A man from Kinosao Sipi Cree Nation is facing charges after a traffic stop by Norway House RCMP on Sunday afternoon.

They stopped a vehicle on Highway 373 and found a 21-year-old woman without a valid driver’s licence driving an unregistered vehicle.

A 20-year-old male passenger had an outstanding arrest warrant and was also found breaching conditions of a recent Release Order.

He was placed under arrest and a search of the vehicle located a small backpack under his seat containing a large quantity of pills, believed to be Ecstasy, and over $2500 in cash.

Dustin Chubb, 20, was remanded into custody on charges including Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime and Fail to Comply with Release Order.

Norway House RCMP continue to investigate.

Tomorrow, there’s a deadline for around 50-thousand businesses who took advantage of the Canadian Emergency Business Account or CEBA loan during the pandemic.

It’s their last day to qualify for a special extension the federal government allowed for them to refinance their loan to qualify for the forgivable portion of the CEBA loan.

Brianna Solberg, Director of Legislative Affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business has more.

“Roughly 700 businesses are still trying to refinance on time to qualify for that forgiveness and unfortunately 1400 small businesses missed the repayment deadline and therefore lost that $20,000 forgivable portion.”

Two-hundred thousand small businesses, or 23 per cent, were forced to take on new debt to refinance their CEBA loans.

Dan Kelly, CFIB President, said many businesses that had to borrow to repay their loans are facing high interest rates in a business environment that is far from being back to normal.

To hear more about the CEBA loan deadlines, catch Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10.

A 29-year-old man has been charged with Aggravated Assault, forcible confinement, and robbery after an incident in Thompson.

Early last Friday morning, Thompson RCMP received a report of a disturbance at an apartment building on Copper Road.

Officers arrived and found a 22-year-old man suffering from multiple stab wounds.  They provided life-saving first aid to him until Emergency medical services arrived.

He was transported to Thompson General Hospital in critical condition and remains there.

Samuel Miles, from Kinosao Sipi Cree Nation, had been staying with the victim when Miles held him against his will and robbed him. Miles then stabbed the victim multiple times before fleeing the scene.

Miles was located later that morning at a residence in Thompson.    He remains in custody.

On Thursday, NDP deputy critic for Indigenous Services Niki Ashton, called for the federal government to extend funding for searches at residential school sites beyond 2025.

Ashton had this to say about the situation.

“Communities have located evidence of more than 2,300 children in suspected unmarked graves at or near former residential schools and Indian hospitals. Communities need answers, they need to be able to bring their children home. Unfortunately, Canada’s response has been less then acceptable.”

Pimicikamak Chief David Monias, along with Dene National Chief Gerald Antoine, encouraged the federal government to fund the International Commission on Missing Persons beyond the present two-million dollars.

ICMP presented an interim report last week that covers the work done so far and suggests next steps.

Antoine said residential schools amounted to genocide and a crime, and that families deserve justice.

Today, the Northern Health Region opens its new Community Care Clinic at the Thompson General Hospital.

The clinic,  located in Room M-170 on the main floor of the Hospital, will operate 7 days a week from 7:15 am to 7:30 pm.

It will be staffed by two nurses and a nurse practitioner.

The NHR created the clinic in order to take the pressure off the Emergency Room and to help patients avoid long wait times in the ER.

Patients to the new clinic will have to be referred there by their healthcare provider.

Services provided by the clinic will include I-V infusions, blood work, wound care and, in the future, cast care.

The clinic won’t provide primary care services or care for minor ailments.   Those can still be handled at the Thompson Clinic in the Thompson Plaza or by using Q-DOC.

Northern artists are showcasing their talents this weekend in The Pas.

Today is the start of the 48th Northern Juried Art Show, which takes place in the gymnasium at the University College of the North.

Artists from around the north are showcasing their talents in a number of disciplines.  They include painting, watercolour, drawing and printmaking, fibre art, 3-dimensional art and photography.

There is also a separate category for youth ages 9 to 17.

Today’s hours are from 9 am to 8 pm.  Saturday the show will be open from 10 am to 3 pm and on Sunday from 1 to 3 pm.

There will be a silver collection at the door.

Last June, the City of Thompson received 60-thousand dollars from the Building Sustainable Communities grant.

