thompson – The Northerner

Survey: Should Thompson Have Fewer Councillors Next Term?

March 15, 2022March 15, 2022 by northernernews, posted in City Hall

Last night, Thompson’s city council read for the first time a new Composition of Council By-Law: if passed, the amendment would reduce the number of councillors from eight councillors and a mayor to six councillors and a mayor.

Before the by-law proceeds to it’s second reading, council is looking for your input: do you want to keep the number of councillors the same, or reduce the number of councillors from eight to six? Vote in the poll below before Thursday, March 24, 2022 at 11:45pm. You can also fill out the survey in-person at City Hall. It’s very short!

Thompson Council Composition Survey

How do council sizes in other cities stack up?

Below you can see how other cities in Manitoba compare in their population against their council composition.

Councillors in Brandon and Winnipeg work full time, and each councillor represents a ward, or a specific region in the city to whom they are responsible, much like provincial or federal officials.

In Manitoba’s smaller cities, like Thompson, councillors are part-time, and share the duty of representing the city as a whole.

Population is not the only thing that influences a council size. Every community is different: the population, the organization of committees, and the expectations of the community all affect how many councillors are needed to fulfill their roles.

City	Population	Councillors (Exc. Mayor)	Wards
Brandon	51, 313	10	Yes
Portage La Prairie	13, 270	6	No
Steinbach	17, 806	6	No
Thompson	13, 035	8	No
Winkler	13, 745	7	No
Dauphin	8, 368	6	No
Flin Flon	4, 940	6	No
Morden	9, 929	6	No
Selkirk	10, 504	6	No
Winnipeg	749, 607	15	Yes

Table Comparing Council Sizes to Populations in Manitoba

What Do Councillors Do?

Section 82 of Manitoba’s Municipal Act succinctly describes council as responsible for:

(a) for developing and evaluating the policies and programs of the municipality;

(b) for ensuring that the powers, duties and functions of the municipality are appropriately carried out; and

(c) for carrying out the powers, duties and functions expressly given to the council under this or any other Act.

§82, C.C.S.M c. M225 The Municipal Act

The Council Members Guide, published each council term by the Province of Manitoba and the Association of Manitoba Municipalities builds on these responsibilities:

Decision-making – Council is responsible for making fair and transparent decisions based on relevant information, discussion and a majority vote.

Governance – Council is responsible for passing the local bylaws that govern people and their municipality on a wide range of topics, from animal control to zoning.

Representation – Council is democratically elected. As representatives of the community, council members are responsible to listen to and engage with the public, and consider the best interests of the whole municipality.

Stewardship – Council is responsible for the supervision and care of the municipality’s resources. This means making sure that infrastructure, money and staff are used properly and effectively. This also means planning strategically for the challenges and opportunities of the future.

p. 25, 2018 Council Member’s Guide: Once Elected, What’s Expected?

City of Thompson and IAFF reach new 3-year contract for 2022-2024

December 20, 2021 by northernernews, posted in City Hall, Public Safety

The City of Thompson and its Union partner, the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2200 (IAFF), have ratified a new 3-year contract for Thompson Fire and Emergency Services employees, effective January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2024.

The new agreement approves a 2.5% annual wage increase in all three years of the contract, and includes an annual reimbursement of $200 per year towards licensure fees with the new College of Paramedics of Manitoba. One-time labour market wage rate adjustments for the positions of Captain, Senior Communications Officer, and Senior Alarm Room Attendant classifications were also included.

IAFF Local 2200 includes 29 Thompson Fire and Emergency Services personnel, in roles Fire Fighters/Paramedics, Communications, and Alarm Room roles.

“We want to thank IAFF for reaching a negotiated settlement with the City of Thompson. We look forward to continuing to work together with the Fire and Emergency services, and continuing to deliver highly qualified and professional emergency services to the residents of Thompson,“ said Mayor Colleen Smook.

All Northern Manitobans Over 18 Years Of Age Now Eligible For COVID-19 Vaccination

April 26, 2021April 26, 2021 by northernernews, posted in COVID-19, Public Safety, Uncategorized

Header Photo: Mayor Colleen Smook Receives her first vaccination dose on April 7, 2021.

