Latest news with #MattWiebe
CTV News
31-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
1.2K turnout for Motorcycle Ride for Dad fundraiser
The 17th annual Manitoba Motorcycle Ride for Dad took place on May 31, 2025. (MRFD) Poor air quality and raging wildfires didn't stop 1,200 motorcycles from revving up for the 17th annual Manitoba Motorcycle Ride for Dad (MRFD) – an annual fundraiser for prostate cancer research. Organizers said this year's event took in more $600,000 bringing the 17-year fundraising total to $5.7 million dollars with all proceeds staying in Manitoba. 'The great weather was a factor in another amazing turnout of Riders and spectators,' said MRFD co-chair and founding member, Moe Sabourin. 'Each year, the support from Manitobans is incredible. Thank you to all registered riders, pledge donors, sponsors, media partners and volunteers. Special thanks to our Regional Presenting Sponsor, the Winnipeg Police Credit Union.' Starting from Earls Polo Park, riders looped from Portage Avenue to Assiniboia Downs, to Selkirk, Gimli and then back again in a police escorted parade. As announced during the 2024 event, Minister for Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) Matt Wiebe was on hand to unveil the official Manitoba Motorcycle Ride for Dad licence plate. Ride for Dad plate A design proof of the new MRFD plate now available from Manitoba Public Insurance. (MRFD) 'Our government is honoured to support Ride for Dad and unveil our province's newest specialty license plate, in support of a cause important to so many Manitoba families,' said Wiebe said in a press release, 'To support the Manitoba Prostate Cancer Support Group, $30 from every plate purchased will be donated to assist Manitobans impacted by this terrible disease. This annual ride has raised millions of dollars to help families across the province, and we are proud to stand with Ride For Dad in support of their continued fundraising efforts.'
Winnipeg Free Press
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Crowns to get training to help prosecute hate crimes
Manitoba Crown attorneys will receive enhanced training on the prosecution of hate crimes as part of a national effort to crack down on racism, discrimination and violence against marginalized groups. The federal and provincial governments are providing $95,000 for the program, which follows the recent arrests of two Winnipeg men charged with separate hate-related offences. 'Hate crimes have devastating impacts on victims and communities, and prosecuting these cases can be complex,' Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said in a news release Thursday. 'Hate crimes have devastating impacts on victims and communities, and prosecuting these cases can be complex,' said Justice Minister Matt Wiebe in a news release Thursday. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files) 'This specialized training will enhance the knowledge of prosecutors so that they can continue to serve the public interest by effectively prosecuting hate-motivated crimes and holding offenders accountable for the serious harm they cause.' The money will allow Crown attorneys to learn directly from experts who study hate crimes to give them a deeper understanding of their impact on victims and cultural communities. It includes funding for an educational conference, which is to be held in Winnipeg in December, the release said. Manitoba is working with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg to co-ordinate and support the training, which aligns with Canada's action plan to combat hate. The plan, which was released in the fall, earmarked $273.6 million over the next six years. Sean Fraser, the federal justice minister, said he's 'very pleased' to spend some of the money in Manitoba. 'We know that hate crimes have risen in recent years, and they have had an impact on public safety and social cohesion,' he said in the release. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has worked with Manitoba Justice and law enforcement officials to co-ordinate the Manitoba Prosecution Service hate crime working group, which was announced in January. 'We've been working… to ensure that when hate crimes occur, charges are laid and every legal avenue is pursued,' vice-president Gustavo Zentner said. In a separate statement, Zentner responded to the arrest of a 23-year-old Winnipeg man accused of hate offences. On Wednesday, police announced Donovan Ballingall had been charged with four counts of the willful promotion of hatred. He's alleged to have targeted the Jewish, Muslim and LGBTTQ+ communities, as well as visible minorities, in online posts. Ballingall was arrested April 29 and remains in custody at the Winnipeg Remand Centre. Court records show he has a court appearance May 26. 'We appreciate the RCMP for handling this case with the seriousness it warrants,' Zentner said in his statement. 'This case is a powerful reminder that hate knows no boundaries.' The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said Ballingall is the first person in Manitoba to be charged with wilfully promoting hate. The Free Press was unable to independently verify that information. Manitoba RCMP deferred comment to its national headquarters in Ottawa, which did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday and Thursday. Police did not provide further details about the offences Ballingall is accused of committing, or confirm whether he acted alone or as part of a group. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. In March, the RCMP announced it upgraded charges against another Winnipeg man who was in custody for hate-related offences. Nevin Thunder Young, 19, was charged with two counts of commission of an offence for a terrorist group, and single counts of participation in the activity of a terrorist group and facilitating terrorist activity. The charges are in addition to 26 counts of mischief under $5,000 for incidents in Charleswood from Sept. 28 to Dec. 31, 2024. Investigators linked Young to an international violent extremist group known as M.K.Y., police said at the time. Tyler SearleReporter Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press's city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic's creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler. Every piece of reporting Tyler 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.
