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46-541: Nelson House is located about 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of Thompson and is accessible via the mixed paved and gravel Provincial Road 391 . The Cree name Nisichawayasihk means, “Where three rivers meet” . The largest community, business and government centre is located at Nelson House on the north shore of Footprint Lake at the convergence of the Burntwood , Footprint, and Rat Rivers . Smaller areas of development occur at Dog Point , R.C , Mission Point'" and

92-587: A Project Development Agreement with Manitoba Hydro regarding the Wuskwatim hydroelectric project on the Burntwood River, about 30 km from Nelson House. Wuskwatim generates about 200 MW of electricity. The NCN was involved in the construction of the project and, as a partner in the project, will receive a share of the future revenues. This arrangement is the first of its kind in Manitoba. In 2006,

138-530: A better place [than Thompson]". Between the 2016 Census and 2018, approximately 400 job losses have occurred in the mining industry. The city is served by Thompson Airport , which is the third-busiest airport in Manitoba and provides Thompson with several hundred jobs. MDS Aerotest currently operates the Global Aerospace Centre for Icing and Environmental Research (GLACIER), a cold weather testing centre just south of Thompson, as part of

184-473: A few residing in the city limits. Red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) can also be found in Thompson. Black bears ( Ursus americanus ), and less commonly, wolves ( Canis lupus ), are occasionally spotted on the fringes of town. Moose ( Alces alces ) and herds of boreal woodland caribou ( Rangifer tarandus caribou ) can also occasionally be seen near Thompson. Rarely seen predators outside of Thompson include

230-704: A joint venture between Pratt & Whitney Canada and Rolls-Royce . Thompson was selected from an initial list of 150 candidate communities due to the area's ideal testing conditions and urban amenities. Thompson's retail trade is centered mostly in several malls, including: Thompson has several advocacy, non-profit, and administrative organizations focused around First Nations people, including Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc. (MKO), Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba, Keewatin Tribal Council , and Ma-Mow-We-Tak Friendship Centre. Twenty-four governments, businesses, and non-profit organizations are partners to

276-469: A large and high-grade deposit of nickel, Thompson accounted for 11% of the world's finished nickel production in 1962, having produced over 40,800 metric tonnes of nickel that year; Thompson's nickel production peaked in 1970 and 1971 at over 60,000 metric tonnes (per year) and has since declined to 23,000 metric tonnes in 2017. Despite the fact that Vale Limited 's placed their nearby Birchtree Mine on care and maintenance (suspending nickel extraction at

322-672: Is a city in north-central Manitoba, Canada , the largest city and most populated municipality in Northern Manitoba . Situated along the Burntwood River , Thompson is located 210 kilometres (130 mi) north of Lake Winnipeg and 761 km (473 mi) north of the City of Winnipeg . Originally founded in 1956 as a mining town , it is one of the largest fully planned communities in Canada. It now primarily serves as

368-606: Is a signatory to the Northern Flood Agreement (NFA) between Canada (the federal government), Manitoba Hydro, the province of Manitoba and several First Nations Communities . In 1996, NCN signed an NFA Implementation Agreement. Using settlement proceeds paid pursuant to this implementation agreement, NCN purchased the Mystery Lake Motor Hotel in the nearby city of Thompson. In 2006, the NCN signed

414-577: Is an abundance of rocks) is also used to refer to the people of Nisichawayasihk. During the peak of the Fur trade The Hudson's Bay Company operated a trading post in Nelson House between 1800 and 1827. Many of the Rocky Cree started travelling to the trading post selling furs and other goods. The Nelson House outpost ( also referred to at the time to as Fort Nelson ), was established in 1800 on

460-475: Is centred around nickel mining , and provides goods and services to the surrounding communities in both Census Division No. 22 (in which Thompson is located) and Census Division No. 23 ; these two Census Divisions have a combined population of 51,136, which includes over 38,000 First Nations people. Thompson is by far the largest community in either of these Census Divisions, with the next largest community being Norway House Cree Nation (population 4927). As

506-483: Is common in resource-based communities, Thompson has experienced above-average employment income and significant swings in mining-sector employment throughout its history. The median employment income in 2015 for full-year full-time workers in Thompson was $ 65,262; this was 22% higher than the Canadian median of $ 53,431. Thompson's unemployment rate in 2016 was 7.6%, slightly below the Canadian average of 7.7%. As of

