On February 26, 2025, at approximately 8:40 pm, God’s Lake Narrows RCMP received a report of a disturbance at a property located on the island near God’s Lake Narrows. Officers were advised that a 20-year-old male was causing the disturbance and was possibly armed with a firearm.

Officers attended and upon arrival, were advised the 20-year-old male had fled on foot and was believed to be out on the ice.

Whiles officers remained on scene, the suspect then exited the property and was arrested without incident. No firearm was located on him.

A search of the suspect’s room for the firearm led to the seizure of a gun safe where officers located ammunition and several wrapped packages of a substance believed to be cocaine. The weight of the drugs seized came in at 2936 grams with an estimated community street value nearing $500,000. Tests conducted on the packages indicate the substance to be cocaine laced with fentanyl.

Deacon Healey, 20, was charged with numerous offences including Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking and Possession of a Weapon for Dangerous Purpose. He was remanded into custody.

God’s Lake Narrows RCMP continue to investigate.

On February 27, 2025, at approximately 6:50 pm, Oxford House RCMP received a call to assist First Nation Safety Officers (FNSO) and a Band Constable at a residence in the community.

 

When officers arrived on scene, they were advised the residence was not supposed to be occupied and there were currently two males, and one female inside from outside the community.

 

After an initial investigation on scene, officers arrested a 25-year-old male from Winnipeg, and a 35-year-old male and 33-year-old female both from Bunibonibee without incident.

 

A subsequent search of the residence produced two loaded handguns, illicit drugs, and over 200 bottles of liquor with a community value estimated at $64,000.

 

Brendon Valiquette, 25, has been charged with 15 offences including Fail to Comply Probation Order x2, and numerous weapons and firearm charges.

 

Elizabeth Bradburn, 33, has been charged with 8 offences including Possession of a Firearm when Knowing Possession Unauthorized x2, and Possession of Cocaine.

 

Tyler Grieves, 35, has been charged with 10 offences including Weapons Possession Contrary to Order and Fail to Surrender Authorization x3.

 

All three have been remanded.

 

Oxford House RCMP along with Manitoba Integrated Law Enforcement Team, and the Crime Reduction Enforcement Support Team continue to investigate.

A spike in flu cases has Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer, urging  people to get their flu shot.

There is a surge in influenza cases and low vaccination rates.

Cases of the Influenza A — the currently dominant strain — were still climbing higher as of two weeks ago, with a 27.12 per cent test positivity rate.

Roussin said numbers are high and are putting a strain on ERs and hospitals.

In Manitoba, coverage for the flu shot dropped from 25.2 per cent last flu season to 23 per cent.

Canada is currently seeing what may be the highest level of flu cases since 2020.

With the tariff threat deadline quickly approaching, Canada’s premiers are moving to reduce internal trade barriers.

SeoRhin Yoo, a Senior Policy Analyst for Interprovincial Affairs with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business shares the benefits of removing internal trade barriers.

“By removing or reducing the barriers to internal trade, governments can help soften the blow of the tariffs. According to an international monetary fund study, the non geological barriers that we have in place across Canada essentially acts like a 21 percent tariff that we are artificially putting on ourselves.”

Yoo added that removing these barriers, we can add up to $200 billion to our economy, introduce  more options into the market for consumers and businesses,  and help keep costs at bay.

Find out more about the status of Canada’s internal trade barriers by going to cfib.ca.

You can also  listen to Thompson Today this afternoon at 12:40 and 5:10.

This year marks the 59th anniversary of the Thompson Festival of the Arts.

Participants age 5 and up are encouraged to register by this Saturday for the Piano, Strings and Instrumental disciplines, the Vocal, Choral and Speech disciplines and the Visual Arts category.

Stevie MacPherson, the Vice President of the festival, shares the benefits participants receive from showcasing their talents.

“I believe while sharing the arts is a lovely in itself, there is a chance to win scholarships and other rewards as a lot of classes are competitive in our festival and we are extremely thankful to the local businesses and organizations that have given us sponsorships and scholarships to allow that for the winning individual.”  

