Latest news with #Wiebe
Hamilton Spectator
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Halfway River First Nation celebrates taekwondo champions
WONOWON, B.C. — A northeast B.C. First Nation is celebrating the accomplishments of its small but mighty taekwondo program. Illona Wiebe is a martial arts instructor at Halfway River First Nation (HRFN) and teaches classes with students each Tuesday. Wiebe says she began the program approximately a year ago, after she was encouraged to start a self-defence class at HRFN by her friend, Chris Souvie. Souvie is a resident of HRFN. Having married into the community, he lives on the reserve with his family. 'I'd been given private kickboxing lessons,' recalls Wiebe. 'Chris asked if I'd do it out there. 'We decided that doing taekwondo would be better, because I can actually advance the kids and test them for belts.' Wiebe, a fourth-degree black belt in taekwondo and learned at Fort St. John's Red Dragon Martial Arts, is assisted in the class by instructors Brooklyn Jodoin and Megan Ross. 'My instructors really embrace it,' said Wiebe. '[They] frequently spar for the kids, which is their favourite thing ever.' She says the class provided the First Nations youngsters something 'fun and new' and an 'outlet you can kick people without getting in trouble.' Wiebe was even able to get the children tested for a yellow stripe in late April as master Jenny Min from Edmonton's Grand Master K.H. Min Taekwondo came to give a self-defence demonstration. From there, the small yet mighty team travelled to Edmonton, Alberta on May 3rd for the 2025 Alberta Open at the Kinsmen Sports Centre. The event was sanctioned by the Alberta Taekwondo Association. 'I feel like they were more excited than they've ever been,' said Wiebe. 'There's a real infectious feeling about going to these tournaments. The energy is really crazy.' The kids, ranging from five to 11 years old didn't just survive in the big tournament, they thrived. Zachary Souvie received a gold medal, while Jerome Field, Kaitlyn Gladue, and Dalton Souvie received silver medals, and Sienna Fox got a bronze. In addition, the eldest student – the 44-year-old Souvie himself – picked up a gold as well. 'They have never trained in a big class,' said Wiebe. 'We took them to K.H. Min's class, where they got to train with 30-odd students. They loved it. 'They were shy at first, but they just embraced it immediately. Now they're asking me when they can go back to Edmonton.' Ultimately, Wiebe feels with more training and becoming comfortable within their skillset, the martial arts community around HRFN can continue to grow. 'I'm hoping if we can get these kids to their black belt, which [will] probably take conservatively about four or five years, it would really take off,' said Wiebe. 'I could get some kids from the nation to instruct. 'I think these kids need to see other kids like them succeeding. I'm hoping that as [kids] see others from their own community succeed, that they will want a piece of that for themselves.' The weekly taekwondo program is run on Tuesdays for youth residents of the First Nation. For more information, contact community care worker Sherry Welch at (403) 510-4408 or by .
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Bamboozled': State investigating after customers claim moving companies held belongings hostage
Moving can be a hassle and picking the wrong mover can leave customers feeling boxed in. 'I was mortified. I felt stupid. I felt like I had gotten bamboozled,' said Victoria Henry after her most recent move. Complaints have been mounting against a man who appears to own and operate a number of moving companies across the state including some in central Florida. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is investigating Shawn Thompson and his company Thompson Nation Holdings LLC. Thompson is connected to several moving companies. Some of them are registered businesses in Florida. The state alleges some of the others are fake entities that use fake addresses. Do you have a consumer complaint or need help from Jeff Deal and Action 9? Click the banner below to submit a tip. 'Right there you can see it was more damage. This actually like crushed a little bit,' Mackenzie Wiebe said as he showed the Action 9 team around his home. Wiebe was describing damage to his television that he claims was done by a company called Stellar Relocation. But Wiebe would feel lucky if that was the worst part of his experience with Stellar Relocation. Wiebe told Action 9 Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal, 'It's not really a company. It was like a racket.' His original quote from Stellar was $850 after he and his dad detailed what he had to move to his parents' house in Deland. The contract listed other possible costs, but it was only after all his belongings were on the moving truck did he find out the move would be nearly $3400, four times the original estimate. 