Author: northernernews

The City of Thompson is reviewing responses to a request for tenders for the construction of a new aquatic centre this week.

The deadline for submissions was May 26 and the review process began May 29. The first step is determining if the proposals satisfy technical requirements. If they do, city staff and Stantec Architecture, which is overseeing design and engineering services for the project, will interview the proponents in Winnipeg.

After the technical evaluations and interviews are completed, budgets for the proposals will be compared and final scores calculated prior to any recommendation being forwarded to council.

Thompson has secured $11 million in funding for the new aquatic centre from the federal and provincial governments via the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, which requires a contribution of at least $4 million from the city. Vale Manitoba Operations has also pledged $2 million for a new city facility to replace the Norplex Pool, closed down for safety reasons in 2019.

Stantec’s design and engineering study recommended that the new aquatic centre should be built on land adjacent to the Thompson Regional Community Centre. Features of the pool design include a waterslide, a six-lane 25-metre accessible pool with one accessible lane, a beach-entry recreational pool, a sauna and a multi-purpose room for parties and swim meets.

Thompson Mayor Colleen Smook and members of city council joined Thompson RCMP members and other local partners at the Thompson detachment May 23 for cake and cupcakes to celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the national police force.

Accompanied by Deputy Mayor Kathy Valentino and councillors Louis Fitzpatrick and Joyce McIvor, as well as Thompson Fire & Emergency Services members, who work closely with the police, and StreetReach North team members in attendance, the mayor congratulated the RCMP on the milestone and thanked the officers in attendance for their service.

“We appreciate all you do in the community, all of you, so thank you,” Smook said.

An act establishing the Northwest Mounted Police, the predecessor to the RCMP, to provide policing services in Canada’s Northwest Territory, including areas that are now Yukon, Nunavut, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, was passed by Parliament on May 23, 1873. The RCMP was formed in 1920 by the merger of the Northwest Mounted Police and the Dominion Police in eastern Canada. The RCMP has provided provincial policing services in Manitoba since 1932 and the force has more than 700 detachments in 150 communities across the country today.

The Thompson RCMP detachment is also planning a street party on Selkirk Avenue in front of their building in July to mark the anniversary.

The season of celebration is just around the corner, and whether you’ve had a few too many to drive home, or your DD didn’t plug his car in for the night, lots of folks will be calling for rides home this month.

If you’re calling a cab to get home this holiday season (and the rest of the year), *always* make sure your taxi is licensed with the City of Thompson.

Taxis licensed with the City of Thompson have requirements that keep you safe as a passenger. Every registered taxi has:

• A driver who has a clean criminal record and child abuse registry check;
• The name of the licensed taxi company prominently displayed on the vehicle. It must be a permanent decal or be painted on. It cannot be a magnet;
• A clearly marked number on the outside of the vehicle;
• Have a light on top of the vehicle that says “TAXI”, and be lit when in service;
• Have a strobe light on top of the vehicle, and a sticker indicating to call the RCMP if the strobe is flashing;
• A fare counter that’s clearly visible to both driver and passenger for the whole ride;
• Tamper-proof video cameras recording the interior of the taxi;

Every licensed taxi also has a very prominent public notice stuck below their passenger window like the one below:

Licensed taxis have also been issued valid provincial registrations, and are properly insured through Manitoba Public Insurance.

These tools help the City of Thompson and the RCMP investigate any complaints by drivers or passengers, and help establish clear price transparency among taxi drivers and their customers.

What about Operation Red Nose?

Operation Red Nose is another safe and regulated way to get a ride home over the holiday season. Operation Red Nose is approved through an agreement with the City every year, and every volunteer driver is required to undergo a successful criminal and child abuse registry check.

Unlicensed vehicles cannot legally charge you a fare for driving. even if they are offering free rides, there is no guarantee there are any safety protocols in place.

We strongly recommend against accepting any rides from vehicles missing any of these features, or who are otherwise not in compliance with the City’s Taxi By-Law, even if they appear to have been dispatched by a licensed taxi company in Thompson.

