Life In Thompson, MB?

Heavy B · Post by **Heavy B** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 8:12 pm

After living in YTH for a year I can say that I had a great time. I didn't even make the flight line before Skyward went tits up but I met a lot of friends, drank a lot of beer and enjoyed the outdoors. YTH aint so bad, it's what you make it.

FREEFALL · Post by **FREEFALL** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 8:21 pm

Hey cousin, look!

Ever sick. eeeehehhehehehehhe!

bobcaygeon · Post by **bobcaygeon** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:42 pm

It sure is cold in Thompson!!! That picture was taken yesterday!!!!

Go Guns · Post by **Go Guns** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 9:44 pm

I watch another guy, 4 legged loser pissed, getting beat on by his significant other, also loaded, in that exact same spot. The really sad thing was, there was about 6 cars parked their with people watching this happen. I assumed somebody would've called the RCMP, however, after about 5 minutes of nobody showing up, we decided to give the fuzz a ring. The dispatcher on the phone said that was the 1st they had heard of it and 3 cruisers were there within 30 seconds.

Skipper · Post by **Skipper** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 10:00 pm

JBI,

You never told me about that picture! Reminds me of how I felt the day AFTER we had the "We're all screwed" party at the Bankside. Too bad you couldn't have been there! How's your damn cat?

Skip

bigfssguy · Post by **bigfssguy** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:42 am

ya everyone rags on Thompson and yes it does have a lot, i mean LOT of social problems but i really liked my time there. I was there for 2 years, i really enjoyed working the tower there and i met a lot of good friends (perimeter boys better come up in august or there dead....) and i got the girl of my dreams there too (thank you bowling league and the Lanes and yes she was the bartender). But everyone has to remember the entire aviation community is in the same boat pilots, FSS etc. You are there for a good time not a long time, meaning you put your time in then move on to bigger and better things. it's not like your going to be a lifer and if you are then i really really really feel sorry for you. SO if you got the chance go there have a good time get some experience you'll appreciate the next place you live that much more. And look on the bright side at least your not in the land of polar bears and Belugas like i am.....Why did i volunteer again......Must be a little touched after being in Thompson for 2 years, i bet its the sulfer?!?!?!?

CID · Post by **CID** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 9:23 am

For every picture posted of someone passed out on the street in Thompson, I can post hundreds of similar photos from Toronto.

So what's your point JBI?

hz2p · Post by **hz2p** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:21 am

Hey CID! Stop posting pictures of the sidewalk outside 4900 Yonge St at lunchtime

CID · Post by **CID** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:20 am

Hey CID! Stop posting pictures of the sidewalk outside 4900 Yonge St at lunchtime

It's a deal! As long as you promise not to post pictures of where you hang out. Namely Cat Driver's lap.

monkeyspankmasterflex · Thu Jul 21, 2005 1:53 pm

ZING!

It's a deal! As long as you promise not to post pictures of where you hang out. Namely Cat Driver's lap.

Ouch (hizlarious though)...in all fairness, from what I've read, HZ2P is not one of the dozens of guys on this site lining up to kiss Cat's ass.

C-hris...sorry about the highjacking of your thread. I've never had the pleasure of visiting Thompson myself but work with some guys that speak fondly of their days there. Good luck!

bandaid · Post by **bandaid** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 3:14 pm

I have to echo what CID states. Come to Kelowna and walk around Leon or Lawrence Ave or even city park. It's unfortunate that someone chose to put a picture like that on here because it is not exclusive to Thompson. The whole Okanagan valley is having troubles like that picture implies. One gets the impression that it is only the natives that have this problem as well. Couldn't be further from the truth. For the most part, in my experience, I would rather treat a dozen drunk natives to one drunk/stoned and obnoxious caucasion any day.

TopperHarley · Post by **TopperHarley** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 4:28 pm

Thanks to everyone who has responded- I appreciate your insight and honesty.

I got the phone call today and decided to accept the offer. On one hand, I feel that it is a step backward (i.e. leaving a flying job near home, for a ramp job with near minimum wage pay 3000 km away from home); however, on the other hand, I feel that this is a big step forward as I will be joining a top-notch and very dynamic company.

I will likely be up in YTH within 2 weeks or so. I have decided that it would be best to drive there myself (I would love to fly there and try to carpool with my co-workers, but I don't know how feasible that will be). ANyways, thanks again. Hopefully, this will be an adventure!

Forgot to ask- if I need to do a cat 1 medical, can I do it in YTH? Also, are there places where I can write TC exams (i.e. my Group 1 IFR expires this February 2006. I'd imagine that I won't be able to renew it if I am in YTH, so I am worried I may need to re-write the INRAT)?

Chris.

JBI · Post by **JBI** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 4:30 pm

FREEFALL · Post by **FREEFALL** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 5:04 pm

There is a doctor here that does Av medicals. But he is, how can I put it nicely, different. And there are no places to write TC exams. Well, I guess there is, but TC has to come up from YWG.