This money will be used toward the updating of the Zoning By-Law and Development Plan for the city.

Mayor Colleen Smook shares details about the project.

“The last time that Thompson’s district development plan was approved was 2012 and 2013 so it’s definitely in need of updating. This project will create two new documents incorporating amendments that have been made and been making over the last few years.”

The project, which is estimated to take between 10 to 12 months to complete, will cost 120-thousand dollars in total.

It must be wrapped up by March 31st, 2025, or the province’s money will have to be returned.

At Monday’s Committee of the Whole Meeting, it was recommended that the city approve the city’s portion of 60-thousand dollars to come from the General Reserve account in order to get the project underway.

On March 18, 2024, at 11:45 pm, Thompson RCMP received a report of a missing 40-year-old male from Thompson.

Adolph Dumas, 40, was last seen earlier that evening near a business located on Churchill Drive in Thompson and RCMP are concerned for his wellbeing.

RCMP have conducted numerous enquiries at several addresses of interest in Thompson without success. It is believed he is still in the community.

If you’ve seen Adolph or have any information on his whereabouts, please call Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909/6911, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

Photo attached.

On March 19, 2024, as a result of an ongoing investigation, officers from the Grand Rapids RCMP Detachment executed a search warrant at a residence, located on River Road, in Misipawistik Cree Nation.

Upon entry into the home, officers arrested two suspects who were taken into police custody.

As a result of the search, officers seized over 140 grams of cocaine, crack cocaine, illicit pills, cash and drug related paraphernalia.

RCMP have charged Vernon Lee Turner, 42, from Misipawistik Cree Nation, with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime and Disobeying Order of Court. He was remanded into custody.

A 38-year-old female, from Misipawistik Cree Nation, was later released from custody without charge.

The Manitoba RCMP is committed to working with First Nation communities that have asked to make drug enforcement a priority.  These enforcement actions will continue as per the expressed wishes of community leadership.

The investigation continues.

This week, many of us were excited to celebrate the change of seasons from winter to spring.

Here, Bruce Krentz, Health Promotion Director with the Northern Health Region shares some information about the spring equinox.

“Spring equinox, in the Indigenous culture, spring is a time of rebirth and renewal. The teaching of elders tells us that the Spring Equinox is the understanding of balance, it’s the teaching of a natural world in which we live. It helps to create and take care of us in a spiritual way.”

The Northern Health Region invites the community to a pipe ceremony, smudging and feast today at 1 pm in the Thompson Cultural Room at the Thompson General Hospital.

Elder Isabelle Morris will lead the event.

On March 20, 2024, at approximately 1:00 am, Norway House RCMP conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle located on James Apetagon Drive in the community.

Officers approached the vehicle, with seven occupants, and spoke with the driver when a firearm was observed inside.

As the occupants were being placed under arrest for the possession of a weapon, four male suspects fled the scene on foot.

Two males (50, 25) and a female (49), all from Fairford, remained on scene and were taken into custody without incident.

The 25-year-old male was searched and found in the possession of a loaded handgun, later determined to have been stolen out of Atlanta, Georgia.

The rifle was found loaded with an extended 30 round magazine.

Officers also seized an undisclosed quantity of crack cocaine with an approximate street value of $35,000 in the community.

The three accused remain in police custody while efforts continue to locate the four additional suspects.

Norway House RCMP continue to investigate.

At Monday night’s committee of the whole meeting, a report from the Thompson RCMP detachment was received.

It provided an update on crime statistics and new developments within the local detachment for February.

Last month, the detachment was short 8 constables and one staff sargeant, with two recruits expected over the next couple weeks.

The Crime Trend reporting showed that calls for thefts and break and enters each rose around 25 per cent.  Drug trafficking and possession rose 58 per cent.

However, mischief calls fell by almost 36 per cent, and sexual assaults fell by almost 58 per cent.
You can review the report at thompson.ca under the meeting agenda for March 18th.

A 29-year-old Thompson man has been charged with manslaughter and failure to comply with probation.

Thompson RCMP received a report of a death at a residence in Thompson.

Upon arrival at the scene, officers discovered a 31-year-old woman from Thompson dead, the victim of a homicide.

Major Crimes Services investigators assisted and arrested Vincent Bonner.

