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As of today, private defence lawyers in Manitoba are again refusing to provide legal aid to clients in bail court.
The president of the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association of Manitoba is hoping the job action will “keep the government’s feet to the fire” in the midst of an ongoing battle over legal aid.
Gerri Wiebe says that lawyers aren’t getting the respect from the government that they deserve.
“Our concerns aren’t being addressed in any reasonable fashion,” said Wiebe. “We really don’t see any alternative at this stage.”
Three weeks ago, 150 lawyers who deal with the majority of legal aid cases in Manitoba threatened to walk off the job if the government refused to meet.
That initial threat was rescinded when Manitoba Justice agreed to sit with defence attorneys last week.
The dispute over legal aid started because private defence lawyers haven’t seen an increase in legal aid rates in 12 years.
The lawyers are now asking the government to release a $1.5 million surplus in the operating budget to fund a portion of increases to wages as a short-term fix.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
When David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Metis Federation, found out the Dauphin Correctional Centre will close down in May, he was quite surprised it would happen without any consultations.
Chartrand says most people are looking at the jail closure as a pure money issue, but not a lot of talk is looking at the fact that in order for someone in jail to change, they need family and community support, which is going to get a lot harder.
“What they’re doing is actually taking individuals to be greater distances from their families’ support and pack them up into Headingly or Brandon. So they’re really going to pack up those institutions if they’re not already packed as is. But if they could challenge for the working poor and individuals, especially indigenous people who struggle day-by-day. But to find themselves hardly being able to get to Dauphin, which is sometimes a 1900 mile drive, or get somebody to drive them, or hire a vehicle to try and go see their loved one or family member. Now imagine they have to go to Winnipeg or Brandon and how are they going to get there when they can hardly get to Dauphin in the first place?”
Chartrand and Grand Chief Jerry Daniels met about the jail and feel the provincial governments should have met with them because they feel there could have been a way for them to help keep the jail open.
Chartrand says the Metis and First Nations governments in the province should have been given the option to buy the jail.
“They could say, look if we transfer the jail to the Metis and First Nation governments, given that we’re the clear majority in there anyways. So, if we give it to you, is there a possibility you guys can find the resources to manage the jail yourselves? I think that’s an opportunity we should explore, we should look at that. But again, this decision is made, I did make a call to Minister Cullen, that did not happen, he did not return my call. But I did send him a letter, myself and Grand Chief Daniels, stating we’d like to have a discussion on this before it’s finalized. Give us an opportunity to sit down and see what options are available.”
Chartrand thinks Cullen reacted too quick and urges him to look at this one more time.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
Yesterday, the Dauphin Fire Department responded to three separate incidents.
The first incident was a fire at 3:30 in the afternoon at Parkland Crossing. The suspicious fire was extinguished upon arrival and the RCMP are investigating.
Then, around 4:15 pm, the DFD was dispatched to a single-vehicle rollover several kilometres south of the City. The driver had no serious injuries but was treated by EMS.
The DFD was then dispatched for another single-vehicle rollover south of the Highway 5 & 10 junction shortly after 5:00 pm. The driver, in this case, was also not seriously injured but was treated by EMS.
Both traffic incidents were due to the highway conditions at the time. The fire department is reminding the public to be cautious of changing road conditions during the winter months.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
This past week we’ve been covering the reactions to the jail closing.
If you’re concerned about the closure, there are some events this week you can show your support at.
On Monday and Tuesday, it all culminates with the town hall meeting and rally.
Monday at 5:30, the city and RM of Dauphin are hosting a town hall meeting with hopes that those attending get informed, take action, and contact Premier Brian Pallister, Justice Minister Cliff Cullen, and local MLA Brad Michaleski. The meeting will take place at Credit Union Place in the Aspen Lodge.
Then on Tuesday, a rally lead by the MGEU will be taking place at 4:30. Starting at the MGEU building at 322 Main St., the rally will march up to the jail where there will be guest speakers. President of the MGEU, Michelle Gawronsky says they are holding the rally to turn around the decision and leave the jail open until a new one can be built as was originally planned in 2013. Those unable to march or make it in time can join the rally at the jail, at 5 pm Tuesday.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
Free park entry at provincial parks will be available for the month of February.
Manitobans and visitors will be able to enjoy the many winter activities that the parks provide at no cost.
Conservation and Climate Minister Sarah Guillemard encourages people to take advantage of the parks this season.
“The beauty of our provincial parks does not disappear in winter, so why not take advantage of this great opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. It’s a great chance to get the family together and leave the hustle and bustle of our busy lives behind to soak up all that our provincial parks have to offer.”
Snopasses remain mandatory for snowmobiles using groomed trails in the parks.
There are groomed trails in 13 provincial parks across the province with activities like cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, fat biking, snowshoeing and hiking.
People are encouraged to check trail conditions before heading out.
Maps of the winter trails and updated reports can be found at www.manitobaparks.com.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
The Dauphin and District Chamber of Commerce says that the closure of the jail will affect business in the community greatly.
Executive Director of the Chamber, Stephen Chychota says that the announcement of the closure has been tough on everybody.