MacPherson added that local and out-of-town adjudicators mark the performers in their various disciplines to determine who receives the scholarships.

Each year, the TFA wraps up with the Highlights Concerts.  They will be held on May 28th and 29th in the Letkemann Theatre.

For more on the Thompson Festival of the Arts, tune in to Thompson Today this afternoon at 12:40 and 5:10.

RCMP made an arrest Saturday afternoon after being alerted to be on the lookout for a suspicious vehicle travelling northbound with an Alberta license plate.

Police located the vehicle south of the junction of Highway 6 and Highway 60 and initiated a traffic stop.

After a brief investigation which lead officers to search the vehicle they arrested the female driver, and male passenger.

The search found what is believed to be cocaine, methamphetamine, other narcotics and a substantial amount of cash.

Brian Buxton, 43, of Edmonton, and Amber Smith, 28, of Abbotsford, are facing drug charges and Possession of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5,000.

Both were remanded until their court date.

The RCMP continue to investigate.

Last week, the City of Thompson didn’t hold their regularly scheduled Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday.

Instead, they participated in a tactical planning session with a representative from Way to Go Consulting.

This was followed by another 6-hour session last Wednesday.

Mayor Colleen Smook explains the purpose of these sessions.

“These sessions are intended to help us basically approach the rest of our terms, strategically to achieve more goals that will benefit Thompson and it’s residents.”

Smook said that the sessions were to help City Council focus their attention on specific projects over the remaining 20 months of their mandate.

One example is what she referred to as the “downtown safety issues.”

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak’s Traditional Healer Program is hosting a “Building the Spirit Bundle” event this March, in conjunction with the Manitoba Indigenous Cultural Society.

Shyanna Lynxleg, Manager of the Program, shares its purpose.

“The Traditional Healer Program provides healing services to the 63 nations in Manitoba. We provide services such as healers or a traditional ceremonialist that will go into the community or we have people go to see the healer. We give recommendations if a person doesn’t have a healer in mind, we have some and we will refer based on the type of illness or ailment they have.”

Lynxleg said the two-day event is meant to showcase and share information about the Traditional Healer Program and Indigenous spirituality.

She added the event is free to attend and no registration is needed.

It runs from 8 am to 4:30 pm on March 26th and 27th at the Royal Canadian Legion.

Learn more by tuning in to Thompson Today this afternoon at 12:40 and 5:10.

On City Beat yesterday, Mayor Colleen Smook provided updates on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Sustainable Communities Conference in Fredericton, New Brunswick last week.

Smook was happy to share that the City of Thompson has completed or is working on a number of projects to make the community sustainable.

“What we did hear what we’ve been doing right is a lot of the things to keep your community going into the next century with our projects with the roads, the sewer and water, the pool, the bridge update, the airport, the waste water treatment plant and the provincial building. All things that we’ve been working on over the last number of years to get us into next century.”

The main focus of the conference was to explore key trends in building net-zero communities, in sustainable tools and processes, and in advocating for change at the local level.

The conference brought together municipal staff, elected officials, federal delegates, and private sector experts to discuss and share best practices for making Canadian communities more environmentally, socially and economically vibrant.

Last March, the Province of Manitoba settled three Children’s Special Allowance Class Action Lawsuits for the amount of 530-million dollars.

That money is for children in care for 30 days or more of a Manitoba Child and Family Services agency between January 1, 2005 and March 31st, 2019.

During that time, the province had clawed back the CSA benefit for those children.

Arrielle Lagace, the CSA representative for Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba talks about who the lawsuits represent.

“The class council filed the lawsuit, they have been grouped into Flette, Lavallee and Lafontaine. So the Flette action represents Indigenous CFS agencies, the Lavallee action represents non-Indigenous CFS agencies and the Lafontaine action represents Métis CFS agencies.”

Lagace advised that eligible applicants have until January 5th, 2027 to apply for the settlement.

She can be contacted at 204-677-1500 for questions on eligibility or details on the application process.

For more details, tune into Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10 pm.

