Winnipeg Human Rights News: May 7th-13th, 2017

In this week's headlines, Pallister gets questioned about his communications, we learn about the use of tiny birds with tiny backpacks, the Order of Manitoba recipients are revealed, and more!

Missing Persons AlertWalter Wayne Steeves

Poverty & Community Outreach

1. Pizza tycoon donates $2M for children's epilepsy program: Winnipeg Free Press,CBC

2. Winnipeg company sends 300,000 sandbags to flooded Eastern Canada: CBC

3. Basement flood forces Winnipeg soup kitchen to close its doors: CBC, Winnipeg Free Press 

4. John's excellent adventures: Winnipegger runs marathons, rappels down buildings to help kids in need: CBC

5. Bringing the right tools to bear: Winnipeg Free Press

6. Runner escapes childhood challenges to put himself on pace for success: Winnipeg Free Press

Events & Initiatives

1. No more drunk tank: Community leader seeks new approach to public intoxication: CBC

2. 'Kindness is infectious': Volunteers pay it forward on day of conscious kindness: CBC

3. 'Bibliographic rehabilitation': Fundraiser helps connect inmates with books in Manitoba: CBC

4. 'Why not? We have extra': Community Cupboard provides food in Winnipeg: CBC, Winnipeg Free Press

5. Federal, provincial governments launch 2-year rent subsidy program in Brandon: CBC

6. Runners lace up for police half-marathon in Winnipeg: CBC, Winnipeg Free Press

7. Choirs raise voices for mental health: Winnipeg Free Press

8. Street-involved, homeless Winnipeg youth and their pets offered free check-ups: CBC

9. Activists team up to fight school absenteeism: Winnipeg Free Press

10. CancerCare leader walks to give back: Winnipeg Free Press

11. Mayor Bowman, Mark Chipman part of group that wants to decriminalize public drunkenness: Winnipeg Free Press

12. Police, high-risk youth protection agency join forces: Winnipeg Free Press

13. Program helps reunite families with kids: Winnipeg Free Press

Awards

1. Honour for Bear Clan: Winnipeg Free Press

2. Order of Manitoba 2017 recipients announced: Winnipeg Free Press

Refugees & Race

1. Building bridges: Winnipeg newcomer, Indigenous communities come together at conference: CBC

2. 'Incredibly rewarding' program helping Winnipeggers form friendships with refugees: CBC

3. Manitoba town pulls together to find interpreters for Swahili-speaking refugee family: CBC

Environment

1. Selkirk, Man., earns fair trade town designation after community push: CBC

2. Manitoba Hydro moves to purchase land for $350M transmission line before approval: CBC

3. A light too bright? Winnipeggers worry about Hydro's conversion to LED street lights: CBC

4. Manitoba has clean energy to help neighbours, but feds need to step up, minister says: CBC

5. Electric car driver finds altered BMW ad lowers range after purchase: CBC

6. Mayor not sure who should pay for vehicle charging stations: Winnipeg Free Press

Critters

1. Tiny birds with tiny backpacks could help save Manitoba warbler species: CBC

2. 'It has the potential to kill all of the ash trees in the city': Winnipeg prepares for emerald ash borer: CBC

3. Tree-bound bugs marked for death as Winnipeg begins spraying: CBC, Winnipeg Free Press

4. Winnipeg to find out whether residential-area beekeeping can fly: CBC, Winnipeg Free Press

5. Bowman plans to bone up on urban beekeeping before public hearing: Winnipeg Free Press

Health

1. 'Poor man's methadone': Imodium is a potentially fatal high: CBC

2. Self-regulation of paramedics a step closer to reality, but firefighters' union douses move: CBC

3. Taking the reins on your child's anxiety could mean a trip to the farm: CBC

4. Brandon family appealing for stem cell match to cure girl's sickle cell disease: CBC

5. This high school student designed a process to create 3D tumours: CBC

6. Use of opioids antidote jumped 70 per cent in 2016; numbers climbing this year: Winnipeg Free Press

Indigenous

1. Opening a dialogue on indigenous health care: Winnipeg Free Press

2. 'Rock star experience': Airline to fly northern First Nation kids to Bomber games: CBC, Winnipeg Free Press

3. Museum offers face-to-face encounter with 4,000-year-old Indigenous family: CBC

4. Families in Poplar Hill First Nation struggle for answers after children die in group homes: APTN News

5. Rising stars, shining bright: Winnipeg Free Press

MMIW Inquiry

1. Families unsure whether to take part in missing Indigenous women inquiry: CBC

2. 'They're hurting so bad': Winnipegger pitches tent downtown to support families waiting for MMIWG inquiry: CBC

