1994
Tim Johnston accepts Liberal nomination for Thompson
Before he was ever sworn in as mayor of the City of Thompson, Tim Johnston was nominated as Thompson's candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada in July of 1994 at the age of 32.
George Pronteau had nominated Johnston with Lila Walker seconding the nomination at the meeting of the Thompson Liberal Association during the week of July 8.
Johnston, who accepted the nomination by acclamation, promised to work together for all Northerners to take advantage of Northern opportunities. He pledged to assume a role of leadership in the constituency if elected and maintain important social programs in the region. He cited his main areas of concern with the then-current provincial government were health care, education and highways.
At the time of his nomination, Johnston was employed with the City of Thompson as a program supervisor with recreation, parks and culture.
Judy Kolada runs for city council
In July of 1994, Judy Kolada, mother, grandmother and volunteer, decided to run for a seat on Thompson's city council.
At the time, Kolada - who still sits on city council now - was a board member with the YWCA and was actively involved in the Multi Culture Centre. She was working for the Department of Labour and Employment Standards as an officer at the time and had previously worked in Northern Affairs as a local government coordinator.
At the time of her nomination Kolada's campaign included her stance of supporting the City of Thompson upgrading sales of lots to trailer owners in the Burntwood Trailer Court. She was also adamant that city council stay focused on saving the rail line.
Steve Ashton nominated by New Democrats in Thompson
New Democrats in Thompson elected Steve Ashton as their representative for the provincial election of 1994 in July of that year. Ashton had already been representing the City of Thompson since 1981 and the communities of Wabowden, Thicket Portage, Pikwitonei, Ilford, York Landing, Split Lake and Nelson House since 1990.
Ashton was nominated by acclamation, and said he was "truly honoured" to represent the communities again, pointing out the critical choices the provincial government would have to face after the election was over, especially about the future of the Northern healthcare system. Ashton also stressed the need for more community-based economic development.
Dominion Divers hired to clean out Inco reservoirs
In early July of 1994, what was known then as Inco Ltd. Manitoba Division hired Winnipeg's Dominion Divers to clean out reservoirs at the company's water treatment plant after the Health and Environment Department of the provincial government suggested that the wells be cleaned.
The original water plant was constructed in 1959 and had an addition built 10 years later. The divers had found that most of the sediment build-up was in the corners of the wells along the pillars, with "fluffy", non-hardened or solidified sludge.
Each well took the divers a day and a half to clean and had a capacity of five million gallons. The process of using the divers was also used for cleaning leaky storage lagoons that had lost capacity.
Asbestos at the Thompson General Hospital raises concerns
In October of 1994, the Thompson Citizen learned that two deadlines for asbestos cleanup at the Thompson General Hospital had come and gone without the necessary work to get rid of the harmful substance being completed.
Union and administration representatives reached out to the newspaper claiming a lack of funding from Manitoba Health was what was preventing the necessary work from being done.
"The dilemma is that we have one arm of government telling us we must do something, and another arm telling us effectively that we can't," said then-hospital administrator Murray Halkett.
The hospital received a work order from the Department of Labour under the Workplace Health and Safety Act's regulation on "fugitive emissions and hazardous wastes". By the end of September, the second of two deadlines to clean up the asbestos in the hospital's old wing had gone by, with the Thompson General Hospital asking the Workplace Health and Safety branch for an extension on the work order and simultaneously asking Manitoba Health for funding to do the removal.
The problem originally had come to light after hospital administration had asked for an evaluation of possible asbestos contamination before carrying out renovations on the old wing and centre block of the building.
MacLean Park officially opens in October 1994
MacLean Park, previously known as "City Park", was officially opened in honour of former Thompson mayor Don MacLean on Oct. 15, 1994.
Then-mayor Bill Comaskey acknowledged the contribution of Inco in getting the park built and commented about the hard work of city employees to get the job done.
The mayor also said that the decision to name the park after former mayor MacLean was a unanimous decision made my city council.
The park featured a plaque honouring Don and Norma MacLean which was unveiled at the opening ceremony.
1995
Ian Thompson, who had been an employee with the City of Thompson since 1974, was appointed as the city's new fire chief during the week of May 10 in 1995.
Mayor Bill Comaskey said at the time that Thompson had served the City of Thompson with "distinction" so far in his career and that his new appointment reflected the quality of his work.
Thompson replaced Lynden "Sonny" Carkener who had retired from active service with the Thompson Fire Department.
City's environmental council makes first recycling curbside pickup in Thompson
On Sept. 19, 1995, the City of Thompson's curbside recycling program got underway on Riverside Drive.
The Thompson Environmental Council had spent the previous few weeks distributing blue recycling boxes. By the time of the first pick up the boxes had been dropped off in the Riverside and Westwood neighbourhoods and about three quarters of the Deerwood neighbourhood received boxes as well.
Comaskey takes mayor's seat
Bill Comaskey had an easy campaign for mayor of the City of Thompson in October of 1995 when he was the only candidate to officially declare himself in the running.
Running for council in the Oct. 25 election were all existing councillors except for deputy mayor Janet Johnson, including Al Adams, Graham Buckingham, Adrian DeGroot, Stella Locker, Al MacLellan, Harold Smith and Mike Wyer.
Four new people ran for council that year, including David Dunseath, Norma Howitt, Judy Kolada and Eeva Kontuvirta.
1996
UFCW workers hit picket line after lockout
A picket line was set up early on the morning of Jan. 29, 1996 in front of the Thompson General Hospital, despite -40 C temperatures, after a contract between the hospital and its support workers after they had been working for 10 months without a contract.
United Food and Commercial Workers, representing hospital support staff, had called out their members in reaction to what they considered to be a "lockout".