'They said, okay, now it was like under their possession. They were going to go put it in a warehouse,' said Wiebe. To keep from that happening, he allowed the movers to follow him to his bank to withdrawal cash. He said the workers for Steller Relocation let him know he could pay in cash or money order only, but they wouldn't accept a money order from his bank. His mom said they demanded even more money on the other end when they arrived at her home, but would only take cash. Mackenzie Wiebe's mom, Raffaella Fenili Wiebe said, 'You're alone against the three of them, and these people are clearly trained not to be movers, but to be bullies.' When she couldn't provide enough cash, she claims they just dumped everything into a pile on the driveway. Stellar Relocation is a listed as a fictitious business name in state records that's owned by a company named One Man One Van LLC. The man behind that company is Shawn Thompson. Action 9 saw Thompson on an Instagram video talking about business. On the video he's heard saying, 'Let's get that energy going. Let's get that business going. Let's get that money flowing.' The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services launched its investigation after getting a number of complaints. It issued an administrative complaint against Thompson Nation Holdings LLC and found the companies it operated held goods hostage despite customers paying or offering to pay the original amount on the invoice. The state also alleges their moving trucks didn't have proper insurance. The business names listed in the state complaint are All Stars Moving and Storage LLC, Next Door Relocation LLC, One Man One Van Moving, Today's Move Movers LLC and Two Man One Truck Movers. Action 9's Jeff Deal tried to ask the companies about the consumer complaints and state allegations at addresses for two businesses in Orlando, but no one answered. The Action 9 team also travelled to south Florida and stopped at a couple of business addresses and a home owned by Shawn Thompson to give them a chance to address the complaints. At one business, a man in a green Mercedes said he didn't know Thompson and rolled up his window when Jeff Deal approached. There appeared to be a One Man One Van moving truck parked in the back. Even though someone peeked over the fence, no one answered the shop door. A short time later, the Action 9 team saw the same green car parked at the home owned by Thompson. An electronic voice from the doorbell camera said, 'Sorry, we're not interested. Have a great day.' Florida law requires moving companies to accept at least two forms of payment. Cash or cash equivalents like money orders are considered one form. Credit card is another option, and a personal check is a third option. The state alleges Thompson Nation Holdings LLC only gave the cash/cash equivalent option in many cases. The state also denied the company's attempt to renew its license to do moves within Florida. Raffaella Fenili Wiebe said, 'It was like the truck is locked, and we're not unlocking it, and you're not getting your stuff unless you give us more money.' Victoria Henry used a company called Green Go Movers to mover her belongings. 'I literally broke down in tears. I was devastated,' she told Action 9. The single mom thought her move would be around $600. Instead, it ballooned to nearly $2500 including a $444 transportation surcharge. The move was within her own apartment complex. Jeff Deal asked, 'When did they tell you it was going to cost more money?' Victoria Henry answered, 'Oh, when it was on the truck.' She claims the company also threatened to hold her belongings hostage if she didn't pay. Shawn Thompson is not listed as the owner of Green Go Movers, but that company is registered at the same Orlando address on Silver Star Road as Thompson Nation Holdings LLC. The invoices for Stellar Relocation and Green Go Movers also list the same person as the customer representative. Holly Salmons, the CEO of The Better Business Bureau said, 'Once your belongings are loaded up and the price tag changes, or the story changes that can be a very costly mistake.' Salmons told Action 9 there are eight companies connected to Shawn Thompson by business name or address that are 'F' Rated by the BBB primarily for unanswered complaints. During a civil lawsuit by a customer in Miami, a judge who ruled against Thompson wrote, 'Mr. Thompson admitted that he was a direct participant in this unfair, deceptive, and fraudulent scheme.' In that case, a college student claimed his company threatened to 'break her (expletive) if she didn't pay a higher amount.' In an Orange County lawsuit, a judge hit Thompson with a $60,000 judgment after the customer saw his moving bill nearly triple the original estimate. Holly Salmons said, 'If the price doubles or triples then if you don't have that money, you may not get your stuff back.' That's why Salmons recommends thoroughly researching companies, getting more than one bid, and reading contracts carefully before trusting anyone with your belongings. Getting more than one bid is important because it can tell you if something is way off about one of the bids. 'All of your worldly possessions are in their hands. So, you don't want to find out when it's too late that they're running this way,' Salmons said. When Action 9's Jeff Deal called the number listed for Thompson Nation Holdings in state records, he was told he had the wrong number and the company hasn't responded to his email. Deal also reached out to the person listed as the owner of Green Go Movers, but has not received a response from him either. The Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services says its investigation is ongoing. If anyone has reason to believe Thompson Nation Holdings LLC is doing business or attempting to do business, they are encouraged to report them to the state here:
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.
