In this week’s news, students give O’ Canada a shake-up, Justin Trudeau delivers a historic apology but non-binary Canadians say struggle is ongoing,  2 new support lines are rolled out, and much more.

Missing Persons Alert

Kyle Fortierkyle-fortier

Winnipeg police are asking for the public’s help to find a missing 23-year-old man.

Kyle Fortier was last seen in the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 8.

He’s five feet 10 inches tall and has a thin build, weighing about 110 or 120 pounds, police say. He has a goatee, brown or hazel-coloured eyes and short, medium-brown hair.

Fortier was wearing a navy blue hoodie, black jacket, blue jeans and brown runners the last time he was seen.

Police say they are concerned about Fortier. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call the Missing Persons Unit at 204-986-6250.

Norman Thompson
Winnipeg police have asked for help finding a missing teenage boy.

Norman Thompson, 15, last made contact with friends in the early hours of Nov. 10, police said. He’s described as five feet two inches tall and 120 pounds, with short dark hair. He was last seen wearing a green hoodie and dark blue sweat pants.

Winnipeg Police Service says it’s concerned about Thompson’s well-being. Anyone with information can call the missing persons unit at 204-986-6250.

Peri Ann Spenceperi-ann-spence
RCMP are asking the public for help locating a missing girl who they say is “extremely vulnerable and at risk for exploitation.”

Peri Ann Spence, 16, was reported last seen Oct. 16 at 2 p.m. when she left a residence on Pacific Avenue in Winnipeg, where she had been visiting friends.

Spence is described as five-foot-two and 119 pounds with long, straight black hair and brown eyes. She has been in contact with friends and family, but has not returned home, RCMP said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Lundar RCMP at 204-762-5088 or Manitoba Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online or by texting “TIPMAN” plus a message to CRIMES (274637).

 

 

Pam Sandhupam-sandhu

Winnipeg police are asking for the public’s help tracking down a missing 23-year-old woman. Pam Sandhu was last seen in the South Pointe area of Winnipeg Tuesday evening.

Sandhu is 5’6″ tall, 154 lbs., with long brown hair. Police say they are concerned about Sandhu’s well-being. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call police at 204-986-6250.

Donald King

Winnipeg police are looking for a senior who hasn’t been seen in a week. Police sayDonald King, 63, was last seen on the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 3 in Windsor Park. Officers are concerned for his well-being.

King is six feet one inches tall and has a slim build and short white hair with stubble on his face. He was last seen wearing glasses with dark rims, a black sweater, blue jeans, grey shoes, a plaid scarf and a tan satchel.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Winnipeg Police Service’s Missing Persons Unit at 204-986-6250.

Taya GuimondTaya Guimond

Police in Powerview, Man., are asking for the public’s help finding a missing 16-year-old girl. Taya Guimond was last seen in Powerview Oct. 2 and RCMP believe she may now be in Winnipeg or Selkirk.

Guimond is described as being 5’3″ tall, with a heavier build, brown eyes and straight, shoulder-length black hair. Police are concerned for Guimond’s well-being and ask anyone with information on her whereabouts to call Powerview RCMP at 204-367-8728.

Ethan Sumner

Oakbank RCMP are asking Winnipeggers to keep an eye out for a “vulnerable, at-risk youth” who might be in the city. Ethan Sumner, 17, was reported missing on Thursday at about 10:20 p.m., the Mounties say. He was then spotted a few hours later near Vimy Ridge Memorial Park on Portage Avenue. He has not been seen since.

The teen is described as five feet five inches tall, 145 pounds, with brown eyes and dark hair. He was last seen wearing cargo shorts, a dark shirt and a cream-coloured toque. He also might be wearing a camo-coloured hoodie. Sumner is known to hang around on Selkirk Avenue near Salter street. Anyone with information is asked to call the Oakbank RCMP at 204-444-3391.

Scott Hadath

Scott HadathThe family of a Winnipeg man who has been missing since Monday is desperate to find their loved one who disappeared after getting off work. “We’re very distraught right now,” Robert Hadath told CBC Thursday.His brother Scott Hadath has been missing since Monday afternoon when he got off work around 3 p.m. from his job at Canadian Tire on Fermor Avenue. Winnipeg police and Manitoba RCMP are now searching for the missing 39-year-old.