Epoch Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Manitoba PCs Call for Changes to Bill Adding Gender Expression to Human Rights Code
A bill to add gender expression to the Manitoba Human Rights Code could infringe on free speech and requires changes and clarification on its parameters, the Opposition PC Party says. Bill 43, known as Manitoba's NDP has a majority government and the bill is expected to pass this spring. The party has said the changes would put Manitoba's Code in line with other provinces. Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the amendment would offer protections for people who want to be called by their preferred pronouns and would apply to areas like employment, housing, and accessing public services. 'This bill in no way polices thoughts or beliefs,' Wiebe said during a public hearing over the bill. 'This really is about protecting against discrimination based on gender expression which might cause someone to lose their job, or be denied an apartment, or be denied services that are public.' Related Stories 9/25/2024 4/12/2024 PC Party Leader Obby Khan is expressing concern that the amendments could infringe on free speech. He said the bill needs to clarify what would prompt a complaint to the human rights commission. 'What is the standard or threshold to file a complaint? What does that look like? The minister has been very vague on that,' Khan told reporters on May 6. Two public hearings have been held with residents turning out to speak both for and against the proposed change. Pastor Derek deVries, from Winnipeg's Park City Gospel Church argued the bill would force Christians to violate their beliefs. 'This (proposed) law forbids Christians from following Christ's example. It requires speech he would not permit,' deVries told a legislature committee during an April hearing about the bill. The executive director of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, Karen Sharma, said the Code did not apply to private interactions or inside religious institutions, but rather to places of employment, housing and other services. She said it is not likely to apply to issues of gender pronouns. 'I think it's important to note that the cases that have gone to human rights tribunals and have been found to be discriminatory are cases of sort of malicious, repetitive misgendering,' she said. Manitoba's move coincides with a court case initiated by the LGBT support organization UR Pride against Saskatchewan, concerning the province's pronoun policy that requires schools to acquire parental approval before allowing students younger than 16 to modify their names and pronouns. Alberta has passed a similar law mandating that schools obtain parental consent before altering a child's pronouns for those under the age of 16. The Canadian Press contributed to this article.
CBC
06-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Tories call for changes to Manitoba bill adding gender expression to human rights code
Manitoba's new Opposition leader says his party wants changes and clarity on a bill by the NDP government that would add gender expression to the province's human rights code. The bill, now making its way through the legislature, would include protections for people to be called by their preferred pronouns. Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan said Tuesday he has heard concerns by some members of the public who fear people could face a complaint for addressing someone by the wrong gender. "What is the standard or threshold to file a complaint? What does that look like? The minister has been very vague on that," said Khan, who was elected Tory leader April 26. "We all agree — let's be clear — human rights are of the utmost importance for everyone regardless of anything else.… The concern is the threshold." Karen Sharma, executive director of Manitoba's human rights commission, told public hearings — where dozens spoke in favour and against the bill — the code applies to employment, housing and other services, and not to interactions between private individuals or inside religious institutions. Successful complaints seen in other provinces have involved malicious, repetitive misgendering, she added. Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the Tories should not oppose a bill that would bring Manitoba in line with other provinces that also protect gender expression. "Eight other provinces and two territories in this country already have this protection in place," Wiebe told reporters. "For many, it's been over a decade." 2019 complaint in Alberta The issue of gender expression recently went before the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal. Marni Panas, a transgender woman, filed a complaint in 2019 after she was misgendered by 911 dispatchers in Edmonton when she called to ask for a welfare check on a friend. Earlier this year, the tribunal found there was discrimination but dismissed the complaint, saying dispatchers didn't mean to misgender Panas. Panas has applied for a judicial review of the ruling. The Manitoba bill is expected to be passed into law this spring, given the NDP majority in the legislature. The Tories hadn't expressed an interest in amending the bill prior to Khan becoming leader in late April. Khan was asked whether he would allow his Tory caucus members a free vote on the bill and appeared to indicate that he would. "I have been very, very clear throughout my [leadership] campaign, and I will now say that when it comes to matters of conscience that I will open it up for a free vote." Opposition wants Manitoba government to clarify bill protecting gender expression 57 minutes ago Duration 1:39 Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan is asking the NDP government to amend its bill adding gender expression to Manitoba's human rights code. He wants the bill to clarify what would prompt a complaint to the human rights commission.
Global News
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Manitoba Tories say bill to protect gender expression could infringe on free speech
Manitoba's Opposition leader says he is hoping for changes to a bill that would add gender expression to the province's human rights code. Obby Khan says he's concerned the bill could infringe on free speech, and he wants the NDP government to amend the bill to clarify what would prompt a complaint to the human rights commission. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Justice Minister Matt Wiebe has said the change would include protections for people to be called by their preferred pronouns, and would deal with areas such as employment, housing and accessing public services. The bill recently went before public hearings, where the head of the human rights commission said cases seen in other provinces have involved malicious and repetitive misgendering. The bill is expected to be passed into law this spring, given the NDP majority in the legislature, and would bring Manitoba in line with most other provinces. Story continues below advertisement Khan was asked whether he will allow his Tory caucus members a free vote on the bill, and said he plans to do so on all matters of conscience.