He remains in custody.

The Kin Club of Thompson held a March for Kindness this past Saturday.

Their goal was to collect shoes and socks for kids at the Thompson Crisis Centre and for the Sidney Project in Shamatawa, which collects footwear for kids in that community.

Kin Club President Shannon Johnston reported that 28 pairs of shoes were collected along with many pairs of socks and even some toques.

Each group received approximately 280 dollars.

The Kin Club thanks all who donated.   If you have some footwear or cash to donate, you can contact Johnston at 204-670-0470.

The Children’s Hospital Foundation has announced its Champion Child for 2024.

She is 15-year-old Janessa Dumas Colomb from Mathias Colomb Cree Nation and she is the first First Nation Champion Child.

Andrew Ferris, Program Director with the Foundation shares the importance of the Champion Child Role.

“Every single year, we choose a child to act as an ambassador for the over 140 thousand kids that need our hospital every single year. They are individuals with incredibly resilient stories, they are brave and spirited and they share their story to our community and rally the community to support our cause.”

At age 6, Janessa was diagnosed with kidney failure and by age 12 had a kidney transplant at HSC Children’s Hospital.

She is dedicating this year to raise money to help the other children in the province who need the hospital’s services.

You can hear from Janessa on Thompson Today this afternoon at 12:40 and 5:10.

On Tuesday evening, as part of a weapons investigation, Norway House RCMP and the Emergency Response Team, executed a search warrant at a residence in the community.

One male was arrested and a modified firearm was seized.

Lawrence Moore, 36, of Norway House, is facing numerous weapons and firearms charges, aggravated assault, and uttering threats.

He was remanded into custody.

Norway House RCMP continue to investigate.

Earlier this week, Charles Finlay,  a Canadian cyber-security expert, said every municipality in the country should be prepared to respond to ransomware attacks.

When asked on City Beat yesterday if the City of Thompson is prepared for such an attack, Mayor Colleen Smook said the city has been proactive on this front.

She has more here.

“We use a company called Epic so we have been working over the last three years with them to make sure to upgrade our computer systems, deal with this ransomware as you say, so we’re in pretty good shape.”

Smook says she was at an Association of Manitoba Municipalities convention about three years ago, where it was reported that a southern town had allegedly been hacked and money had gone missing.

That provided an incentive to the City of Thompson and others to put protections into place to avoid a similar experience.

March is social work month, a time to learn about the many roles social workers have in our community.

As Bruce Krentz, Health Promotions Coordinator for the Northern Health Region shares, the role of social workers is very broad.

“Social workers are found in every facet of community life so including schools, hospitals, mental health clinics, senior centres, in elected office, private practices, prisons, corporations and public and private agencies.”   

Krentz says social workers wear many hats, advocating for clients and organizations, helping develop policy,  and doing research.

If you’re interested in a career in social work, the University of Manitoba Northern Social Work Program is still accepting applications for their fall session until April 15th.

Go to the Northern Social Work Program online for details and to apply.

Late Tuesday evening,  The Pas RCMP received a report of a serious assault at a residence in Cormorant.

When police arrived on scene, the suspects had fled. A 42-year-old man was found with serious injuries resulting from a physical assault and stab wounds.

He was transported to local hospital and then to Winnipeg hospital.

Investigation determined that two men were involved in the attack, and officers were able to quickly locate them at a separate residence in the community.

Dayman Fenner, 19, from Opaskwayak and Braidon Fenner, 23, from Cormorant were arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault. Both were remanded in custody.

The victim remains in hospital in stable condition.

March for Kindness this Saturday.

The March is being put on by the Thompson Kin Club in support of the Sidney Project for kids in Shamattawa and the Thompson Crisis Centre.

Shannon Johnston, President of the Thompson Kin Club tells us what they’re collecting.

“So we really would like to have brand new shoes of good quality and also, when you have new shoes, you need to have socks. So a package of new socks for that age group would be a great donation.”

Johnston says they’re collecting socks and shoes for school-age children so they can participate in school and recreational activities.

The March for Kindness starts at noon in front of R.D. Parker Collegiate and goes to the Giant Tiger Parking Lot.

If you can’t attend, donations can be made by calling Johnston at 204-679-0470.