UFCW president of the time Bernard Christophe said the Thompson General Hospital had "left us no choice" by advising the membership that they were unilaterally terminating the collective agreement and locking out its members. Christophe stressed that the membership was not striking but was undergoing a "management lockout" of its members. He added that it would be "intolerable" to return to work under the conditions of not having a contract and a 10 per cent wage cut.
Keewatin Air closes Thompson operation
Keewatin Air announced the immediate closure of its operation in Thompson, putting eight people out of work and ending a four-year long involvement in central Northern Manitoba, in early February of 1996.
Bob May, then-president of Keewatin Air Limited, said that it was with "great regret" that he announced the closing of the base in Thompson.
Keewatin Air had come into a volatile market, that of Medevac services, which were becoming increasingly more sophisticated and more expensive to run by the 1980s. Companies which ran economy services began to drop out, with some companies reorganizing to stay in or get back into the market.
Keewatin Air had at the time already had a history of operating Medevacs from the Keewatin Region of the Northwest Territories into Churchill, and came to the central Manitoba market in 1991.
Protesters oppose splitting up of MTS
Between 40 and 50 protesters gathered outside of the offices of Manitoba Telephone System (MTS) on Feb. 9, 1996 to show their disapproval of the planned sale of the provincial phone utility.
Lawyer Bob Mayer, Local 6166 Steelworkers President Bob Desjarlais and MLA Steve Ashton were among those who addressed the crowed, along with Jean Claude Parrot, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, who was a special out of town guest for the occasion.
Parrot told the crowd that companies like MTS were always being sold off because they say they don't make enough money; yet private companies "snap them up" because of how much money they can make.
"We have to continue this fight across the country," he said. "Working men and women are fed up with these policies and feel they have to do something."
Mayer said MTS was allowing other corporations, like Sprint and Unitel, to "cherry pick", taking away the best and most lucrative parts of smaller companies.
Desjarlais noted that the "fire sale privatization" has become something that "working men and women have become extremely tired of." He said he wasn't shocked at all by the move and expected it to happen.
The Conservative government of Premier Gary Filmon had announced its intention to break up the provincial Crown corporation of MTS and sell off all the parts to private industry.
Thompson General Hospital labour dispute ends
Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers were back to work on March 11, 1996 after the Thompson General Hospital brought forward a proposal which contained no concessions of any type on the part of the union. The proposal was accepted by 93 per cent of the membership.
Bernard Christophe, then-president and chief executive officer of the UFCW Local 832, said at the time that it just goes to show what can be accomplished when the working force sticks together.
Vic Wiebe, who was serving as the hospital's executive director at the time, said the hospital was determined to end the dispute, citing a concern that the continuation of the dispute would potentially undermine the safety of patient care.
The agreement made extended the current agreement until April 30, 1998. It contained no reduction in hourly wage rates or in the amount of paid time employees were scheduled to work.
Bridge over Burntwood River named after Miles Hart
After four years of lobbying the City of Thompson and the Manitoba government, the bridge over the Burntwood River got its official name in a naming ceremony on May 15, 1996. The bridge was named after Miles Hart on, fittingly enough, Hart's 83rd birthday.
Hart's daughter, Mabel Horton, who was behind the push to name the bridge after her father, said that since the area was where her father once hunted and trapped, as well as where he worked for Inco, the LGD of Mystery Lake and the City of Thompson, it was only fitting that the bridge should bear his name.
Ma-Mow-We-Tak Friendship Centre celebrates 20 years
Ma-Mow-We-Take Friendship Centre celebrated 20 years of existence in Thompson at its annual general meeting on May 25, 1996.
Comaskey proclaims Aboriginal Day in Thompson
Thompson Mayor Bill Comaskey, along with Eric Kennedy of the Northern Association of Community Councils (NACC) and Grand Chief George Muswaggon of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) proclaimed Friday, June 21, 1996 to be Aboriginal Day in Thompson.
At the time, Muswaggon said he had mixed feels about the proclamation; saying that as an organization, MKO was in full support of both National Aboriginal Day, which also falls on June 21, and the proclamation by the City of Thompson.
Kennedy said at the time that the proclamation was one small step for recognition of aboriginal people.
Comaskey responded by saying that he was happy to be able to recognize aboriginal people in the proclamation, citing there have been some wrongs done to them in the past that cannot be forgotten, but should also not be dwelled upon.
Steelworkers accept contract offer
The Local 6166 United Steelworkers of America accepted the September 1996 offer from Inco Limited with a total of 70.3 per cent of the membership - or 775 individuals - voting in favour of the acceptance and 29.7 per cent - or 327 individuals - voting against. In total, 1,102 members voted, representing a voter turnout of 82.5 per cent.
Local 6166 president Bob Desjarlais said that when he brought forward the newest offer to the membership on Sept. 27, he told them that the bargaining committee could not recommend acceptance of the contract. He explained to them at the time that he felt that by rejecting the contract the union was in for a "long dispute" with Inco, and added that with new labour legislation being brought in by the government the union would have a tough time in further negotiations.
Desjarlais went on to explain to the membership that the changes to the legislation included allowing the company to request that the government hold a vote on the latest contract offer from the company, which would be done by the government without any input from the union, creating a difficult situation to maintain a strong picket line.
"We have a collective agreement in place that needs to be administered and we will do that," he said.
Employees went back to work on Sept. 30 with the beginning of day shift.
Northern Manitoba Round Table established
On Dec. 13 the Northern Manitoba Round Table committee was established. Once created the group had access to the provincial government as to social and economic issues affecting people of the North.
Sitting on the Round Table at the time were representatives from three organizations, including Grand Chief George Muswaggon representing the 26 First Nation communities belonging to Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO); Sonny Joseph Kylne and Reg Meade representing the Northern Association of Community Councils (NACC); and Lynn Lake Mayor Audie Dulewich and Thompson Mayor Bill Comaskey representing the Northern Manitoba Urban Industrial Communities Round Table. Comaskey was also elected as chairperson for the newly founded Round Table.
