Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 8, 1978, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press monday May 8, 1978 City news 2nd class mail registration number 0286 Alice Krueger worst feared on Bill 58 one of the less publicized casualties of the provincial restraint program is the apparent postponement of legislation to integrate about children with special needs into the regular school system. So Little has been said about it in fact that even an advisory committee to education minister Keith Cosens does t know for sure whether plans have been shelved. The advisory committee has yet to hear directly from Cosens about the future of the legislation but its members fear the worst. Although there has been no definite announce ment evidence would indicate the Lyon govern ment has decided to delay its trople meation. For one thing the 1978-79 spending estimates of the education department show a substantial drop in funding for the program with Only plotted compared with last year. Without adequate funding most of the preparatory work of the past year and a half will grind to a halt. And while Cosens has t told his advisory committee yet he has As much As told the Manitoba association of school trustees and the Manitoba teachers society that implementation has been delayed indefinitely. The legislation was contained in Bill 58, passed in 1975 by the previous nip government but not proclaimed and therein lies part of the problem. Advisory committee chairman e. T. Sale who is executive director of the social planning Council of Winnipeg feels Bill 58 is being viewed As a political Issue by the progressive conservative government. Think we Are seen As the former government s advisory committee because we were appointed by Ian he said. The committee was appointed in november to study implications of education for children with Spe Cial needs within the regular school system. Ii is made up of representatives of the trustees association teachers society the University of Manitoba s Educa Tion faculty school counsellors association Manitoba association of school superintendents health depart ment education department and private agencies serving children with special needs. Sale said what is unfortunate is that a lot of time and Effort has been spent by his committee laying the groundwork and allaying fears of parents teachers school boards and other agencies who would be affected by the proposed legislation. That will now be lost As will the momentum to get it implemented. The committee made its initial report to the minister last december recommending a target Dale of septem Ber 1080 for implementation plus Steps on How to proceed. Since then the committee has t heard a word from Cosens. Sale said the committee has written three letters to the minister since december asking whether the pc government planned to proceed with gradual implementation of the legislation and whether he wished their continued advice. So far no response. However the minister s intentions seemed pretty Clear in a speech he made to trustees and teachers in March. There is no general consensus that seems to justify immediate Cosens said then. We feel we can implement the Bill Only when those responsible Are ready to assume the tasks. Another restriction is a familiar one Money. Until we have personnel and the financial resources to ensure that the implementation of the Bill will enable divisions to provide a better education for special needs children than they have now change will of necessity ice Sale takes Issue with the minister s claim that there is no general consensus. That statement simply will not Bear the chairman said adding that about 75 per cent of the province s school boards endorsed the committee s Brief. To say there is no consensus just won t it s not As if Manitoba would be breaking new ground by integrating special needs children into the system. Countries Sulci As Finland France and great Britain have had considerable experience in this Field. And. Says Sale experience in those countries has demonstrated the Efficacy of consistent prenatal and infant screening to prevent handicaps. Such screening and Early detection have proven to have Long term Cost benefits As in Finland where it served to reduce future expenditures materially. One of the major Points in the committee s Brief emphasized the need for just such Early detection and diagnosis. Sale said the government should be setting targets now to Start this process. As Well he said parents and teachers at the should be assessing needs in their respective areas. But i Don t think anything is being done he said. Court backlog could Rise tenfold Brodsky by John Barr a proposed amendment to the criminal code would in crease the backlog in Cana Dian courts tenfold Greg Brodsky president of the Manitoba trial lawyers association says. Brodsky said the proposed amendment included in the list that would also change the nation s rape Laws orders the court in any Crimi Nal proceeding to also