Hear more about the March for Kindness on Thompson Today this afternoon at 12:40 and 5:10 pm.

On March 9, 2024, at approximately 8:10 pm, Gods Lake Narrows RCMP received a report of a house on fire behind the Band Office in Gods Lake Narrows. When officers arrived on scene, the house was completely engulfed. Nobody was believed to be in the building.

When the fire was out, the scene was contained and it was determined that the house had been empty when the fire broke out. Nobody was injured. It was also determined that three youths were seen in the vicinity of the house at the time the fire started.

RCMP patrolled the area and located a 16-year-old individual who was involved in setting the fire. They were taken into custody and charged with Arson and Obstruct Peace Officer.

Police continue to look for two other youth suspects. If you have information, please call Gods Lake Narrows RCMP at 204-335-2260, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

On March 8, 2024, as part of an ongoing firearms investigation, Grand Rapids RCMP executed a search warrant at a residence in Misipawistik Cree Nation.

Three males were arrested at the residence, two of them were WANTED on outstanding warrants. The search resulted in the seizure of a rifle, ammunition, a small quantity of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia.

A 17-year-old male has been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Obstructing a Peace Officer and Failing to Comply x2.

Keiran Ballantyne, 19, has been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking, Careless Use of Firearm, Fail to Comply x2, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime and numerous other weapons offences.

Both were remanded into custody

Kyle Munroe, 25, was remanded into custody on his outstanding warrant.

Grand Rapids RCMP continue to investigate.

University College of the North will celebrate its 25-year partnership with the University of Manitoba in offering the Baccalaureate of Nursing degree at UCN campuses.

 Since it began, the program has produced over 500 registered nurses, many of whom have gone on to work in Northern Manitoba.

A special event will provide an opportunity to showcase UCN’s Clinical Skills Laboratory, Simulation Laboratory, and Virtual Reality Simulation Laboratory.

According to Helga Bryant, UCN Dean of Health, the successful partnership between UCN and U of M has made a real difference in healthcare in the North.

The event will be held today at 2 p.m., at The Pas Campus located at 436  7th Street East.

A Thompson Campus event will take place on Wednesday, also at 2 p.m.

Recognize, reject and report.  Those are the three Rs when it comes to fraud.   

During Fraud Prevention Month, consumers of all ages are encouraged to research fraud and familiarize ourselves with scams and how they can be identified.

Josephine Palumbo, a Deputy Commissioner with the Competition Bureau, tells us how fraud has grown in just the past decade.

“According to Statistics Canada, fraud cases in Canada have almost doubled over the past ten years, surging from 79 thousand in 2012 to 150 thousand in 2022.”

Palumbo added that in 2023, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre received fraud reports totalling a staggering 554 million dollars.  

She added that this increase shows that fraudsters are becoming more skilled and technology like artificial intelligence is helping them improve on their old tricks.

To learn more about fraud prevention go to the Competition Bureau website. 

Early Saturday afternoon, Thompson RCMP responded to a robbery at a business in the city.

A male youth armed with a knife was behind the counter stealing items and refusing to leave.

When officers arrived he was still behind the counter, armed with a knife, and trying to open the cash register.

He refused to listen to commands, threatened officers with the knife and then tried to grab one of the officers’ firearms.

However, the suspect was subdued and placed into custody.

He  was searched and found to be in possession of four knives and a pair of scissors.

A 16-year-old male from Thompson is facing weapons charges and charges for resisting arrest and uttering threats.

He was remanded into custody.

Eight provinces and two territories now pay into the federal carbon pricing system, including Manitoba.

Since its inception, the federal government has taken in a total of $32-billion.   

Some of that money has come back to individuals in the form of a rebate cheque, but the Canadian Federation of Independent Business doesn’t feel small businesses are getting their fair share of the rebates.

SeoRhin Yoo, a Policy Analyst from the CFIB explains.

“The Federal Government promised that these carbon tax revenues would be redistributed to eligible individuals like you and me to offset the cost of living. They also promised that nine percent of the revenue will go to small and medium sized enterprises since SMEs pay into them as well.”

 
However, according to Yoo, many small Manitoba businesses are still owed around 3-thousand dollars each or approximately $144-million in total.  