Ashton and Comaskey send out urgent appeal for doctors
Thompson NDP MLA Steve Ashton and Mayor Bill Comaskey issued an urgent appeal for doctors to provide medical services to the city in late December 1996.
At the time, Ashton said that Thompson needed doctors to come into the community at least until a plan was in place to bring in four new salaried doctors by late January or February.
The City of Thompson was undergoing a lack of general practitioners in the community, with the Thompson General Hospital instituting plans to handle the emergency cases that came into the hospital during the shortage. Still, Ashton said, a great number of people did not have a family doctor to see.
The departure of doctors practicing at the Burntwood Clinic left the community with a critical shortage of general practitioners, with the Minister of Health and the Department of Health responding by approving four salaried physician positions and two nurse practitioner positions. Despite this, Comaskey said Thompson was still facing a critical shortage for the weeks before the medial professionals showed up.
1997
Bev Desjarlais wins NDP nomination for Churchill
Bev Desjarlais, already well known in Thompson and the North for being a school trustee, community and union activist, was chosen to carry the banner for the NDP's Churchill riding in the federal election in 1997.
On March 9 of that year the former school board chairperson and UFCW shop steward beat out three other candidates to win the nomination.
Churchill riding returns to NDP fold
Bev Desjarlais went on to win the race for MP of the Churchill riding June 2, 1997, who won over Liberal Elijah Harper by about 41 per cent of ballots cast, Harper only having around 30 per cent of the vote.
When asked what it felt like to win the election, Desjarlais said it was wonderful, and told the NDP campaign workers that they should feel very proud of themselves.
City holds official street naming ceremony
With the development of the new Burntwood South subdivision in September of 1997, the City of Thompson felt a need for new street names, and council decided to use the opportunity to honour some long time residents who had made a significant contribution to the city.
After deliberation, five names were selected, with the newest streets in the city at the time honouring Hector Despins, Joan Hambley, Ken MacMaster, Molly Robinson and Cec Smith.
The official ceremony was held on Sept. 26, 1997 at City Hall.
1998
45 Inco staff positions lost to reorganization
Poor market conditions and a move towards reorganization resulted in a loss of 45 staff positions at Inco's Thompson Operation in late January, 1998.
Dan McSweeney, superintendent of public affairs with the company at the time, said that the positions were reduced due to "extremely difficult times" being experienced in the nickel industry. He said the actions would help Inco secure its future as a low cost producer to remain competitive in whatever market conditions exist.
Brian Wilson retires after 26 years in education profession
After June 30, 1998, Brian Wilson, superintendent of the School District of Mystery Lake, retired after 26 years in the teaching profession with 17 of those as superintendant.
Born in Yorkshire, England, Wilson worked at Imperial Chemical Industries for 13 years in the accounting department. During that time he took two years out for his National Service in the Royal Air Force.
After that Wilson decided to attend the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Teacher Training College for the required three years, and upon completion in 1966, Wilson, his wife Valerie and their three children immigrated to Canada so he could teach at White Fox, Sask., where he taught for three years.
Wilson returned to school in 1969 at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon where he earned his Bachelor of Education and Master of Education degrees. He then taught for a short time in the Saskatoon East School Division before the Wilson family moved to Thompson in 1972 where he became a teaching vice-principal at Juniper School. He then moved to the principal's chair two years later.
Wilson was appointed assistant superintendant of the mystery Lake School Division in 1978, taking over as superintendant three years later. He was given the added responsibility of school board secretary-treasurer in 1990.
1999
Grey Goose presses highway coaches into service
Buses in the city of Thompson took on a different look during April 1999, when regular transit buses were replaced by Grey Goose highway coaches.
Lona Barnowich said at the time that Grey Goose uses highway coaches as a backup for the transit coaches. Two of the coaches that became used for city bus service were broken and had to be taken to Winnipeg for repair, and because two of the tree transit buses broke down at the same time, the move to highway buses was more noticeable in the city.
The move to highway coaches was said at the time to be strictly a "temporary measure" while the transit buses were being repaired.
New Safeway opens at City Centre Mall
Joe Correia, who was store manager of Thompson's Safeway at the time, hosted a grand opening on April 18, 1999, along with then-vice president of retail from Calgary, David Rodych, and Savaria Castagna, then-district manager from Winnipeg, to celebrate the opening of Safeway's new location in the City Centre Mall.
At the time, Rodych told customers that they were on the "cutting edge" of the shopping experience, with such new features as plastic bins, which were cited as more sanitary than wooden ones, larger aisle signs and a meat department with pictures to help customers find what they're looking for.
A pharmacy opened up in the new location as well.
MTS locks out CEP workers
Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS) locked out more than 1,800 workers after telephone operators began labour disruptions June 3, 1999.
The locked out workers included 300 operators and 1,500 full and part-time clerks.
The lockout went into effect at 3:30 p.m. that day, and forced more than 584 managers, support staff and replacement workers to cover operational duties.
The incident marked the second time MTS had locked out employees in two months. About 1,100 technicians were locked out in April in a dispute over pay and job security, and reached an agreement with the company after 20 days off the job.
St. John's United Church celebrates 40th anniversary in Thompson
The congregation of St. John's United Church celebrated 40 years of worship in Thompson the weekend of Sept. 4-5, 1999.
Drawing over 100 past members from out of town as well as local members of the church, the celebration started that Saturday morning with a pancake breakfast followed by a choir practice lead by past choir director Hope McLatchy, involving about 28 past and present Thompsonites. McLatchy herself came back from British Columbia to attend the anniversary and reunion.
Steve Ashton re-elected to sixth term in office
Incumbent NDP MLA Steve Ashton was re-elected to his sixth term in office on Sept. 21, 1999, with Ashton giving credit for his victory to his campaign workers who supported him during the race.