“It’s definitely going to be a difficult situation to deal with on many different levels,” said Chychota. “It’s a ripple effect that goes through a lot of different organizations, and different levels of government. We got to be there where we can, and be the voice for the business side of things, and support those organizations out here the best that we can.”
Chychota says that the Chamber has to creative in the way it adapts to business without the jail.
While the closure will take its effect, Chychota is excited about the opportunities that may come to the Parkland with the announcement of an economic development tour in the spring.
The Chamber is planning to take a supportive role in the fight against the closure and is hoping that as time goes on more information as to why the decision was made will become available.
“We’ve got to band together, and figure this out,” said Chychota.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
The RBC Future Challenge program is working to create a project in Dauphin to address diversity.
Natasha Nepinak, a youth leader with RBC Future Launch, says RBC has a 15 thousand dollar grant that gets given to 150 communities across Canada.
“Dauphin was selected, and I believe it was the Dauphin and District Community Foundation that applied for it. So, they received the grant and there’s a sub-committee full of youth on the committee and we need to figure out what we’re going to do with the money we received, how we’re going to put it back in the community and go from there.”
Nepinak got involved because her boss, who is a part of the Dauphin and District Community Foundation, invited her to a conference in Victoria, BC about the RBC Future Challenge. While at the conference, Nepinak got to see what youth across the country were doing with the money.
She also joined to give back to the community and she wanted to volunteer more.
On Saturday, February 8th from 1-3 pm in the Aspen Lodge, a meeting is being held to help brainstorm ideas to use the money to enhance the community.
The group already has a few ideas to address diversity in the community, such as getting an artist to do a mural or having some sort of event with art or music at the Watson Art Centre.
The youth-driven committee is partnered with the Dauphin and District Community Foundation, as well as the Dauphin Friendship Centre.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
One of the two people arrested for a 2018 drug bust in Dauphin, has entered a guilty plea.
In June of 2018, during a traffic stop, Dauphin RCMP seized 190 grams of cocaine, a large sum of cash, and drug paraphernalia.
Yesterday, 31-year-old Bradley Dengler, from Peachland, B.C., pleaded guilty to Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking. His sentence will be handed out on December 15th.
23-year-old Amanda Saxinger, from Cudworth, Saskatchewan had her charges set over to the same day.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
The ability to purchase hunting and fishing licenses as well as provincial park vehicle permits online will soon be available in Dauphin.
Elicensing will be introduced to Manitoba in the spring of 2020.
This will allow people to create a customer profile and purchase specific licenses online just like any other online purchases.
Managing director Carly Deacon said that elicensing will have a major impact on the convenience of getting licenses and permits.
“It allows hunters, anglers, or people who want to access park permits online so you can pretty much set up an account online and then purchase your required licenses. So it improves accessibility to getting those licenses. It’s insanely convenient and it is one hundred percent something that MWF (Manitoba Wildlife Federation) has been advocating for the last five years. It’s a huge endeavor for the province and we are insanely happy about it and congratulating them big time on this because it’s something that’s going to improve significantly on hunters and anglers getting out in the field and having the appropriate permits to do that.”
Customers will have 24 hour access to their permits and the option to purchase from Manitoba Conservation and Climate offices around the province.
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- Contributed by Tess Kovach
The Manitoba government is asking for a 15 percent cut in management levels, as part of its plan to deal with a “top-heavy” public sector.
Finance Minister Scott Fielding says “taxpayer dollars should be prioritized on front-line services-next to the student, the ratepayer and the customer-for better outcomes.”
The province is also telling Crown corporations, post-secondary institutions and school divisions to control the amount of compensation paid to executives. The province will implement a 1.75 percent cap over four years, and bringing in outside consultants to review current salaries.
In 2016, Manitoba Hydro, MPI, and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries were instructed to cut upper management by 15 percent as an effort by the government to reduce the deficit.
A K-12 education review is set to be completed in the next few months, and officials have said that all options are on the table to try and improve grades and control costs. Those steps may include the removal or the reduction of the number of school boards in the province.
Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen says that any money that is saved from making cuts will be put back into education.
“Clearly we are asking school divisions to live within the means of taxpayers and live within the means of the ability for Manitobans to pay,” said Goertzen.
The President of the Manitoba School Boards Association says smaller school divisions could have issues making the directives.
Goertzen said that school divisions will be able to choose how to use the money, but the government wants it to go to classrooms and the front lines.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
Last week’s news of the Dauphin Correctional Centre closing was unexpected to all.
Midge Sametz, deputy reeve of the RM of Dauphin, says they were shocked by the news.
“The RM council was very disappointed in the government’s decision to close the corrections facility. This was done without any consultation with any of the stakeholders, so we were all blindsided. The decision affects the entire region, the City of Dauphin as well as the surrounding municipalities.”
She says the decision will have a ripple effect because when jobs are lost, fewer people are purchasing and using local goods. That, in turn, affects more than just those working at the correctional centre, businesses, schools, and facilities they supported.
Sametz says the RM is co-hosting a town hall meeting with the city.
“We hope that the people will come out to the meeting, get informed, take action, and contact Premier Pallister, the minister of justice and our own MLA.”
The meeting will take place Monday at 5:30 at Credit Union Place in the Aspen Lodge.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