Global News
07-05-2025
- Global News
Crime stats in new police report encouraging, Manitoba justice minister says
Manitoba's justice minister says the results of the Winnipeg Police Service's annual report show the province's public safety measures are working. Matt Wiebe said Wednesday that the 2024 report — which shows a decrease in violent crime and crime severity — illustrates some of the progress that has been made so far. 'Manitobans know that to see real change, we must address crime and the causes of crime,' said Wiebe. 'Through our continued investment in front-line resources, collaboration with community partners and the WPS, we are seeing reductions in violent crime and crime severity in Winnipeg. 'We have more work to do in Winnipeg and across the province to continue making our communities safer and we will continue to do that important work across our government.' Wiebe pointed to drops in youth violent crime, knife crime, and the addition of 12 new provincially-funded officers last year — with more to come in summer and fall –as positives. Story continues below advertisement 'Our investments in the retail crime initiative and an increased presence in key areas have resulted in more arrests and an overall increase in safety for businesses and shoppers alike,' said Wiebe. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'The WPS (Winnipeg Police Service) continues to do great work in keeping Winnipeggers safe and we will continue to work with them to ensure that everyone, no matter where they live, feels safe in their neighbourhood.' The 2024 report says violent crime is down for the first time in four years, with a 1.5 per cent drop in crimes including assault, sexual assault and robbery. Property crimes were also down about two per cent, hitting their lowest numbers since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Some stats, however, are on the rise. Police data analyst David Bowman says shoplifting, for one, has increased by 40 per cent. 'While shoplifting continues to reach historic levels, the proportion of these incidents escalating into violence is moderating,' Bowman said. 'Commercial robberies plateaued in 2024, with incidents involving knives down 24 per cent … and incidents involving youth down 26 per cent.' Police said they responded to more than 770,000 total calls last year — about 2,000 each day — which represents a 12.6 per cent increase over the five-year average. Story continues below advertisement Well-being checks remain the top call for the fifth consecutive year, with domestic events, disturbances, and family trouble also making up significant proportions of the police call volume. Bowman said the number of cybercrimes reported to police has also more than tripled year-over-year. 'In 2024, the majority of cybercrimes were fraud related, followed by child pornography and extortion,' he said. 'Among violent cybercrimes including extortion, uttering threats, and sexual offences, the median victim age was 20 years old. The most frequently reported victim age being just 15 years old.' Police Chief Gene Bowers said while the shift in stats doesn't represent a victory, it's certainly a step in a positive direction. 'We've been in collaboration with the province, the city, the community, agencies like DCSP, our community safety team, justice, and Indigenous leaders and organizations, and we're all working together to reduce crime in our city, and especially in our downtown,' he said. Story continues below advertisement
CBC
25-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Changes on homegrown pot rules don't go far enough, says Manitoban who challenged prohibition
Social Sharing More than six years after cannabis was legalized in Canada, Manitoba is about to allow residents to grow their own marijuana at home — but a cannabis advocate who challenged the province's previous prohibition says the changes don't go far enough. Starting May 1, Manitobans over the age of 19 will be allowed to grow up to four cannabis plants — the maximum allowed under the federal Cannabis Act — in their home, as long as they're indoors and not accessible to anyone under 19. Jesse Lavoie founded the cannabis advocacy organization TobaGrown, which took Manitoba to court over its previous rules in 2020. He argues even under the relaxed rules, the ban on outdoor growing feeds negative stereotypes associated with cannabis. "When you're only allowed to grow in a locked room somewhere in your house and you're not allowed to bring those plants outside, that's still keeping the taboo [alive]," Lavoie said. The federal government set up rules for home cultivation when cannabis use became legal in 2018, but gave the provinces and territories the authority to set further restrictions. Manitoba's previous Progressive Conservative banned growing cannabis at home, making Manitoba and Quebec the only provinces to do so. TobaGrown's court challenge argued the federal Cannabis Act gives individual provinces the opportunity to impose restrictions, but not an outright ban. That challenge was dropped when Manitoba's NDP government, elected in 2023, passed an amendment last June to allow homegrown cannabis. But Lavoie said he now plans to continue his legal battle with a new lawsuit against the province over the restriction on growing outdoors. "The ban on outdoor growing still keeps it criminal, so our role at TobaGrown is to remove stigma," Lavoie said. Rules a balancing act: justice minister Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the removal of the ban is intended to bring Manitoba up to speed with other jurisdictions and adhere to federal law. "It gives the ability to those users to have choice, to be able to grow in a responsible way … and ensures we are capturing this part of the market," Wiebe said. Quebec, whose ban was upheld in a 2023 Supreme Court ruling, is now the only province in Canada that bars people from growing their own pot. Wiebe said Manitoba's rules on home-growing, including restricting growing outdoors, are a balancing act between allowing Manitobans access to marijuana, while also protecting kids and neighbourhoods. "When it comes to crime and public safety, if you have plants that grow in an accessible way [outdoors], that might just invite others to come in," he said. Wiebe said the government has also heard from consumers who want to smoke marijuana outside their homes and is listening "very closely," but is working to allow personal choices in a way that also takes public health into account. For now, the legislation change "gives people a lot of more choices … but we're doing it in a responsible way," he said. Retailers licensed by The Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba will be the only establishments allowed to sell cannabis seeds and plant material under the rules. Those products will be ordered by the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, the official wholesaler and distributor of cannabis for licensed retailers, the Crown corporation said in a statement. Manitoba's continued ban on outdoor growing feeds negative cannabis stereotypes: activist 4 minutes ago Duration 1:44 More than six years after cannabis was legalized in Canada, Manitoba is about to allow residents to grow their own marijuana at home — but a cannabis advocate who challenged the province's previous prohibition says the changes don't go far enough.