“This is just not something that you’d expect from Scott,” his brother said. “It’s just out of character for him, so we have no idea what to think at this point.” He’s very reliable.” Hadath, who lives with his mother in the Windsor Park area of Winnipeg, said family started to get worried after his brother didn’t show up for work on Tuesday and they couldn’t get in touch with him on his cellphone.
“Generally if he would go out, he would go out maybe for a couple hours, right, and then he’d be back,” Hadath said. Hadath said friends and family have searched everywhere they can think Scott might be, including the Whiteshell area, where his family owns a cabin, and are desperate to find him. “It’s quite the emotional roller-coaster,” he said. Scott Hadath is described as 5-foot-10 with a heavy build, a beard and hazel eyes.

Scott Hadath is believed to be driving a 2015 black Mini Cooper with Manitoba licence plate HJB 662. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call the Winnipeg missing persons unit at 204-986-6250.

 

Poverty & Community Outreach

  • No explanation for failure to address poverty: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Donated art to grace health facilities’ walls: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Donation spurs call for uplifting art for Manitoba health centres: CBC
  • Tec Voc students shake up O Canada to reflect their values: CBC
  • New North End police station displacing youth sports: CBC
  • Manitoba takes baby step toward improving ‘overly complicated’ daycare legislation: CBC
  • Checkstop to be out every night in December: Winnipeg Free Press
  • New parents should ask for longer leave while province studies legislation: minister: Winnipeg Free Press, CBC
  • With CNIB’s help, world gets wider for visually impaired: Winnipeg Free Press
  • ‘A herculean effort’: Volunteers turn piles of discarded bikes into gifts for kids:CBC
  • Nunavut boy with rare cancer drops the puck at Winnipeg Jets game: CBC
  • Winnipeg Mother gathers winter clothing for inner city kids: APTN News
Winnipeg Transit Fare Hike

Gender & Sexuality

  • The woman behind the wheel: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Students get credit to attend sex assault sessions: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Hot tech: U of M prof makes the case for sexbots: CBC
  • Trudeau is apologizing to LGBT civil servants: Here’s why: CBC
  • ‘Our collective shame’: Trudeau delivers historic apology to LGBT Canadians:CBC
  • Manitoba Tory MP Ted Falk part of group who didn’t stand during apology to LGBTTQ* Canadians: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Discrimination ‘altered his life‘: Winnipeg Free Press 
  • ‘I’m going to cry’: Justin Trudeau’s LGBT apology long overdue, Winnipeg gay activist says: CBC
  • Non-binary Canadians still fighting for justice: CBC

Disability & Accessibility

  • New book explores the history of disability from ancient Greece to modern day:CBC

Refugees & Race

  • U of W radio station suspends program over anti-Semitic content: Winnipeg Free Press
  • U of W radio station apologizes, host resigns after anti-Semitic program airs: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Anti-Semitic broadcast at U of W worries students: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Senator says Suu Kyi images at human rights museum should stay: Winnipeg Free Press
  • 15-year wait for family of Somali refugees to arrive in city finally over: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Refugee shelter in Gretna, Man. closing due to lack of demand: CBC

Environment

  • Tories call for more funds to fight algae: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Winnipeg seeks bids for cutting-edge recycling facility: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Manitobans in Mexico to study efforts to save critically endangered porpoise:CBC
  • Manitoba gives Winnipeg 27 years to clean up its act: CBC
  • Neurotoxin found in some Lake Winnipeg algae: CBC
  • Hydro chair wants carbon tax to help vulnerable people offset big rate hikes: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Bill aims to protect Manitoba wetlands: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Clean-tech sparking interest in province: Winnipeg Free Press

Health

  • More long-term care beds needed to sustain aging population: report: Winnipeg Free Press
  • ‘They just left me in the air’: Manitoba man finds few answers after hip surgery cancelled: CBC
  • ‘It’s not broke’: Municipality questions rural emergency medical station closures: CBC
  • ‘It’s a joke’: Manitoba family moves to Alberta to get teen daughter addictions help: CBC
  • Over-capacity Grace ER frustrates daughter of Winnipeg senior: CBC
  • St. B scrambles to fill 99 shifts after scheduling snafu discovered: Winnipeg Free Press
  • MGEU president accuses Pallister of breaking promises on health care again: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Progress made on wait times at city ERs: report: Winnipeg Free Press, CBC
  • Family of girl who needs constant care told to choose between school bus or support worker: CBC

