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Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Klinic directors fired days after scathing report released
Three senior-level directors have been fired from an inner-city health centre, the Free Press has learned. The terminations come on the heels of a third-party report that detailed staff concerns about a dysfunctional workplace, poor management and substandard safety practices. In an email dated Thursday and obtained by the Free Press, Klinic Community Health's executive director Deb Radi informed staff that three directors had their employment terminated and their roles eliminated earlier that day. 'These were difficult decisions, and they were not taken lightly,' Radi wrote in the email. 'We will be providing support to each one of these individuals as they navigate this challenging time.' Klinic, which provides health care and mental health resources, plays a critical role in the community, and every staff member deserves respect and support as they do 'this important, but difficult work,' she said. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Klinic Community Health at Sherbrook Street and Sara Avenue provides health care and mental health resources. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Klinic Community Health at Sherbrook Street and Sara Avenue provides health care and mental health resources. The names of the directors or their positions were not included in the email. On Wednesday, Klinic confirmed three doctors have resigned and will leave by the end of summer. Contacted by the Free Press, Radi said Klinic is unable to respond to specific HR matters. A 50-page report, conducted by Winnipeg-based consulting firm TLS Enterprises, was delivered to Klinic on Monday. The company interviewed 75 staff members and surveyed 128 employees and volunteers, some of whom described the centre as a dysfunctional workplace run by 'authoritarian leadership,' who didn't listen to concerns. It said staff felt unsafe working at the Sherbrook Street facility and listed an overdose and violent incidents in the centre's waiting area as examples. The report also found instances of racism and transphobia at the centre. The facility's board commissioned the report in the spring, after it received letters from employees alleging racism, transphobia, intimidation and bullying in the workplace. The report issued six recommendations, including redefining its drop-in services and creating a complaint reporting system for staff. Klinic board chair Kathy Majowski told the Free Press on Wednesday that all recommendations have been accepted and consultations with staff have begun. Jason Linklater, president of the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals, said if the three directors being terminated is linked to the report, those are the actions needed to begin fixing Klinic's workplace culture. 'Leadership really matters. And we've been saying that across the health-care system. The leadership sets the tone for everything,' he said Friday. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Jason Linklater, president of the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Jason Linklater, president of the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals The union, which represents more than 150 employees at Klinic, has heard about the management issues for several years, Linklater said. In March, the union offered to assist Klinic's board in completing a management review, Linklater said, but was told the board would undertake the process. He advocated for a review of management practices at Shared Health and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. The province needs to consult with unions to identify problem areas in management so reviews can happen quickly and deliver effective results, Linklater said. 'When an employer fails to support (health-care workers), this report shows how that relationship has been actively damaged,' Linklater said. 'It impacts trust and for that to change, we want to see all of the things that the board of directors has committed to do be followed.' The WRHA and Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara did not respond to requests for comment by deadline. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Persistent theft of copper wire demands crackdown on scrap metal dealers: Tory
There are calls for a clampdown on scrap metal dealers who buy stolen copper wire, which puts thieves at risk of being electrocuted at Manitoba Hydro facilities and results in 'wire fires' that release toxic material. Recent reports of copper wire fires and theft indicate someone is still buying the ill-gotten metal, said former Brandon police chief Wayne Balcaen, who is the MLA for Brandon West and the Tory justice critic. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Brandon West MLA and the Tory justice critic, Wayne Balcaen: 'Somebody's trying to use it as a source of income.' MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES Brandon West MLA and the Tory justice critic, Wayne Balcaen: 'Somebody's trying to use it as a source of income.' 'Somebody's trying to use it as a source of income,' he said Thursday. 'What needs to happen is checking on the scrap metal dealers and determining if, in fact, they are following the act,' he said. The Scrap Metal Act, enacted in 2022, successfully stopped runaway thefts of automobile catalytic converters. The number of thefts dropped to just a dozen in 2024, from 1,801 in 2022. The law prohibits a person from selling a catalytic converter or such things as metallic wire that has had insulation or casing removed from it, unless they can provide proof of ownership to the dealer at the time of the transaction. It requires a scrap metal dealer to obtain proof of identification from the seller and retain records about the transaction, limit cash purchases of scrap metal and provide regular reports to law enforcement agencies. The Winnipeg Police Service said Thursday it is 'aware of various reports of copper wire theft and they are being investigated.' 