con Sider compensation to the victim of any offence. Brodsky said that by including the provision order ing courts to consider compensation minister of jus Tice Ron Basford was trying to slip in a major criminal code amendment under the Glare of publicity surround ing changes in the rape Laws. Under the proposed Vic Tim compensation Amend ment the victim could make representations in court. The court would then have to con Sider that representation in addition to consideration of the guilt or innocence of an accused. Brodsky said that Means the victims of crimes would use the criminal courts to collect judgments and Money they might feel would be owing them. The courts would face the spectre of compensation Brodsky said. Currently victims of a criminal act May sue in a civil action to recover compensation. The proposed amendment follows a judgment earlier this month by the supreme court of Canada affecting a Manitoba court of Appeal decision. The supreme court decision upholds the right of a criminal court to consider compensation for the victim As part of a criminal proceeding but does t go As far As the amendment which would order a court to con Sider compensation. The supreme court ruled that Eaton s could not get compensation from a woman who had robbed one of the company s Winnipeg stores of it said in that particular Case there was t enough information before the provincial court judge for him to make a compensation order. J by Dave Donn of John Demarin 6, left employs raw strength to pitch that of softball elementary school in Charleswood to raise in pledges for a while Fraser Mcewan 6, displays dazzling footwork through some new playground at the school. Events included a walk a Thon Field old tires. They were joined by More than 500 students of Dieppe events and a disco dance a Thon. Future Home of red River sex scouts Plant Trees to Start Park about Trees were planted by about 200 boy scouts this weekend in the first phase of developing the new red River Park. The 460-acre Park is being planned financed and built by. The red River exhibition association and will be open summer and Winter to the pub Lic Park association spokesman Syd Scott said. The Park on the West Side of Assiniboia Downs will have Access to the Racetrack parking lot. Landscaping started with the planting of about Trees and will be Fol Lowed by contouring the land and seeding Scoll said. The Basic concept will be similar to Assiniboine Park and has allocated for the first phase of the plan. People will be Able to Fly a Kite jog or have a picnic when the Park is finished Scott said. If funds Are adequate the Park will be ready for Winter recreational use this year Scott said. Toboggan slides Cross country ski and Snowshoe trails and outdoor skating on artificial Ponds Are Fea Tures which Are All being incorporated into the Park design the Trees which have been planted Are expected to be 10 to 12 feet in height by 1080 or 1081. The association has planted fast maturing Wil lows popular and Ash so the Park will begin to look like a Park As quickly As possible he said. Later this year evergreens slower maturing Trees will be included in the landscaping. Since the red River exhibition association is primarily an agricultural society the Park will include an educational Mode farm. The farm will have growing areas for different types of crops and eventually livestock will be brought in for exhibition so City dwellers and farm people can see the exotic Breeds of cattle which have come into Mani Toba in the last two or three Scott said. The Park will be another Green spot for recreational and educational he said. Two killed three injured in traffic accidents two Manitoban were killed and three others injured in separate traffic accidents during the weekend. Dead Are Dwight Gordon Pellitier 24, of Volar Man., who was killed in an Accident in the Ste. Rose area Early saturday ramp said. Pelletier was one of four Passen Gers in a car which rolled in a ditch off Highway 235. He was the Only one injured. Roberi Mcrobie 28, of 319 Larche Crescent East Transcona who was killed Early sunday when he was struck by a car on a Highway near Richfield Minn. A police spokesman said he was apparently walking drawn the High Way about . When he was hit. Brent Borthistle 3, of Grosse Isle was reported in fair condition in the children s Centre after being hit by a car As he ran across Highway 6 Friday night. Albert copier 49, was reported in fair condition in the general Centre after he was struck while hitchhiking South on Highway 6 Friday night. The Stonewall detachment of the ramp is investigating the Case. Ann Stangel 15, was reported in critical condition in St. Boniface hos Pital this morning As a result of a motor vehicle Accident in a Field near Elm Creek Man., saturday night. Ramp at Carman said the girl was a passenger in a four wheel drive truck when it hit a ditch. The Driver and three other passengers in the car received Ninor injuries. But by a six to three Deci Sion t in supreme