Earlier in the election Ashton had said he was confident the race would be successful because of the support he received door knocking and meeting people.
By 11 p.m. the night results came in, Ashton had won every poll in every community, a feat which had eluded him in the last election as he lost one poll in the Riverside area.
Northern Circle of Youth opens in Thompson
A new youth facility called the Northern Circle of Youth opened on the top floor of the Thompson Lanes building in late September 1999.
At the time, project coordinator Mary McCarthy said there was a large youth population in Thompson to cater to. She said the facility would partner with community organizations to get youth active in other programs and enhance their own youth services.
Plans were put in place to make the project a full-service centre for youth aged 15 to 25, who would be able to come to the centre to enjoy recreational activities like watching movies, playing board games or ping-pong. They would also be able to obtain information about post-secondary educational opportunities and careers. McCarthy said there would also be opportunities for the youth to learn to write resumes, discuss issues of justice and health, listen to guest speakers, and take part in workshops.
Steelworkers accept offer from Inco after 13 weeks of negotiations
After almost 13 weeks locked out, United Steelworkers of America Local 6166 headed back to work on Dec. 10, 1999, after the union ratified the latest offer from Inco Ltd. which would see a 10 per cent increase over the life of the contract.
In total, 890 members voted on the offer, with 590 voting to accept and 300 voting to reject the offer, giving a 66 per cent approval rating.
Local president Bob Desjarlais, said he was happy with the numbers, and that with that many people casting ballots it meant a number of people who had left Thompson during the strike had returned to vote. The union started out negotiations with the company asking for a 13 per cent clawback and ended up with a 10 per cent increase.
2001
Millennium Trail officially opens
The new Millennium Trail officially opened in Thompson on Aug. 25, 2001, complete with a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring long-time fitness walker Marion Howse, Inco public affairs superintendent Dan McSweeney, Mayor Bill Comaskey, the City of Thompson's facilities/special events programmer Bruce Krentz and Churchill NDP MP Bev Desjarlais.
The event was also commemorated with a lunch at the Thompson Zoo, where a crowd had gathered to hear public officials speak and have a chance to walk the trail prior to the noon hour when hotdogs and pop were served.
The trail at the time spanned 15.2 kilometres in total length, circling the entire City of Thompson. It took two years to build, and was created as part of the federal government's infrastructure partnership program and was also sponsored by many government agencies and local businesses.
Regional flights cancelled due to terrorist attacks
Canadian domestic flights were cancelled on Sept. 11, 2001 due to the terrorist attacks in New York, which had a direct impact on flights between Thompson and other destinations.
A full ground stop order had been issued by Transport Canada on Sept. 11 to cancel all domestic flights, which allowed airports to cope with international flights that were being diverted from the U.S. to Canada.
Dozens of flights between Thompson and other destinations were cancelled, with planes remaining grounded in Northern Manitoba the next day as well.
Nelson Morberg, who was vice-president of marketing for Calm Air International Ltd. at the time, said all flights between Thompson, The Pas, Gillam and Arviat were put on hold.
Voters in Thompson say no to urban reserve
Voters came out in record numbers for a municipal vote on Sept. 19, 2001, with 53.5 per cent of them voting against turning the Mystery Lake Hotel into an urban reserve.
Polls closed at 8 p.m., and Mayor Bill Comaskey, along with a contingent of city councillors and new council members from the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN) and members of the public gathered in city council chambers to watch the results come in by poll.
In the end, five polls came out in favour of an urban reserve; two of them in Riverside, two in Eastwood and the advance poll. A total of 3,615 Thompsonites cast their ballots with 1,933 saying no and 1,682 saying yes.
West Jet Airlines announced it would be offering non-stop service between Winnipeg and Thompson beginning on Dec. 14, 2001.
At the time the airliner said it would operate four non-stop Winnipeg - Thompson flights a week, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with one-way fares starting at $109, which they stressed were permanent, and not introductory, prices.
Officials such as then-mayor of the City of Thompson Bill Comaskey and representatives from the Thompson Airport Authority gathered at the Thompson Airport on Oct. 2, 2001 for the announcement made by Dale Tinevez, the director of customer service for West Jet in Calgary.
Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation opens in Thompson
The Thompson Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation (TNRC) held its grand opening on Oct. 5, 2001, in its new offices on Selkirk Avenue, with a ribbon cutting ceremony featuring steering committee co-chair Ed Azure, program facilitator Bobbi Montean, Mayor Bill Comaskey, Thompson MLA Steve Ashton and more.
The TNRC grew out of the Thompson Neighbourhoods in Action steering committee, which was formed in May 2000, to coordinate and facilitate funding available through the provincial government's Neighbourhoods Alive! initiative.
2003
Government approves University College of the North
In one of its last major initiatives prior to calling an election, the Province of Manitoba announced its approval for the establishment of the University College of the North (UCN).
The announcement was made during a teleconference between the Keewatin Community College (KCC) campuses in The Pas and Thompson on the morning of May 2, 2003.
Conservation Minister Steve Ashton and KCC students were in a room of the Polaris Four building at the Thompson campus for the announcement.
Doer makes pledge for brain injury unit in Thompson
The provincial election campaign of 2003 was kicked into high gear on May 9, 2003, when Premier Gary Doer was in Thompson during his Northern tour, pledging that a new six bed unit would be constructed in the proposed personal care home facility which was to be adjacent to the Thompson General Hospital.
The proposed brain injury unit would be the first of its kind in Manitoba, and the NDP made a commitment to put another $1 million towards the development of the centre.
Doer, flanked by Thompson NDP incumbent Steve Ashton and representatives from the Burntwood Regional Health Authority (BRHA), said he was delighted to hear of the community's commitment of $300,000 to the cause.
KTC Medical Transportation celebrates grand opening
Officials and staff from Keewatin Tribal Council (KTC) gathered outside the organization's Thompson office for the grand opening of its Medical Transportation Services (MTS) on May 16, 2003.