As of April 26, 2021 at 11:45am, all Manitobans who live within the Northern Health Region, or who work in the region regularly, are eligible to book their COVID-19 vaccination appointments.

Individuals are encouraged to make their appointments by calling (toll-free) 1-844-626-8222 (1-844-MAN-VACC) or visiting https://protectmb.ca.

Prompt Vaccination Is Critical As Third Wave Looms

As variant cases become more prevalent in Manitoba and infections increase, the province is, in many ways, racing against the crest of a third wave to ensure vaccinations are delivered promptly.

In the announcement, Dr. Joss Reimer (medical lead of the Vaccine Implementation Task Force) stressed the importance of vaccination for Manitobans:

“The vaccine is one way we can slow the spread of this virus and control the third wave of COVID-19. We are seeing that everyone, including younger people, is experiencing more severe outcomes from COVID and it is important that we adjust our eligibility criteria to reflect what we know, so we can protect those at risk. More than one-third of Manitobans have been immunized, and I’d encourage everyone to do the same as soon as they are eligible.”
Dr. Joss Reimer, Vaccine Implementation Task Force, VACCINE ELIGIBILITY EXPANDING TO PROTECT ADULTS
IN NORTHERN MANITOBA, SEVEN OAKS WEST, Province of Manitoba, April 26, 2021

City of Thompson Responds to Treatment of Detainee, Changes to CSO Oversight and Public Safety Strategy

November 10, 2020November 10, 2020 by northernernews, posted in Public Safety

Recently, a news organization has released a video from January 2018 that involves the detention of a young Indigenous woman under the Intoxicated Persons Detention Act (IPDA) by the City’s Community Safety Officers (CSOs) in the local RCMP cells.

As the case is currently before the courts, we cannot release all of the details, but we want to provide you with an update on the latest information and the actions that have been taken.

Though the altercation happened in January 2018, neither the Mayor’s office nor City Manager’s office was informed of what had transpired until seven months later, in August 2018, when Manitoba Justice reached out to Thompson’s Director of Fire and Public Safety at the time. In turn, he reached out to the RCMP to get an update. The CSO was cleared by RCMP’s Use of Force Expert at the time, and no disciplinary action was taken.

A copy of the security footage was not provided to the city by the RCMP, and the current administration is viewing parts of this footage for the first time. Once the City receives a copy of the full video through the court process, the City will review the footage to determine our next steps.

Since the incident, the following changes to the CSO program have been implemented:

As of May 2020, supervision of CSO’s has returned to a dedicated Public Safety Manager to ensure proper oversight, and that the mandated training, which includes use of force and cultural proficiency training, is adhered to;
When use-of-force incidents occur in the future, the City has asked the RCMP to immediately notify the City of Thompson’s Public Safety Manager and City Manager;
The City Manager, in consultation with the Public Safety Manager and HR, will conduct an investigation.

There has been significant change-over at the City of Thompson since the incident, both in administration and among Mayor and Council. Since the turn-over at the end of 2018, administration and City Council quickly recognized that the previous approach to public safety was not working.

Since February 2020, the City of Thompson, the Province of Manitoba, and 20 different community organizations have been working together to create an all-encompassing public safety strategy, with the help of independent consultants Community Safety and Knowledge Alliance. This includes representatives from education, social services, healthcare, addictions treatment, and Indigenous government organizations. Reducing the role of conventional law enforcement in addressing mental health and intoxication is a top priority of this strategy.

Supporting this strategy is the announcement of a new $2.8 million sobering center last June. This center will provide 24/7 safe and secure space where non-violent, intoxicated people can stay until they sober up under trained supervision, independent from law enforcement. This will help reduce the involvement of law enforcement in the care of intoxicated individuals, as well as help connect clients with wrap-around social services who can help them address addictions.

The City of Thompson commissioned a Community Safety and Well-being Strategy, and from that, we have now identified our strategic priorities, including:

Lessen youth exposure to crimes as victims, witnesses, and perpetrators;
Lessen the frequency and burden of problematic alcohol use on individuals and the community;
Reduce factors driving the demand on policing resources from social disorder calls;
Enhance experiences of social inclusion and Justice and reduce systemic and other forms of racism;
Expand safe and attainable shelter and housing options for people experiencing vulnerabilities;
Renew and better maintain the environment in Thompson to improve how people can connect to strengthen social cohesion.