Pink Shirt day is next Wednesday, and this year’s theme is Let Kindness Grow.

Bruce Krentz, Health Promotion Co-ordinator with the Northern Health Region has more.

“Pink Shirt Day is an anti-bullying awareness day when we really dig in on bullying. It started in schools but bullying happens in workplaces and it happens around town and it happens when you are volunteering. It happens all over the place and we;re trying to put an end to that.”  

Pink Shirt Day – also called Anti-Bullying Day – first began in 2007, when students in Nova Scotia rallied with their male classmate by wearing pink to school after he was subject to bullying for doing the same.

The pink shirt became a symbol of anti-bullying and, in the years following, schools across Canada joined in to support the message.

Now, everyone is encouraged to do the same.

Buy a book and support mental health programs here in Thompson.

The Canadian Mental Health Association here in the city is selling cookbooks as a fund raiser for the organization.

Stephanie Hysert with the CMHA shares where the money will be used.

“All the proceeds are going to be going towards covering program costs and needs, organizational supplies for our thrift store, and trying to get an outdoor digital sign to display our events, programs and services.”

Cookbooks are $20 each and can be purchased at the CMHA office at 43 Fox Bay, by calling 204-677-6051 or at Giant Tiger this Saturday from 1 to 4:30 pm.

The CMHA is a non-profit organization that works with the City of Thompson and other outlying communities to provide mental health services and rehabilitation and recovery services.

Young Manitobans will benefit from the province’s First Jobs Fund.

The Manitoba government is investing $1.1 million to support six projects that provide youth in Manitoba with the opportunity to gain their first job experience, helping them build the confidence and skills needed for future success.

The First Jobs Fund supports registered non-profit or non-government organizations to implement programming for youth aged 15 to 29 facing barriers to employment, up to a maximum of $225,000 per organization.

Following the 2024-25 intake, six organizations were selected to receive funding.

One of those is Tech Manitoba, who will receive just over 100-thousand dollars to support eight Indigenous and newcomer students at University College of the North enrolled in a five-month IT support technician program,  and female Indigenous students enrolled in the Information Technology Readiness North program.

On February 15, 2025, at 4:10 pm, Thompson RCMP received a report of a shooting at an apartment complex located on Ashberry Place in Thompson.

Officers responded and located a 25-year-old male who had been shot. He was transported to hospital in serious condition where he was later upgraded to stable.

The investigation led to the February 16 arrest of Sunil Oman, 24, who was charged with numerous offences including Attempted Murder, Aggravated Assault and Discharge Firearm with Intent. He was remanded into custody.

Anyone with information in relation to this shooting is asked to call the Thompson RCMP at 204-677-6909/6911, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com

Thompson RCMP continue to investigate.

On February 12, 2025, at approximately 8:30 am, Cross Lake RCMP were called to a residence in the community for the report of an assault.

 

When officers arrived on scene, they learned a 35-year-old male suspect had entered the residence after breaking down the door and after an altercation with the female inside, threatened to return with a firearm and then fled. The victim was not seriously injured.

 

Officers learned the suspect attended the Nursing Station with an injury, and through their investigation discovered the suspect was prohibited from possessing firearms.

 

A search warrant for his residence was obtained, and inside officers seized 10 long guns, large amounts of ammunition, approximately 45 grams of cocaine, over 200 suspected hydromorphone tablets, and digital scales.

 

Cross Lake RCMP have issued a Warrant for Arrest for Patrick Ross, 35, of Cross Lake who is being charged with 10 offences including Assault, Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking, and numerous Firearms offences.

 

If anyone has information on his whereabouts please call Cross Lake RCMP at 204-676-2600, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.

Since last May, the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant hasn’t been working properly.

On City Beat yesterday, Councillor Louis Fitzpatrick provided details on the situation.

“The current problem as it sits right now is related to a broken aerator piping in one of the waste water treatment plant’s basins and both of its digesters. The basin was drained down to complete repairs that revealed other damaged parts and without aeration, there aren’t enough the microorganisms that break down the sewage to properly treat it.”