MTS provides medical transportation for eligible individuals arriving in Thompson to access health services that are unavailable in their home communities, in accordance with directives and guidelines of Health Canada's First Nations and Inuit Health Brach Non-Insured Health Benefits Program.
The operation at the time employed nine full-time drivers, three casual drivers and three dispatchers.
Ashton re-elected by largest majority ever
The Steelworker's union hall in Thompson set the scene for MLA Steve Ashton's celebration after he was re-elected to provincial legislature in Manitoba's general election on June 3, 2003.
Ashton received 3,280 votes, or just under 83 per cent of the popular vote in the Thompson riding, the largest majority that the New Democrat Party member had ever seen.
Ashton defeated Progressive Conservative candidate Bill Archer, who received 530 votes, or just over 13 per cent of the popular vote, and the Liberal candidate Myrle Traverse, who received 155 votes, or just below four per cent of the riding's popular vote.
Premier visits Thompson to see forest fire damage first-hand
Premier Gary Doer had an opportunity to inspect the aftermath caused by Manitoba's largest fire of the season on Sept. 2, 2003, after the premier flew into Thompson that afternoon and boarded a helicopter to see the effects of the fire.
An area that stretches 41,801 hectares, 20 kilometres northwest of Thompson was scorched, and puffs of smoke could be seen as Doer and his party flew over the site.
Manitoba Conservation said at the time that they were not concerned with the small remnants of the large blaze, due to the fact that they were well inside the fire lines and did not threaten any new ground.
At the height of the blaze there were 450 personnel working on the fire, including frontline firefighters and support staff. The blaze began July 12 as the result of a lightning strike and the fire grew from its initial size of 8,400 hectares on July 12 to 41,801 hectares on Aug. 20.
2004
Prime Minister Paul Martin makes stop in Thompson
Thompson was included on a tour of Northern Manitoba by Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin, who visited the community on Feb. 20, 2004.
One of Martin's first orders of business was to drop the puck in a game featuring teams from York Landing and Oxford House in the Keewatin Tribal Council men's hockey tournament at the C. A. Nesbitt Arena. After spending some time in the stands and greeting residents, Martin left to the multi-purpose room of the arena where a large crowd had gathered for a town hall meeting.
Thompson Day Care Centre employees locked out due to labour dispute
After a breakdown in contract negotiations, 16 unionized employees at Thompson Day Care Centre Inc. were locked out at 3 p.m. on Monday, March 1, 2004, by their employer, leaving 95 registered children at the centre without a day care facility.
The day care centre's board said the negotiations, which began in October of 2003, had not gone well because of the lack of empathy on the part of the day care employees' union, United Steelworkers of America Local 8223, in considering the economic stability of the centre. Board member Louise Bray went as far as to day that if the day care re-signed the current contract with the union, it would be like singing a "death warrant" for the day care.
The board said the unionized employees' wages and benefits consumed 90 per cent of the centre's budget and that the centre could not afford to grant the locked out employees everything they were asking for, including a wage increase, a travel bonus increase and an increase in accumulated sick days in the current contract.
Ten years of fundraising results in hall for Paint Like volunteer fire department
After 10 years of planning, the Paint Lake volunteer fire department finally had its own fire hall after an opening ceremony took place at the new building, located on the Liz Lake Road, on Oct. 30, 2004.
Fundraising for the hall had taken place ever since the volunteer fire department was established 10 years prior. No grants or programs were accessed in order to build the structure, simply profits from the Wild Boar Nights that were held every year.
2005
Monument unveiled to pay tribute to workers lost on the job
The United Steel Workers Local 6166 hall was packed with a standing-room only crowed as the Day of Mourning Service on April 28, 2005 took place.
The service saw probably one of the largest crowds attend the annual event, in part due to the unveiling of a monument that evening on the union hall grounds.
The monument was put in place to remember the 53 steelworkers who had died up to that point in time in Thompson, and it was indicated that countless more would also be remembered who succumbed to occupational illnesses due to conditions at work.
Thompson fire department receives new aerial ladder truck
A new $850,000 fire truck for Thompson Fire & Emergency Services rolled into town on Aug. 7, 2005.
Fire Chief Ken Thevenot, along with Fern Trottier, the mechanical foreman of the City of Thompson and Capt. John Maskerine had spent several years researching different. configurations before settling on the new truck, which would replace the fire department's nearly 30-year-old aerial truck, which was done away with due to the problems of parts availability and the expense of maintaining.
The new truck was built by E-One in Florida, and featured a Caterpillar C-12 turbo-diesel engine, mated to an automatic transmission which cranks out 455 horsepower. The fully enclosed cab seats six and the truck holds 500 gallons of water.
Mayor Comaskey will not seek re-election in 2006
Mayor Bill Comaskey let it be known at a city council meeting on Sept. 19, 2005, that he would not seek re-election to council in 2006.
Comaskey, who had been mayor at the time for the past 15 years, said that it had been a wonderful privilege and a pleasure to serve the citizens of Thompson. He stressed that was not saying goodbye but would complete his last term of office to the best of his abilities, and noted that his role had changed in the last few weeks.
Comaskey went on to say that he looked forward to working on improving his golf handicap in the coming years after stepping down as mayor.
Boston Pizza officially opens its doors in Thompson
Members of the ownership group of Thompson's Boston Pizza, including Jennifer and Tim Fuhr, Creedence Doi and Jennifer and Brad Martin cut the ribbon officially launching the new restaurant in Thompson on Oct. 8, 2005.
The opening of the restaurant came a number of years since the first Boston Pizza sign was posted in the City Centre Mall parking lot as the corporation looked for a franchisee.
