Latest news with #WestKildonan
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Manitoba court quashes murder convictions for Métis man who spent decades in prison
Social Sharing A Métis man who spent more than two decades in prison had his murder convictions quashed by the Manitoba Court of Appeal last week. In 1997, Robert Sanderson was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the August 1996 killings of Jason Gross, Russel Krowetz and Stefan Zurstag at a home in West Kildonan. Sanderson was sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 25 years. He has always maintained his innocence. He appealed his convictions in 1999, but the appeal was dismissed by the Manitoba Court of Appeal. Later that year, Sanderson was denied leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2017, 20 years after he was convicted, Innocence Canada applied for a ministerial review of Sanderson's case, the organization said in a Monday news release. Flawed DNA testing conducted on a hair found at the scene had connected Sanderson to the crime at the time of his conviction. More advanced tests done in the mid-2000s showed that the hair samples didn't match Sanderson or the two other men who were charged in the case. Other new evidence considered by the appeal court was that an eyewitness was given "substantial sums of money by the authorities pursuant to an agreement after he testified at the trial," Innocence Canada said. Sanderson was denied bail in 2018, but was released on full parole a short time later. After his release, Sanderson told CBC News in 2023 that he had found healing through embracing his culture and creating art inspired by his Métis and Ojibway heritage. He moved to Victoria, B.C. In 2023, then-federal justice minister David Lametti found there was likely a miscarriage of justice in Sanderson's case. Lametti referred the case to the Manitoba Court of Appeal for a new hearing. Last week, the court quashed the convictions and ordered a new trial. Innocence Canada said in its news release that the Crown has advised the court "it will exercise its discretion and enter a stay of proceedings on public interest grounds."
CBC
09-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Supporters worry plans for new Winnipeg library branch could mean end of West Kildonan location
Social Sharing A city plan to lease space for a new library in northwest Winnipeg has some library supporters worried the plan could spell doom for another beloved branch. The city wants to lease space in Garden City Shopping Centre for a new northwest library. On Thursday, the property and development committee voted in favour of the plan, which needs final approval from council. In 2022, the city considered closing the West Kildonan Library branch on Jefferson Avenue and moving that branch to a space in the mall, but abandoned that plan after community pushback. The Jefferson Avenue building needs major renovations, but there are no plans for any work on it, a city spokesperson told CBC News in an email. "Along with many others, we are concerned that the new branch will be used as an excuse to close the West Kildonan branch," Harriet Zaidman of the Friends of the West Kildonan Library told the property committee on Thursday. "Barring any action on the building, we think this concern is warranted." The city began considering relocating the West Kildonan branch in 2012. In 2022, city property managers concluded it would be cheaper for the city to renovate the Garden City space and pay rent than to buy land and build a new library space. The West Kildonan branch building was built in 1967. A report in May 2024 outlined options for renovations, with costs ranging from $6.3 million to more than $10.7 million. The roof needed replacing within 18 months, that report said, but council did not set aside funding for the work. Under the cheapest option presented to councillors, the city could spend $6.3 million to fix up the West Kildonan library just enough to maintain existing programs and services. A second option, which would cost $7.5 million, would have allowed more programs and services to be added at West Kildonan Library, and would have allowed for a larger elevator, a new tutorial room and a children's reading playground. A third option was building a library addition at a cost of $10.7 million. Property committee chair Coun. Evan Duncan says there are no plans to close any library branches, but neither are there plans for major repairs at the West Kildonan branch. "That doesn't mean that in future years that can't change and that we can't look at making changes to improve the services, whether it be programs or just the infrastructure there," the Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood councillor told reporters. If the plan for the new northwest branch is approved, the city plans to spend more than $2 million to renovate the nearly 14,500-square-foot Garden City space. Annual rent would range from just over $210,000 to nearly $232,000 over 15 years, with operating costs estimated around $205,000 per year. New northwest library to open in Garden City Shopping Centre 1 hour ago Duration 1:26 Plans for a new northwest Winnipeg library moved forward at city hall Thursday, as the property and development committee approved a lease in Garden City Shopping Centre. But some library supporters worry the plan could be used as justification for closing another branch.