Cap'n P8 · Post by **Cap'n P8** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 6:31 pm

You could always write your exams at the RCMP.

clarence oveur · Post by **clarence oveur** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:26 pm

not too sure, but I'd bet that you'd probably be able to get a ride down to ywg on a company flight for free. You could do all your Transport and medical stuff there. But I don't work for Perimeter so I could be wrong.

bandaid · Post by **bandaid** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 9:23 pm

JBI wrote:Really Thompson, MB. Just in front of the CIBC

I guess when I read your quote and I think it is safe to say that you were eluding to the fact that this native passed out in front of the CIBC In really Thompson is what Thompson is all about and that is sad. I have been in Thompson, and yes, I saw some of that, but I also met some very nice people there.
The aviation community in that city really looks out for the young guys. I have a lot of people to thank for the wing that they held over my son. People who had never met my boy took him into their home and helped him get settled and played the part of family for a lot of those young men during those special holidays that are made for family. I can't think af anywheres else I have seen such kindness.
So C-hris, you could do a lot worse. Good luck with your new job, congrats.

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:45 pm

" that having these types of problems in a first world country like Canada is pathetic. As well, maybe this way governments will actually try and do something to solve these problems instead of just throwing money at them and hoping that they'll go away. "

From my perspective as both a long time northern pilot and a Canadian from white and North American Indian blood I have formed the opinion that there were three groups of people that brought the native population to its present pathetic circumstance.

The Hudsons Bay buyers of furs, the missionarys and the Government bureaucracy that enforces an apertheid policy and sucks billions out of the economy with only pennies going to the individual native people.

I did not find the picture to be rasist, it is indictive of a systemic cancer found all across the country. And Thompson is no different than many other places in the north.

Cat

LH · Post by LH » Fri Jul 22, 2005 1:04 am

I just gotta tell ya that there are lots of communities across northern Canada that would make Thompson look like a "jewel of the north". ALL of them are dangerous and loud on the evening of Welfare cheque day.

I also agree with you Cat, but unfortunately there's a whole bunch of elders out there living "high-on-the-hog" and screwing their own also.....they've learned well from us. Manitoba has a count now of 7 Reserves in bankruptcy because of too much "dipping-into-the-till" and trips to Las Vegas by their vaunted leaders. Come to think of it, us "white trash" have the same damn problems with our "leaders".

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 1:20 am

LH :

How true.

But it is still the parasites in Government who turn a blind eye to the theft of money that occurs at the band level.

For the Government parasites it is easier to just keep the status quo and insure they get theirs without any real effort.

Cat

Expat · Post by **Expat** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 1:33 am

How about the people you medevac with abdominal pain problems, and then a couple of hours later you find them half drunk at the mall waiting to run out of money?

JBI · Post by **JBI** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:25 am

benchmark · Post by **benchmark** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:08 am

Ludacris wrote:
Now for the negatives:

To me, Thompson was an absolute hell-hole. And now that I'm out of aviation I'm not going to sugar-coat things anymore. I absolutely hate Thompson. I've lived elsewhere up north before, but never in my life have I seen so much poverty, violence, and narrow-mindedness. Maybe it's just me, but driving by the post office and seeing 25 drunks out front is depressing. While working at Canadian Tire, I saw the only native guy on the payroll picking up garbage in the parking lot even though he was senior to me. That was a big wake-up call, and the gov't was even paying half his wage. When my g/f was the most educated person to ever work at pizza hut (she only had 1 degree) came home complaining every night about why they won't hire this one native guy who came in everyday looking for a job, it made me want to leave that place as soon as possible. I have absolutely no tolerance for balant racism. The first night the g/f came to stay some guy decided to beat up his g/f in the apartment across the hall and the police came, and I couldn't believe he actually started fighting the police....again I'd never seen that before and I started noticing women with black eyes on a regular basis around town. I'm orginally from a small town where fights were common, but where I'm from when one guy went down the fight was over, but in Thompson that's when the fight begins and everyone else decides to jump in. Want proof? Try the coat-check line at the local clubs when it's -40 outside.
Call me sheltered, but that's not normal where I come from.

And if you want to go the next 3 years of your life without a g/f move to Thompson. Some guys you meet will brag about how many girls they can pick up at The River with Hubba Bubba, and even put you down for your lack of desire to do the same.

In the other places I've lived up north I saw a lot of employment and investment in the community by the major employers in town. I didn't see the same in Thompson by Inco or even the major airlines.

One thing I did notice is the people who did enjoy Thompson were either blind to all the poverty and suffering that was constantly around them, or were either able to tune it out, pretend it didn't exist, or even go as far to justify it. Ask people who enjoy Thompson what they think of the extremely high crime rate (which can be confirmed by reading what they will publish in the local paper) and most of them will ask, "What high crime rate?" Again, blind to the situation...

You should still make your own decision. Drive to Thompson and stay for a few weeks and see if you can handle the 9 months of winter combined with all the other things you have to see on a daily basis then Thompson is for you.

agreed. that place is a sh*thole. i didn't even last a year up there before i left!

ei ei owe · Post by **ei ei owe** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:42 am

I don't find TH that bad. It has it's rough spots, but the company makes up for it.

C-HRIS You can write TC exams in TH when they come up in their flashy King Air. Every now and then they put postings up for a whack of exams being offered and fly up for the day to supervise you writing them in the provincial building. If ever in doubt, just phone TC down south. They usually came up four times a year, every three months or so. I wrote my IATRA there last summer.