Niki Ashton wins NDP nomination; Desjarlais sits as independent
Northern Manitoba was without representation by the New Democratic Party in the House of Commons after Churchill MP Bev Desjarlais quit the NDP caucus on Oct. 18, 2005 to sit as an independent. This came after it was announced the day before that Desjarlais had lost the party's nomination to run as a candidate under the party's banner to Niki Ashton, daughter of long-time Thompson MLA Steve Ashton, who won the nomination by a vote of 700 to 400.
Desjarlais said at the time that she wasn't surprised by the vote and says she knew what the outcome would be when she saw how many party memberships Ashton had sold.
R. D. Parker's new aircraft hangar opens for students
R. D. Parker's new aircraft hangar opened officially for students on Nov. 14, 2005, with MLA Steve Ashton and various school board trustees cutting the ribbon on the new building.
Many different groups and individuals throughout Thompson contributed to the building of the hangar, including Frank Behrendt of the Thompson Aviation Trades Advisory Council; the Western Economic Diversification Fund; and the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council, who purchased the 1986 Piper Tomahawk single-engine two-seater airplane that sat in the hangar at the time.
2006
Arnold Morberg receives aviation award posthumously
After passing away in September of 2005 at the age of 69, Arnold Morberg received an aviation award posthumously in early March 2006.
His wife, Gail Morberg, travelled down to Winnipeg to receive the award from the Manitoba Aviation Council. The award was given in recognition of Morberg's years of service to the organization. He also received awards from the Rotary Club and the Thompson Chamber of Commerce.
Morberg was on the board of directors for the Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC) and also one of the founders of the Manitoba Aviation Council.
Johnston throws in his hat in mayoral race
Tim Johnston announced his intention of running for mayor in the upcoming municipal election slated for October 2006 on the morning of May 5 of that year at the Ramada Burntwood Inn.
Johnston told a room full of supporters that his reason for wanting to be mayor was simple - "to work with every resident of this great city to restore the sense of community pride to the city that I love." Johnston's campaign slogan was "It's time for a change."
Johnston was elected to city council in 2002.
Humane Society secures building for its animal shelter
The Thompson Humane Society's annual general meeting, held on May 17, 2006, came with some big news - an announcement was made that the $150,000 needed to purchase the former Thompson Aquarium and Pet Supplies building had been raised.
The idea of a humane society in Thompson began in the summer of 2003 with the finding of an abandoned dog at the gates of Mystery Mountain Winter Park. The animal was taken in and cared for by Denise Earle and Oswald Sawh and stayed for a period of time at the Thompson Zoo.
The dog was named Mystery, and his plight led to a discussion between Earle, Sawh and Erin Wilcox about the possibility of forming a humane society in Thompson in November 2003. Since then, the organization had assisted 50 animals.
Early on it was determined that the society would need an animal shelter. The initial plan was to construct a building, but the estimated cost of $260,000 for a 2,000 square-foot building was unrealistic for the fledgling organization. The option to purchase was then decided upon with the former Thompson Aquarium and Pet Supplies location being chosen.
Les Ellsworth takes reins of Local 6166
On May 24, 2006, the transition of a new president and executive for the Steelworkers Local 6166 was complete as a swearing-in ceremony took place at the union hall, with president Les Ellsworth being sworn in by outgoing president Bob Desjarlais.
It had been a busy time for Ellsworth since being elected to his new position on April 5. He had spent 17 days in Chile representing the Steelworkers at the international event.
Ellsworth brought to the table 12 years of experience on the Steelworkers executive - the first three as the union's financial secretary, followed by nine years as vice-president. Before that he worked for at least 10 years at the Inco plant site.
Wuskwatim vote passes
The long awaited vote to see whether the Wuskwatim hydro-electric dam would go ahead happened on June 14, 2006, with members of the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN) voting yes, with 63 per cent in favour. A 50 per cent voter turnout was needed to make the vote successful, and 70 per cent of NCN members showed up at the polls.
The vote meant that the First Nation would invest $28 million, plus $56 million borrowed from Manitoba Hydro, to give it a 33 per cent share in the completed dam, which was to be built on the Burntwood River midway between Nelson House and Thompson in the NCN resource management area.
It was estimated at the time that NCN could receive between $1 to $3 million a year from the project starting in 2010 while it pays off the loan from Manitoba Hydro. Once that was completed, it was estimated that $15 to $20 million could be generated by the First Nation over the life of the generating station.
Spirit Way officially opens
The official opening ceremony for Spirit Way was held on Sept. 14, 2006 with the first stop on the trip the mural viewpoint by the Tansi sign on the corner of Nelson Road.
Spirit Way, at the time, was made up of a 1.5 kilometre walking and biking trail that featured 18 points of interest highlighting scenery, geography, industry, art, history, recreation and culture in the City of Thompson, stretching from the Heritage North Museum to the Miles Hart Bridge over the Burntwood River.
At the time, $750,000 had been raised by the Spirit Way committee.
Heritage North Museum receives Star Attraction designation from government
The weekend of Sept. 16 and 17, 2006, saw an important cultural and tourism announcement for Thompson, when executive director of the Heritage North Museum Paul Legault received notification from Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism stating that the museum would be joining the ranks of the Winnipeg Art Gallery and Pisew Falls as a Manitoba Star Attraction.
The new accolade meant that the museum's exposure would increase to a number of different markets, according to Legault. A sign was erected boasting of the museum's new status and the provincial government also supplied the organization with a promotional kit including decals for use at the museum, stickers to use on letterhead and tips for using the Star Attraction logo as part of promotional and marketing activities.
New dialysis unit announced for Thompson General Hospital
Just as construction was nearing completion on the Personal Care Home, construction was set to begin in October of 2006 for the $3.2 million, 6,000-square-foot dialysis unit at the Thompson General Hospital. The aim was to have construction complete by the end of summer 2007.
The existing dialysis facility at the time, located within the Thompson General Hospital, could handle 16 patients at once. The new dialysis was touted as being able to handle 40 patients at one time, and during each of three phases eight new patients would be set up in the new dialysis unit.
