A lot has happened since I wrote my introductory column for the Thompson Citizen back in May.
For one thing, I finally got furniture for my apartment, which means I’m writing this latest entry from atop a comfy couch instead of a leaky air mattress. In terms of my professional life, I’ve taken complete editorial control of the paper … or at least until my editor Ian gets back from his vacation. I also succeeded in finding most of the wolf statues around town, although I’m sure one or two have still eluded me.
With that being said, there’s still lots for me to see and do after these last four months, and I desperately need to change my phone number to a local area code.
So, in wake of this milestone, I would like to take the opportunity to share my thoughts about Thompson as a relative newcomer.
I won’t lie, when I first arrived I was a little unsure about what the future was going to hold. Outside of what I read online, I knew next to nothing about this city outside of wolves, high crime rates, and its status as “the Hub of the North.” My anxiety wasn’t alleviated when I first touched down on April 25, since there was still tons of snow on the ground, which made my initial trips around town a little messy and chaotic. This was made worse by the fact that I didn’t know anybody in Thompson outside of my contacts at work. Not even my girlfriend could help abate this feeling of loneliness in the early days, since she was still wrapping things up back in Ottawa.
However, over the next couple months my concerns were quickly put to rest.
As I got more and more engaged with the community through my work with the Citizen, I ran into an endless number of people who were more than willing to show me the ropes and give me advice on how to live life to the fullest in Thompson.
“Who do I go to for house insurance?” “How much does a block heater cost?” “Where’s the best place to wet my whistle after a long day of work?” It didn’t matter if they were city officials or random people on the street, pretty much everybody I ran into gave me an answer to these questions, living up to the provincial moniker of “Friendly Manitoba.”
The local climate also surprised me by doing almost a complete 180 in the time since I arrived. Warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine allowed me to take in the area’s natural beauty first-hand, including expeditions to Paint Lake and Pisew Falls Provincial Park. Even though I’m still bracing myself for my first Thompson winter, these summer months have given me a reason to stick it out for the entire year.
But more than anything, throughout my short time here I was just struck by how “normal” everything seemed. Like I mentioned already, before arriving in Thompson I heard horror stories about crime and isolation. And while those things are certainly problems that need to be addressed, the community atmosphere is very reminiscent of what I experience growing up in Kapuskasing, Ont.: laid back and easy going.
This atmosphere definitely comes to the forefront during city-wide events like Canada Day, Nickel Days, and National Indigenous Day, where all of the people in attendance are dedicated to having a good time and making the most out of the long stretches of daylight that have been another highlight of my Thompson experience so far.
In the end, when it comes to my stay up north I’m sure there’s going to be bumps in the road along the way, including the literal bumps in the road I have to deal with every time I drive to work. But based on my experience throughout the last four months, I’m more confident that ever that Thompson will take good care of me for the foreseeable future.
Well, back to work. Hopefully I don’t accidently publish some offensive typos before Ian gets back.
— Kyle Darbyson, reporter for the Thompson Citizen
