By Bartley Kives
After two years of sitting on the idea of bringing back a police commission, city hall will think about putting ordinary citizens in charge of the Winnipeg Police Service. City council's left-leaning protection subcommittee voted yesterday to ask Mayor Sam Katz's cabinet and the province to explore the idea of starting up a police commission, a group of five to nine elected or appointed citizens and possibly politicians, which would set police policy and look into complaints. Winnipeg has not had such a commission since 1986, when the provincial Law Enforcement Review Agency was created to handle police complaints across the province. A move to bring a commission back here stalled in 2004. But yesterday, the protection committee set the wheels in motion again after a raucous morning meeting that saw more than two dozen inner-city groups petition for a new commission and members of activist group Critical Mass repeat claims of police misconduct at a downtown bike demonstration in May. "The police need to be accountable to a body other than themselves," said Jon Schledewitz, an Uptown Magazine and Winnipeg Sun photographer who was among dozens of protesters who've alleged mistreatment by police during and after a police-escorted ride on May 26. His view was echoed by Grand Chief Chris Henderson of the Southern Chiefs Organization, Bernice Getty of the North End Women's Resource Centre and Tom Simms of the Community Education Development Association, who held up a petition signed by leaders of 26 inner-city groups. Winnipeg is the only major city in Canada without a police commission, said Simms, who first put the idea before the protection committee one month ago. Yesterday, all four councillors on the committee -- Donald Benham, Jenny Gerbasi, Harvey Smith and chair Gord Steeves -- voted in favour of pursuing the idea. But any debate over the merits of a police commission was overshadowed by confusion at city hall, as Steeves and Gerbasi refused to let Critical Mass members or lawyer David Sanders relate details about the May 26 demonstration. Complaints stemming from the incident -- which saw eight demonstrators charged -- are heading to LERA, Steeves said, so any discussion about them at a subcommittee meeting could prejudice the results. "There is a body to hear complaints, and this isn't the one," said Steeves, noting police careers are on the line. "I'm surprised to hear members of this committee don't want to accept the responsibility of this committee," lawyer Sanders shot back. Outside the meeting, Winnipeg Police Chief Jack Ewatski said all allegations against police are serious and insisted LERA is the place to take them. He also denied Critical Mass allegations that officers in plain clothes deliberately provoked protesters at the rally. "There were no undercover officers with a role to mix it up," he said while several of the two dozen activists present heckled. On the weightier matter of the police commission, Ewatski said it would be inappropriate for him to offer an opinion because that would amount to choosing his next boss. Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz, meanwhile, said he would be willing to consider the notion of a police commission but noted the last incarnation in Winnipeg did not work very well. "Over time, everything the committee did do was sent to be reviewed to other areas," said Katz, who had wandered out of his office just in time to be surrounded by reporters who had just finished scrumming Ewatski. At the end of the day, Gerbasi said she was disappointed the Critical Mass issue diverted attention from the police commission. She also said she was upset protesters felt they had no voice at city hall, adding she and Benham have been trying to get the police and demonstrators to co-operate. Police and Critical Mass are slated to meet Friday, June 16 at the University of Winnipeg to work out a plan for a peaceful bike rally on Friday, June 30.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Province declares woodland caribou threatened
... from a CBC report...
Manitoba's woodland caribou will be listed as threatened under the province's Endangered Species Act, Conservation Minister Stan Struthers announced [last] Thursday. It's illegal to kill or injure the woodland caribou, now considered a 'threatened' species. Woodland caribou live in the boreal forests across Canada. In Manitoba, an estimated 1,800 to 3,200 of the animals live east of Lake Winnipeg, in the Interlake, and in the North. "We have a pretty stable population of caribou, but we don't just want them to survive. We want them to actually thrive," Struthers said. Federal officials, environmentalists and even the paper company Tembec — on whose land some of the animals reside — have been calling for years on the province to take steps to help protect the animal. "We could have, a year ago, made the announcement, but we wouldn't have been doing it with the co-operation of the First Nations in the area, who actually have to live in the area," Struthers said. "I would much rather take a little longer, be thorough, do it properly and then move forward in a sure-footed way, rather than simply going for headlines and taking the easy way out." The province will now be able to count on the co-operation of local First Nations, as well as Manitoba Hydro and Tembec, when implementing its strategy to maintain the caribou population, Struthers said. Under the act, a "threatened" species is one that is likely to become endangered. An "endangered" animal is one that could imminently disappear from Manitoba or become extinct. It is illegal to "kill, injure, possess, disturb or interfere with" a threatened species, or to destroy or disturb its habitat, except under certain circumstances. Struthers said the province will be able to count on the co-operation of local First Nations, as well as Manitoba Hydro Tembec, which work in the areas of Manitoba where the caribou live. Boreal woodland caribou were once found throughout the boreal forest, but they have mainly disappeared from southern areas. Experts blame predators, parasites, diseases, uncontrolled hunting and human activities affecting habitat for the losses. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada declared the western Canadian population of boreal woodland caribou as a vulnerable species in 1984. In 2003, the federal government listed boreal woodland caribou as threatened.