court said that a criminal court judge does have the Power to order compensation As part of the penalty provision of the criminal code. Two judges on he Manitoba court of Appeal had ruled that Way. Threa Manitoba Appeal court judges said that such compensation orders went beyond the Powers of the Federal government the author of the criminal and instead the compensation orders should be part of a civil proceeding As a provincial right. Brodsky said that if the proposed amendment is approved the backlog of cases would increase dramatically. Brodsky made the com ment about the amendment during an interview follow ing a meeting saturday morning of the Manitoba trial lawyers association. The rape Law Amend ments which would bring a charge of indecent assault rather than rape after a sex Ual attack on a woman or Man were termed a sop to women s Brodsky. The trial lawyer association president said that rape ought to be abolished As a sex. Offence. The maximum pen ally for assault should then be increased to life imprison ment with a consideration of the facts determining Wyeth or the attack sexual. Fourteen years has been proposed by Basford As the maximum penalty for inde cent there s no assault by breaking an Arm or Man Slaughter by shooting Ori Brodsky said. Brodsky agreed with the amendments that would make a Yors of child pornography face prosecution. He said he would include provisions that would allow for the Banning of magazines such As Playboy when it Fea Tures photos of Young girls or the Banning of a movie such As pretty baby which depicts the introduction of a Young girl into prostitution. A 12-year-old actress plays the Lead role. Me opposed the Amend ment that would make it a crime for a Parent to take a child from the estranged spouse during a custody Dis Pute. Brodsky said such Dis Putes resulting in one Parent taking a child from the spouse can be handled by court order. Breaking a court order is contempt of court and the penalty for that is at the discretion of the judge but no criminal record results for the guilty Parent Brodsky said. The proposed amendments Are on the discussion list of the trial lawyers association for the coming year. At saturday morning s meeting about 20 trial Law yers discussed changes that have been made to the Legal Aid service in Manitoba. Frank Allen one of the authors of the task Force on government organization and Economy report recommending changes in the Legal Aid Manitoba attorney general Gerry Norm Larson executive director of Legal Aid Mani Toba and Sidney Spivak minister responsible for the task Force and its co chair Man had been invited to the meeting to discuss the changes during a panel Dis Cussion but none showed up. Winnipeg surgeon honoured for distinguished service or. Rosenfield the International College of surgeons has awarded an honorary membership for distinguished service in medical science to Winnipeg surgeon or. Victor Rosen Field. Rosin Field director of medical services at the Vic Toria general Hospital is to receive the award at the organization s 21st International biennial Congress in Jerusalem Israel. A citation issued by the College said in part Rosen Field is being honoured among other things for his work in helping to develop an automated Hospital information system at Victoria Hospital. He also developed and introduced an ongoing medical audit program at the Hospital designed for later integration information system. Rosenfield has been associated with Victoria general Hospital since the mid Moss. Mil pledges pressure Nels Thibault Campaign on unemployment the Manitoba federation of labor in tends to continue to bombard the govern ment with demonstrations and hold forums to organize pressure As Long As unemployment continues. The provincial government was elected on a Promise to create jobs yet about More people have entered the unemployed ranks since it took Power Mil president Nels Thibault told 20 people at a meeting on unemployment sponsored by the new democratic party constituency Organiza Tion in Winnipeg Centre. Thibault said he does t have the answer for the unemployment crisis saying the solutions have to come from govern ment because it has the Power to regulate the Economy. Unemployment like we see in Manitoba is More than a crisis. It s a Damn disgrace. If they re the government such great Clydesdale studs they should be Breeding he said in reference to Premier Sterling Lyon s remark that the Progress Ive conservatives were among the Best breeders in the world. The unemployed Aren t the Lazy Wel fare bums the task Force would have you Lynn Hnatiw a member of the International association of machinists told the meeting unemployment causes dissension amongst the employed As Well As the unemployed. Women Are hard hit because during times of unemployment the old attitude of women working for pin Money Resur faces he said. Companies Are Able to take a harder line bargaining because of internal dissension in unions and because of the numbers of people who need work ;