And with the federal government announcing it is slashing the allocation for small businesses to 5 per cent from 9 per cent, Yeo said that means businesses will be short-changed by $3.4 billion in rebates.

For more updates on the Carbon Tax Rebates, catch Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10 this afternoon.

No matter where your spring break plans take you, make sure you’re not bringing back an unexpected illness.

The Northern Health Region encourages residents to check on their immunization  status and update vaccines as necessary.

Cases of measles among children have been reported lately and there’s concern that,  due to a decrease in immunization rates since the pandemic, some children may not be protected from this disease.

Measles is very contagious. Over 90% of people who aren't immune to measles and who come into contact with the virus will become infected.

If you're infected, you can spread measles from 4 days before the onset of a rash to 4 days after a rash appears. The measles virus can live up to 2 hours in the air or on surfaces in a space where you've been.

To check your immunization status, contact your local public health office weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

March is Nutrition Month, and the dieticians in the Northern Health Region encourage us to focus on healthy eating habits to improve our overall health.

However, some people still consider their weight as the key factor for measuring their health.

According to Joanna Ledoux (Leh-do), a community dietician for the NHR, there are many factors in our environment that we can’t control that impact our weight and our health.

She shares what some of them are.

“Labour saving devices is one of them. Another example of that is how portion sizes have increased over the years. Another example of that is if you go to the grocery stores, look at the variety of the food that we have now compared to how much we used to have.”

In April, Ledoux will host a free program called Creating Change that will help participants identify their own problematic eating behaviours and develop strategies to overcome them.

To register, go to the Northern Regional Health Authority facebook page.

For the full interview with Ledoux, catch Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10 this afternoon.

March is Kidney Awareness Month and March 9th is World Kidney Day.

Despite being vital organs, kidneys are all too often overlooked or ignored as part of our overall health.

But the increasing number of people with kidney disease is an important challenge facing the Canadian health care community.

Bruce Krentz with the Northern Regional Health Authority has more.

“One in ten Manitoba adults are living with kidney disease and most people don’t know it. Until you’ve lost probably about 80 percent of your kidney function, you don’t start to see many symptoms and you don’t know.”

Chronic kidney disease is a major cause of health expenditure, with health care costs for those living with CKD exceed $40 billion per year in Canada.

To learn more about kidney health go to kidney.ca.

The Canada Manitoba Housing Benefit is available through the Canadian Mental Health Association of Thompson.

Not sure about what the Benefit provides?

Stephanie Hysert with the CMHA has the details here.

"To be eligible for the CMHB benefits, it is required that you are living in Manitoba, paying rent in the private market, receiving employment and income assistance, or non- EIA rent assist. If you are needing help with paying your rent or utilities, you can get up to $350 per month if you qualify for the program. You may also qualify for $72 dollars a month to help cover utility costs if it is not included in your rent.”

The Benefit is co-funded by the government of Canada through the CMHC and the Manitoba Government through the department of housing, addictions and homelessness.

To apply, contact Glen Kelly at 204-939-0948 or drop by the CMHA Main Office at 43 Fox Bay.

The Manitoba Government is providing funding to 15 northern mining projects, including 7 in the Thompson area.  (Including 5 in the Flin Flon and Snow Lake areas.)

The announcement  was made Monday in Toronto at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada convention.

$3.3 million will fund the mineral development projects through the Manitoba Mineral Development Fund, which is managed by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce.

Since the MMDF was launched in July 2020, it has approved more than 14.3 million dollars towards a range of mining projects, creating over 400 short-term jobs and  209 long-term jobs.

Applications for the next rounds of MMDF grants opens tomorrow.

Health Canada has been providing advice on healthy eating since the 1940s through various versions of the Canada Food Guide.

Ann Ellis from the Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion with Health Canada tells us how it began and why.

“The first food guide was called the official food rule and they were released in 1942 as a part of war time nutrition program when there was a lot of rationing going on and the food rules are really intended to improve the health of Canadians by promoting better eating habits and also a lot of the focus was really on promoting adequate amounts of essential nutrients.”  

Ellis says the Food Guide has transformed many times over the years to evolve with updated science and to recognize changing demographics and the various types of foods that are available now in Canada compared to the 1940s.