The formal announcement was made at the Thompson General Hospital in early October of 2006.
2007
Wright era comes to an end at the Thompson Citizen
Long-time publishers of the local newspaper the Thompson Citizen sold the business to Boundary Publishers Ltd. in 2007, marking the end of an era for news in Thompson.
Former managing editor and daughter of the original owners, Carolyn Wright, said at the time she had some mixed emotions about the move - both relief and happiness that she didn't have to deal with the stress of meeting deadlines and sadness at the end of a chapter in her life.
Wright and her sister, Shelly, had been involved with all aspects of the paper since childhood. Their parents, Grant and Joan, came to Thompson in 1961, and established the Nickel Belt News. At the time, there were two newspapers in the community, both the Nickel Belt News and the Thompson Citizen, which had been established by Duke DeCoursey. The two newspapers, however, soon merged into one company, with Grant and Joan eventually becoming the sole publishers.
Premier Doer announces new UCN campus for Thompson
Manitoba Premier Gary Doer was in Thompson on March 13, 2007, to announce that the provincial government would be giving $27 million to the construction of a new campus in Thompson for the University College of the North (UCN).
Thompson MLA Steve Ashton called it the "largest single public sector investment in Thompson" at the time. Besides the $27 million allotted for construction, there was also $3 million announced to make the facility energy efficient and another $3 million for items such as furnishings.
Speakers gather in Thompson to denounce government inaction on aboriginal issues
Dozens of marchers tramped through downtown Thompson to MacLean Park at noon on June 29, 2007, as part of the Assembly of First Nations national day of action. The group entered the park to the accompaniment of drums before speakers demanded that Canada take action to solve aboriginal crises and long-delayed land claims.
The march proceeded down Cree Road to Selkirk, then along Public Road and down Mystery Lake Road to the doorstep of city hall. At least 200 marchers and spectators attended the rally in the park.
Grand Chief Sidney Garrioch of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) at the time addressed the crowed, denouncing the "horrible conditions" facing aboriginal people in Canada, whose concerns were being ignored. He decried the fact that such a rich nation could have such poverty "right out the back door" and that the mortality rate for aboriginal people was far higher than that for other Canadians, saying "our people are dying."
Other problems mentioned by Garrioch included the First Nations housing crises that saw average household sizes of eight people and a need for 4,500 more houses in First Nations communities. He also criticized the lack of progress on aboriginal self-government in Manitoba.
Festive ceremonies hallmark of Manitoba Indigenous Summer Games
Hundreds of First Nation and Metis athletes from throughout the province filed into Thompson's MacLean Park in the colours of their regions for the official opening ceremonies of the 2007 Manitoba Indigenous Summer Games on July 12, 2007.
The athletes - representing Keewatin Tribal Council/Manitoba Metis Federation, Swampy Cree Tribal Council/MMF, Interlake Region Tribal Council/MMF, Southeast Resource Development Corporation/MMF, Island Lake Tribal Council/MMF, Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council/MMF, Northwest Regional Tribal Council/MMF and Winnipeg Region - competed in softball, soccer, athletics, canoeing, 3D archery, golf and a triathlon.
Grey Wolf Bay residents forced to move
All 120 townhouses on Grey Wolf Bay in Thompson were scheduled to be completely renovated by the owner of the property, T. E. Holdings, and the residents of the first 14 units to be renovated received their notices of termination between July 1 and July 12 of 2007.
The residents in those 14 townhouses had to vacate the units between Oct. 1 and Oct. 31 of that year, giving them three months notice, so the owner could begin to renovate the first group of townhouses.
T. E. Holdings offered some of the tenants the option to move into other townhouses in Grey Wolf Bay while their townhouses were being renovated so that they wouldn't have to find accommodations elsewhere, but most of the tenants had to leave Grey Wolf Bay because all the townhouses would be uninhabitable during renovations.
Irvin-Ross attends groundbreaking ceremony for $8.5 million addictions treatment centre in Thompson
Manitoba Healthy Living Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross officially launched construction of a new $8.5 million addiction treatment centre in Thompson on Aug. 24, 2007, to help people of Northern Manitoba with treatment for alcohol and drug dependencies.
Irvin-Ross said the facility would provide the "necessary support for people in Manitoba who are struggling to break free from the chains of addiction". She went on to say that the care and treatment offered at the facility would provide a service in the continuum of care towards recovery.
The official groundbreaking ceremony for the new centre included a prayer in Cree by elder Jack Robinson.
2009
New owner for Thompson's Calm Air in $59 million deal
The sale of Calm Air international in early March 2009 left the company in Manitoba hands, marking the end of an aviation era in Northern Manitoba.
Calm Air had been headquartered in Thompson since June 1985. The company was founded in 1962 in Stony Rapids, Sask. by Arnold Morberg.
The company was sold to Exchange Industrial Income Fund (EIIF) of Winnipeg for $59 million.
Ellsworth defeated in re-election bid as USW Local 6166 president
Les Ellsworth was defeated in early April 2009 in his bid for re-election as president of USW Local 6166 after serving a single term in the top post.
Murray Nychyporuk, who works as a mechanic at Birchtree Mine, defeated Ellsworth. He and a new slate of officers forming the new executive were sworn into office on May 20.
With 831 rank-and-file Steelworkers casting their ballots in the election, members also elected Dan Dnistransky as vice-president; Scott Clements as financial secretary; Marty Sanders as recording secretary; and Wayne Levac as treasurer. Trustees included Ron brown, Richard Sanche and Sheila Thompson; guards were Ric Boxell and Ian Harman, with Warren Luky acting as a guide.