The City of Thompson is committed to working with all of our stakeholders in the community to follow through on all of these initiatives that, in turn, will make for a better community for all of us.

As Mayor Smook has stated before, “We need to recognize that we are working to fix issues over three decades in the making, but with a sustained, committed effort, we will see a safer, healthier Thompson.”

Week 4 of Clean Community Month Starts Today!

June 12, 2020June 12, 2020 by northernernews, posted in Public Safety, Public Works, Recreation, Uncategorized

It’s the fourth week of Clean Community Month in Thompson, and this week, we’re in the Westwood and Burntwood areas!

Send us your photos and the names of your clean-up team for a chance to win a Hub of the North Hoodie, a prize pack from Recycle Everywhere and the Thompson Recycling Center, and this week’s big prize from Canadian Tire: A two-piece CANVAS Beaumount Patio Chair set!

As the wind picks up, it seems like there’s still plenty of litter still blowing into the downtown area. We’re more than happy to accept entries from downtown cleaners as well!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Thompson Recycling Center

Recycle Everywhere!

Canadian Tire

AMP Industries

NCN Thompson Bus

Assante Wealth Management

THANKS TO ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS THIS WEEK!

Thank you to EVERYONE who participated in Week 3: Individuals can’t win the draw a second time, but if you go out to clean up again, other members of your team definitely can! If you didn’t win last week, you can still participate and get a second chance this week!

Province Announces $2.8 million in funding for Sobering Center in Thompson

June 9, 2020June 9, 2020 by northernernews, posted in Public Safety

Cover photo: Justice Minister Cliff Cullen answers media questions at City Hall in December 19. A provincial delegation was not able to travel north for the announcement due to COVID-19 precautions.

On Monday, June 8, 2020, the Province of Manitoba announced a major step towards improving public safety and addressing addictions in northern Manitoba. Minister Cliff Cullen announced $2.8 million to establish and run a sobering center in Thompson, a critical piece towards a full-fledged Main Street North initiative.

The sobering center will be a 24-hour facility where severely-intoxicated individuals can take shelter while the effects of alcohol wear off. Individuals will each have their own room, and will be monitored at regular intervals for complications related to withdrawal.

SAFER SOBERING, FEWER ARRESTS

“The City of Thompson’s Sobering Center project will be an invaluable and non-criminal means of providing a safe and secure location for vulnerable people. This project will help alleviate significant policing resources in the City of Thompson, and enable us to redirect them towards other national, provincial, and local policing priorities.”
Staff Sgt. Chris Hastie, Thompson RCMP

The first immediate benefit of a sobering center is to reduce the number of police interventions with intoxicated individuals, and to reduce the burden on Thompson’s holding cells.

Individuals in Thompson were held under the Intoxicated Persons Detention Act (more commonly known as the drunk tank) over 2000 times in 2019. Not only do these detentions take up significant RCMP time and resources to process, but it also makes it difficult for staff and cell guards to properly monitor the people who are being lodged.

A dedicated sobering center reduces the burden on RCMP facilities and officers, leaving them free to address criminal issues like violence and drug trafficking more effectively. Those lodging at the sobering center benefit from more personal space, security from more aggressive residents in holding, the opportunity to stay longer at the sobering center, and more frequent, attentive supervision including detailed check-ins every 15 minutes. Alcohol is one of the few intoxicants where withdrawal can be fatal, depending on the level of dependence.

“We have access to a non-medical withdrawal unit in Thompson, but people who present a risk to themselves or others need safe lodging, with supervision and security, to detoxify before they enter the withdrawal unit.”
Gisele M. deMeulles, Northern Director, Addictions Foundation of Manitoba

A WAY TO A BETTER LIFE: FIRST STEPS TO MAIN STREET NORTH

Dedicated sobering centers create an opportunity for one-on-one interactions and counseling for those sobering up at the facility. They create a hub where users can be directed towards further treatment options like withdrawal units and long-term counseling and recovery.

