Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - December 7, 1979, Winnipeg, Manitoba F r local news Mercier says offer to find City housing plan expired the Manitoba governments offer to help fund the cites nonprofit housing corporation has Long since Urban affairs minister Gerry Mercier said although Winnipeg City councillors voted wednesday to resurrect the hous ing the provincial government could Only assume they had Given up their said they didst accept our he the province had agreed one year ago to provide the City with for the renovation of six inner City Homes and committed itself to More funds for the housing City councillors voted last december not to take advantage of the provinces Mercier said the governments fiscal year has ended and the funds have been any new allocation of funds would have to be approved by As far As i am there was no request for said the minister said the City could use part of its Community ser vices program Grant to finance the housing although the City has already indicated How it wants to spend its Mercier said the province would probably accept a Las minute if they have passed a Resolution asking for funds from the provincial and Federal my View would be they Amend their application for the Community services pro he the City has already earmarked most of its Grant for the development of neighbourhood improvement pro Grams in Mercier shocked by funding bid the credibility of Winnipeg City councillors must be questioned if they have the nerve to ask for a increase in annual Urban affairs minister Gerry Mercier said yes they have dealt themselves a severe blow to their said the motion to ask for a 60 per cent increase in funding must have been passed in the minister councillors voted overwhelming wednesday to have this years million provincial Block Grant in creased to at least million next they also agreed to ask the province to establish a new formula to redirect Manitoba growth taxes to the City and permit the City to collect new Mercier said he was aware that City Council has often complained of insufficient meetings have already been held with civic officials to discuss a possible increase in the size of future Block he As with All municipal Mercier the City of Winnipeg will see some sort of an increase in funding next there will no doubt be an increase in but this is said referring to the request 60 per cent we Are operating under restraints upgrading of decks in Arena under Way work to strengthen the new upper decks of the Winnipeg Arena has begun and is scheduled to be completed one week from Crews began breaking the Concrete of the first Row of each new deck late wednesday Michael Den chairman of the Winnipeg enter Prises which operates the said the work will involve removing about 200 seats from the first Row of each the seats will be relocated on the new upper concourse in a steel Cable will be affixed along the length of each truss and tightened to prevent the steel Structure from shifting downward under a the decks will also be tied to the old building at each end of the upper total Cost of the upgrading is Esti mated at about it is to be paid for by the enterprises Dennehy he added the entire bar Bones expansion will come in about under its million Dennehy said the proposed upgrading has been approved by engineering consultant Al who was hired by the City to determine if the upper decks were designed to provide proper the upgrading has also been approved by the designer of the Victor who has maintained they have been Safe All if the upgrading is completed on schedule and is approved by the City building inspection the upper decks could be open for next saturdays sellout Between the jets and the Montreal Winnipeg free december almost above the tree line de Kork moves in High the City who was trimming Trees in vital Park is part of Parks and recreation department program that will see Trees pruned in various the to eliminate hazardous limbs and improves also continues the cites Battle against dutch Elm disease by cutting and removing diseased airline to build Winnipeg hangar by John Mcmanus Pacific Western airlines will finalize plans with transport Canada one week from today to build a hangar at Winnipeg International air port in a pea spokesman said the Maine Nance overhaul hangar would be built on or near the present trans air Southwest of the passenger pea merged with trans air the spokesman did not quote a Price to build the but an airline source estimated the Cost would exceed pea also plans to close its administrative offices at Border place and move the staff to the upper floor of the hangar when it is the airline spokesman said tenders would be called by the airline also said it is expected there will be an increase in the number of employees at Winnipeg to take care of overhaul and Frank regional administrator for transport confirmed negotiations for a site at the Airport have been going on for some i inquest move shocks Walsh lawyer Paul Walsh said today he was shocked that attorney general Gerry could close the door on any further review of the inquest into the ramp shooting death of Lyle Enns without having read a transcript of tha lawyer for the Enns said he expected the attorney general at least to have reviewed a Brief from him or the transcript of the testimony before making a he said the Only reason he didst formally com Plain about the handling of the inquest was because Mercier himself had