At this time, the treatment plant isn’t in compliance with the Environment Act Licence.

Fitzpatrick added that the City is working closely with the province to keep them advised of the situation on a weekly basis and that upcoming repairs should be enough to get the facility back in compliance.

The wastewater treatment plant cost $36 million to build, with one-third of the cost covered by the city of Thompson.

Random Act of Kindness Day takes place this Monday.

Bruce Krentz, Health Promotion Co-ordinator with the Northern Health Region offers some suggestions on how to participate.

“Give a compliment to a stranger, leave a kind note on someone’s car. Send a friend a thoughtful text out of the blue, shoot one of those over, it’s easy to do! It surprisingly means more to people then you probably think. Surprise someone with one of their favourite treats or maybe offer to help without being asked! Easy things to do.”

Krentz added that you can also donate to the local food bank or take some time to volunteer in the community, especially as this is Munn Cup weekend and Winterfest is coming up.

Random Acts of Kindness Day launched in February 1995 and has inspired kindness, generosity, and connection for 30 years.

Little things can make a big difference in addressing chronic illnesses here in the north.

Learn about those on March 7th during the free Living Well Lunch sponsored by the Northern Health Region’s Healthy Together Now program.

Ashley Grzebeniak, a presenter at the lunch, shares some of the projects sponsored in the past by the program.

“We fund lots of different programs out of the schools here in Thompson such as the FAST program as well as some nature based play and mental wellness days. We’ve also funded lots of different physical activity groups such as bringing in instructors to do chair yoga with seniors or different exercise classes. Anything mental wellness focused, we have funded traditional crafting groups in the past, people can just discuss with me their ideas and we can figure something out.”

This lunch will feature presentations on “How to Support your Community in Grief”, “Grocery Shopping on a Budget”, and “4 secrets to Becoming Active.”

Register early as space is limited. Just contact Ashley at agrzebeniak@nrha.ca.

More information is available by tuning in to Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10.

Celebrate the long weekend with free ice fishing at provincial parks.

From this Saturday to Monday during Winter Family Fishing Weekend, anglers may fish without a licence, except in national parks where a federal angling licence is still required.

Anglers must follow all possession limits and size restrictions including regulations for specific individual waters.

In addition to the Winter Family Fishing Weekend, the Manitoba government is also offering free entry into provincial parks during the month of February.

Vehicle permits are not required but Snopasses are still required for snowmobiles using groomed trails in the parks.

For more information about Manitoba parks, visit gov.mb.ca.

Over 168 cats and dogs were cared for as part of the Thompson Humane Society’s first Low Income Affordable Clinic this past weekend.

Pets were provided with spaying and neutering, along with health checks, vaccinations and minor surgeries.

Services were provided with the help of the Winnipeg Humane Society and local volunteers.

The Humane Society has a Lay Vaccination Program coming up on February 28th, plus another clinic in April which will include dental work for pets.

For more information or to book an appointment , go to thsclinics@gmail.com.

Family Literacy Day takes place on Sunday, February 23rd, during Winterfest, and is brought to you by Hello Parents Network.

This free event runs from 9 to 11 am in the TRCC gym and includes free new books, airbrush tattoos, crafts, a free pancake breakfast and karaoke.

Penny Brenton with Futures and Babies Best Start, shares why it’s important to encourage literacy.

“Taking time every day to read or do a new learning activity with children is crucial to a child’s development, improving a child’s literacy skills dramatically and it can help a parent improve their skills as well. Literacy goes beyond reading and writing, it also includes speaking, listening and creating.”   

Brenton added that literacy skills are essential to numeracy, because it helps students read and understand word problems.

Both skills are needed before they can apply the mathematical concepts to solve them.

Learn more about Family Literacy Day.  Tune in to Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10.

NCN Thompson Bus Lines is growing their service throughout the north starting April 1st.

Currently, the bus line has routes between Winnipeg and Thompson.

With the expansion, they will provide regular Monday to Friday daytime passenger service that will connect Flin Flon, The Pas, Swan River, Dauphin, Portage la Prairie and Winnipeg.

