Latest news with #UniversityOfManitoba
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Reconciliation takes more than students in orange shirts. But these schools are making progress
Schools are incorporating TRC's calls to action, but it's 'not enough progress' 6 hours ago Duration 1:58 Social Sharing When Niigaan Sinclair visits schools, he always asks, "How many of you have an orange shirt in your closet that you pull out at least once a year?" He considers it progress that nearly every hand goes up these days. "I'm seeing more conversations, more curriculums, and probably most important of all, the change in school culture," said the author and indigenous studies professor at the University of Manitoba. Ten years since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)'s final report, more students are marking Orange Shirt Day each September. Also known as Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, many spend at least part of the day learning about residential schools, where Indigenous children were forced into government-funded, church-run schools to strip away their culture. Yet Sinclair, also a former high school teacher, notes it's just one day set aside to talk about the impact of residential schools. "Can we do it for the other 364 days?" he said from Yellowknife. Teaching K-12 students about residential schools is just one step toward reconciliation, according to Sinclair and other educators. Sinclair believes many areas with a high Indigenous population — across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Northwestern Ontario, for instance — absolutely understand working together to achieve the TRC's recommendations, which spell out ways to address the legacy of residential schools. Schools talking about reconciliation, but more work needed 10 hours ago Duration 1:39 Yet "in many corners of the country, we're still having a conversation about the why, not about the how," said Sinclair, whose father was the late Murray Sinclair, the judge and senator who chaired the commission. "Virtually every school district in Canada has in some way or another adopted principles of reconciliation. Whether they've committed to the calls to action is a little bit different." WATCH | Urgency needed as Canada lags on 94 calls to action, says Indigenous advocate: 'Greatly concerning' that only 13 calls to action completed: Rose LeMay | Canada Tonight 8 months ago Duration 21:41 In 2023, the Yellowhead Institute, an Indigenous-led research and education group, reported that only 13 calls to action issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission had been addressed in the nearly 10 years since they were introduced. Rose LeMay, CEO of the Indigenous Reconciliation Group, says all 94 need to be addressed 'within a generation.' Also, Isabella Kulak, 14, shares the origins of Ribbon Skirt Day and talks about what the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation means to her and her family. Theme of education The theme of education runs throughout the recommendations, from calling for federal support to eliminating educational gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. For K-12, the TRC called upon federal and provincial governments to collaborate with Indigenous groups and educators to develop mandatory, age-appropriate curriculums about residential schools, treaties and Indigenous contributions, plus training for teachers. While all provinces and territories do include residential schools in their overall curriculum now, exactly where it appears, how deeply, and whether it's even compulsory varies across regions. According to non-profit group Indigenous Watchdog, which tracks progress of the calls, none of the education-related calls are fully complete. Still, progress inches forward at individual boards and schools. Building intercultural respect and understanding among K-12 students, for instance, is a part of Call 63 that resonates northwest of Toronto at the Peel District School Board, Canada's second largest and with one of the most diverse student populations. Hundreds of PDSB students, staff and community members gathered Friday at the board's Maawnjiding Wiigushkeng Centre for Indigenous Excellence and Land-Based Learning in Cheltenham, Ont., for its second annual powwow. Students spent a glorious spring day taking in dancers in vibrant regalia, drum circles and cultural pavilions that ranged from storytelling and traditional animal hide preservation to street art and Indigenous DJs. For some attendees, the joyful event built on what they learn every day. At SouthFields Village Public School, Indigenous perspectives are blended into different subjects and school-wide events. Students learn about residential schools, but also the value of time outdoors in nature and saying "thank you to what nature has given us," said Grade 4 student Ryka Gill. "Some people [who] are Indigenous, in the past, their culture was taken away," she said. "In this generation, I think it's important to learn about Indigenous culture." Gill's teacher, Laura Gibson, says educators today must "carve out spaces for voices not my own." Seeking ongoing training and development means she's more able to bring Indigenous voices to her students and spark connections. She and her colleagues incorporate Indigenous learning across different spaces. Attending the annual powwow is one example, but there are also school trips to a longhouse and Indigenous speakers regularly invited into their classrooms. Experiences like this weren't available to previous generations, according to PDSB's Indigenous education lead Nicole Reynolds. "That we can share this with students from various backgrounds and from diverse identities is really important.... They are learning with Indigenous people." 