Ellis shares that healthy eating habits aren’t restricted to just the food we eat.  Cooking more at home and enjoying our meals with others are also important factors in good eating habits.

For more on the Canada Food Guide catch the interview with Ellis at thompsononline.ca.

On February 29, 2024, at approximately 5:55 pm, Norway House RCMP responded to a report of an assault in progress at a residence in the community. Officers were advised that the suspect, a 34-year-old male, was armed with a weapon.

Officers attended the scene and discovered that the suspect had fled on foot.

At 6:20 pm, RCMP received another call that the suspect was now at a different address and a fight had broken out.

Officers attended to this home and located the suspect who was placed under arrest. The suspect refused to comply with demands made by police and became combative. Officers deployed a conducted energy weapon and were able to safely take the suspect into custody.

During a search of the suspect, officers located crack cocaine, prescription pills, cash and drug-related paraphernalia.

Colin James Gamblin, 34, of Norway House, was remanded into custody on charges of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime and Resisting Arrest.

The Manitoba RCMP is committed to working with First Nation communities that have asked to make drug enforcement a priority.  These enforcement actions will continue as per the expressed wishes of community leadership.

Norway House RCMP continue to investigate.

Mayor Colleen Smook was in Saskatoon last week to attend the two-day Living Cities conference.

Communities from across B.C. to Manitoba, including Thompson, Portage la Prairie, North Battleford, Prince Albert, Fort St. John, Lloydminster and others were on hand to discuss the Crime Severity Index or CSI, with representatives from Stats Canada.

Smook explains what they hope to achieve.

“We are all here challenging the Crime Severity Index, the way they get their information from communities. North Battleford and us always fight for one and two positions which isn’t anything great to fight for but we are here to discuss ways to change that.”

Smook said attendees are looking for a more accurate way to calculate the index to reflect the actual size of the region when crimes are being reported.

The goal of the conference was to better understand the CSI and its limitations, and also address the damage due to negative publicity caused by the annual release of the CSI numbers.

Territory Five Territory, Opaskwayak, Mb – Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) Inc. Grand Chief Garrison Settee applauds Hockey Manitoba’s decision to keep the Norman North Stars in the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League.

In a statement, Grand Chief Settee says, “We believe Hockey Manitoba made the right decision. This decision means that youth from northern Manitoba and Nunavut will continue to have the opportunity to excel in sport.

This allows our athletes to engage in high level sports and reap the associated benefits of physical health, social development, and personal growth without having to leave their territories.

Fairness and inclusivity in sport is essential to support and promote the development of AAA U18 hockey in northern Manitoba, as such our children will be able to play the sport they love, compete in, and thrive with their continued access to these opportunities.”

The Norman North Stars have long been a source of pride and inspiration for the children and youth in our communities and we look forward to keeping that tradition alive.

A town hall was held last Saturday regarding whether or not the Norman Northstars would be staying in Thompson this coming hockey season.

A vote by the Triple A U-18 Manitoba Hockey League was held on Wednesday night, with the result that the Northstars will remain here.

Mayor Colleen Smook says there’s still more work that needs to be done to ensure this continues.

“We are definitely going to be asking for changes on the executive, their annual general meeting is in April and that’s when they re-elect the board. We will be supporting other regions which have said that they will be asking for changes and will be putting names forward so that it’s more equity and representation across Manitoba, not even just necessarily the north.”

Smook said that now the Northstars will be staying, it’s up to the fans to keep supporting the team.

She said she’s hoping for great fan turnouts at all the home games.

The City of Thompson has extended access for seniors to use the gym at the TRCC.

Where it used to be free for those 75 and up, the age has now been reduced to 60.

The original request was to have the age dropped to 65, but Councillor Duncan Wong moved the age be dropped further to 60 and the motion was passed.

On City Beat yesterday, Mayor Colleen Smook provided details.

“Any resident of Thompson that’s 60 or older is welcome to go to the gym, what you need though is a gym card. What you have to do is pay a $6.35 charge for this access card and it’s a permanent card, it doesn’t change.”

If you don’t wish to pay for your own access card, you can pay a $10 deposit and leave a piece of ID at the TRCC front desk to get a card.

That 10-dollar fee and ID will be given back upon returning the access card to the main desk.