If you have concerns about any taxis or taxi dispatchers operating vehicles without these features, please call our License Inspector at 204-677-7901 to report it as soon as possible.

All complaints reported to the City or to the RCMP are investigated. POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT AN ALTERNATIVE TO PROPERLY REPORTING INCIDENTS TO THE AUTHORITIES.

This article was originally published by the Association of Manitoba Municipalities. You can find the original release here: Thompson Mayor Re-Elected Cities Caucus Chair

For more information about the release, contact Nick Krawetz, AMM Director of Policy and Communications using the information at the bottom of this article.

Delegates from Manitoba’s 10 cities met today at the AMM’s 24th Annual Fall Convention where they re-elected Mayor Colleen Smook, City of Thompson, as Cities Caucus Chair for a renewed two-year term.

“The AMM is a strong association, and I am honoured to continue this role on behalf of Manitoba’s cities,” stated Caucus Chair Mayor Smook. “I am committed to assisting with AMM advocacy efforts to benefit all Manitoba municipalities.”

During the proceedings, the Cities Caucus also discussed the impacts of unprecedented inflation on municipalities as well as the need for swift action by the provincial government to end the seven-year freeze on municipal operating funding.

“All Manitoba municipalities are feeling the cost of high inflation. Local governments face huge challenges in maintaining current infrastructure—and this is not to mention growing needs. We urge the Province to end the operating funding freeze in its next budget,” noted AMM President Kam Blight.

Following the general municipal elections, Manitoba’s 10 cities have six new mayors. The AMM looks forward to working with all Councils over the next four years to strengthen municipal Manitoba.

Members of the AMM Cities Caucus include:

• City of Brandon
• City of Dauphin
• City of Flin Flon
• City of Morden
• City of Portage la Prairie
• City of Selkirk
• City of Steinbach
• City of Thompson
• City of Winkler
• City of Winnipeg

Contact:

Nick Krawetz, AMM Director of Policy and Communications

Telephone: (204) 856-2371
Email: nkrawetz@amm.mb.ca
1910 Saskatchewan Avenue W.
Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 0P1

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities identifies and addresses the needs and concerns of its members in order to achieve strong and effective municipal government.

Initial, unofficial counts have been completed for the 2022 Thompson Municipal Election, with 2,070 out of 7,578 eligible voters turning out to elect Thompson’s new Mayor and Council.

Unofficial results in the order of votes are as follows, with bold names indicating elected officials.

School District of Mystery Lake Board of Trustees Acclaimed

The School District of Mystery Lake had exactly as many candidates for School Trustees as the number of seats available, meaning that the Board of Trustees was acclaimed as of September 20. Your 2022-2026 School District of Mystery Lake Trustees are:

1. Lindsay Anderson
2. Michelle Tomashewski
3. Abbie Humby
4. Mike Lawson
5. M. D. Sharker
6. Henk Warnar-Brown
7. Bryan Young

Spooky season isn’t over yet, but it’s never to early to start thinking about your Santa Parade float for 2022! Thompson’s Santa Parade and National Child Day Celebrations is scheduled for November 26, 2022, and we’re excited to see the streets filled with merrymakers again!

The parade will start moving at 12:30pm, starting at the Thompson General Hospital! It will head down Thompson Drive before turning right on to Cree Road, turn left at the other end down Thompson Drive, and end at the TRCC with a tree-lighting ceremony and lots of kids activities!

To book your float, head down to the Thompson Regional Community Centre, or reach out to Darlene for more information, at 204-677-7969, or ddick@thompson.ca!

Don’t forget about halloween!

Fun Stuff Thompson is also hosting their spooky Halloween Parade this weekend on October 16, 2022, starting at 11:00am, so don’t forget to check it out before getting into the Christmas spirit! We’re not organizing that one though: for more information or to book your float, email funstuffthompson@gmail.com!

Yesterday evening, election staff officially closed nominations and withdrawals for the 2022 Thompson Municipal Election, and drew lots for where candidate names would appear on the voting ballot.