'An education system that includes us' At Yukon's First Nation School Board, engaging local First Nations has been a vital pillar of the new school authority, which started in 2022 following decades of Indigenous leaders decrying the "devastating" schooling of their children, according to Melissa Flynn, FNSB executive director. "When the education system hasn't been meeting the needs of our children ... it's not the family and the children that need to change, it was the education system and how it's being delivered," she said from the board's head office in Whitehorse. "It is changing the education system [from] a system that is happening to us as learners and families, to an education that includes us." That's meant changes to how kids are taught, like adopting structured literacy for learning how to read, more trips out on the land and developing high school courses on more resonant topics, like food sovereignty. In just three years, Flynn is heartened to see improved literacy at the board's 11 schools and every time a family reaches out to say their children now feel excited to attend school. The involvement of nine different First Nations governments, as well as Indigenous elders and knowledge-holders, has been key, she said. They consult on everything from school growth plans to next steps after the latest literacy and numeracy data is gathered to building students' sense of duty to the community. "Every single generation has a responsibility in the education of our children," Flynn said, adding that tapping into a traditional practice of multi-generational learning, mentoring and support benefits not only students, but teachers and staff, as well. "How do we bring it back into the learning system where no one learns alone?" Flynn has an eye to improve Indigenous language programs next, but feels confident overall that responding to what Indigenous students and communities need is the right approach to addressing the TRC's calls to action in education. "We all live on the territory of an Indigenous group. What a gift it would be for everyone across Canada to see this is what education looks like: It is guided by the people and the land that you live on."
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Student sues University of Manitoba following dorm room sexual assault
The Arthur V. Mauro Residence at the University of Manitoba is seen on Oct. 25, 2024. A student is suing the university after she was assaulted in a dorm last year. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg) A female student who was allegedly sexually assaulted in a dorm last year is suing the University of Manitoba for damages and costs, according to a statement of claim filed in the Court of King's Bench of Manitoba. In October 2024, Garry Junior Edwards, 46, allegedly entered a dorm within the Arthur V. Mauro Student Residence building on campus and attacked a woman who managed to fight him off, per a news release from the Winnipeg Police Service. Edwards, who has a 'history of violent sexual offending' according to the province's justice department, was apprehended the following day and charged with several offences, which included sexual assault and overcoming resistance by attempting to choke, suffocate, or strangle another person. The charges have not been proven in court. Winnipeg Police Service suspect The Winnipeg Police Service released these images in October 2024 following an assault within a student residence building at the University of Manitoba. Garry Junior Edwards was later arrested, according to police. (Supplied: Winnipeg Police Service) Allegations laid out in the claim include that the university was 'negligent' and '(failed) to supervise the premises to prevent access by the perpetrator,' adding that the university '(failed) to adequately counsel and assist' the student after learning of the incident. The statement of claim says that the university 'was at all material times responsible for ensuring the safety and security of its students, including providing safe accommodations' within the student residence building, citing the Occupiers Liability Act and other statutes. The court filing states that the woman has since suffered withdrawal from university, permanent disability, loss of opportunity to earn income, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, loss of enjoyment of life, nightmares and other damages. The woman has been required to undergo medical treatment and counselling, according to the statement of claim. She is also seeking past and future costs for health care services pursuant to The Health Services Insurance Act. No dollar figure sought by the student has been laid out in the statement of claim which was filed on May 16, 2025. None of the allegations in the claim have been tested in court. 'Student safety is a top priority,' says university The University of Manitoba administration, who told CTV News that they will respond to the statement of claim in due course, said that 'student safety is a top priority.' The university states that several additional safety measures have been added on campus, including adding additional security presence in each student residence lobby in response to the incident. CTV News has reached out to the lawyer located in Vancouver who is representing the student for comment but has not heard back.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Student sues University of Manitoba after assault in dorm