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552-498: Is served by Via Rail 's Winnipeg–Churchill train , which extends from Winnipeg , through The Pas , to Churchill ; and by air via the Thompson Airport and Thompson Water Aerodrome . The city is connected to Winnipeg via a paved highway (Highway 6), rail, and air. Thompson Transit is the city's public transit agency. The Northern Regional Health Authority (Eastern Campus) provides health care services to most of

598-498: Is the most common deciduous species. Hundreds of ravens ( Corvus corax ), known locally as "Thompson Turkeys", reside in Thompson year-round. Many bird species visit Thompson and area in the summer to breed, such as herring gulls ( Larus smithsonianus ), bald eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ), golden eagles ( Aquila chrysaetos ), sandhill cranes ( Antigone canadensis ), and common terns ( Sterna hirundo ) . Beavers ( Castor canadensis ) are ubiquitous around Thompson, with

644-674: The Constitution Act, 1867 . In modern Canadian use, the term "government" refers broadly to the cabinet of the day (formally the Executive Council ), elected from the Legislative Assembly and the non-political staff within each provincial department or agency – that is, the civil service. The Province of Manitoba has a unicameral legislature, the Manitoba Legislature , consisting of

690-543: The Government of Manitoba reached agreement on developing the area. A town and a rail link with the Canadian National Railway had to be built. The town was founded in 1957, and was named after Dr. John F. Thompson (1881–1968), Inco's chairman at the time. The construction of the fully planned city was completed by a workforce of several thousands in 1961, coinciding with the formal opening of

736-640: The Lieutenant Governor and the Legislative Assembly, which operates in framework of a Westminster-style parliamentary constitutional monarchy . The political party that wins the largest number of seats in the legislature normally forms the government, and the party's leader becomes premier of the province, i.e., the head of the government . The functions of the Sovereign, Charles III , King of Canada , known in Manitoba as

782-636: The New Area . The people of Nisichawayasihk are largely ancestral descendants of indigenous Cree peoples who have populated the Canadian Shield region of northern and central Canada since the retreat of the glaciers about 10,000 years ago. The people of Nisichawayasihk refer to themselves as the Nisichawayasi Nehethowak (Cree from where three rivers meet). The term Rocky Cree ( Asiniskaw Ithiniwak - People from where there

828-461: The University of Manitoba 's Faculty of Social Work branch in the region. The Northern Manitoba Sector Council provides essential skills and employment skills training to Northern Manitobans. The lack of light pollution and Thompson's northern latitude allows for occasional viewing of the northern lights , even within the city limits. Recreational services in the city are mainly provided by

874-571: The Winnipeg–Churchill train ), and by the Thompson Airport . Thompson's natural and undisturbed surroundings make it popular with outdoor enthusiasts. The largest marina in Manitoba is 38 km (24 mi) south in Paint Lake Provincial Park. The lack of light pollution and Thompson's northern latitude allows for occasional viewing of the northern lights , even within the city limits. The Thompson area, located on

920-468: The "Hub of the North", providing goods and services such as health care and retail trade to the surrounding communities. Thompson has fewer than 15,000 residents, with many of the smaller communities accessible only by air or winter road . Despite its isolated location in the heart of Canada's boreal forest , the city is served by an all-weather road and Manitoba Highway 6 , Thompson station (served by

966-459: The 2016 Census, Thompson had 7065 employed persons, with the five largest sectors of the economy being: Vale Limited is the owner and operator of Thompson's mining operations, which involves the mining , milling , and concentrating of nickel ; the concentrated nickel slurry is then shipped (for final processing) to Vale Limited 's operations in Long Harbour and Sudbury . Founded on

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1012-537: The Atoskiwin Training and Employment Centre (ATEC) opened its doors in Nelson House. ATEC is also a Manitoba first. It trains NCN members and other aboriginals for northern hydro projects and other job opportunities. Nelson House consists of four NCN reserves , totalling 58.5 km (14,460 acres) in size: In early February 2004, the nearby city of Thompson, Manitoba , announced its approval to

1058-738: The Churchill River. Men from South Indian Lake were sent to establish a post in Nelson House and construction had begun in 1800. In 1809, the original Nelson House was abandoned and moved to an island three miles west of the old house. In 1814, the Nelson River District (originally known as the New Churchill District) was established with Nelson House as its headquarters. It acted as such until 1819 when South Indian Lake became its headquarters. Nelson House acted as its headquarters once again in 1824. In 1827,

1104-462: The Cree were protected for their use. Treaty 5 , a document which established that Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation members and their descendants were guaranteed certain rights and benefits. Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation is governed by an elected chief and council. Elections are held pursuant to NCN's own democratic election code. About 3,000 members of the NCN live in Nelson House and the remaining 2,100 off