A total of three candidates are running for the office of mayor, and 12 candidates are running for City Councillor:

Mayor

1. Colleen Smook
2. Ron Matechuk
3. Les Ellsworth

Councillor

1. Kathy Valentino
2. Louis Fitzpatrick
3. Cheiw Chong
4. Addie Colbourne
5. Brian Lundmark
6. Sandra Orberdorfer
7. Robert Chuckery
8. Duncan Wong
9. Joyce McIvor
10. Earl Colbourne
11. James McIntyre
12. Rita Werstroh

The School District of Mystery Lake Board of Trustees has been acclaimed for 2022, with exactly 7 trustees filling seven seats. There will be no election of school board trustees on the 2022 ballot:

1. Lindsay Anderson
2. Michelle Tomashewski
3. Abbie Humby
4. Mike Lawson
5. M. D. Sharker
6. Henk Warnar-Brown
7. Bryan Young

Advanced Polls October 10 and October 19

Advanced polling will be held at City Hall on Monday, October 10, 2022 from 9:00am to 6:00pm, and on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 from 8:00am to 8:00pm.

Election Day Is Entirely In The TRCC This Year

The 2022 Municipal Election will not be polled at schools. All in-person voting will take place in the TRCC on October 26, 2022, from 8:00am to 8:00pm, with the exception of the mobile polling stations at select locations.

Not Sure If You’re On The Voter’s List? Call Senior Election Official Norma Howitt at 204-679-4848!

Construction crews working on our capital water and sewer renewals are working on a 21-7 schedule, and are off for the week leading up to the long weekend.

They’ll be resuming work in Deerwood and Juniper areas on September 7, which is, as it happens, the first day of school.

The project is going to run well into September, and possibly a chunk of October, and so our Development and Technical Services department has worked with our contractors to develop a safety plan for youth walking to and from school, as well as other pedestrians who may need to cross the worksite:

• From 8:30am to 9:00am, 12:00pm – 1:00pm, and 3:00pm to 4:00pm, there will be a designated barricade attendant/spotter to guide traffic in the construction zone, when students are walking to and from school.
• The contractor will escort anyone who needs to walk or otherwise pass through a work site if needed.
• Clear signage will be put up to indicate where work is taking place, and where safe walking paths have been designated.
• No excavated holes will be left unattended without fencing.

The department is also reviewing our transit routes and will work with our transit contractor to make route adjustments if necessary.

Road Closures Will Take Place On Both Streets

There will be ongoing road closures in both construction sites as crews start to connect service lines from the water main to homes. Please drive with caution and respect established detour signs.

Everyone goes a little stir crazy in these last days of August: blow off some steam at The Rec Room, our little project to offer affordable and accessible activities for all ages!

What’s There To Do At The Rec Room?

We’re adding more games and activities to The Rec Room in the coming weeks, including air hockey and a bouncy castle! For now, we have:

• Jumbo Connect 4
• Jumbo Jenga
• Foosball
• Mini-Putt
• Sandbag and Horseshoe Tosses
• Arcade Bowling
• Arcade Basketball
• Frisbee Golf
• Board Games
• Eating/Board Game Area

Hours and Prices

Anyone of any age is allowed at The Rec Room as long as they follow the rules, though children younger than 12 must be supervised by an adult. Entry is $5 per time slot.

The Rec Room is usually open for two time slots from Monday to Thursday, with extended hours on Friday. :

Hours for August 17, 2022 – August 19, 2022

Wednesday – Thursday: 4:30pm – 6:30pm, 7:00pm – 9:00pm

Friday: 2:30pm – 4:30pm, 5:00pm – 7:00pm, 7:30pm – 9:30pm

Saturday and Sunday: Closed

As the ice plant is operating for the season, hours at The Rec Room will be affected when an ice plant operator isn’t on-site. It will be closed on Saturday and Sunday this week, but it will be open on weekends when the right staff are available.

Call the TRCC For Up-To-Date Schedules

We’ll be sharing The Rec Room’s hours next week once we have details ironed out with our front desk staff through social media and our website. We’ll also be keeping the TRCC’s automated front desk message up-to-date with the latest hours and schedule adjustments, which you can hear at 204-677-7952.