The Arthur V. Mauro Residence at the University of Manitoba is seen on Oct. 25, 2024. A student is suing the university after she was assaulted in a dorm last year. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg) A female student who was allegedly sexually assaulted in a dorm last year is suing the University of Manitoba for damages and costs, according to a statement of claim filed in the Court of King's Bench of Manitoba. In October 2024, Garry Junior Edwards, 46, allegedly entered a dorm within the Arthur V. Mauro Student Residence building on campus and attacked a woman who managed to fight him off, per a news release from the Winnipeg Police Service. Edwards, who has a 'history of violent sexual offending' according to the province's justice department, was apprehended the following day and charged with several offences, which included sexual assault and overcoming resistance by attempting to choke, suffocate, or strangle another person. The charges have not been proven in court. Winnipeg Police Service suspect The Winnipeg Police Service released these images in October 2024 following an assault within a student residence building at the University of Manitoba. Garry Junior Edwards was later arrested, according to police. (Supplied: Winnipeg Police Service) Allegations laid out in the claim include that the university was 'negligent' and '(failed) to supervise the premises to prevent access by the perpetrator,' adding that the university '(failed) to adequately counsel and assist' the student after learning of the incident. The statement of claim says that the university 'was at all material times responsible for ensuring the safety and security of its students, including providing safe accommodations' within the student residence building, citing the Occupiers Liability Act and other statutes. The court filing states that the woman has since suffered withdrawal from university, permanent disability, loss of opportunity to earn income, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, loss of enjoyment of life, nightmares and other damages. The woman has been required to undergo medical treatment and counselling, according to the statement of claim. She is also seeking past and future costs for health care services pursuant to The Health Services Insurance Act. No dollar figure sought by the student has been laid out in the statement of claim which was filed on May 16, 2025. None of the allegations in the claim have been tested in court. 'Student safety is a top priority,' says university The University of Manitoba administration, who told CTV News that they will respond to the statement of claim in due course, said that 'student safety is a top priority.' The university states that several additional safety measures have been added on campus, including adding additional security presence in each student residence lobby in response to the incident. CTV News has reached out to the lawyer located in Vancouver who is representing the student for comment but has not heard back.
CTV News
26-05-2025
- CTV News
‘We are so mad': Family looking for answers on RCMP search following son's death
Family and friends are speaking about how long it took for Manitoba RCMP to search after the drowning death of 20-year-old Devkarn Singh at Pinawa Dam Provincial Heritage Park earlier this month. Devkarn, a third-year architecture student at the University of Manitoba, visited Pinawa Dam with friends on the evening of May 4 before the RCMP were notified around 8 p.m. that he had fallen into the water. According to an RCMP press release, he was 'seen slipping off the rocks and into the water' at the top of a small waterfall at the dam. A search of the area and shoreline that evening was not successful. His mother, Jasveer Gehlot, told CTV News her family is angry that detachment officers were not able to immediately conduct an underwater search, as a trained team did not search for more than 12 hours after her son fell. 'We are so mad,' said Gehlot, claiming when she reached Pinawa that night, the RCMP officers told her 'They cannot do anything because they are not trained for this.' 'I said, 'You can imagine if your child (was) under the water, in the cold water,' she said. 'We cannot do anything for my child.' Pinawa A 20-year-old Winnipeg man drowned at Pinawa Dam Provincial Heritage Park earlier this month. Uploaded Nov. 24, 2024. (Melissa Parker) The Manitoba RCMP confirmed detachment officers do not have underwater recovery training as it is a 'very specialized duty.' 'Searches of this nature are high risk for officers and can not be performed at night for their safety,' a statement from the RCMP said in part. Manitoba RCMP has a single underwater recovery team (URT) with trained members. The statement says the URT was aware of the search on May 4 and attended the next morning. 'We all were very inspired by his work' Manvir Kaur worked alongside Devkarn with the University of Manitoba Sikh Students' Association (UMSikhSA) where he was vice president for two years. 'We all were very inspired by his work because he was excelling in all parts of his life,' said Kaur. Devkarn also ran as a candidate in the most recent general election for the University of Manitoba Students' Union. Devkarn Singh Devkarn Singh is being remembered by friends and family for his kindness and assistance. Uploaded May 26, 2025. (Submitted: Yadwinder Singh) 'He was giving so much time to his career, his studies, his side hustles, but he also gave equal, if not more, time to the community. For him, he was a very selfless person who always tried to help others, even if it meant that he would somehow fall behind in something, he would always help others first.' Devkarn's family and friends said the RCMP should have responded with the URT immediately, as they believe he may have been able to be saved. 'We're all very proud of him, and although he left from his body, we're always going to be inspired by the life that he lived,' said Kaur. Karamjeet Singh, a friend who described Devkarn as a little brother, said he is devastated. 'He was always ready to help, ready to put in the work. He was a man with great ambitions.' Gehlot said her son was a brilliant student, a good painter and an excellent role model in the Sikh community. 'I want to say so many things about my son, but I have no words,' said Gehlot. 'I cannot express my pain in words.'
CTV News
24-05-2025
- Science
- CTV News
Former U of M law dean ordered to pay university nearly $700K: Default judgment
University of Manitoba photographed on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/The Canadian Press)