NCN Thompson Bus has purchased and is redeveloping the bus terminal building in The Pas, which is its third facility in the province.

The expansion will add 7 more staff to be based in The Pas, to join the company’s 27 current staff members based in Winnipeg and Thompson.

Over half of the bus line’s staff are Indigenous and Ed Vystrcil, CEO of the Nelson House Development Corporation, said this is - quote - “an opportune time to celebrate and embrace Economic Reconciliation for all people as Northern Manitoba continues to grow economically.”

The University College of the North is set to receive federal funding.

UCN will receive just over $1.1 million to expand train-to-hire programming for Indigenous students at UCN’s Northern Manitoba Mining Academy (NMMA) Mining Readiness Training Program.

Jamie Grant, UCN Associate Vice-President of Community and Industry Solutions said many students of the program are hired before they graduate.

The funding will support plans for a dedicated student housing facility in Flin Flon to ensure that students attending short-term programs have a place to stay and reduce barriers to education in northern Manitoba.

The new modular housing facility solves a pressing logistical challenge and strengthens UCN’s capacity to offer its most popular and industry-relevant programs in Flin Flon.

Steps to Success is an adult education program offered at the YWCA Thompson where those 18 plus can upgrade their education and work skills for free.

A variety of classes are offered every month as Cat Cogle, Program Co-ordinator, explains.

“We have about 200 different workshops that we can offer. What happens is somebody phones and says “Hi Cat, I need to learn how to use Microsoft Office Word”, for example, and I’ll say “Okay, these are the available times.” The person will pick a time and then I open it up to everybody because I figure if one person needs that training, there are other people who do as well.”

Classes include other computer-related skills, resume writing, learners’ permit prep and, their newest one, “Buying a House.”

Steps to Success also offers certification courses for Safe Food Handling, Safe Alcohol Service and Cannabis Retail which can be taken in-person or online.

Hear more about the opportunities offered by Steps to Success. Catch Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10.

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Feb.7/25

Tuesday night,  Thompson RCMP were called to a stabbing at a residence on Ashberry Place.

Officers quickly arrived on scene and located a victim that had been stabbed multiple times. He told officers that a male suspect without a shirt had fled the building.

Police outside the building spotted a shirtless male around the side of the residence and were able to arrest him without incident on scene.

After an initial investigation, five suspects were arrested on scene including two women and three men, all from Thompson.

The 35-year-old victim, also from Thompson, was transported to hospital with serious injuries.

Shared Health was scheduled to take over ambulance service in Thompson on February 1st.

According to Mayor Colleen Smook on City Beat yesterday, the actual transition took place this Monday instead.

She shares what the change means.

“So Shared Health has officially taken over running the ambulance service but our Thompson Fire and Emergency Service is still providing the backup service until they get all their staffing in place.”  

Smook indicated that the patient transport provided by Shared Health is expanding to a 24 hour service.

It brings the patients who arrive at the airport directly to the Thompson General Hospital for care.

The Manitoba Government is investing $36.4 million over two years for capital infrastructure projects at the Port of Churchill.

The investment will support the Arctic Gateway Group’s port and rail development.

Premier Wab Kinew adds more here.

“When we talk to our friends south of the border in the United States of America, for us to have this presence in Churchill, to be able to say that we are a great partner when it comes to arctic security is super, super important yet at the same time, we need to diversify our export markets, we need to find other countries to sell too.”  

Kinew said that development of the Port of Churchill will advance northern Manitoba’s economy and support trade expansion with Europe.

Chris Avery, CEO of AGG,  added that in the upcoming shipping season the company will double the volume of critical minerals that will be shipped to international markets from the Port of Churchill.

This is Eating Disorders Awareness Week and this year's theme is Embracing Possibilities, with a number of groups uniting to engage the public and highlight available supports.

Bruce Krentz, Health Promotions Co-ordinator with the Northern Health Region talks about its purpose.

“Eating Disorders Awareness Week is a national movement I’ve dedicated to just raising awareness and fostering understanding about eating disorders and challenging the stigma and barriers that sometimes prevent access to care.”  

