Thompson Citizen
141 Commercial Place R8N 1T1 Thompson, MB, Canada

2020 was not a good year and we aren’t out of the woods yet. Many of us probably feel like we need a vacation. However, unless perhaps we are members of Parliament or of provincial legislatures, we likely decided to abide by public heath recommendations and stay home.

Vaccination of Northern Manitoba First Nations people against COVID-19 is set to begin with the first doses of the Moderna vaccine expected to arrive in Cross Lake Jan. 7. Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias said in an emailed statement on Thursday that his First Nation is receiving 199 doses of the vaccine, with 168 of those intended for elders over the age of 70, 11 for elders in care homes and 20 for staff working in the care home.

Northern Manitoba had the second-highest number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province Jan. 7, accounting for 60 of the 208 new cases, behind only the Winnipeg region, which reported 105 new positive tests. The 22nd death of a northern resident was also announced.

The show must go on so youth and adults in the north and throughout Manitoba will have plenty of opportunities to hone their performing arts skills thanks to virtual workshops by two theatre companies.

Mayor Colleen Smook reviewed some of the ups and downs of the first half of her term during council’s organizational meeting Nov. 18, when committee chairs and members for the upcoming year were selected.

Northern Manitoba reached 400 active cases of COVID-19 with the announcement of 55 new cases Nov. 19.

Manitobans will be prohibited from purchasing anything except essential items while shopping in person as of Nov. 20, the provincial government announced Thursday. New public health orders will also restrict gatherings at private residences or in outdoor public places to no more than five people, with some exceptions.

One of the disturbing things about a 2018 video of a prisoner being punched in the Thompson RCMP detachment cell block is that no one present informed the City of Thompson that one of its employees had hit and injured a person being detained.

Thompson Midwest Karate Club drew the winning ticket in the 50-50 fundraiser during their class at the Thompson Regional Community Centre Oct. 9.

"Small businesses have made huge sacrifices for the good of the public and the second wave of COVID-19 is putting them under enormous threat once again. The government has to act to ensure small businesses get through this pandemic."

The novel coronavirus is disproportionately infecting Indigenous people in both cities and on reserves in Manitoba, which has emerged as a hot spot of the pandemic’s second wave. Infections among First Nations members have tripled since the end of October, leading to 1,123 active cases as of Nov. 13 and 18 deaths since March, including seven in the past week.

The Thompson Community Foundation and the Thompson Health Auxiliary teamed up to make a donation of a mobility wheelchair to the rehabilitation department at the Thompson General Hospital.

There are currently five active cases of COVID-19 in the Thompson/Mystery Lake health district after four cases were announced Monday and one more each Oct. 13 and Oct. 14. The case in the Thompson/Mystery Lake district that was announced Oct. 5 the first positive COVID-19 case in the area since early April is now considered recovered and one other case in the Thompson/Mystery Lake health district was added to the recovered list Oct. 14. Three other new cases in the NRHA were announced Oct. 14, two in the Island Lake health district, where there are now three active cases, and one in the Cross Lake/Pimicikamak Cree Nation health district.

Braden McMurdo and Li Cripps were elected to Thompson city council and the School District of Mystery Lake board, respectively, in a municipal byelection Oct. 13.

Two people were arrested, one of them suffering a gunshot wound, following a handgun being fired accidentally in a Princeton Drive apartment building Oct. 10.

Braden McMurdo has been elected to Thompson city council in the Oct. 13 byelection while Li Cripps was elected to the School District of Mystery Lake school board.

Thompson’s 43rd taxi hit the streets Oct. 9, offering handicapped accessible service, which had been unavailable in Thompson for the past few months.

Nearly half of the unionized hourly workforce at Vale’s Manitoba Operations could be affected by the company’s comprehensive review, either by being transferred to other positions or laid off.

Update: There are currently five active cases of COVID-19 in the Thompson/Mystery Lake health district after four cases were announced Monday and one more Oct. 13.

Four positive tests for COVID-19 in the Thompson/Mystery Lake health district were among five new cases in the Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA) announced by the provincial government Oct. 12.

Thompson RCMP seized bear spray and money believed to be the proceeds of crime when they pulled over a vehicle near Pisew Falls around 3 a.m. Oct. 7.

Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin Inc. (KIM) has released a new video called Breathe designed to encourage northern First Nations in Manitoba to protect their loved ones by getting the flu vaccine in preparation for the influenza season.