1150-518: The Government of Canada. They had heard about the concessions offered to the Indigenous nations of Treaties 1 to 4 , and subsequently demanded the government provide similar economic assistance, provisions of tools and protection against the encroachment of outsiders (such as surveyors and settlers) on their territories. Treaty 5 was the response from the government that ensure the homelands of

1196-475: The NCN to convert a parcel of property to reserve land . This was possible due to shortages in land area controlled by NCN under the Treaty Land Entitlement agreement in the mid-1990s. This event marked one of the few transitions from privately owned land, purchased by a First Nations community, to an urban reserve . This plan was quietly discussed between city and band administration since

1242-538: The Nelson House Hudson's Bay Company post was closed due to poor fur returns. This caused many to have to travel to South Indian Lake in order to exchange goods with the traders. Largely left alone by the Government of Canada during initial colonization and settlement of Western Canada . In the mid-1870s, the Indigenous peoples of the Lake Winnipeg area were interested in making a treaty with

1288-588: The Thompson Aboriginal Accord, originally signed in 2009, outlining a common understanding towards equitable economic development and reconciliation. Thompson primarily serves as the "Hub of the North", providing goods and services such as health care and retail trade to surrounding communities in Northern Manitoba . The city is served by road via an all-weather road , Manitoba Provincial Road 280 , Manitoba Provincial Road 391 , and Manitoba Highway 6 ; by rail via Thompson station , which

1334-597: The Thompson Regional Community Centre, which contains two indoor skating rinks, a large 6-sheet curling rink called the Burntwood Curling Club, a multi-sport gym, exercise facilities, and an indoor walking track. The two ice arenas attached to the community centre are: Government of Manitoba The powers and structure of the provincial Government of Manitoba ( French : Gouvernement du Manitoba ) are set out in

1380-932: The Three Rivers Store use water delivery trucks and a piped system to obtain treated water. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Government of Manitoba and Manitoba Hydro began the Nelson River Hydroelectric Project , centered on the Churchill and Nelson rivers. The project included the Churchill River Diversion, which directly affected Nisichawayasihk members living at Nelson House and at South Indian Lake . Consequently, large areas of traditional hunting, fishing and trapping lands were flooded. The people of South Indian Lake were forcibly relocated to their current location. The Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN)

1426-845: The communities in Census Division No. 22 and Census Division No. 23 ; Thompson-based facilities include the Thompson General Hospital, Northern Spirit Manor (personal care home), the Thompson Clinic, and Hope North (centre for youth in crisis). Addictions Foundation of Manitoba also has a facility located in Thompson. The School District of Mystery Lake provides K–12 education in Thompson, operating six elementary schools (Deerwood School, Burntwood School, Westwood School, École Riverside School, Juniper School, Wapanohk Community School) and one high school ( R. D. Parker Collegiate ). While primarily English,

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1472-788: The district also offers a K–12 French immersion program, as well as a K–8 language education program in the Cree language at the Wapanohk Community School. Students can continue the French program at the high school, where there are also basic Cree courses in grades 9–12. Since September 2009, the Franco-Manitoban School Division (DSFM), which services communities across Manitoba, has expanded to include one K–12 elementary school in Thompson, École Communautaire La Voie du Nord. Located on Weir Road near

1518-715: The marten ( Martes americana ), the wolverine ( Gulo gulo ), and the lynx ( Lynx canadensis ). Thompson is marked by a subarctic climate ( Köppen Dfc ), with long, severely cold winters and short warm summers. Monthly means range from −23.4 °C (−10.1 °F) in January to 16.2 °C (61.2 °F) in July, and the annual mean is −2.8 °C (27.0 °F). A majority of the annual precipitation of 521.5 millimetres (20.5 in) falls from June to September. Snowfall totals 180.3 centimetres (71 in) per year, falling mainly from October to May. The economy of Thompson

1564-420: The mine for the time being), Thompson may be particularly well positioned for future growth in nickel mining industry: Vale recently invested over $ 100 million in the concentrate load out facility and Vale's North Atlantic mining operations director Alistair Ross recently stated that, "If you were to look across the world for an area that had nickel that could be invested in on a standalone nickel basis, there isn’t

1610-444: The mine on March 25. It was the second largest nickel-producing operation in the world (after Inco's Sudbury operations). New mines were opened during the 1960s, and the population topped 20,000, despite the townsite being designed for 8,000 to 12,000. Thompson was incorporated as a town in 1967 on Canada's Centennial Anniversary . In 1970, Thompson gained city status in the royal presence of Queen Elizabeth II . The community

