie-ins. Wolf Street is awaiting the completion of some minimal sidewalk work as well as milling and paving.

Thompson Drive North is in the early stages of its scheduled work, with curbs having been put in along the north side lane between Quartz Street and UCN Drive. Curb work still needs to be completed along the south side as well as milling and asphalt paving before the construction season ends.

Only two of the roads scheduled for restoration this year haven’t had any work done yet. One of them is Staghorn Drive, which was left until last in order to ensure that residents of nearby streets had somewhere close to home to park while Beaver Crescent and Deerwood Drive were being worked on.  Work on Staghorn is scheduled to begin once Beaver Crescent work is completed.

The other road that hasn’t seen any work done is Juniper Drive between Spruce Road and Selkirk Avenue. Repaving this section of road has been postponed until 2024 in order to give the ground time to resettle following the many excavations that were done as part of water main installation work in the area earlier this spring and summer.

Maple Leaf Construction crews are off for four days from September 1 through Labour Day before returning for their next 10-day work rotation on September 5. Once they are back, they will be working on Beaver Crescent first before moving on to Deerwood Drive, Staghorn Drive, Wolf Street and Coral Crescent and then finishing off with Nelson Road and Thompson Drive. Base and sidewalk crews will be in Thompson next week, followed by the asphalt crew the week of September 11.

On the water and wastewater renewal side, Accurate HD corrected all deficiencies from last year’s work in Deerwood and completed water main installation work along Juniper Drive in June and July. They have been working along Westwood Drive since July 15 and construction is finished up to Sauger Crescent. Accurate HD is currently working towards Char Bay and was nearing the intersection of Westwood and the western end of Pintail Crescent as August came to a close. It is expected that work will continue into early or mid October in order to complete all of what was planned for 2023.

A man and woman were arrested in Cross Lake last Thursday during a traffic stop.

Officers approached the vehicle and placed one of the occupants under arrest for the possession of a controlled substance.

While searching the accused, police located a quantity of substance believed to be cocaine. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of a duffel bag, containing a large quantity of cash, and a loaded handgun from under the seat.

A 27-year-old woman from Winnipeg, was taken into police custody on drug and firearms related charges.

A 30-year-old man, from Cross Lake, was also arrested on scene for assaulting a police officer, uttering threats and obstruction of justice for interfering with officers during the investigation.

September is World Alzheimer Month.

One of the cornerstone programs for Alzheimer patients is the First Link Client Support program.

Jessica Harper, the Senior Manager of the program in Manitoba, explains what it offers to patients and their caregivers.

“Our staff navigates conversations with families around warning signs and getting a diagnosis, talking about what is dementia and what to expect throughout the disease’s progression, understanding behaviour changes, navigating changes and care needs, housing transitions, different community resources that are available, helping support individuals and families through the panelling process and transition into long term care.”

Harper says First Link can be accessed through a referral by a medical professional or through self-referral.

To find out more about First Link go to the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba’s website at alzheimer.mb.ca

You can also learn more by tuning in to Thompson Today this afternoon at 12:40 and 5:10.

Today marks the return to designated school zone speed limits being in effect.

Thompson RCMP reminds drivers they must reduce their speed to 30 kilometres an hour at a school zone between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Failure to do so can result in fines of at least two hundred dollars.

Other fines can also be issued.   If you pass a bus while it is stopped and has the stop sign displayed,   you could receive a $672 fine.

Passing a vehicle stopped for a pedestrian in a designated pedestrian corridor is a fine of $143.

The school zone speed limits remain in effect until June 30th of each school year.

This is the Labour Day long weekend.

That means city facilities including the waste disposal grounds will be closed on Monday.

However, there is an exception to these closures, as explained by Mayor Colleen Smook on City Beat yesterday.

“One thing that’s not closed this Monday is Steelworkers, they are holding their annual Labour Day celebrations and BBQs and things for kids to do. That starts at 10:30 in the morning at the Union Building.”

Smook went on to say that the USW Local 6166 Labour day event is open to the whole community.

On Wednesday evening, Thompson RCMP responded to a weapons’ call at a residence located on Ashberry Place in the City.

Officers arrived on scene and located a 33-year-old man who had been shot. He was transported to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Thompson RCMP, along with Major Crime Services and RCMP Forensic Identification Services, continue to investigate.