ENVIRONMENT CANADA: More on the woodland caribou
Manitoba's woodland caribou will be listed as threatened under the province's Endangered Species Act, Conservation Minister Stan Struthers announced [last] Thursday. It's illegal to kill or injure the woodland caribou, now considered a 'threatened' species. Woodland caribou live in the boreal forests across Canada. In Manitoba, an estimated 1,800 to 3,200 of the animals live east of Lake Winnipeg, in the Interlake, and in the North. "We have a pretty stable population of caribou, but we don't just want them to survive. We want them to actually thrive," Struthers said. Federal officials, environmentalists and even the paper company Tembec — on whose land some of the animals reside — have been calling for years on the province to take steps to help protect the animal. "We could have, a year ago, made the announcement, but we wouldn't have been doing it with the co-operation of the First Nations in the area, who actually have to live in the area," Struthers said. "I would much rather take a little longer, be thorough, do it properly and then move forward in a sure-footed way, rather than simply going for headlines and taking the easy way out." The province will now be able to count on the co-operation of local First Nations, as well as Manitoba Hydro and Tembec, when implementing its strategy to maintain the caribou population, Struthers said. Under the act, a "threatened" species is one that is likely to become endangered. An "endangered" animal is one that could imminently disappear from Manitoba or become extinct. It is illegal to "kill, injure, possess, disturb or interfere with" a threatened species, or to destroy or disturb its habitat, except under certain circumstances. Struthers said the province will be able to count on the co-operation of local First Nations, as well as Manitoba Hydro Tembec, which work in the areas of Manitoba where the caribou live. Boreal woodland caribou were once found throughout the boreal forest, but they have mainly disappeared from southern areas. Experts blame predators, parasites, diseases, uncontrolled hunting and human activities affecting habitat for the losses. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada declared the western Canadian population of boreal woodland caribou as a vulnerable species in 1984. In 2003, the federal government listed boreal woodland caribou as threatened.
ENVIRONMENT CANADA: More on the woodland caribou
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Monday, June 12, 2006
Directions from Cornelius Castoriadis to the voluntaryist society
Head southeast from Cornelius Castoriadis - go 0.1 km. Turn right at De Toqueville - go 0.5 km. Bear right at Decentralism - go 0.3 km. Turn left at the FAF - go 1.4 km. Turn left at FREEDOM - go 2.2 km. Continue on Friendly Societies - go 0.5 km. Continue on individualistic socialism - go 93 km. Continue on the IWW - go 0.5 km. Continue on Kevin Carson - go 247 km. Take the left-libertarian right coalition exit Mutualist to Pierre Joseph Proudhon - go 1.4 km. Merge into right-wing populism - go 363 km. Continue on Sebastian Faure - go 38 km. Take the right-wing populism exit the Levellers to the Putney Debates - go 0.4 km. Take right-wing populism ramp - go 399 km. Continue on Synthesist Position - go 108 km. Continue on Synthesist Position - go 97 km. Take the Chartists ramp to the VCM - go 0.2 km Take the Chartists ramp to Thomas Paine - go 67 km. Continue on to the voluntaryist society.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
To: pm@pm.gc.ca
Cc: Min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Dear Prime Minister Harper and Minister Hearn,
I believe that you should taking actions that ensure the future health and integrity of ocean ecosystems.
To protect deep-sea biodiversity from continued indiscriminate destruction, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) ought to adopt an immediate moratorium on deep-sea bottom trawl fishing, until legally binding regimes for the effective conservation and management of international fisheries and the protection of biodiversity can be developed, implemented, and enforced.
The severe and deteriorating conflict between biodiversity conservation and bottom trawling warrants urgent action by the UNGA this year. A high seas bottom trawl fishing moratorium would provide immediate protection to the extraordinarily rich, vulnerable (and mostly undiscovered) deep-sea biodiversity.
As a representative of the people in Canada, you ought to support the UN resolution for a moratorium on bottom trawling on the high seas seamount at the upcoming UNGA meeting in November 2006 and show the world that Canada is serious about sustainability and the future well-being of ocean ecosystems.
Thank you. Please advise me of your position on this issue.
Sincerely,
Dear Prime Minister Harper and Minister Hearn,
I believe that you should taking actions that ensure the future health and integrity of ocean ecosystems.
To protect deep-sea biodiversity from continued indiscriminate destruction, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) ought to adopt an immediate moratorium on deep-sea bottom trawl fishing, until legally binding regimes for the effective conservation and management of international fisheries and the protection of biodiversity can be developed, implemented, and enforced.
The severe and deteriorating conflict between biodiversity conservation and bottom trawling warrants urgent action by the UNGA this year. A high seas bottom trawl fishing moratorium would provide immediate protection to the extraordinarily rich, vulnerable (and mostly undiscovered) deep-sea biodiversity.
As a representative of the people in Canada, you ought to support the UN resolution for a moratorium on bottom trawling on the high seas seamount at the upcoming UNGA meeting in November 2006 and show the world that Canada is serious about sustainability and the future well-being of ocean ecosystems.
Thank you. Please advise me of your position on this issue.
Sincerely,
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Thursday, June 01, 2006
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