'What needs to happen is checking on the scrap metal dealers and determining if, in fact, they are following the act.'–Wayne Balcaen It did not make anyone available for an interview, or respond to questions about whether or not the police service has sufficient resources to enforce the Scrap Metal Act. Manitoba Justice did not immediately respond Thursday when asked whether the issue is on its radar. Manitoba Hydro said the theft of copper equipment from its facilities is a 'serious and ongoing problem' and 'very dangerous.' 'In most cases, thieves attempt to remove copper wire that's connected to equipment or stations,' Hydro spokesman Peter Chura said. Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS There are calls for a clampdown on scrap metal dealers who buy stolen copper wire, which puts thieves at risk of being electrocuted and results in 'wire fires' that release toxic material. Christopher Katsarov / THE CANADIAN PRESS There are calls for a clampdown on scrap metal dealers who buy stolen copper wire, which puts thieves at risk of being electrocuted and results in 'wire fires' that release toxic material. 'This is very dangerous, as thieves could be exposed to high-voltage electricity and seriously injured or killed.' Innocent bystanders and hydro workers are also put at risk, Chura said. 'Removing copper grounding wires can create hazards for our employees and the public around the damaged equipment.' The business representative for the hydro electrical workers' union said their members wear protective equipment and know how to handle live wires, but people who break into hydro facilities often don't. 'In the past, they've found people in our stations that are dead because they climbed on top of a transformer and tried to steal the copper while it's energized,' said Troy Craig with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2034. 'That's a high voltage, and of course they get killed,' he said. 'It does happen quite frequently,' said Craig, who couldn't provide the number of fatalities. Hydro was not able to provide such numbers Thursday. The public utility has taken steps to make it tougher for thieves to get at the copper, said Craig but, as long as they can make money selling it, the problem will persist. 'They've found people in our stations that are dead because they climbed on top of a transformer and tried to steal the copper while it's energized.'–Troy Craig 'If they don't have a market to sell it into, then it goes away,' the union rep said. 'The question is, where are they selling it? That's where I would focus my efforts,' Craig said. On Monday, the Free Press reported on the scourge of 'wire fires' after the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg expressed concern about the hazards of toxic smoke from thieves burning wires and cables to get at valuable copper. A man who lives near an urban encampment said he's complained to the city about the illegal burns but hadn't seen any enforcement of the city bylaw that prohibits burning such material. Howard Warren also questioned who is buying the copper from the wire fires when the Scrap Metal Act prohibits it. It's not just copper from melted wires and Manitoba Hydro grounding cables that are targets for thieves. Spooled copper is also sought after. Early Monday, Winnipeg police responded to a burglar alarm at a Manitoba Hydro facility on Henlow Bay and arrested a man who was in the process of collecting spooled copper wire. In a recent, similar incident in Lac du Bonnet, the target was also a spool of copper wire, said Chura. Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. In the attempted theft in south Winnipeg Monday, the 42-year-old suspect was found hiding between a fenced compound and an adjacent building, a police news release said. Chura said hydro security staff monitoring surveillance video provided real-time updates to help police locate the suspect, who police said had a knife and identification belonging to another person. He was wanted on outstanding warrants for failing to attend court and breaching release conditions. He was remanded in custody. Chura said there has been a reduction in the number of copper wire thefts: from 117 in 2018, to 44 in 2024 and 26 so far in 2025. He credited the Crown corporation's increased video surveillance and security patrols. Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
Wildfire risk increases, more evacuations scheduled
A handful of people will be evacuated from Stevenson Island on Thursday and Friday because of wildfires. Manitoba government officials said at a news conference Thursday afternoon that there are about 15 people remaining in the Island Lake community, and about nine or 10 will be flown out in two groups. The others will remain in place to maintain operations there, including an air strip used in fighting wildfires. The wildfire risk across the province is considered high to very high. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES The province says nearly 13,000 Manitoba residents are currently evacuated from nine communities because of wildfires. 'After some precipitation in a few areas over the last few days, we're definitely starting to see fire activity start to pick up as things dry out,' Kristin Hayward, assistant deputy minister of the Manitoba Wildfire Service, said. 'There's also an… extreme fire danger in the northeast area of the province.' The province says nearly 13,000 Manitoba residents are currently evacuated from nine communities because of wildfires. Evacuees are staying with friends and families, at hotels, and at evacuation centres. Four such centres are open in Winnipeg, with 6,100 beds available. Christine Stevens, assistant deputy minister of the Manitoba Emergency Management Organization, said there have been some questions about why some evacuees are placed in hotels and others are sent to congregate shelters. She said there are a number of factors, including long-term hotel availability. 'We don't want evacuees to have to move and relocate from hotel to hotel. We want them to settle in,' she said. Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. More than 700 evacuees have been moved into hotels since Monday, and the number of hotels used has increased from 58 to 68 since then. 'Every single day, we're working to bring more hotels online that are a good fit for the needs of the community members that have been evacuated,' Stevens said. There were 118 active wildfires in Manitoba as of Wednesday and 313 so far this year. The 20-year average for this date is 229. Nearly 300 people from outside Manitoba are helping with the wildfires here. More than two-thirds of them are from Mexico. fpcity@