Krentz said that the National Eating Disorder Information Centre is a resource that helps to understand the disorders and provides help on how to change behaviours, including a chat line.

Go to NEDIC.ca to access their resources.

The Manitoba Wildlife Federation is inviting northern residents to a town hall information session on Monday at 7 pm at the Legion Hall in Thompson.

It’s the first of three northern sessions to discuss access to wildlife resources.

Rob Olson, the Senior Science Advisor with the MWF, says the sessions were motivated by a move by the Manitoba government last year.

“Last summer, the province made a cut to license moose hunters and for game hunting areas up and around Thompson area and south of it towards Grand Rapids. Our contention was that they didn’t have sufficient moose data to suggest that the season should be changed so drastically.  We also were contending that they didn’t have a thorough process of making the change when they didn’t engage with people, they didn’t really reach out to license hunters, there was no process and we felt it was in response to demands made from Indigenous interests.”

In a Facebook post last June, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak accused the province of dismissing its constitutional obligation to recognize that First Nations people have priority rights to hunt, fish, trap and gather for food.

The Manitoba Wildlife Federation is hoping to promote dialogue on the issue with all interested groups during the town hall session.

More details can be heard on Thompson Today this afternoon at 12:40 and 5:10.

Manitoba’s Finance Minister Adrien Sala will be in Thompson this Friday for a public meeting about Budget 2025.

The province is looking for feedback from northerners to see what our priorities are regarding the upcoming budget.

The in-person meeting will take place at 6 pm at the Ma Mow We Tak Friendship Centre.

Those who can’t attend this meeting are still encouraged to participate during the telephone town hall today at 4:55 pm.

If neither time works for you, you’re encouraged to take part in an on-line survey that’s available until February 21st.

To register for the town halls and take part in the survey go to engagemb.ca.

Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador are sitting with an overall grade of F in the Canadian Federation of Independent Business’ 2025 Red Tape Report Card.

For Manitoba, this is a huge drop from their Grade of B+ in 2023.

Tyler Slobogian, a Senior Policy Analyst with the CFIB explains the reason for this.

“The province eliminated key red tape production tools over the past year, which has resulted in a bit of a bit of a steep decline in their standing. They repealed the regulatory accountability act which basically counted regulations and ensured they were held accountable for not implementing more than they were taking away. That seemed to be a negative move backwards for the business community.”

Slobogian said statistics showed that in 2024, the average business lost 32 business days wrapped up in red tape.

Across all three levels of government in Canada the cost of the red tape burden reached around 51-billion dollars total.

He added that small businesses bear a disproportionately high burden of the cost, paying up to 5 times more per employee than larger businesses.

Catch Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10 for the full interview with Slobogian.

Last Monday evening,  officers from the Manitoba RCMP Roving Traffic unit conducted a traffic stop on Highway 6 north of Grand Rapids.

An SUV with four occupants  was travelling southbound at a high rate of speed when it was pulled over.

The investigation led officers to search the vehicle where they located a Glock 27 hand gun, a .40 caliber hand gun, and a loaded Glock 9 mm magazine.

All occupants of the vehicle were arrested for Unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited Weapon.

One occupant, a 17-year-old male was pending Weapons Trafficking charges and was remanded.

Dustin Thorsteinson, 37, Curtis Richard, 28, and Lucy Courchene, 18, all of Winnipeg were released for a later court date in Grand Rapids.

The investigation continues.

The Manitoba government is investing $11.3 million in the province’s winter road system, an increase of $1.8 million from 2023.

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor said Friday that - quote - “Winter roads are a lifeline for many northern communities and increasing our investment in their construction emphasizes our government’s recognition of their importance.”

She added that many families use these roads to re-supply, access health-care services and run their businesses.

This increase in funding will allow the province to fund the winter road from St. Theresa Point to Berens River.

Manitoba’s winter road system is made of temporary routes that are open from late January to mid-March, depending on weather conditions.

Naylor noted that the majority of the winter road network is now open for traffic.