Indigenous

  • Trying to keep our culture alive‘: Inuit story shared at Winnipeg workshop: CBC
  • ‘I have trouble with that’: Manitoba’s child-welfare changes worry First Nations: CBC, Winnipeg Free Press
  • ‘Stand up against it’: MKO Grand Chief sounds off about store employee shadowing Indigenous man: CBC
  • Indigenous jail rates criticized: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Sixties Scoop survivors start support line: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Indigenous language classes at RRC: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Carrying on in Jenny’s name: Inuit outreach line rolls out: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Winnipeg police investigating incident between elderly Cree woman, cab driver:APTN News
  • A timeline of staff departures from the MMIWG inquiry: CBC
  • Teen held captive, tortured dismissed by police as runaway case, MMIWG inquiryhears: CBC
  • MMIWG commissioners to ask Ottawa for more time, as Quebec hearings wrap:CBC
  • Manitoba mom searching for her son 40 years after he was taken away: APTN News

Justice & Crime

  • Woman sexually assaulted by 3 disguised men in her own home: CBC
  • Police seek witnesses in crash that killed elderly pedestrian: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Police make arrests in violent attacks in city: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Mom regrets calling police about her son after officer charged with hitting him:CBC
  • Winnipeg police officer arrested after refusing breathalyzer: CBC
  • Police release name of officer charged with refusing a breathalyzer: CBC
  • Off-duty officer stabbed after confronting man breaking into his vehicle: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Additional charges laid against police officer charged in fatal hit-and-run: Winnipeg Free Press, CBC
  • 2 more Winnipeg police officers charged with impaired driving: CBC
  • Drunk driving charges against police reveal struggles to deal with trauma, psychologists say: CBC
  • Winnipeg officer charged with assaulting boy, 12, during arrest: CBC
  • Police confirm 2nd off-duty officer arrest in a week in connection with drunk driving charges: CBC
  • More cops face DUI charges this year, police chief says: Winnipeg Free Press
  • No culture of binge drinking, says Winnipeg police chief, but union wants more resources: CBC
  • Firefighter accused of sex assault makes bail, now back in jail: Winnipeg Free Press
  • No discipline for Manitoba judge Vic Toews on allegations he broke federal conflict rules: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Judicial council won’t pursue inquiry into conflict of interest allegation against Vic Toews: CBC
In the Courts
  • Winnipeg woman gets $3K in $25K lawsuit against police, but judge slams ‘belligerent’ behaviour: CBC
  • City cop accused of sex assault referred to alleged victim as informant: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Court reserves decision for Illegal immigration consulting business: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Prominent Filipino Winnipegger collected $91K as unlicensed immigration consultant: court documents: CBC
  • Explosion sent accused bomber’s former lawyer to police, court told: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Trial adjourned for doctor charged with incest: CBC
  • Firefighter accused of sexual assault charged with obstructing justice: CBC
  • Prosecutors want 6-year sentence for Winnipeg man who directed live-streamed sexual abuse of child: CBC
  • Shooting case ‘drowning in alcohol’ now in judge’s hands: CBC

Politics

Provincial
Local
  • ‘Talking about transparency’: Future of addictions-recovery centre debated at open house: CBC
  • Budget prudence by necessity, not by choice: CBC
  • Water, waste parts of city budget sail through environment committee: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Police wage freeze in 2017 big part of expected $2.1M surplus: Smyth: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Mayor says Winnipeg out millions after province ends ambulance funding deal:CBC
  • Winnipeg pro sports clubs to collect $16.3M in public assistance in 2018: CBC
  • ‘Stand-pat’ police funding makes city more dangerous, officers’ union warns: Winnipeg Free Press
  • EPC votes to nix Charleswood corridor until area plan developed: Winnipeg Free Press
  • City hall to face opposition over proposed 2018 budget during forum: Winnipeg Free Press
Churchill
  • Christmas present to Churchill? Companies building ice road hope to be done by Dec. 25: CBC
  • Federal funds to help reeling Churchill business: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Carr to visit Churchill, announce new funding: Winnipeg Free Press
  • Feds commit $2.7M in funding for Churchill, but no news on rail line repairs: CBC

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Do you think we should keep compiling the news on a weekly basis?
As many of you know, in addition to running the Hub, I’m also a full-time law student. In order to keep everything going, time management is key!

On that note, I am considering ending these newsletters at the end of 2017, as open and click rates have decreased over the last few months, and I’m not quite sure if this is the most impactful use of my time, as I could also use this time to work on the Hub in other ways! If you would like to see these newsletters continue (or if you agree my time would be better spent doing other things for the Hub), let me know! Send me a quick email at christie@humanrightshub.ca.

Thanks! 🙂