promised a review would be merely to hear from one of his own officials that everything was All right int Good said treatment rapped Walsh said he had a number of major concerns about the including the fact that prosecutor Jack Montgom Ery appeared to be biased from the he said the Crown didst treat the Enns family witnesses with the same deference or in the same Way As he did the police and said his clients initially were not allowed to Tell their stories in a proper narrative he also expressed concern about re ports that the presiding judge was seen having Coffee with the prosecutor and witnesses during the Mercier last week told the free press he was considering hiring an outside lawyer to review the inquest into the death which occurred August 30 on the Enns family farm at wanted answers to certain concerns he yesterday he said i accept the recommendation of my Deputy minis Ter Pilkey that no further action be taken in this Mercier said his concerns had been he said haunt read a transcript of the asked How could decide against further review without Reading the Mercier replied they the Enns family had counsel with full Opportunity to Cross examine witnesses and bring out their con at the chief provincial judge Harold Gyles absolved the ramp of any blame in Enns death and commended the police for the incredible restraint which they last Jack the departments director of criminal prosecutions who had represented the Crown at the Enns told a group of reporters he wanted to slug free press reporter Cecil Rosner for an article Rosner wrote about the in Pilkey reviewed it rosters article said a review of testimony at the inquest left lingering it also said the Enns family criticized the handling of the inquest and what they Felt was a biased attitude against asked Why he had decided against an Independent review of the Mercier said i asked Pilkey to review it with a View to considering whether or not there was any justification or necessity in obtaining an outside on the basis of that and the material i have Given a copy of judge Gyles inquest i am satisfied there was an Independent in quest with counsel for the family Cross examination and a closing sub Mission by Mercier said Montgomery has indicated he regrets making the state ment and i am satisfied it will not occur police report sent for study decision follows three hours of sometimes bitter discussion Norm Stewart questions auditor it is expected to be at least six weeks before City Council deals with a controversial report on the efficiency of the Winnipeg police after More than three hours of some times bitter Public discussion of a re port by City auditor de civic executive policy committee yesterday referred the matter to the Board of commissioners for the Board assisted by the Deputy mayor and the chairmen of councils standing committees is expected to take at least to prepare its report for executive policy the committee is expected to make its recommendations to Council the 33page internal report by de Marks suggested police department efficiency is not what it could be and that the overdue police computer aided Dis Patch system is unlikely to improve deteriorating response time to Calls for the which was Dis cussed privately by civic finance com Mittee was officially released yesterday although copies were leaked to the news who was instructed to probe departmental operations and the cad himself was a target at yesterdays coming under fire by police chief Norm works com missioner Bill mayor Bill Nome and a number of City Council the main focus of the criticisms concerned Marks failure to have consulted directly with top police officials and cad consultants during the provided report the auditor responded that he had dealt with former superintendent Charles Tully throughout the audit ing process and had provided Stewart with a final copy of the preliminary report last its my opinion you should have consulted with the chief before the report was written Eldon Ross 1cec Deer Lodge Marks said be was unable to reach the project Geoffrey during the Stewart said Many of the recommendations contained in the preliminary report were either subject to negotiation with the Winnipeg police Asso under consideration by the department or had been considered and Nome also challenged Marks for making recommendations on matters which Are subject to Union such As the return to Oneman cars during daytime the maintained he was Only Ful filling his terms of reference to exam Ine police the chief also questioned the Audi tors ability to investigate police opera saying the reports sweeping indictment contained inaccuracies and the auditor freely admitted his Lack of expertise in police explaining that was the reason he recommends the City hire an outside consultant to do a Stewart branded As ridiculous a recommendation that the District police stations be closed if the cad now expected to be fully operational in provides significantly better said he never meant the stations should be physically shut but rather that Calls for Assis Tance be made to a Central criticisms following the Marks de scribed stewarts criticisms As Natu Finnbogason rapped recommendations surrounding a further audit into the cad saying there is no evidence anything is Marks report was defended by some i think he has done the Job he was said Al Ducharne ice if you All know what the department is then Why Are you Here Alt Skowron nip Elmwood asked critics of the ;