New $40 million aerospace engine test centre to be build at Ospwagan Lake
A new aviation cold weather testing facility at Ospwagan Lake, south of Thompson, was announced on April 16, 2009, by Manitoba Premier Gary Doer, Vic Toews, president of the federal treasury board, Thompson NDP MLA and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Steve Ashton and representatives from Pratt & Whitney U.S. headquarters, Rolls-Royce Canada Limited, MDS Aero Support Corporation and the National Research Council of Canada.
The groups converged in Thompson for the day for the announcement establishing the Canadian Environmental Test Research and Education Center (CanETREC).
New $9.3 million addictions facility opens in Thompson
A brand new facility for the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba (AFM), looking to house and help those dealing with addictions-related problems, opened its doors in Thompson on June 12, 2009, with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The $9.3 million dollar facility would be home to short and long-term residential treatment programs; would offer community-based day programs including assessment, counselling, prevention, education and regional administrative and treatment programs for clients living both at home and in the residential program. The building also featured a cafeteria, a learning centre, a medical assessment, fitness and common room, and was placed in a wooded area with easy access to the outdoors.
Healthy Living Minister Kerri Irvin-Ross was on hand at the ribbon cutting ceremony and expressed her joy that the facility would look to help break the chains of addictions and help return people to their families and communities.
USW Local 6166 backs Ontario union brothers and sisters at vale Inco in Sudbury and Port Colborne
Murray Nychyporuk, recently elected president of the United Steelworkers Local 6166 representing unionized labour at vale Inco in Thompson, was at Thompson's City Centre Mall on July 18, 2009, to send out a strong message of solidarity with their unionized brothers and sisters on strike at the Brazilian mining giant's Sudbury and Port Colborne operations in Ontario.
Steelworkers at Vale Inco in Ontario went on strike July 13 that year. Workers at Vale Inco's Voisey's Bay operations in Labrador were also set to strike on Aug. 1 at the time of Nychyporuk's announcement.
Steve Ashton seeks premiership
Steve Ashton, the longest serving MLA in the Manitoba Legislature, resigned Sept. 4, 2009, from the provincial cabinet as minister of intergovernmental affairs and minister responsible for emergency measures to run for the leadership of the provincial NDP and premiership.
Ashton made the announcement of his candidacy in Winnipeg at the Union Centre on Broadway shortly after noon on Sept. 4. In Ashton's regular weekly "MLA Report" column that appeared in that day's Nickel Belt News, Ashton wrote that over the past few days he'd had numerous people encourage him to run for premier.
Tribute to Northern firefighters unveiled
September 11, 2009 not only commemorated the lives lost at the World Trade Centre in New York in 2001, but in the City of Thompson also served as a day to unveil a statue that pays tribute to firefighters and emergency responders in Northern Manitoba.
People from all over the province gathered at a Spirit Way site on Thompson Drive North that day, including MP for the Churchill electoral district Niki Ashton; Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Manitoba Dave Chomiak; Thompson Mayor Tim Johnston and various city councillors; representatives from Spirit Way, Vale Inco, Manitoba Hydro and Manitoba Conservation; and firefighters and emergency responders from the City of Thompson and other Northern Communities.
A committee had been formed three years previously which included representation from Manitoba Conservation, the Thompson Firefighters Association, the Thompson Fire Department and others. The committee decided they'd work to get a statue in place in Thompson.
The bronze firefighters statue was placed where it overlooked the fire hall, the Burntwood River, and the Vale Inco stack.
Ashton defeated in bid for premiership
Steve Ashton's dreams of becoming the first Northern premier of Manitoba ended at the Winnipeg Convention Centre on Oct. 17 as frontrunner Greg Selinger bested him with almost twice as many votes to replace Gary Doer as NDP party leader and premier.
Selinger, 58, who took almost two-thirds of the ballots cast, sailed to victory in the two-way race with 1,317 votes to Ashton's 685.
Ashton, in his brief concession speech, thanked his family and other supporters, and graciously asked the NDP provincial leadership convention to make the choice of Selinger unanimous.
Five vie for city council seat in Dec. 9 byelection
Five candidates were busy campaigning throughout Thompson during November 2009 in a bid to fill the vacant seat on Thompson's city council left by Cory Young when he departed the city in September.
Young had served three years on council when he announced his resignation on Sept. 22 before moving to Winnipeg, where he now works as agreements coordinator with Manitoba Aboriginal and Northern Affairs.
Margaret Allan, Peter Fancy, Khaled Hassanien, Luke Robinson and Erin Stewart ran in the at-large byelection to fill the last 10 months of Young's term before the next general election in October of 2010.
On Dec. 9, Stewart was announced as the victor and took her spot on city council, becoming council's youngest member.
2010
Red Sangster ball diamond saved
University College of the North (UCN) released a letter to the City of Thompson on Feb. 19, 2010 stating that the site of Manitoba Housing's UCN student family housing project in Thompson had been relocated from the existing Red Sangster ball diamond to a new site located on the southwest corner of the proposed site for the new UCN campus.
In mid-January, a "stale-mate" occurred, halting any forward movement with the UCN project because of some controversy based on the site of the new housing units.
New UCN campus in Thompson to cost $82 million; three times the original estimated cost
NDP Premier Greg Selinger was on hand at the University College of the North (UCN) in Thompson, along with MLA Steve Ashton, to announce $82 million towards the construction of the new UCN campus on April 12.
The number is three times the estimated $27 million cost announced three years ago before first shovel hit the ground. Ashton said the project, particularly on the skilled trades and apprenticeship training side, is considerably larger than originally envisioned, and the new campus is no longer simply a replacement for the existing one.
Brian Wilson passes away at 77-years-old
On May 9, 2010, Brian Wilson, city councillor and long-time school superintendant, died in palliative care after more than a seven-year battle with a particularly aggressive and rapid onset of acute myeloid leukemia.
A funeral service was held on May 13 at the St. John's United Church in Thompson to a packed crowd that spilled out of the church and into tents erected outside to accommodate all the people remembering Wilson.