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Two shot outside city hotel where evacuees are staying
Police are investigating after two males were shot Tuesday outside an Ellice Avenue hotel that is housing wildfire evacuees. Officers were sent to the 1800 block of Ellice Avenue, where two people were found with gunshot wounds, at 2:42 p.m. Police gave the males, ages 18 and 16, first aid before they were taken to hospital in unstable condition. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS The Airport Motor Inn on Ellice Avenue. One remained in unstable condition Wednesday afternoon and was awaiting surgery, while the other has been upgraded to stable. The injuries are not considered life threatening. The shooting occurred near the Airport Motor Inn, the Free Press has confirmed. Winnipeg Police Service spokesperson Cst. Stephen Spencer said the incident happened outside and on hotel property. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. He confirmed there are evacuees staying at the hotel but wouldn't say if the shooting victims were evacuees. Spencer said there are additional police units patrolling areas around evacuation centres and hotels where evacuees are staying. 'I know that there has been investigations specifically around the areas where evacuees are being housed because of reports of drug dealers targeting evacuees,' he said Wednesday. Last week, police charged two men who allegedly sold cocaine outside hotels where wildfire evacuees are staying, highlighting concerns that displaced Manitobans could be exploited or targeted. Police asked anyone who witnessed the shooting or has related video to call the major crimes unit at 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477 (TIPS).
Winnipeg Free Press
12-07-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
School division goes full BLAST with child-care pilot
A handful of schools in southeast Winnipeg will provide supervision before and after the bell rings for a flat rate of $15 per day, starting this fall. The Louis Riel School Division's BLAST (Before-School, Lunch, and After-School Time) initiative is scheduled to launch on Sept. 4. Eligible families will be able to drop participating children at school as early as 7 a.m. on all days that classes are in session. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES The Louis Riel School Division's BLAST (Before-School, Lunch, and After-School Time) initiative is scheduled to launch on Sept. 4. Child care will also be available after dismissal until 5:30 p.m. Stephen Sobczak said his family could definitely 'work with' the proposed model. 'But I don't want to get my hopes up,' said the father of an incoming Grade 2 student at Niakwa Place School. Sobczak and his wife were among the parents who waited throughout 2024-25 for a child-care spot that never opened; they relied on grandparents to make do. More than half of the families who participated in a recent school division survey, representing 2,936 children, indicated they needed assistance with weekday supervision. Niakwa Place, as well as Archwood School, École Van Belleghem and both elementary schools in Sage Creek — the second of which is scheduled to open in September — were chosen to pilot BLAST and start addressing those needs. 'This is just the start of something much bigger,' said Christian Michalik, superintendent of the division encompassing St. Boniface, River Park South and surrounding communities. The administrative team is planning to make on-site child-care coverage available to kindergarten-to-Grade 6 students to sandwich every school day before the end of 2027. The superintendent said his hope is the daily fee, which will recover staffing, snack and other costs, can be reduced in future. The province has not agreed to subsidize the program at present, he noted. Tricia Bailey Sauvé, who had been a divisional vice-principal, was tapped to oversee the transition from a patchwork of individual school-run child-care programs to a division-wide strategy. The BLAST manager is working on a centralized payment structure, family handbook, code of conduct and specific procedures ahead of back-to-school season. 'Our goal is to support families and to create a safe, fun, and inclusive environment,' Bailey Sauvé wrote in a recent memo to parents who have long competed for limited spots at private and school-run daycares. Daily programming is anticipated to take place indoors and outdoors with play-based learning and socialization as the top priorities. It will not be available on holidays or when schools are closed for teacher professional development. Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. The blueprint allows private daycares located in schools to continue operating as usual. The division is hiring part-time program assistants and co-ordinators — roles that the superintendent said he anticipates will be filled by support staff, as well as university and high school students — for BLAST. The posted hourly wages are $16.75 and $21.55, respectively. This is the natural next step to tackle a chronic shortage of child-care spaces and lengthy waitlists in the division after its implementation of full-day kindergarten, Michalik said. The division's 30 elementary schools began offering what's often dubbed 'FDK' in 2024-25. The expansion cost approximately $2.6 million. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