1656-410: The narrowly-lost plebiscite held in Thompson on 18 September 2001. With a 45% voter turnout for the plebiscite, and amid allegations of inappropriate voter disqualifications, the "no" side won by a margin of 250 votes. During the three years following the plebiscite, the majority of Thompson City Councillors publicly stated that the results of the vote were not binding upon city council, as the council

1702-560: The nickel market; during the 1960s, following large increases in the demand for nickel, 6 additional mines ( Birchtree , Soab North, Soab South, Pipe Number 1, Pipe Number 2, and Pipe Open Pit) were constructed near Thompson. After the Soviet Union gained access to the world nickel market in 1970, world supply of nickel exceeded world demand; in response, four nickel mines (Soab North, Soab South, Pipe Number 1, and Pipe Number 2) were closed in 1971 and 30% of Inco's workforce in Thompson

1748-485: The nickname, "The Hub of the North". Thompson covers an area of 20.79 square kilometres (8.03 sq mi) and is located on the Precambrian Canadian Shield . Situated along the Burntwood River , Thompson is located 210 kilometres (130 mi) north of Lake Winnipeg and 761 km (473 mi) north of the City of Winnipeg . The city is surrounded by boreal forest and bordered on

1794-587: The reserve lands. Until 2005, the community of South Indian Lake on the shores of Southern Indian Lake was also part of the NCN. In December 2005, this community of about 1,100 persons separated from the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation to form the O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation . With a population of approximately 5,200, the NCN is a large and widespread community. Nelson House consists of eleven areas, which are known to

1840-560: The residents as Westwood, School Road, Hillside, Dogpoint, R.C. Point (Named after the Roman Catholic church in the area) , Little R.C. Point, New Area, Hart's Point, Michelle Point, Bay Road and Moore's Bay. Drinking water is drawn from Footprint Lake, treated, and delivered by pipe to about 50% of the community (primarily those who live closer to the main community) with the remainder of residents serviced by five water trucks. The nursing station, elementary school, teacherages and

1886-568: The site of the Norplex Pool Recreation Centre, the district allows children to receive instruction in French with peers in a Francophone culture. The Frontier School Division , the largest school division in Canada by geographical area, has an area office in Thompson as well. For post-secondary education, Thompson is home to one of the two main campuses of the University College of the North , as well as

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1932-529: The south side of the Burntwood River , was first inhabited by nomadic Paleo-Indian hunters around 6000 BC, sometime after the collapse of the Laurentide Ice Sheet . For a 10-year period beginning in 1946, Inco Limited explored Northern Manitoba for nickel deposits; on February 4, 1956, a major ore body was discovered 32 km (20 mi) southwest of Moak Lake , and the modern history of Thompson began. On December 3, 1956, Inco and

1978-460: The west and north by the Burntwood River. Thompson is located on the border of plant hardiness zones 1a and 1b, making outdoor commercial agriculture impossible; for comparison, Winnipeg is located within zone 4a. The dominant coniferous species are white spruce ( Picea glauca ), black spruce ( Picea mariana ), jack pine ( Pinuus banksiana ), tamarack ( Larix laricina ) and balsam fir ( Abies balsamea ). White birch ( Betula papyrifera )

2024-401: Was elected to act in the best interests of the citizens of Thompson. Thompson City Council approved NCN's plan for the urban reserve on 7 February 2005. In April 2016, the reserve received an additional 17,020 m (4.21 acres) of land. 55°47′00″N 98°53′18″W  /  55.78333°N 98.88833°W  / 55.78333; -98.88833 Thompson, Manitoba Thompson

2070-411: Was initially planned for a population of 8000, but Thompson grew rapidly to 19,001 residents by the 1971 Census ; the population has even been estimated as high as 26,000 residents at the time prior to the recession . However, major layoffs at Inco Limited in 1971 and 1977 led to Thompson's population declining to 14,288 by the 1981 Census . Thompson's rapid boom and bust was attributed to changes in

2116-439: Was laid off. In 1977, when nickel prices declined substantially, a fifth mine (Birchtree) was put on care and maintenance and an additional 650 Inco employees in Thompson were laid off. As Inco's workforce dwindled from over 4000 in the 1970s to around 850 in 2018, the economic driver of Thompson shifted to providing goods and services (e.g., retail, healthcare, social services) to the surrounding communities, earning Thompson

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