BY JOHN BARKER
Bonnie Bishop, who is completing her undergraduate studies at Memorial University in St. John’s, has arrived in Thompson for the summer to conduct research on human dimensions and issues surrounding wolves in Northern Manitoba. Bishop majors in geography with a minor in biology.
She will be distributing 800 questionnaires in her survey about wolf perceptions to Thompson residents. While Bishop said she’s still working on determining what the minimum number of responses could be for a statistically meaningful research result, she thinks it will be at least 50 per cent – or 400 responses. A 30 per cent completion rate – or 240 completed surveys – would be too low to be a statistically meaningful sample, she said.
Alistair Bath, an associate professor in the Department of Geography at Memorial, where he teaches in the area of human dimensions in natural resource management issues, is directing Bishop’s research. The project is being funded by – or has received in-kind donations from – Parks Canada; Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship’s wildlife branch; Calm Air; Spirit Way Inc., the Meridian Hotel, Linda Markus, who is hosting Bishop at her home for the summer, and several granting agencies. Thompson, Wabowden, and Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation have provided letters of support.
Not everyone, however, is a fan of Bath’s project and Bishop’s work, or turning Thompson into the wolf capital of either Canada or the world, as Spirit Way Inc. has been endeavoring to do for some years now.
Hilda Fitzner, finance assistant for Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc. (MKO)’s Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy (ASETS), writing in her capacity as a private citizen, wrote on the MUN Thompson Wolf Research Community Facebook page created by Bishop – within hours of its creation June 30 – that “Branding Thompson wolf capital of the world is not the wishes of the community of a whole but rather a particular group. This is a bit presumptuous and you have to realize that Northern Manitoba is made up of Cree territory and should be respected as such. As well, we do not want our wolves hunted by American tourists just so they can mount a wolf head on their walls or for rugs on their floors. I think you should be talking to grassroots people and elders.”
Two people have indicated on the MUN Thompson Wolf Research Community Facebook since June 30 they “like” Fitzner’s comment: one of the two is Dawn Sands, former executive director of the Thompson Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation (TNRC) and the City of Thompson’s new incoming communications officer, recently hired, also acting in her capacity as a private citizen in a public forum.
Fitzner also posted on the City of Thompson’s Facebook page June 30, which can be found at:https://www.facebook.com/cityofthompson: “I would like to know what the interest of the City of Thompson has with this. Being branded wolf capital of the world after hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on identifying ‘Local and Regional Identity.’ During this time, I and other indigenous people that were a part of this committee had to deal with the racism and discrimination that is often hidden.
“Instead of studying our wolves who need no management and are best left alone, the City of Thompson should be combating this racism that rears its ugly head time and time again. I have made an official request for this … How do I accept this when Thompson is 60 per cent aboriginal but yet this will never be celebrated?? Where is the justice in this?? I am extremely disappointed as this tells me our aboriginal voices ARE NOT HEARD!!!!!!!!!!”
Five years ago, Fitzner was a member of the board of Spirit Way Inc., and in a June 29, 2009 blog entry wrote: “Our native wolf and our Cree people in Northern Manitoba have had a very special relationship since we Cree settled in Northern Manitoba thousands of years ago. The wolf is a symbol of one of our sacred teachings, it holds very strong spirit. I, myself, feel the wolf is one of my spirit guides; he helped me choose to come back to Thompson with my grandson Tristan to build a better life for him.
“And the rest of Spirit Way’s accomplishments: the 49 wolf statues (see them all in this website) —each one individualized by the artists the sponsors selected for its painting; the Aviation tribute—how the many hours dedicated to its re-creation shows the determination of this group; the rock face wolves—another honour to our brother; the wolf enclosure at the zoo—how many times my grandsons and I stood there visiting with the wolves and thinking they should have more space to live in, now Spirit Way Inc. is fundraising to enlarge and rebuild the wolf enclosure; and now for their next vision … the Centre for Aboriginal Art.”
Sands has been a key player in the Aboriginal Art Centre for Northern Manitoba Inc., chairing and serving on its board of directors as vice-president. The planned $15-million centre, Spirit Way’s final project in their master plan, has a proposed site north of the city on Provincial Route 391, just before the Miles Hart Bridge, and across the road on the west side of the highway from the Spirit Way aviation tribute Norseman Mark V floatplane at Lions Club Park.
Sands, and provincial court Judge Murray Thompson, as board members, outlined the plans for the centre to city council on Dec. 12, 2011. To date, the centre remains as a concept only with pilot programming, including developing a network for aboriginal artists to offer their workshops and gain some exposure, along with some other opportunities to promote and sell, Sands told the Thompson Citizen on May 22, 2013 in an e-mail. The Aboriginal Art Centre for Northern Manitoba Inc.’s administrative home is at the TNRC, which is located in the Professional Building at 55 Selkirk Ave., owned by J.B. Johnston Ventures Limited, Mayor Tim Johnston’s family property holding company.
Fitzner’s complete June 29, 2009 Spirit Way Inc. blog entry can be found at:http://www.thompsonspiritway.ca/?s=Hilda
Bishop told the Thompson Chamber of Commerce July 2 she expects to complete her undergraduate studies in December and begin a two-year master’s degree program supervised by Bath in January.
Bath was here in April, also speaking to the Thompson Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Thompson on consecutive days, as well as soliciting public opinion at three evening open forums at the Meridian Hotel and R.D. Parker Collegiate’s Letkemann Theatre, before leaving for Riding Mountain National Park, soliciting ideas, comments and opinions of residents on wolf matters in interviews and at the public forums.
He was a guest speaker at Thompson’s Wolf & Carnivore Conference in October 2012 and held two wolf workshops for Spirit Way Inc in Thompson and Winnipeg in May 2013.
Bath earned his PhD in 1993 from the University of Calgary and his MA in 1987 from the University of Wyoming. On an earlier visit to Thompson last May 29, Bath noted, “Really, we’re not managing wolves. Wolves do what wolves do. We’re managing people. It’s all about people.”
Bath says he is interested in the idea of Thompson becoming a wolf capital and a wolf centre of excellence. “I’ve seen some of the efforts by Spirit Way Inc. and its partners, and I don’t see that anywhere else I go to do my work. There are some innovative things going on here, and I’d like to participate with my student.”
The purpose of human dimensions research is to interpret and understand human attitudes and behaviours toward a particular subject; in this case: wolves. Are people for them, against them, fear them, or do they want them eradicated? Such topics will be surveyed and included as part of her Bishop’s graduate thesis. The surveys are done in a neutral and unbiased manner, she told the chamber.
Over the next two months, Bishop will be telephoning residents in the Thompson area, who have been randomly selected, to invite them to partake in a hand-delivered questionnaire regarding their attitudes toward wolves and their attitudes toward Thompson becoming the self-identified “Wolf Capital of the World.” Results from the questionnaire will play a role in shaping the future of wolf eco-tourism, research, policy, programs, education, and wolf events in Thompson, she said.
“Opinions of local residents whether positive, neutral, or opposed are very important to this research and selected residents are encouraged to participate,” she said.
A lot of the questions have been pre-tested and used in other surveys, Bishop said, adding the questionnaire takes respondents about 10 to 15 minutes to complete.
Bishop said she hopes to be back next summer to interview visitors to Thompson about their perceptions of wolves, stationing herself at the Thompson Airport and Via Rail train station on Station Road to hand out surveys.
Bishop can be contacted by e-mail at: thompsonwolfsurvey@gmail.com“>thompsonwolfsurvey@gmail.comand her MUN Thompson Wolf Research Community Facebook page is found at:https://www.facebook.com/MUNThompsonWolfResearch?