3. Manitoba moves toward designating Oct. 4 to honour MMIWG: CBC, Winnipeg Free Press

4. MMIW inquiry won't hear from most families until the fall: CBC, APTN News

Justice

1. Asylum seeker charged with assault says he's not violent: CBC

2. Creep catcher confrontations part of problematic trend, Manitoba professor says:CBC

3. Manitoba family’s hopes for closure dashed as RCMP makes arrest in 2007 cold case then release suspect: APTN News

4. RCMP make arrest in 2007 Portage la Prairie slaying: Winnipeg Free Press

5. City cop forced to shoot: judge: Winnipeg Free Press

6. Former priest, scout leader pedophile target of $110M lawsuit: Winnipeg Free Press

7. 17-year-old gets 30-month sentence for role in attack on youth workers: Winnipeg Free Press

8. 'Do not forget': Winnipeg Free Press

9. U of M fined for workplace accident: Winnipeg Free Press

Candace Derksen

1. 'This is so surreal': Family prepares for verdict after closing arguments at Candace Derksen retrial: CBC

2. 'No real evidence' to convict Grant, lawyer says in final arguments of Candace Derksen trial: CBC

3. Searing pain, serious purpose: Winnipeg Free Press

4. DNA 'problematic' but Grant guilty, Crown argues: Winnipeg Free Press

Politics

1. Pallister's steady campaign to provoke unions: Winnipeg Free Press

2. 'Lost opportunity': Another Manitoba Housing building sits empty in downtown Winnipeg: CBC

3. Voters need a viable third-party option: Winnipeg Free Press

4. Staff vacancies in Manitoba RCMP dispatch centre reach 'critical level': CBC

5. Scaled-back balanced budget law gets some teeth back: CBC

6. It's not fair': International students get into RRC course faster, Manitoba man says: CBC

7. Edward Snowden tells universities Trump's firing of FBI director is alarming: CBC, Winnipeg Free Press

8. Manitoba politician promises to repay big cellphone bill racked up in Mexico: CBC, Winnipeg Free Press

9. Former student tells school trustees more needs to be done to curb addiction: CBC

10. Manitoba unions make last effort to stop contentious labour bills: CBC

11. Province spends $3M fixing Manitoba Housing highrise that's been empty for 2 years: CBC

12. Bill to cut bargaining units gives commissioner sweeping powers: CBC

13. Cancel bill, nurses union urges: Winnipeg Free Press

14. Manitoba RCMP probe of Peguis trust fund dollar use on hold pending federal financial review: APTN News

15. Tories to table bill aimed at minimum wage: Winnipeg Free Press

16. Union leaders threaten to fight Tory wage control bill in court: Winnipeg Free Press

17. NDP sounding alarm that Pallister government may weaken protection for workers: Winnipeg Free Press

18. Firefighters, province play ping-pong with college costs: Winnipeg Free Press

19. Pallister skips scrum for second straight day: Winnipeg Free Press

20. Invest in people, not prisons, senator says: Winnipeg Free Press

Indian and Metis Friendship Centre

1. Tense moments unfolding at Winnipeg’s only friendship centre: APTN News

2. Barricade inside Indian and Métis Friendship Centre turns into protest: CBC

3. Lockdown at Winnipeg’s friendship centre highlights years of alleged mismanagement: APTN News

Transit Safety

1. Bus drivers union meets with Winnipeg Transit officials ahead of safety report:CBC

2. Unofficial city council opposition calls for transit safety force: CBC

3. Winnipeg looks to Vancouver, Toronto as models for safer city buses: Winnipeg Free Press

4. Council group proposes transit safety measures: Winnipeg Free Press

Premier's Communications

1. NDP want Pallister to follow Saskatchewan premier's lead on email:CBC, Winnipeg Free Press

2. Pallister defiant on Costa Rica communications but will seek advice on security:CBC

3. Manitoba premier says he doesn't have to defend work ethic or time in Costa Rica: CBC

4. Manitoba NDP file ombudsman complaint over Pallister's Costa Rica phone records: CBC

5. Manitoba premier won't say how he communicates with staff while in Costa Rica:CBC

6. 'I use a variety of email accounts:' Pallister pressed on Costa Rica trips once again: Winnipeg Free Press

7. Pallister has a 'perfect system' for staying in touch while in Costa Rica: Winnipeg Free Press

8. What we've got here is failure to communicate, Mr. Premier: Winnipeg Free Press

The Premier's Costa Rican Company

1. Premier mum on mystery company, but says he, family not in conflict: Winnipeg Free Press

2. Premier faces tough questions after unknown company found: Winnipeg Free Press

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