A sobering center alone still only provides short-term shelter for residents lodged at the facility, but it’s an important first step towards a holistic program like Winnipeg’s Main Street Project. The Main Street Project provides local outreach programs, counseling, addictions services, and supportive/transitional housing programs either within the same facility, or as part of the same organization. This streamlines the recovery process for clients by reducing barriers due to bureaucracy, poor information, and geography.

The Main Street North project would also help ensure programs were culturally relevant to individuals seeking treatment and recovery, including western and Indigenous frameworks in the north.

“My 40 plus years in Thompson have shown me the need for a sobering center where individuals can be assessed, housed, referred and treated humanely through a safe and medically-supervised sobering process. Staff that recognize mental health issues, investigate referrals to addictions services and assist with health needs and family contact are all a part of an effective sobering center.”
John Donovan, Former Director, Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, Northern Region, Current Community Advisory Board on Homelessness Member

HOUSING FIRST

Projects like Main Street, and in the future Main Street North, provide services based on a housing-first approach. Housing-first approaches recognize that safe, reliable shelter is a foundational part of recovery, and aims to provide housing before other interventions like addictions counselling and employment support (though these services are always provided in conjunction with transitional shelter).

Over the last ten years, studies from across urban centers in Canada have demonstrated the success of housing-first approaches in successful recovery, including Winnipeg, Vancouver, Toronto, Moncton, and Montreal (which was the focus of a landmark study that ended in 2013). and the model continues to develop best practices to implement across the country.

“A project like this needs collaboration and commitment from a broad range of service providers in the community to succeed, Sobering centers engage people ‘where they are at’. Sobering centers offer a place where people can find safety and connection to services that speak to their specific social and cultural needs, including housing.”
C. LeeAnne Deegan, Community Advisory Board on Homelessness Chair; Instructor, University of Manitoba Northern Social Work Program

MANAGED ALCOHOL PROGRAMS

“Managed alcohol programs are a harm reduction approach for people living with severe alcohol dependence. The benefits can include decreasing the beverage alcohol consumed per day, increased quality of life, reduced alcohol-related harm, fewer police interactions, and fewer visits to hospital emergency departments, all which can reduce costs related to alcohol borne by public services.”
Paulette Simkins, Executive Director, Canadian Mental Health Association Thompson

Managed Alcohol Programs take a harm-reduction approach to addressing alcoholism. Where some individuals show exceptional difficulty maintaining abstinence and detoxing, a managed alcohol program can help these individuals focus on developing social function while receiving a controlled amount of alcohol during their treatment, somewhat similar to the controlled recovery from prescription medication. In the meantime, the harm associated from alcohol use is reduced through supervision and counselling. This allows an individual to address the stressors in their life and environment.

Managed alcohol is still a controversial approach, and much research still needs to be done. It is also not for everyone, and existing programs typically restrict its use to the most severe cases of alcohol dependency, with very specific eligibility requirements.

A managed alcohol program is not a guaranteed part of the Main Street North project, and requires more extensive community consultation to ensure such a program will work within our community. However, partners in Main Street North project are investigating all potential avenues for addressing alcoholism in Thompson and northern Manitoba.

Week 2 of Clean Community Month Starts Today!

May 29, 2020 by northernernews, posted in Public Works, Recreation

It’s the second week of Clean Community Month in Thompson, and this week, we’re in the Juniper and Deerwood areas!

Thank you to EVERYONE who participated in Week 1! You guys are awesome! Individuals can’t win the draw a second time, but if you go out to clean up again, other members of your team definitely can!

If you need a place to start, our Comms Officer was out by Rotary Park in Deerwood this morning, and it’s looking a little hairy!

We’re cleaning in Deerwood and Juniper this week!

Thanks to all of our volunteers last week!

Thanks to everyone who helped clean up our City last week, and everyone who plans to come out in the coming month!

New Garbage and Recycling trucks are on the road in Thompson!

May 29, 2020 by northernernews, posted in Public Works

It’s been a rough week for garbage and recycling pick-up, giving our old collection trucks a rather bitter send-off.

That said, things should look a little smoother now that our new garbage and recycling collection trucks have arrived at the Public Works yard, and are officially on the road!

Not only are they new vehicles that should operate more smoothly, but they also come with some new automated safeguards that make their operation safer and more reliable!

Clean Community: Students Clean Up Causeways

May 22, 2020 by northernernews, posted in Public Works, Recreation

For the last two years, friends of the late Dylan and Shane Cripps have gone out on the spring to clean up the boat launch at the Causeways north of Thompson, out of respect for the families who passed away and their community.

The causeways are a gorgeous waterway for paddlers and motor boats alike, and while it’s extremely disappointing to see their condition every spring, we’re proud to see a new generation of Thompsonites volunteering to keep their community and it’s landmarks clean.

We hope to see everyone out this week helping our community look it’s best for the summer! Don’t forget to take part in the City of Thompson’s Clean Community Month! Give back to the community while winning prizes!

https://northernernews.ca/2020/05/20/community-clean-may-22/

Community Clean-up Month Starts May 22!

May 20, 2020 by northernernews, posted in Public Works

Every spring, the City of Thompson has hosted Clean Community Day and Clean Community Month, an opportunity for community members to come out, clean up Thompson, and help us get a jump start on the litter left over from the winter. This year, in the spirit of social distancing, things are a little different.

Starting on Friday, May 22, we’ll be asking residents to focus on two areas of town every week until June 26, based on the schedule close to the end of this article. We’ll give people a heads-up to some key areas to get started.

Here’s what our schedule looks like:

Week 1: Downtown (Bin placed in Canadian Tire Parking Lot)
Week 2: Deerwood – Juniper (Bins placed at respective schools)
Week 3: Eastwood and Riverside (Bins placed at respective schools)
Week 4: Westwood and Burntwood (Bins placed at respective schools)
Week 5: Southwood and Apartments (Bins placed at Southwood Park)

Like every year, garbage bags and rubber gloves are available free from City Hall and the Public Works Office! Pick up gloves and bags in the City Hall foyer starting on Friday, or call Public Works at 204-677-7970 to arrange pick-up from their office. If you’re picking up supplies from City Hall, we ask that you be respectful and take only what you need.

We’re working with a local business to act as a weekend pick-up location for gloves and bags if you can’t make it during the week. Stay tuned for more information!

The City and the School District of Mystery Lake will be putting out dumpsters every Monday at the locations listed below. If you need to get rid of garbage you’ve collected on other days, a dumpster will be available at the Public Works yard all week long!

Send In Your Photos, Win Prizes!

To participate, we’re asking everyone to take a photo of the area you’re cleaning before you clean up, and a photo or two of the clean area when you’re done. Email them with the names of you and your team to communications@thompson.ca, and we’ll be feature your before and after photos on our social media page throughout the week!

At the end of every week, participants who submitted their names and photos will have a chance to win a Hub of the North hoodie and camping mug set!

At the end of the month, all participants who sent in photos will be eligible for the grand prize draw donated by Canadian Tire, a cooler packed with everything you need for you and your family to get out and enjoy a picnic on the grass!

Cleaning up while CoVID-safe

Remember: we are in the midst of a pandemic, and cleaning up involves touching many strange surfaces. Here’s a few ways to help keep yourself safe from COVID-19 while helping to clean our community:

Wear gloves;
Use hand sanitizer frequently, even on your gloves;
Don’t touch your face until you’ve taken your gloves off, or sterilized them;
Remove your gloves and sanitize your hands before getting in your vehicle, or touching another surface;
Use a garbage picker if you have one (you know, those sticks with the pointy ends);
Disperse your group at least 2 meters apart;
Don’t crowd people at the dumpsters, or when picking up your gloves and garbage bags.

Thompson has already started Cleaning up!

Workers from Recreation and Public Works have been going around town picking up litter downtown and in other big problem areas in our community.

Community members have also been out cleaning up our community, like Crystal Fenner-Redhead has been out with her family picking up garbage in the Eastwood area and throughout the downtown area, using garbage bags and gloves supplied by the Thompson Recycling Center! They’ve already collected over 100 bags, and they’re still out and about: Thanks Crystal!